Shipping to Canada - "The Resolution"

Clearly your customer should have taken care of this and not made it your problem.

I am not aware of 3rd parties for FedEx. They have their own offices throughout Canada. I also find them the best of them all - UPS, DHL and all the "priority" post services.

FedEx never loses anything and it's all so easily handled online. You enter your order online and then it is picked up and tracked online by anyone you list at the time of entering the order. It eliminates all the hassles and phone calls.

After many years of ordering parts to Canada from the US and either getting hit with extra duties or late arrivals I discovered the solution.

See doc enclosed. Every time I order something I email this doc to the vendor or shipper. If it is completed by the shipper and attached to the outside of the package it advises customs that the item meets NAFTA requirements and no duties are due.

This eliminates fees and speeds up the process. I get packages from CA vendors that arrive THE NEXT DAY with no special charges. Although this is not necessarily the answer for large heavy packages with value over $1600.

Hope this helps.

Thanks David.
I will keep this for possible use in the future. Sadly this Pantera owner has not responded to my e-mails and has basically left me to pay his fees.

Just to clarify, Some of the carriers hire private contractors to deliver to remote areas. In Quebec; Gaspesie, North Shore, Chicoutimi, Abitibi. So I can safely assume the same for the rest of Canada
Back when I was with the Company I remember a package took an extra week to be delivered because the private broker did not have enough to to the extra distance. Also as stated in an earlier thread I received a FedEx package and the duty invoice was mailed to me 45 days after the actual delivery.

ps May I be bold enough to ask if the destination to which you shipped your item was a Metro area or smaller town?

Small Town

I'm sure one of our Northern members can add the details to this, but I know there is an age limit on duties for old car parts.

Meet the age limit - that is, old enough - and no import duties.

I know this will work on any parts original to our Ford-era Panteras.

Exact dates?

Larry

Count me in also have been trying to get buyer in canada to step up and take care of this but all i get are my emails ignored or finally answered with an answer" i'll take care of it "
Can't wait til my visa bill comes in as the charge will be on card as fed ex has threatned.Then i will post the name as he is restoring a FLARED car and still buying parts.Til then beware selling and shipping direct to canada.
Just a note this transaction took place in sept the guy is a major JERK!!

Hey Jeff,

Sorry to hear about this. You're a fair person to deal with and I hope you guys work something out. Now, only if he'll respond to your emails... Keep us posted.

Good luck,
Billy
#3382

The shipping declaration was marked “antique auto parts”. I do not recall any thing specific to age on the form and the clerk at Fed Ex did not ask.

These parts were OEM door handles and lock housings. I will mention this to the next Fed Ex person I speak to.

The items I have sold have minimal value. I just list them because no matter what the part someone usually needs them. Sort of a virtual “Parts Meet” for those of us not located in California.

But this is not worth the time and hassle I have spent with Fed Ex. I have been dealing with this since September.

quote:

Originally posted by LF - TP 2511:
I'm sure one of our Northern members can add the details to this, but I know there is an age limit on duties for old car parts.

Meet the age limit - that is, old enough - and no import duties.

I know this will work on any parts original to our Ford-era Panteras.

Exact dates?

Larry

The rules in Canada are that any vehicle 25 years old or more AND THE PARTS USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THOSE VEHICLES are duty free. The problem is that MOST Customs officials either don't know the rules, or just try to screw you out of extra money for sport. I'm not sure which.

I have the relevant section in my BlackBerry and show it every time I bring parts in (myself). It is: Chapter 99, Section 9966.00.00.

Mark

Here's the Pertinent section of 9966.00.00
See Articles 4 & 5 which talk to parts (original or repro.)

If for some reason what you shipped isn't over 25 years old or designed for a vehicle that is over 25, then duties could be due. As a Canadian who buys things out of the U.S. on occasion, I'm disappointed that someone on this side of the border would leave you hanging like that. There needs to be trust on both sides of the border, and if someone here is betraying that, it impacts us all.

Keep in mind that one possibility is that the carrier doesn't want to go through the paperwork to clear things up with the Customs folks, so they're going after you and the recipient as that can be easier for them (esp. if they have a credit card on file) - that happened to me once when I bought a product here in Canada and the store was out of stock on one of the components ... they shipped it to me from the U.S. and I got hit with a bill for $70 for duties all because of how the shipping label was filled out.

Mark / Russ,

That seems very complicated and requires the customs folks to think. Why bother? Just stick the NAFTA doc on the outside of the package and you're home free (unless the part was made outside of US / Canada or Mexico and costs more than $1600).

Jeff, LaBoss if our Canadian friend(s) are not up to paying their part of duties I apologise on their behalf. Beleive me we are not all cut from the same cloth. At the same time others who might have future transactions with these guys need to be warned. eBay has its feedback system. POST THEIR NAMES SO WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE. I went thru similar bulls**t when I did some retoration work on a cat. It took me almost 2 months to get paid.

