Date: Sun, 16 May 1999 23:15:35 -0500
Reply-To: "Roy O." <keepsake@PANGEA.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Roy O." <keepsake@PANGEA.CA>
Subject: Re: Beware!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Generally speaking, unless your shipment is coming via parcel post,
Canadians ordering anything from the U.S. should insist that the vendor indicate
on the package that the customer will clear the shipment through customs. This
will eliminate paying the obscene customs brokerage fees charged by companies
like UPS and FedEx. It's not difficult to clear shipments through customs. You
don't need a broker to do it. Keep your money in your own pocket...it feels
better.
I learned my lesson the hard way, too.
Roy O.
'87 Westfalia
('till death do us part)
-----Original Message-----
From: paul banks <paulbanks@NLLFAN.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Saturday, May 15, 1999 9:29 AM
Subject: Beware!
|For all those that wish to buy products and ship them to Canada in general, and
those that buy specifically from Euro-American Products (Delta Six) should be
aware of potential problems.
|
|I recently purchased some camper parts from Euro-American that needed to be
shipped to Toronto. The vendor insisted on shipping it UPS although I had some
fears that UPS charges some extra fees for Canadian shipments. I was assured
that I would not have any extra payments upon delivery.
|
|To my dismay I was presented a bill from UPS that included a $31 fee (on a $100
order) for 'brokering' my package across the border. The fee was explained as
$15 for paying my duty and sales tax up-front, $10 for having the driver collect
the money and a $6 finance charge (all this for $12 in duty and sales tax!). How
ridiculous is this? Compare this to using the US postal service and being
charged nothing!!!
|
|I should note that I left a message on Euro-American voicemail telling him
about this situation. I thought he should know as I requested he use the postal
service in the first place. To be honest I was also hoping he would offer to
give me a deal on a future order since his actions led to this problem. However,
he has not deemed it necessary to return my phonecall.
|
|I guess the lesson to be learned from this for Canadian listmembers is to
insist that US orders be shipped by the postal service. Don't let the vendor tal
k you into using a courier service just because it is more convenient for their
business.
|
|
|
|Paul Banks
|'89 Vanagon Westfalia
|
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|
|