Brokerage fee from UPS

[habernac]

I just get them to send to my parents or to my brother's mailbox in North Dakota (he's in Winnipeg).

but short of taking care of it beforehand, nothing you can do.

[disco_inferno]

is there a brokerage fee if you ship to an address in the states?

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by disco_inferno

is there a brokerage fee if you ship to an address in the states?

US customs is way more laid back than Canada Customs when it comes to collecting fees. I've sent stuff over worth a few hundred and my buyers never said anything about paying fees.

US Customs is looking more for contraband.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by ken0042

US customs is way more laid back than Canada Customs when it comes to collecting fees. I've sent stuff over worth a few hundred and my buyers never said anything about paying fees.

US Customs is looking more for contraband.

Exactly. In the States Customs officers are glorified policemen, in Canada Customs officers are glorified Tax Collectors.

[disco_inferno]

Originally Posted by ken0042

US customs is way more laid back than Canada Customs when it comes to collecting fees. I've sent stuff over worth a few hundred and my buyers never said anything about paying fees.

US Customs is looking more for contraband.

i mean US Address to US Address? i had stuff sent to a friend from nashville to montana, it arrives tomorrow via UPS, i dont want them to have an unexpected charge

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by disco_inferno

i mean US Address to US Address? i had stuff sent to a friend from nashville to montana, it arrives tomorrow via UPS, i dont want them to have an unexpected charge

Considering its not crossing a national border theres no way its going through customs.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by 604flames

If the ebay seller won't ship USPS, I won't buy it, plain and simple.

Yep! Go Postal!!

I don't know why shippers use UPS anyway, at least for smaller packages. We are cheaper AND faster. On May 12, our international shipping rates are actually decreasing (not letters, parcels).

UPS has better tracking capabilities, so if your obsessed with seeing where your package is every step of the way I guess that's one advantage.

[DementedReality]

hey guys ... i have worked in the small parcel, customs brokerage and freight forwarding industry for almost 20 years.

i understand the frustration for the consumer, but let me explain something from the other side.

UPS provides a service, customs clearance. They are entitled to charge a fee for it. THat being said they should call you first to find out if you want to do it yourself, assign a 3rd party or have UPS do it for X. Sometimes they do, sounds like sometimes they dont. THat is poor customer service.

Here is the real point though. We charge between 25 and 85 depending on the volume of the client. Canada Post charges 5. You know why?

Because I have to pay someone 70k a year to have a customs license and Canada Post can not only pay them more, but also charge you less. You know why? Because they are subsidized by the government! Thats unfair competition and UPS, DHL and FDX have teamed up to fight it in court. In the meantime, i dont blame anyone for using USPS/Canada Post and frankly as a commercial enterprise, we dont want single one off clients. Hence the point of the postal service,to provide services that commercial enterprises dont want. So go ahead use Canada Post, thats the point of the product.

That being said, here is some inside details that some of you may or may not know.

Canada Post is the majority shareholder of Purolator
When you ship a parcel to the USA or around the globe with Purolator, they give it to DHL. Purolator is one of DHL's largest clients.
FDX is in negotations to buy DHL's US division
FDX is by far the most reliable and effecient express operator on the globe. However hey make mistakes, big mistakes! I one time had them divert an entire aircraft, that was fun.
DHL is the largest global express operator, bigger than UPS. UPS is bigger than FDX. FDX is by far the best.
DHL is owned by the German Post Office (Deutsche Post).
During the last big snowfall, i think it as thursday april 11? the airlines at YYC spent 500,000 in one day on deicing.

hmmm ... that was fun. hope this isnt the last post in the thread.

[calculoso]

And... as I hear from my customers... why do I care?

I care about the bottom line. I care about the cost. I care about not receiving shady practices (charges without notice). I care about service. I don't care what your costs are... those are your problems.

With UPS - the charges all depend on what service the shipper ships the package with. If they use the standard service, there will be brokerage charges. If they ship with (what I think is called) Worldwide Express, the initial charge will be more, but there will not be any brokerage charges. Make sure to check this before using UPS.

[shane_c]

A few years ago I had bought an exhaust for my Mustang from a company in the states. I was tracking the part online and for some reason it kept getting sent back and forth across the border and a few weeks later it eventually went back to the company. I then decided to forget about it since I found it cheaper at Western Motorsports in Cgy. So about 2 months after not getting the original one I ordered from the states I get a letter from UPS stating that I owe them $180 in brokerage fees. Long story short, it took several phone calls to them stating I never received the part and to check their records, I received more letters from them threatening legal/credit action if I don't pay, several more phone calls were placed, etc.... In the end they dropped the charges and to this day I don't think I've ordered anything through the states again.

[habernac]

I ordered a t-shirt about 5 years ago from the US. It came in an envelope through DHL. They left it wedged in my door. I got a letter about a month later asking for $20 in brokerage fees. I laughed and threw it in the garbage. Never heard from them again.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by habernac

I ordered a t-shirt about 5 years ago from the US. It came in an envelope through DHL. They left it wedged in my door. I got a letter about a month later asking for $20 in brokerage fees. I laughed and threw it in the garbage. Never heard from them again.

I had a coat sent to me from a manufacturer that I sell products for a few months ago. Six weeks later I got a bill from UPS for $47 in brokerage fees. I coudn't believe it. I did the same as you, threw it in the garbage.

[united]

I did that too and 10 months later got a letter from a collection agency for the $33 I owed.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by united

I did that too and 10 months later got a letter from a collection agency for the $33 I owed.

The thing that upsets me is that I didn't order the jacket and I didn't ask for it. They just sent it to me. If UPS would have asked for the $47 on delivery, I would have refused the package.

[stang]

Originally Posted by DementedReality

hey guys ... i have worked in the small parcel, customs brokerage and freight forwarding industry for almost 20 years.

i understand the frustration for the consumer, but let me explain something from the other side.

How come UPS charges me 60 bucks for a $350 dollar guitar from the states?

How come when I got a guitar shipped Fedex that cost me over $500 it was no cost and the driver called me on his way into town and asked where I was so he could bring it to me?

Edit: I also wont get anything UPS either anymore. Anyone who is looking into gettting something shipped to me, I tell them anyway but UPS.

[DementedReality]

Originally Posted by stang

How come UPS charges me 60 bucks for a $350 dollar guitar from the states?

How come when I got a guitar shipped Fedex that cost me over $500 it was no cost and the driver called me on his way into town and asked where I was so he could bring it to me?

Edit: I also wont get anything UPS either anymore. Anyone who is looking into gettting something shipped to me, I tell them anyway but UPS.

first of all, the brokerage charge isnt based on the value of the goods. secondly if the parcel by FDX was Express, the clearance is included, same for UPS .. but not if it was sent Standard. Thats probably why one had a charge and the other didnt.