I sold some cylinder heads and an intake about 2 years ago to a Cz28.com member. The past few months I've been getting bills for brokerage/tax/duty fees. I called up FedEx to see what the deal was, and it turns out the shipper is responsible for these fees.

FedEx will bill the recipient initially, and they will allow them up to 6months/year (something like that) to pay the fees. If the recipient does not pay the fees FedEx will bill the shipper. If the shipper does not pay the fees FedEx turns the SHIPPER into a collection agency, and the recipient is off the hook.

I know the member's name, but I don't know his screenname or have a way to contact him, so I'm out a little over 100 bucks .

Just a warning to those that do quite a bit of buying/selling. Be careful!

Ryan

 

That's ****ty.

Hope you get it straightened out.

 

Thats very ****TY !!!

Whats up with that ?

 

Pretty sure that since NAFTA was introduced, there is no import fees on on any car parts to/from Canada/Mexico. If it wasn't declared as car parts that might be part of the problem.

Good luck.

Kevin D.

 

That is really not very fair, sorry to hear that.

I would like to share a little info with all the members (both inside and outside the US). I am in Canada, and I a have bought a lot of items from folks off this board and through eBay who are in the US and I have learned quite a lot about the whole process. I now only ever receive items via US Postal Service (and this is the method of shipping I recommend be used for items going to Canada). Here are the reasons why:

1. The Postal Service in Canada only charges 5 dollars (CAN) for brokerage (which for those who don't know this is basically a service fee charged for collecting duty (tax) on a package and sending it to the government on the behalf of the recipients. Courier companies charge a LOT more for brokerage (can be ten times more!).... ask me how I know... I will never have anything shipped to me via UPS or any other Courier company unless I really want the item and this is the only way the seller is willing to ship it.

2. In my experience (having received thousands of dollars worth of items from the US via the Postal Service) less than half (heck, maybe even a quarter) of the packages get "stopped" for brokerage and duty. When you ship via a courier ALL the packages will be "stopped" because this is how the courier companies make more money and the recipient will have to pay brokerage fees and duty on EVERY item.

3. When shipping via Postal Service the shipper can indicate the item is a gift and this again reduces the chance a package will be stopped for brokerage/duty.

4. When shipping via Postal Service if an item is stopped for brokerage/duty the recipient will not receive the package until the brokerage/duty is paid. This protects the shipper from what is happening to the first poster in this thread.

5. The Postal Service has many shipping options just like couriers (for insurance or speed of delivery etc.) but usually if you are not in a big hurry and choose the "medium speed" (i.e. like one of the Airmail Parcel Post services which deliver in 4 to 10 days ) the rates are much cheaper. For example I just received an Opti from a board member (Thanks pb1995 that was a great deal!) and the shipping was only $11.05 US and it made it throgh without any brokerage/duty. International US Postal Service Rates can be checked online at http://ircalc.usps.gov/

6. I like the fact that the Postal Service will try to deliver to my door BUT if no one is home to sign for the package (in the case where a signature is needed or brokerage/duty needs to be paid) they will leave a message indicating I can pick up the item at a nearby Postal outlet when it is convenient for me to do so.

Hope folks find this helpful

Kris

 

Its not duties, atleast it shouldnt be. There is a brokerage fee, a very rediculous fee, for clearing the product into the country. FedEx has a bad policy on this. Next time you ship something to canada or international, use UPS, they make the buyer pay the bill before they can claim the package.

 

Yeah, i learned the hard way about brokerage fees too. I was expecting tax on my item, GST ( goods and service tax ) when it entered the country. But UPS gave me the shaft job. When my headers arrived, i was told i owed about $100 $50 for brokerage fees, and tax on ther brokerage fees, and then tax on all of that Needless to say i wasnt happy, it is just rediculous, they charged me PST ( provinicial sales tax ) on something i bought in Arizona, which is a charge that should have never happened. Anyways, i phone UPS to see what they have to say, and they basically tell me to eat a dick. I have basically given up on buying things on the internet, the deal i think i am getting always turns out to be the same price as buying it local, and i have to wait.

 

That sux..Id post his name...I bought/shipped heads from here in TX to Canada and didnt have any problems..I believe we declared the value of the item very low and we split all shipping costs down the center..

Cody

 

The buyer's name is Wade Dagley (not sure on the last name spelling).

This thread has turned up more info I didn't know about. Thanks!
Ryan

 

There is something wrong here..the buyer pays brokerage fees not the shipper.At least with UPS.FEDX are the most incompetent shippers I have ever seen.They sent some headers I bought new from califoria to a guy on the other side of the coutry who wasn't even me.It took over a month and many many calls to straighten this out.There is no way you pay brokerage as seller to send items to canada from ups.

 

I had a similar problem. I shipped a set of speakers to Canada via Fedex. They got to their destination completely destroyed. After putting the claim in, I got the selling price and shipping refunded. Then last month 1 got a letter saying I owe $40 for the duty and brokerage fee's. For and item they destroyed!! I am still working on it.

 

Fedex is When I bought my headers they were shipped Fedex. It came to my door, I signed and they were off. I thought cool, no duty or anything to pay. Two weeks later I get a bill from Fedex for $150 for broker/duty/tax ect fee's. Atleast if its shipped UPS I pay right away.

 

I have sent quite a few things to Canada over the last year or so. I attach a customs slip but I've never been charged or contacted for anything... the person receiving the items pays it. However, as mentioned above, I do use the USPS Priority Mail. Looks like it is a good thing I do!

Thanks for the heads-up!