Export charges

Caution for all you Canadians !!
I purchased a Low G Susato whistle and a book, last week from The Whistle Shop. This was an on-line purchase and everything progressed “1st Class.”
Within 3 working days, the whistle was delivered to my home. Superb service.
Now here is the sting… I got a call at work from my wife who said, “This must be some whistle you’ve bought, I’ve just had to pay $49.86 in export charges, it better know all the tunes by itself.”
A 70 dollar order and a 50 dollar export charge. Guess what I feel like ??
Anyway, I have contacted the shop and they are trying to sort something out with the carrier (UPS), so here’s hoping.

By the way - the whistle absolutely rox !!!
Even my wife, a squeaky whistle hater, says she likes the sound.

So if anyone spies a mad Irishman walking through Ottawa, with a whistle taped to his head; it’s only me trying to get my monies worth!!!

Rab

Live and learn, Never Never Never ever use UPS for shipping anything to Canada from anywhere else in the world.

It would have been cheaper to send it “Parcel Post” and let it go through Customs and let a broker bill you the cost, if there will be any cost at all.

Next time have the shipper put “educational material” on the package, that sometimes eludes customs.

I have been buying whistle and flutes and such for several years and I learned the hard way. Ground mail isn’t all that slow,
but it is cheaper.

But now enjoy what you got, it will be a lot of fun.

Mark

Sadly, this discussion has surfaced before on this board. The answer, for those of us who live just north of the border, is to spend $15 U.S. and get a PO box in the states. I’ve had many items shipped to me from the U.S. (via USPS only) at my box in Sumas, WA, and I go down every couple of weeks to pick up mail. At the border, I declare what I’ve got and pay duty (none on a Susato because it’s made in the US, by the way), and taxes (14% for GST & PST). The postage is cheaper than getting it sent to Canada, and UPS doesn’t get to gouge me for their built in fees.

The added bonus?! When I tell the customs person that I’ve “just got a couple of whistles,” there’s been more than one occasion when I’ve been waived through and paid nothing. Indeed, there are those in society who think that a whistle is simply a $4 item used by referees. I’d like to encourage more of them to apply for a job with Canada Customs!!!

For those who live a bit more due north strong and free, I think the best thing to do is get it shipped USPS to your place. The post office may or may not send you a card demanding that you pay duty and taxes when you pick it up, but at least you don’t get nailed for brokerage fees. Both of my Chieftains arrived directly from the UK without me having to hand Mr. Chretien $.01.

Jef

P.S. Isn’t that midbore Susato a joy, Rab?! When you recover from the fees on it, you can order bodies in A and F for around $20 each directly from Susato.

P.P.S. I wonder if I’d have to pay duty if it was shipped to me in prison? Ah, but that’s another story…

[ This Message was edited by: Jeferson on 2001-11-06 19:03 ]

Yes, this topic has been raised before. UPS ground brokerage fees are excessive. I use regular postal mail and let Canada Post clear it through customs. If there are taxes or duty to pay Canada Post charges them to you and adds a measily $5 brokerage fee. Like Jeferson, CCRA cleared my Chieftain (from the UK) without charging me duty or taxes.

Respectfully, I must disagree with MarkB’s suggesting of putting “educational material” on the package to elude customs unless it is, in fact, educational material. I don’t want to sound selfrighteous but believe any form of dishonesty is wrong. Additionally, custom’s fraud is a crime.

Thom Larson, if you reading this perhaps it might be a good idea to make a note on your website about this issue for your Canadian (and other foreign) customers. If you need information about brokerage charges and such in Canada contact me off-list and I’d be happy to help you on the Canadian side. I know the first time I got screwed by UPS on an order from The Whistle Shop I was … umm … angry (not at you but at UPS).