ebay purchase: shipping question

[soupey]

just wondering, what will get a package here faster?, ive got two options on something i bought on ebay...

$30 USD to Canada - Fedex/USPS Air Parcel
$35 USD to Canada - USPS Global Express Mail(EMS)

thanks in advance

[clem24]

From where? EMS from Japan takes like 2-3 days literally. It's quicker than anything that comes from the states. Fedex is most likely Fedex ground.

[DonJuan]

^:werd: I just got soem stuff off ebay from japan and from the states I'm still waiting for the US stuff, the japan shipment came like 2 days after I sent the payment! CRAAAZY!

[QuasarCav]

USPS EMS, used it about 10 times and I have never been let down.

It changes to Purolator at the border.

[CRXguy]

Originally posted by QuasarCav


It changes to Purolator at the border.

+1 for USPS EMS.

It goes through Canada Post, at least for me it did....

[Zero102]

Yup, EMS all the way :)

[soupey]

package is coming from the US, i guess ill try to go for the USPS Global Express Mail(EMS) method, thanks guys

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by QuasarCav
USPS EMS, used it about 10 times and I have never been let down.

It changes to Purolator at the border.

:thumbsup:

[?????]

Yeah you'll pay less customs/taxes with USPS too.

[customdelux]

fedex has horrible broker charges when it croosing the border sometimes more then the item you purchased

[soupey]

package was shipped today from the states..

any idea what kinds of custom fees im looking at when its being shipped over the border? it seems everytime i get something from the states its hit or miss on whether or not i get dinged at the border...

i bought a motherboard and cpu off of it...$120+35shipping (US dollars)...so how would i find out if im going to get charged for customs etc?...

i did go the USPS Global Express Mail(EMS) shipping method if that makes any difference...

[Zero102]

Expect GST + $5-$7 handling charge + 0-5% duty depending on country of origin.
That should give you worst-case if it's coming USPS EMS

[soupey]

awesome and last question (haha im somewhat impatient), approx how long do packages take to get to canada via USPS Global Express Mail(EMS)?

[QuasarCav]

Originally posted by soupey
awesome and last question (haha im somewhat impatient), approx how long do packages take to get to canada via USPS Global Express Mail(EMS)?


I've had as low as 3 days and as high as a week.

[Zero102]

Worst time I had was 2 1/2 weeks, that was right before christmas.
I'd expect from 4-6 days from when it was shipped, or at least I think that's the time frame they advertise.

[?????]

It also depends on the shipper how much you get taxed. I usually ask my shipper to check the package as a "gift" label it as a "used car part" or whatever and lower the marked value of the item if you didn't purchase insurance.

[FiveFreshFish]

About 3 to 4 business days in my experience.

[Fosgate R]

Anyone else pay rediculous border fees when they get crap from the states??? I ordered a dvd a while back for 20, shipping was 5, border fees were 20 f*cking dollars!!

[clem24]

Canada Post/Purolator charges a flat fee of $5 + whatever else they tack on (usually only GST). UPS charges at least $30 + GST + whatever else they tack on. UPS is a complete rip if you ship anything under say, $1,000. Apparently there aren't any brokerage fees if you have it shipped express or something (but then the shipping costs are insane). Have it marked as a gift and the first $50 is exempt (I'd say about 80% of sellers will do this if you ask nicely).

What I've found is that about 75% of the time, when I ship through EMS, it doesn't get taxed, even when the value is about $200-300. I don't know what is happening, but it looks like sometimes they just want to get the package delivered as quickly as possible, so they don't bother with the taxes. No such luck on regular parcels.

[soupey]

managed to find this, has all the info u guys said and anything i was wondering about...


Complete Guide: Shipping to Canada from the US via USPS

Shipping to Canada (and elsewhere) from the US via the United States Postal Service (USPS) is fairly straight forward. In fact, MAILING IS THE BEST METHOD FOR SENDING BOXES ACROSS THE BORDER!! (NO $$ brokers fees and LOTS more safe, economical choices!)

FIRST: USPS has an excellent international calculator. Just select the country, select the mail type (parcel/box), and type in the weight (lbs & ozs). (Note: There's a default of '1' in the ozs box; don't forget to remove or change it.) The calculator will give you ALL the options and costs for your box.

USPS INT'L RATE CALCULATOR SITE: http://ircalc.usps.gov

USPS Publication 51: Also on the calculator site, this must-have provides ALL the international rate tables for quick reference. It's accessible as an html file (web page) or you can conveniently download it (FREE pdf).

NOTE: USPS does NOT use foreign postal codes/addresses to calculate shipping. Packages from anywhere in the US are the same cost to anywhere in Canada. (USPS drop ships to CanadaPost warehouses in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal for import/customs inspection. Then CanadaPost delivers the packages to the individual addresses.)

MAILING SMALL or LIGHT WEIGHT PACKAGES/BOXES: Small boxes can be shipped AIRMAIL LETTER-POST (odd name for it, I know). Boxed items weighing 4 lbs or less and 36" around (length + width + depth) can go Letter-post.

There are three Letter-posts: Airmail Letter-post, Economy/surface Letter-post and Global Priority. Global Priority is a pricier form of Airmail Letter-post, using a specially marked box, packet or sticker, but it's treated the same way, despite the name. Economy (surface/ground delivery) is the slowest method. Letter-post cannot be insured.

NOTE: Airmail Letter-post is a great service for fragile items (any package should be well-packed), because these boxes are shipped with other small boxes and envelopes. And the rates are unbeatable! (I've NEVER found Global Priority to be any faster or safer than Airmail Letter-post.)