I will wait as 2 members have stepped forward to try to help,we will see how they do.Thanks for all concerned.

Bob

Today I received a call from FedEx Canada. I had to start from the beginning and explain my situation. The agent stated that any invoice issue with a shipment originating from the US had to be resolve by Fed Ex in the US.

At this point I lost my patience and informed her that as far as I was concerned I was done with trying to cooperate with them. It is not my problem that the third party agent did not collect the fees due at delivery. I am not a friggin Canadian customs / tax agent.
I closed by stating that I have used FedEx as my primary shipper for my business needs for over 10 years and I would change shippers if I received another letter or phone call from them.

My Canadian Pantera friends, your advice and suggestions are appreciated. In the future if I chose to sell to Canada I will have to clarify with the buyer about potential fees they may incur. I do believe that 99% of Canadians handle these situations the right way. The majority of Americans who are not US businesses are probably not aware of how to handle the special requirements of shipping outside the US. This is a learning experience for me. I have purchased parts from Canadians on this forum and the experiences were hassle free and a pleasure to work with. This is the primary reason I want to reciprocate and ship items north.

Last, I had planned not to reveal the forum user’s name to not embarrass him. The amount due is a paltry $33.75. If a US forum member is considering selling to a Canadian please send me a PM and I will let them know if their buyer is my party.

This is a great forum and I appreciate all of my world wide Pantera brethren.

Jeff

I believe a person's name and reputation should be valued highly. The amount is not important here ... it is the unfortunate aura created, that may cause some of us to think twice.

I am sorry to hear that you had so much trouble shipping to Canada. It truly saddens me to think that it may taint the reputation of shipping to/from Canada.

Personally, I make every effort to ensure my transactions to, or from, the U.S. are hassle free. To date, I have not had any problems either way. I usually ship by USPostal/CanadaPost or Yellow freight when going across the boarder. I have always had great service. Alternatively, I make arrangments to ship or receive in the U.S.

It is my wish that this be considered an isolated case that can occur anywhere. Further, I hope that this will in no way reflect on the good relationship we have with our fellow U.S. DeTomaso buddies.

B.G.

Sheesh! Why are Canadians so freakin' sensitive. Or is it insecure?

There are a million things wrong with America - and just crossing into the US is major security hassle we all go thru every time we go to an airport or wait in line at highway borders.

But we certainly don't hold it against our US brothers here on the PIBB! And I'm sure that neither do they because of some lame guy who decides to stiff a vendor rather than pay three times the cost of the part in fees. Understandable, but still lame.

And I never heard of FedEx "Canada." You would only deal with the office who picked up your package in the first place.

but being overly sensitive is what makes us Canadian isn't it?

John Stewart showed a clip recently where a fellow was heckling the Prime Minister and called him 'Sir' as part of his tirade. In other nations, hecklers are more likely to throw articles of personal attire, a shoe perhaps.

What surprises me in this whole situation is that the courier company delivered without collecting the duties - anytime I've received things with duties, they don't even take the parcel off the truck until they've swiped the credit card.

Anyway, David, thank you for the NAFTA document, I'm know I'll get good use out of that in the future as well as our dear friend 9966.00.00 when bringing in items manufactured in Italy/Germany/England etc. for the cat.

In true Canadian style, I've re-read my post 3 times to make sure I haven't said anything that might conceivably offend someone - I think I'm good (although I think it's a bit of a risk starting my first sentence with the word 'but' and not capitalizing it at that ... a tad outside my comfort zone I admit), however if anyone takes exception, please let me know and I'll edit it right away.

quote:

There are a million things wrong with America - and just crossing into the US is major security hassle we all go thru every time we go to an airport or wait in line at highway borders.

Sorry for the hassle.

But be very careful here David.

I am a very sensitive American.

And I will NEVER FORGET 9-11.

It could be Toronto next time


You as the buyer make a decision on your own to buy or not buy an item with fees exceeding the cost of the item. This is not the responsibilty or problem of the seller.

It is your choice.

No offense intended and please do not read any anti-American sentiment in my comments. My reference was to those Canadians who seemed to think that one dumb-ass Canadian customer or weak FedEx performance is somehow a poor reflection on "all" Canadians. Just as it wouldn’t be a poor reflection on "all" Americans if the situation was reversed.

As for the < millions of things wrong in America > it is a condition of any modern democracy. Ours included. We share the best and the worst of everything.

We also shared in the tragedy of 9/11. It was an attack on all of our freedoms. Just minutes north of the US border, we are America’s biggest trading partner and most ardent supporters. Our Canadian troops continue to make great sacrifices in our combined war on terror. Few are aware how many Canadian soldiers are dying every day in Afghanistan.

