question about canadian to US customs
 

I bought a radio for $215 from someone in canada a few weeks ago and today I
got a bill from the carrier (purolator) company.

the main items we

estimated customs $15
brokerage fee $18
surety bond fee $30
disbursement of funds $5
FCC filing $15

total was $85 on a $215 radio


for those that have experience with this matter, or actually KNOW what they
are talking about, I have some questions.

Am I being taken for a ride ?
I didn't sign anything so why should I pay over $50 in fees to these crumbs
?
Is there a way to fight this ?

thanks

Sheesh,if that woman wayyyy over yonder across the big pond locates a
Lowe radio for me,it probally wouldn't cost much more than that to ship
it all the way over here from England.
cuhulin

This sounds awful smelly to me. I've bought and sold radios from
Canada with no problems at all other than filling out the standard
customs slip when shipping from here. My advice would be to just not
pay it.

Frank


mike maghakian wrote:
I bought a radio for $215 from someone in canada a few weeks ago and
today I
got a bill from the carrier (purolator) company.

the main items we

estimated customs $15
brokerage fee $18
surety bond fee $30
disbursement of funds $5
FCC filing $15

total was $85 on a $215 radio


for those that have experience with this matter, or actually KNOW
what they
are talking about, I have some questions.

Am I being taken for a ride ?
I didn't sign anything so why should I pay over $50 in fees to these
crumbs
?
Is there a way to fight this ?

thanks

On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 17:26:38 -0800, "mike maghakian"
wrote:

I bought a radio for $215 from someone in canada a few weeks ago and today I
got a bill from the carrier (purolator) company.

the main items we

estimated customs $15
brokerage fee $18
surety bond fee $30
disbursement of funds $5
FCC filing $15

total was $85 on a $215 radio


for those that have experience with this matter, or actually KNOW what they
are talking about, I have some questions.

Am I being taken for a ride ?
I didn't sign anything so why should I pay over $50 in fees to these crumbs
?
Is there a way to fight this ?


Did they phone you and get your approval in advance for the amount? Verbal
authorization is just as good as written.

If not, I would tell them you did not authorize them and ask for their
instructions on how to return the radio and get a full refund of all charges.

If they did phone you and got you to approve the amount, then it is partly your
own fault for agreeing.

Contact the shipper and ask them to help sort it out.

For future reference, Fed Ex does not charge for customs brokerage betwen the
U.S. and Canada (but please double check).

I think Purolater is terible for this kind of thing.

Or ask the shipper to use the Post Office (it can still be shipped express).

I have bought radios Canada and from Jacky's in the UAE and never paid a cent
of duty.

On 08 Feb 2005 02:00:34 GMT, "-=jd=-" wrote:

Cripes!! Sounds like a good reason to avoid doing business with Canadian
vendors unless there is no other alternative.

The problem is in Purolater's U.S. operations, not in Canada (except that the
shipper should not have shipped by Purolater as they are terrible for this kind
of thing.


Good luck! I hope you get it sorted out...

-=jd=-

"mike maghakian" ) writes:
I bought a radio for $215 from someone in canada a few weeks ago and today I
got a bill from the carrier (purolator) company.

I have no idea about Canada to the US, but many a times people have complained
of ordering something from the US, and getting stuck with a brokerage
fee. It has everything to do with the the courrier company.

The complaints in the local "consumer action" column usually eventually
resulted in the charges being dropped, but that was likely a goodwill thing.
I don't think this is ever spelled out, and the only way you know it will
happen is because you've heard of it happening before.

Not that I order much from the US, but I'd always check how they ship.
Regular post office shipping never gets those brokerage fees.

Michael

the main items we

estimated customs $15
brokerage fee $18
surety bond fee $30
disbursement of funds $5
FCC filing $15

total was $85 on a $215 radio


for those that have experience with this matter, or actually KNOW what they
are talking about, I have some questions.

Am I being taken for a ride ?
I didn't sign anything so why should I pay over $50 in fees to these crumbs
?
Is there a way to fight this ?

thanks

mike maghakian wrote:

I bought a radio for $215 from someone in canada a few weeks ago and today
I got a bill from the carrier (purolator) company.

the main items we

estimated customs $15
brokerage fee $18
surety bond fee $30
disbursement of funds $5
FCC filing $15

total was $85 on a $215 radio


for those that have experience with this matter, or actually KNOW what
they are talking about, I have some questions.