COMPARE RATES!

Airmail Letter-post: (1 lb) $3.95 (2 lbs) $6.70 (3 lbs) $9.45 (4 lbs) $12.40

Global Priority: (1 lb) $8.50 (2 lbs) $11.50 (3 lbs) $14.75 (4 lbs) $19.00

Airmail Parcel-post: (1 lb) $14.00 (2 lbs) $14.00 (3 lbs) $15.00 (4 lbs) $16.35

MAILING LARGE or HEAVY PACKAGES/BOXES: Large/heavy boxes have to go PARCEL POST -- that's any box more than 4 lbs or larger than 36 inches around (l + w + d). Parcel-post has two options: Airmail (faster) and Economy/surface (slower). Parcel-post is generally about $8 to $10 more than Letter-post for a package of the same weight. But it can be insured.

TRACKABLE MAILING: The third shipping option is Global Express (EMS or Express Mail Service), which is USPS's form of UPS or FedEx (courier/shipping service). It's the only mail that can be tracked. Express generally runs around $19-27. It's also delivered to Canadian addresses via a partner courier (much like UPS/Fed Ex/Purolator/DHL).

IMPORTANT: USPS is generally the best option if a package must be tracked or delivered quickly. Because USPS & CanadaPost have long standing agreements to handle each other's mail, broker's fees are not charged. EXPENSIVE BROKERS FEES ARE CHARGED BY MOST OTHER COURIER/SHIPPING SERVICES. BUT NOT USPS/CANADA POST.

INSURED MAILING: If an item needs to be insured, it must go Parcel-post (add $1.35 insurance for up to $50 USD insured, $2.30 for up to $100, etc.) or Global Express (insurance and tracking are included).

CUSTOMS: There are two customs forms for Canada-bound packages: one for uninsured mail (4x3 green sticker) and one for insured mail (6.5x8 white form). They both require the contents description (the eBay item, for example, 'Used Coat') and value (always the eBay Winning Bid). The white form requires the addition of both parties' names, addresses and phone #s.

IMPORTANT info on declared value: Never 'over value' items, even in an attempt to be helpful (insurance claims are based on actual receipts). Over-valuing causes a HUGE headache and extra expenses for Canadians in taxes and fees. The DECLARED VALUE is ALWAYS the eBay WINNING BID!! There is NO 'estimating' with customs values -- value is price paid/actual cost to buyer, backed up with the eBay invoice and PayPal/MO/cancelled check receipt.

IMPORTANT: Always include full names and addresses (with street) and fill out the custom's form, or packages may be delayed. Also ... Canada Customs (as does US Customs) has the authority to open boxes and they will, if an item is not properly identified -- or improperly marked as 'gift.' Then they will tax the item at what they think it's worth (plus handling). Customs is not fooled by packages marked 'gift'! :-)

FEES (important FYI for sellers/mailers & buyers):

--TAXES (the most common fee): Taxes are assessed only on goods valued at $20 CAD (about $15 USD) or more and are generally about 8-15% (depending on the province); a $5 handling fee is added when an item must be taxed. When taxes are charged, Customs sticks a taxes-owing form on the box and the box is held by the Post Office as a COD -- recipient pays the tax/handling when the package is retrieved.

NOTE: Customs cannot check every box, so often times, items valued at more than $20 CAD do get through with no charge -- it's a 'hit-or-miss' situation. Likewise, if taxes are over-charged due to a missing customs form or a seller over-value, recipients can send in to Customs proof of payment (eBay invoice and PayPal/money order receipt or cancelled check), along with the customs form (make a copy first) to get a refund.

--DUTY: Thanks to NAFTA there is no duty assessed on goods made in the US or Canada; or on used goods, generally.

--Other FEES: When using USPS/Canada Post the buyer will NEVER get a 'surprise' brokerage fee. Brokers are used by other shipping companies to import and deliver items. Brokerage fees can cost as much as the entire item and shipping!! But USPS/CanadaPost have agreements with each other to handle each other's mail, so NO BROKERAGE FEES are charged with USPS!!

TIP: You can turn printed/used boxes (including Priority Mail) inside out to use again (no need to cover with brown paper)!!

Thank you!! Hope this 'manual' helps! As an American-Canadian living here, I know that Canadians LOVE having the choice of US eBay goods! And we'll help drive up your earnings (and make it worth your business while) if you ship here!!


http://reviews.ebay.com/Complete-Guide-Shipping-to-Canada-from-the-US-via-USPS_W0QQugidZ10000000000084869

thanks for the help again guys

[gordguide]

Would just add that with a recent shipment from the US via USPS -> Canada Post, the flat fee for brokerage is now $8, up from $5.

If you find that you need to buy from a vendor that only ships via UPS, then contact a brokerage and have it sent to the broker's bonded warehouse (will be cheaper than UPS's outrageous fees) and have them clear it, or clear it yourself (additional cost = $0).

Clearing it yourself involves an itemized invoice (can be in many forms; ie print out an eMail is OK, but must have quantity, description and price for each item) and a trip to customs, along with clear labeling on the package.

Be sure the package is very clearly marked because if it's not, UPS will just claim they didn't see it and they will just clear it themselves.

UPS claims the brokerage fees they charge are to a 3rd-party firm and not within their control, and technically they are right. However, the outside firm is a wholly owned subsidiary; the story is essentially just a ruse to get you to quit complaining to them about the brokerage fee.