Yes, the buyer is totally responsible for the choices they make. I suffered such fees but paid for my own mistakes. It is not the shippers fault. I thought I was clear on that. I have also sent PMs to others who posted here, offering to help get them back any money lost with any Canadian Pantera owner who did not do what they were supposed to do.

Sometimes it works out fine.
I recently responded to a craiglist add for pantera wheels and tires from Michigan. Seller ansered back. I never haggled on his price, but did ask for a shipping cost. We agreed on the total cost and then the hassle started. I explained that I was not really comfortable sending a guaranteed payment for goods I had not received or even seen,and I assumed he was not comfortable sending me an expensive set of wheels without getting paid first. Pretty reasonable for both of us. We e-mailed back and forth for almost two weeks trying to work this out. UPS will not ship COD from the US to Canada, so that was not an option. It was a lot of hassle for both of us, probably more so for the seller than me. After all the e-mails, I think we just got a sense about the other. We never actually agreed to it, but he ended up shipping the wheels and tires before my money arrived and I ended up sending the money without any holds before the wheels arrived. I guess we just decided to trust the other. A little trust and faith in your common man can go a long way.
My money arrived in his bank the day before the wheels arrived at my door. Exactly as he had describe them. No surprises.

Unfortunately, it obviously doesn't work out this well every time, but hopefully almost every time.

Keep the faith. I think it is important for all of us on both sides to be able to buy and sell across the border without the fear of being ripped off.

Doug M

Oh ya, The wheels were described as "used wheels for a 1973 pantera" and arrived NO tax, NO duty, NO broker fees. The driver just unloaded them into my garage. I asked, and the driver said nothing was owing.
Now, if UPS comes back to me in 2 or 3 months to collect duty, I will tell them to kiss my ass.
Doug M

I think someone might call you a real jerk if that happens.

quote:

Now, if UPS comes back to me in 2 or 3 months to collect duty, I will tell them to kiss my ass.
Doug M

How about acting like a responsible adult and just paying it .

quote:

Originally posted by INZOWHO:
Oh ya, The wheels were described as "used wheels for a 1973 pantera" and arrived NO tax, NO duty, NO broker fees. The driver just unloaded them into my garage. I asked, and the driver said nothing was owing.
Now, if UPS comes back to me in 2 or 3 months to collect duty, I will tell them to kiss my ass.
Doug M

Better get ready to pucker up Doug. Revenue Canada rarely misses an opportunity to collect taxes, so I think you should prepare for an invoice from UPS. They will charge what Customs tells them and leave you to argue with them later. And they will probably include a hefty fee for their services — especially if it was shipped via. ground.

These situations are exactly why I ship to the northern USA, pick things up there and import them myself. Of course, I then get to enjoy the inside of a concrete room while they tear apart my car looking for proof that I'm doing something wrong. I still have to pay all the taxes (which really pisses me off because there are no taxes on private sale of used merchandise between individuals here), but at least I get to challenge their knowledge of their own rules when they try to charge me duty.

Another thing about this whole cross-border shipping is that EVERY time I (when shipping products from my company into the US) have requested a full and final total quotation of ALL costs from both FedEx AND UPS, I have been given the wrong information and charged more in the end. You just can't win.

Mark

O.K. I should clarify things a little.

If the situation gets out of hand and UPS threatens to charge the sellar, I WILL step up and pay the invoice. Clearly, as the purchaser and the Canadian, it is my responsibilty to deal with my governments taxes and duty!!

Every other UPS shipped order I have received from the US arrived with duty and taxes COD and I had to pay these before I received the goods. How is it that UPS can come back at some future date and invoice you for charges you should have been made aware of at the time of delivery? What do I do if UPS decides to invoice me $2000 for broker fees? It's too late to send the goods back.

Interestingly, when goods are sent USPS/Can post I never have to deal with any of this stuff, which is why I have begged the vendors to mail things instead of UPS.

If I was closer to the border I would go pick up stuff myself, but it's a 10 hour round trip for me to Great Falls, Montana.

When I researched before buying the car, I never even considered parts supply. I figured, you pick up the phone, pay the currency exchange difference, and that's that. Boy, did I get educated in a hurry! I've been puckered up for a couple years now.

Bottom line: If I get invoiced, I will pay it and fight it out later. It is certainly not the American seller's responsibilty that my government and the shipping companies want to bend me over the hood of the car at every opportunity.

Doug M

Ive bought some parts in the past and have paid nothing.
there's been other times when I've bought about 350.00 u.s. and had to pay about 110.00 Canadian
And another time when it was about 900.00 Canadian and I paid 140.00 Canadian
it seems like crap shoot until it hits the door

I've shipped a number of the DT signs, plus other items up to Canada and always use USPS for the same reason. I haven't heard of any cross border charges with USPS, so how come you have to quote all these antique parts/25 yr rules and regulatiosn when using UPS or FedEx and there's not a blink of the eyelid with USPS?