Am I being taken for a ride ?
I didn't sign anything so why should I pay over $50 in fees to these
crumbs ?
Is there a way to fight this ?

thanks

I believe you are being hosed (to use the Cdn expression). NAFTA (N. Amer
free trade agreement) says you can be charged sales tax on locale where you
take charge of the package but radios (amateur, SW) are customs exempt b/n
the 2 countries. Period. I had a fight with UPS from the USA to Canada
where they thought I should pay a brokerage fee. To get delivery I had to
pay it and then appealed through Canada customs. I was refunded the
amount. UPS threatened me several times before the appeal went through. I
just ignored them and forwarded their correspondence to customs. I only
buy things now shipped by postal service, which frankly takes usually only
an extra day or two and avoids this sort of extortion. The US and Cdn
postal services do an excellent job of cross border shipping in my
experience doing this with 4 radios, 3 computers and various other things
like books and parts. And they are cheaper for basic shipping costs.

I think the shyster courier companies think they can make a buck from you by
standing there with the package and saying they won't deliver unless you
fork out. I don't do business with any company who won't ship the way I
want it.

So hold your ground and complain. Refuse to pay. If you never use
purolator again, they can't hold a package for future extortion.

mike maghakian wrote:
I bought a radio for $215 from someone in canada a few weeks ago and today I
got a bill from the carrier (purolator) company.

the main items we

estimated customs $15
brokerage fee $18
surety bond fee $30
disbursement of funds $5
FCC filing $15

total was $85 on a $215 radio


for those that have experience with this matter, or actually KNOW what they
are talking about, I have some questions.

Am I being taken for a ride ?
I didn't sign anything so why should I pay over $50 in fees to these crumbs
?
Is there a way to fight this ?

thanks



Not sure about your situation, but I know we get hit for the same sort
of stuff when it comes the other way via courier. I got hit once and
since then make a point of checking the shipping method. Post Office
seems OK with a $5 (at least that's what it was last time) flat fee.

Couriers add a variety of charges just for crossing the border. They
don't seem to advertise it, but if you ask they are quite willing to
list the charges which seem to be based on a percentage of the value of
the shipment in my experience.

I have an HP computer which HP US is quite prepared to service, but
absolutely will not have anything to do with shipping it across the
border southbound; so I assume it is common practice.

Dave

thanks for the insight, in my case they delivered the package and LATER
mailed the bill !

I will be calling purolator tomorrow and putting the pressure on them. I
will mention they are illegally collecting customs and fraudulently trying
to collect excesssive fees.



I believe you are being hosed (to use the Cdn expression). NAFTA (N. Amer
free trade agreement) says you can be charged sales tax on locale where
you
take charge of the package but radios (amateur, SW) are customs exempt b/n
the 2 countries. Period. I had a fight with UPS from the USA to Canada
where they thought I should pay a brokerage fee. To get delivery I had to
pay it and then appealed through Canada customs. I was refunded the
amount. UPS threatened me several times before the appeal went through. I
just ignored them and forwarded their correspondence to customs. I only
buy things now shipped by postal service, which frankly takes usually only
an extra day or two and avoids this sort of extortion. The US and Cdn
postal services do an excellent job of cross border shipping in my
experience doing this with 4 radios, 3 computers and various other things
like books and parts. And they are cheaper for basic shipping costs.

I think the shyster courier companies think they can make a buck from you
by
standing there with the package and saying they won't deliver unless you
fork out. I don't do business with any company who won't ship the way I
want it.

So hold your ground and complain. Refuse to pay. If you never use
purolator again, they can't hold a package for future extortion.

On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 21:05:33 -0800, "mike maghakian"
wrote:

thanks for the insight, in my case they delivered the package and LATER
mailed the bill !

I will be calling purolator tomorrow and putting the pressure on them. I
will mention they are illegally collecting customs and fraudulently trying
to collect excesssive fees.


Neither of those is completely true actually.

I would concentrate on the fact that you did not approve it if you want to get
results.