[Robboman]

I started a thread yesterday at TGP to encourage more Americans to sell gear to Canadians and stop saying "CONUS Only" by default. I included a list of persuasive reasons why they could make more sales by selling to Canucks.

Holy crap, you should see some of the comments I got.. "Never again", shipping to Canada is a "giant pain", there is "no way to track a shipment once it crosses the border", there is "no PayPal protection", there's "too many scammers".

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=303900

I think there's a lot of false perceptions, but I do see a few legit complaints coming thru the fog.

1). Canadians try to talk them into falsifying the value or marking it as "gift" to avoid brokerage fees, which pisses them off.
2). Canadians get pissed off when their shipment arrives along with a big unexpected brokerage fee, and then they take it out on the seller like it's his fault.

Comments?

 

[JBassJohn]

Another complaint I've heard is that if the buyer doesn't pay the brokerage fee the shipping companies go back after the seller.

 

[iaresee]

"Never again", shipping to Canada is a "giant pain"

Some people don't want to fill out forms. With domestic shipping you drop off a box and that's it. I can understand not wanting to wade through official forms.

there is "no way to track a shipment once it crosses the border"

That's true if they ship USPS. They don't offer tracking (at least at the cheaper levels) once the package crosses the boarder. Not true if you us UPS or FedEx (but of course the buyer is going to pay for these guys to carry the package to them).

there's "too many scammers"

I think this might come from the problem where a Canadian buyer gets a package from the US and a huge duty and brokerage bill. If they refuse to pay the package and the bill go back to the shipper. If I was a shipper and this happened I'd be ticked off. Maybe I'd call the guy in Canada a scammer. I can sympathize.

I think there's a lot of false perceptions, but I do see a few legit complaints coming thru the fog.

I gave up fighting it. I'll offer someone a few more dollars "for their trouble" if I really want something and they're putting up a fuss. Otherwise I let it go. At one point in time a few of us in my office were splitting the monthly fee on a P.O. box in Buffalo and having stuff shipped there and then just driving down and picking it up. That worked pretty well.

 

[Milkman]

I started a thread yesterday at TGP to encourage more Americans to sell gear to Canadians and stop saying "CONUS Only" by default. I included a list of persuasive reasons why they could make more sales by selling to Canucks.

Holy crap, you should see some of the comments I got.. "Never again", shipping to Canada is a "giant pain", there is "no way to track a shipment once it crosses the border", there is "no PayPal protection", there's "too many scammers".

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=303900

I think there's a lot of false perceptions, but I do see a few legit complaints coming thru the fog.

1). Canadians try to talk them into falsifying the value or marking it as "gift" to avoid brokerage fees, which pisses them off.
2). Canadians get pissed off when their shipment arrives along with a big unexpected brokerage fee, and then they take it out on the seller like it's his fault.

Comments?

I always ask US sellers to designate the item as a "gift".

Failing to do so will often result in long delays in receiving the goods as well as a nasty COD fee.

If you buy a mic for $60. and get a $15 ~ $20. COD you might as well have bought it new.

It's no hassle for them to do this. If they don't want to, they can ki$$ my a$$.

Most are happy to comply.

 

[suttree]

i've bought a few things from the us, and most sellers i've talked to have been more than happy to sell to me. those that weren't, well no big deal. if i were gassing that badly for a specific piece, i'd have it shipped greyhound to buffalo and drive down to pick it up.

 

[ClintonHammond]

"marking it as "gift" to avoid brokerage fees, which pisses them off."
There's no good reason tagging a package "Gift" should ever piss anyone off.... But then again, these are Americans we're talking about.... If I had to live in that POS country, I'd be in a permanent state of pissed-off!

As said above, tagging it as gift not only makes it cost less, it speeds up delivery.

I love living in a border town.... When in doubt I have things delivered to chums in Detroit, and either they bring it over for me, or I go get it myself and just bring it back as if I've always owned it.

The 'border/customs' are the people that can pucker up and kiss my winky-brown!

Of course the best way is to just buy from fellow Canadians in the first place, and let the Yanks go spit....

 

[Gilliangirl]

It's funny how everyone's perception is a little different. ClintonHammond thinks the US sucks; I OTOH think our country has no business charging GST and various other fees at the border when the item originated in the US. Consequently, I have no qualms with fudging the truth at the border, and I don't apologize for it. This country taxes us to death and there's more coming down the pipe all the time. :sport-smiley-002:

I've had numerous transactions with US sellers and they've all been quite willing to mark items as a gift. All my transactions from our neighbours to the south have been positive.

 

[mario]

It's funny how everyone's perception is a little different. ClintonHammond thinks the US sucks; I OTOH think our country has no business charging GST and various other fees at the border when the item originated in the US. Consequently, I have no qualms with fudging the truth at the border, and I don't apologize for it. This country taxes us to death and there's more coming down the pipe all the time. :sport-smiley-002:

I've had numerous transactions with US sellers and they've all been quite willing to mark items as a gift. All my transactions from our neighbours to the south have been positive.

+1 Gilliangirl! I completely agree with you and I too have done a lot of transactions to and from the U.S. with no problems on either end.

 

[Jeff Flowerday]

I don't ask anyone to mark an item as a gift anymore, it doesn't work all the time. I've had 100s of items sent to me via USPS and sometime gift works sometime they see right through you.

That said, I know what the brokerage and GST charges are going to be. If the total is too much I don't buy it.

The beauty of my system, is when the post office doesn't charge it's fees and taxes, you come out smiling.

As for UPS or Fedex, it's quite simple don't ship ground!!!!!! All services faster than ground include customs clearance.

 

[Geek]

Hi,

I just thought those type of sellers were just plain racist :confused-smiley-010

Steve at ApexJr.com and other small online dealers has always jumped to Canada's defence when individual sellers try those BS lines.

Cheers!

 

[ClintonHammond]

"ClintonHammond thinks the US sucks"
There are way worse places to live.... But there are also way BETTER places too.....

Canada is a WAY better place to live than the USA.

Your mileage may vary.

"I have no qualms with fudging the truth at the border, and I don't apologize for it."
Hear hear!

"All my transactions from our neighbours to the south have been positive."
Ditto!

 

[Lowtones]

I byy often from the US. Not only do the couriers charge a cross border fee usually $30 but you are certainly going to pay 15 percent duty. The couriers will never leave the package with money owing on it so I have to go pick it up. Now I just use a parcel service Port Huron MI. They call me when a parcel comes in and I pay them $5.00 per parcel. I am seldom ever charged duty at the border unless the parcel cost was more than $200. It takes me 45 min each way and I alway fill up with the cheaper gas while I'm over the border. The savings on gas covers the five bucks in bridge tolls. It works well for me.

 

[Robert1950]

Canada is a WAY better place to live than the USA.

Yeah, but you live across the river from Detroit. I mean, Detroit. Think that might skew your opinion at bit ?????

 

[ClintonHammond]

What about Detroit?

Like New York, or LA or Chicago are any different?