Stuff that arrives by mail USUALLY get charged (due at the door when mailman delivers) along with a flat $5 admin fee. Duty can be charged as well via mail, but usually they assume the stuff is made in America and thus duty free (unless someone stupidly declares "Italian Car Parts").

I want to let everyone know that my situation has been resolved.I want to thank everyone that offered to help,if you did help an extra thank you.I think something was taught to people buying and selling across the border that you can't take things for granted.This is really a great community and forum.
Thanks again and good night to all.

Bob

Dumb question, but I do this all the time with non-car related US purchases ...

Could you not have the parts picked up locally or delivered to a friend/relative in the US - and them have them sent to you via regular mail (insured) as a "gift"?

I believe gifts are duty free up to $60, after that you get hit.

So, that's when you fall back to either slapping on the NAFTA paperwork, or, if it isn't eligible under NAFTA, then you go with 9966.00.00 for anything designed/intended for a 25yr+ vehicle.

And, as folks seem to agree, the buyer needs to bear the responsibility for all of the fees/duties and for dealing with the shipping company and/or gov't if there's an issue -> this is a general statement, if the seller was given clear instructions, but makes some significant error, then buyer and seller will obviously need to come to terms and both act in good faith - I believe 99.9% of the time, it works, and it's the basis of the trust we need for everything to work.

USPS is the way to go. I actually find it faster than any of the courier services. The couriers hold the shipment at the border until they can get a hold of me to agree to their (exhorbitant) customs brokerage fees. No such hassle or costs with the postal service.

Some of the vendors, however, will refuse to ship via USPS.

As someone who has shipped many items to and from Canada I find it interesting that Fed Ex would release any item with money owing. As was stated previously, vehicles over 15 years old? or 25, whatever, are duty exempt but subject to provincial (PST, varies province to province, 6-8%) and Goods $ Services (GST 5%) taxes. The recipient usually must pay for any brokerage fees and taxes upon delivery unless he/she decides to clear the item with canada Customs personally; then they must go to the shipping company (Fed Ex, in this case) and take the paperwork to Canada Customs to clear it and pay the taxes; the completed paperwork is faxed back to the Fed Ex and the item is then released. If money is owing, the recipient should pay up as it isn't the seller's responsibly. Most of us are honest up here so don't get jaded by a few bad apples. Thanks, Colin in Winnipeg.

Colin,

I am sorry if I left you or anyone else with the impression that this SOP for Canadians.

It is my experience with buying and selling to Canada that the transactions have been very easy and without hassle. It all comes back to accepting responsibility and open communications.

Well, I had not had any correspondence from FedEx for quite some time. I foolishly thought that FedEx dropped the issue or the party in Canada finally paid up.

Today in the mail another hate bill for past due customs fees. I promised myself that I would not disclose the Canadian member’s name if he would just handle this matter.

But now that I have to continue to waste my time arguing with Fed Ex it is also time to announce this individual’s name. Hopefully no other member of this forum will have to deal with him. His name is Carmen and he lives in Montréal.
His e-mail address is: carmelo@interpropane.com I should note that I have sent at least 3 e-mails to him directly which were never answered.

Maybe someone who is an acquaintance of Carmen’s can shame him to doing the right thing, being an adult and paying the bill.

Jeff
Frustrated, aggravated and POed in Atlanta

quote:

Maybe someone who is an acquaintance of Carmen’s can shame him to doing the right thing, being an adult and paying the bill.

Jeff
Frustrated, aggravated and POed in Atlanta

Good luck with that!!

Ron

I have to say .. I have shipped to the Canadian Guys and never had and issue ..I have also shipped large packages to canada and Europe and also never had an issue. I;m very sorry to say ..never used FEDEX ..they are EFFICENT LOONATICS ... I use USPS all the time. I just had a set of seats shipped from Michagan and thye arrived very quick to Post Man was pissed he had to carry them to the porch.

My personal opinion in the DUTY or TAX is the end users responsibilty .. I could be wrong but I thought that was the unwritten rule ??

Ron

Jeff. When you buy something, the seller will calculate the shipping cost to your address. This is your resposibility. You can negotiate which company the seller will use to ship your item.
What you are being billed for is brokerage fees and/or duties. How can the seller be responsible for this??
I have received some items with a $0 charge and other items with a $200 charge. The charges are based on a number of factors ranging from the shipper that is used and the value of the parcel. Again, I have had a hundred packages sent to me over the years. The seller never pays for the shipping, nor the associated charges.
You can have your parts shipped without brokerage fee if you have them shipped "air". This is usually 3 times the money of regular shipments. You pay at the beginning or at the end. Either way, the BUYER pays the costs.
Will

Will,
I agree. But I am the seller . NOT the buyer.
Jeff