Engine rebuild book arrived.......talk about a bad day.

[stevef]

So I arrive home from work early cause I had to stop off at the eye doctor to get my eyes checked. I've got that stuff in my eyes that dilates your pupils so you can't see anything. I'm greeted at the door by my wife who says "It's arrived". Spent the next three hours staring at this thing but couldn't read a damn thing, couldn't even see the pictures. Bummer. Then she informs me that I paid nearly $45 CDN to get the package through customs with UPS ground transport. Talk about kicking a guy when he is down.
So good thing is, this morning I can see, but I gotta find a better cheaper way to get stuff up from Wayne and Co when I can't go and pick it up personally. What do all you other "true north" guys do. Is there a better way. I'm almost afraid to let Wayne send me the real copy, even if the freight is prepaid and the customs declaration says "no value" our boys at the border are still going to screw me. Help!

[Joeaksa]

Steve,

I have brought some stuff to friends when I come to St. Catherines on business. Try to find someone in the states who travels up on business.

Otherwise it would be cheaper to get a post office box in Niagara Falls US and send stuff there, then drive down once a month...

Joe

[Early_S_Man]

Steve,

Next time ... tell Pelican to just send the order via the US Post Office.

[derek murray]

UPS charges a brokerage fee of $35.00, minimum, for anything coming from the US.

Whenever possible I use FedEx or mail, which brings down the cost considerably (i.e. no brokerage fee).... When I use the postal service I have found that it doesnt take that much longer to get my goodies.

PP gives you a choice of delivery, so avoid UPS.

[crashr]

Stevef.... I've been noticing the same thing.

First of all if you ship UPS get ready to sell the house cause the duty on whatever you buy is going to be huge.

I've recently been getting stuff brought back over by my dad who is in NC almost every 2-3 weeks.
I agree with the last poster, if you can get someone to bring the stuff over or even if that person just travels here for a week at a time here and there you can get them to fill out a customs card so that you get the items duty free. The items don't even have to be with them, they can be shipped across later. I think it has to be within 30 days though.

I think these are the rates,

1 day $100CA
2 day $250CA
7 day $750CA

They won't let you combine them though, and they don't count the day you/friend leave but they do count the day you/friend comes back.

Other than that like one of the previous posters said you can ship USPS but don't expect to get the part for almost a month. Customs are holding things for an extremely long time right now.

[Wayne 962]

For more than a year, I had it listed in the shipping FAQ:

What's the best method for shipping to Canada?
We get asked this question a lot. UPS seems to be quite reliable, yet they do have a tendency to charge a customs processing fee that can be quite expensive with respect to the entire order. Most of our customers have their packages shipped via Air Mail, which is slower, but usually significantly less costly.

But you guys still complained up the whazzooo (aparently no Canadians read the shipping FAQ)!

Sooooo, I put in a POP-UP ALERT MESSAGE that POPS UP when you select Canada from the shopping cart:

We do not recommend shipping UPS to Canada. Excess customes processing fees often result in packages arriving with significant duties or fees due upon dlivery. We recommend that you use USPS Airmail for shipping items to Canada.

I don't see how it could be any clearer than that...

-Wayne

[Neilk]

That will teach some people not to run a pop-up blocker!

[2.7911E]

After being pillaged by UPS, I always say ship any way but UPS. Some shippers don't like USMail as the tracking isn't good and lost packages take longer to get settled. Hearing this arguement, last year I said " oh alright send it UPS" even though I knew better. I paid $300 for a $120 part. ARGGH. Never again. Always ask for mail if you're not in a hurry, Fed Ex if you are. Fed Ex still has brokerage charges but overnight means overnight while UPS took 7 days for a 2 day price ( see $300). Also their charges seem more reasonable. Michael

[MRM]

I have sent business documents to and from Canada via UPS several times. I have also used Fed Ex. I've noticed no difference. I always fill out the customs declaration disclosing the package contains documents with a stated value of $1 or no comercial value. I've never been charged a customs fee. The first time I sent something I did not know you had to include a customs declaration. A week later the documents that "had" to be in Vancouver then next day were returned to me. Oh well. That's how I learned how to fill out a customs declaration.

Maybe it's different for Wayne since he's selling you a book, meaning that it has inherent comercial value. Still, I would think that for the meaning used by the customs office, a book being sent to someone who bought it for his personal use and had no intent (or real market, other than Ebay or Amazon) to sell it, the book would qualify as having no commercial value and would require no duty. Note, this is not an opinion on Wayne's excellent books, it's just a thought on what is the appropriate customs declarations.

Alternatively, one could consider Wayne's books an original piece of art, which also carries no duty. The books is a work of art, he does sign each copy to make it original. I think that ought to qualify.

[HawgRyder]

I use a mail drop in Pt. Roberts, WA.
I find it convenient and for most small parts...duty free.
For the ppl in Ontario...look into a box or mail drop in Buffalo...just accross from Ft. Erie.
There are several services there. (I used to live in Dunnville...40mi away from Buffalo).
For others...be aware...if Wayne ships by mail...a parcel...in BC it gets shuffled off to a comercial agent.
My last order was small...about us$70....and they charged me duty and GST at the border....then the agent wanted another Can$14 for holding the pkg for less than 6 hours.
Just so you know.
Bob

[Doug Zielke]

Wayne is 100% right on the UPS to Canada thing.
I only got burned *once* by there astronomical "brokerage fee".
Never again!!

If you are lucky enough to live near the border (like I do), have your stuff sent to a US mail drop, and pick up and clear it through Customs yourself. That's what I do, and it's very easy.

[Fishcop]

Whoa! And I thought shipping to Australia was a pain in the arse!

[Adam]

Originally posted by Fishcop:
Whoa! And I thought shipping to Australia was a pain in the arse!

John... it IS! I got stung yesterday on my Oil Cooler.. AUD$190 duty!

[Wayne 962]

What happened to NAFTA? It seems to be easier to get an illegal alien across the border than a few Porsche parts or a book!

-Wayne

[stevef]

Thanks for the input guys, I do find myself in LA on occasion so I usually call in at El Segunda to pick up parts. The timing of delivery on the book was something only Waynes printer could control. I'll know for the future.
Wayne , I trust you will ship the final version by US postal service. As far as NAFTA goes, not for the little guy, Everybody knows the Robin Hood story.

[Paul Valcourt]

I agree with every one that UPS is outragous. I have everything shipped US Postal Service Ground and it takes about the same time as UPS and if there is a value on the item then it is just 7% GST and a $5 processing fee. I have recieved small and large items and delivery rarely takes more than 10 days mostly 5-7 days and have never lost an item. Some of the items shipped have been a Targa Top and engine lid and others.