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Shipping to Canada, use FedEX!

llavalle

llavalle

Well Known Member
Just a hint about shipping.

I got my Avery toolkit shipped via FedEx using "International Economy". It took 3 business day to get here! Wow, that was fast.

Call them before it arrives to tell them its a personal purchase and brokerage will be only $10 CAD! You can also tell them you visa card # by phone and that will save you around 1-2% of the taxes because they won't have to advance the money needed needed for the customs. I also asked them to keep the package to the nearest "FedEx Center"... and that happened to be about 1km from work. That saved me 2 days of shipping(1st to get home... and 2nd for the trip back because I was not there!)

Don't use UPS. Last year they charged me $50 for brokerage on a $200 item.
 
llavalle said:
Just a hint about shipping.
Don't use UPS. Last year they charged me $50 for brokerage on a $200 item.
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Only $50? That sounds cheap for OPPS. UPS is quite good until there is a border and then as you say Fed-Ex is cheaper AND faster.

UPS has a new service similar to Fed-Ex that I have used in business and it is closer to FED-Ex service but it can be difficult to get shippers to use it.

Bob Parry
 
Fedex covers the brokerage on all air shipments (economy and priority). Fedex and UPS ground will hose you on brokerage fees so it is usually cheaper and faster to get it by air.

We have shipped over 5000 packages with Fedex air internationally in the last 8 years. They have only lost one and damaged one. I don't even insure most shipments anymore the service is so good.

If the US shipper supplies a NAFTA with the package, you won't pay any or much duty either, just the GST.
 
rv6ejguy said:
If the US shipper supplies a NAFTA with the package, you won't pay any or much duty either, just the GST.
Click to expand...

Wow, did not know that! Does that mean that if I ship the RV-9A Kit from Vans asking them for a NAFTA , I can get away without paying PST? That's a 7.5% saving here in Quebec! :eek:

Do you know if there is a way to re-claim paid PST or I'm screwed on my ToolKit?

Thanks!
 
You are stuck paying PST and GST no matter what. There is still duty on some US produced items, not sure about aircraft parts but if they are NAFTA exempt and Van's will fill out the form, they should be duty free.

If you lived here in Alberta, no PST. :D
 
Ok.. that's what I thought...

PST + GST... no matter what!

I could ship that to you.. and go by pickup truck to get it ;) I don't think that with the fuel and time wasted that will be worth it anyway...
 
no ups to Canada. Hearty agreement.

They wouldn't ship the wing kit Fedex to Canada.

It came Roadways (US name) and Reimer(Canadian name).

I agree on the NO UPS TO CANADA thing.
I have never had a timely or reasonably-priced experience with them.

We cancelled one shipment long ago (it had been a month) and reordered US airparcel post to Canada. Less than a week from reorder, we had our parts.

No matter who you use, shipping and brokerage will be significant, for the one little part I just pooched up, and think I need immediately.
 
I have found that purchasing small items from Vans using USPS has worked very well. The shipping charges are minimal and if the order is less than $50 the taxes are waived.

Aircraft Spruce shipping, even when from their US locations, do not add any extra for brokerage charges. And when shipping to BC they do not charge PST. However I find their freight charges a bit high so this makes up the difference.

For larger items I live less than an hours drive from Eureka Montana so I have items shipped there and go get them.

I have never filled out a NAFTA form, dont know what it is, and I have never paid any duty on items shipped from the U.S. in the past 15 years.
 
Yep, I ship some items I'm not in a hurry for from Van's or ACS by USPS and it works very well most of the time. Usually just a flat $5 fee to clear and the GST when the postman delivers it. That works a lot better than UPS ground.
 
FYI for a fully upgraded Isham Kit valued at $3067.09 CAD at the time(including shipping) you can expect the following additions on your FedEx invoice for Ontario.

Duty & Taxes = $139.16 CAD
GST & PST = $495.29 CAD
Brokerage Fees = $73.25 CAD
Mandatory H.S. Fee = $4.25 CAD
Disbursement Fee =$16.50 CAD
GST on Fees = $4.70 CAD
Grand Total = $733.15 CAD

Hindsight I think I will ship everything US Domestic to a drop off station just over the border and self clear myself to save a $100.

I also called and asked about the brokerage fee for personal purchases and the customer service rep said that it is irrelevant because brokerage is determined by value of the item.
 
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Now that ACS in Canada has their act together, it is certainly cheaper to order from there for us Canucks.

There should not be any brokerage fees from Fedex on items sent by overnight or 2 day economy air service. There is on any ground shipments by UPS or Fedex. I think there is a 70lb. box limit by Fedex air though. For heavy or bulky items, Fedex or UPS ground is not the way to ship things into Canada from abroad.

In many cases for lighter, compact boxes, 2 day air is a lot cheaper than ground after the brokerage fees are assessed.

If your parts are made in the US or Mexico and the shipper provides a NAFTA declaration, there is no duty on most items. If no documents, customs will assess duty.

Post is less brutal and trucking works for the big items but that sometimes has its own set of hassles.

Can you die from taxes and fees?:eek::mad:
 
Adam Oke said:
Duty & Taxes = $139.16 CAD
Brokerage Fees = $73.25 CAD
I also called and asked about the brokerage fee for personal purchases and the customer service rep said that it is irrelevant because brokerage is determined by value of the item.
Click to expand...

You probably used a "FedEx Ground" service. The no duty + 10$ brokeage only applies to "FedEx internationnal Economy" or better.
 
llavalle said:
You probably used a "FedEx Ground" service. The no duty + 10$ brokeage only applies to "FedEx internationnal Economy" or better.
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That's correct. I used FedEx Ground.

I assume FedEx International Economy would cost more though? I wonder how much more. I'll give them a call some time.

How did everyone have their kits shipped? (Tail, Wings, Fuse)
 
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Adam Oke said:
That's correct. I used FedEx Ground.

I assume FedEx International Economy would cost more though? I wonder how much more. I'll give them a call some time.
Click to expand...
It costs a bit more... but you'll end up paying less because you avoid duties and the big brokerage fees

Adam Oke said:
How did everyone have their kits shipped? (Tail, Wings, Fuse)
Click to expand...

As stated in my first post, I got my avery toolkit shipped using Fed EX Internationnal economy. Cost me around $70 US(I can't remember now, I'll have to check when I get home).

The tail kit can be shipped UPS or FedEx. I also used FedEx Internationnal Economy, it was around $130 (US)

For the wings, the fuse and the finising kit, you'll have to use a trucking company.
 
ADAM

Adam, when shipping the orders for bigger stuff, lump a bunch together, and or have ACS, Avery, Isham stuff sent to vans. They will accept it and throw it in the crates for you. Then have it shipped ABF their ground shipper. Tell them to ship to nearest US depot. I am in Windsor, and their depot was 15 across the border in Detroit. Cheap, and easy, crossing the border was no biggie and they charge you no duty, just tax on the amount of the invoice you show them. Not very painful. Much easier then the alternatives. Just gotta do something about this dollar slide.
 
Perfect. My nearest US Depot is just over the bridge in Port Huron, MI.

I think that is the way I will have things shipped from now on. Thanks.
 
I used ABF on our large items, and just went to our local Canada Border Services Agent office with all the paper work in hand and cleared the shipment. The shipment was 300 miles away in a sufference Warehouse but this service can be done on personel items. No brokerage or delays, just pay the taxes.
 
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