Why is it so darned expensive to ship to Canada?

[rodeo]

I mean, this is close to highway robbery!

I've got a few items listed on ebay and a Canadian fellow asked me if I'd ship to Canada for him and a I replied sure, as long as you pay the actual cost to ship. He then advised his postal code and I calculated the shipment (all of 3 pounds in a fairly small box) which was something like $25 or $27! That was Priority Mail International. UPS was higher still!!

I mean. what do we have to pay somebody off at the border crossing or something? Aren't we all friends?? (OK, yea I did see the movie Canadian Bacon) but still, these charges seem to be rediculously high. Is it just me? Doesn't this prohibit trade between us (US) and our Hockey inclined friends to the North? eh?

 

[Stubblefield]

Shipping to Canada, unless it is a very heavy parcel (or Priority) should not be that much more. Unless you need tracking, of course, and then it runs close to $30.

Oh, and it's spelled ridiculously.

 

[Greybeard]

Don't ever send anything to Canada by UPS. Their extra brokerage fees to the receiver in Canada are higher than the shipping cost.

Ebay's default shipping method calculator is Priority since it affords tracking. Once the item is shipped, then eBay and paypal don't have to become involved in disputes about shipping.

You can send it parcel post. You can't track it, but you can insure it. It should cost less than $15. IIRC.
If the parcel goes missing, then the buyer can file a dispute with paypal and you would have to file an insurance claim with USPS.

 

[Pricklycactus]

Which part of Canada? If you are talking about the NWT or the Yukon or any non-major city, then yes it's going to be pricey via Priority. It's way up North and and there are only certain days that things are shipped. If you are sending it Priority then for sure it will cost more cos it's going air.

What do you call ground rate in the US? We call it Regular or Expedited (which is a guaranteed faster ground rate).

 

[RichGem]

Because Canada Post charges by the minute.

(OK, prolly only the Canadians got that one.)

 

[KeNd0]

Which is why I keep PO box across the border.

 

[DFrancis]

Because Canada Post charges by the minute.

(OK, prolly only the Canadians got that one.)

coffee breaks included. Sometimes it's more expensive to ship something within Canada than to the States.

 

[Shave A Buck]

Ups will collect customs fees at your door here in the states. Probably same up in Canada too.

 

[Sydney Guy]

Don't know about Canada, but here in Australia if something comes in from overseas by mail Customs only charge duty (if any) and 10% Goods & Services Tax (sales tax) if the value is over a certain amount - used to be $400 - because the collection costs would exceed the revenue. However, if the parcel is sent by UPS, DHL or FedEx etc not only will you have to pay $100+ to their customs agent for the privilege of them processing it through customs but also pay the full amount of duty and GST. These additional charges can easily add up to more than the cost of the goods, let alone the shipping charges.

 

[Dude123]

Don't ever send anything to Canada by UPS. Their extra brokerage fees to the receiver in Canada are higher than the shipping cost.

Ebay's default shipping method calculator is Priority since it affords tracking. Once the item is shipped, then eBay and paypal don't have to become involved in disputes about shipping.

You can send it parcel post. You can't track it, but you can insure it. It should cost less than $15. IIRC.
If the parcel goes missing, then the buyer can file a dispute with paypal and you would have to file an insurance claim with USPS.

+34 million Canadian residents.

UPS is evil when it comes to shipping to Canada. Their at the door fees can be more then the product cost, it is crazy.

 

[RobertH]

In my opinion Canada Post is severely mis-managed. They've been slipping and slipping more and more each year. Every year their prices get worse and worse. We used to send presents to our nieces and nephews for Christmas that we'd dutifully picked out throughout the year as nice uncles and aunts. This has become WAY too expensive to do anymore. Now you have to buy your family presents online from places that offer free shipping to not be robbed.

My dad is into vinyl in a big way. I bought him a great record for father's day one year for $15. It cost $17 to mail it to him. It's just flat out ridiculous.

They need to trim the management fat and treat it more like a business to bring the service back to an affordable thing to use for every day Canadians, but I'm sure that's quite low on the priority of things to worry about.

 

[NightLad]

Speaking from experience, S&H to Canada is crazy. Always has been. The only good thing about shipping to Canada from the US is that we have NAFTA -- so if the goods are made in America, and it is clearly declared on the customs forum, we should not be charged duty taxes.

Of course, if it isn't clearly declared on the forum, we still get screwed.

It really upsets me that I can ship goods to CHINA cheaper than I can ship them to the US, or even in-country. Ditto for receiving goods from China.

I ordered an item from mainland China on the same day I ordered an item of roughly the same size/weight from BC... the shipment from China got to me in 4 or 5 days. The one from BC took nearly 2 weeks and cost three times as much.

The Canadian postal service blows.

EDIT: In Toronto there are no post offices anymore; the gov has amalgamated them with small business' to save money. So if you want to visit a post office, go to a drug store or a travel agency and in the very back you will find a small Canada Post kiosk. It is a freekin' joke. Oh, and +1 to everything RobertH said.

 

[csmorris]

Don't know about Canada, but here in Australia if something comes in from overseas by mail Customs only charge duty (if any) and 10% Goods & Services Tax (sales tax) if the value is over a certain amount - used to be $400 - because the collection costs would exceed the revenue. However, if the parcel is sent by UPS, DHL or FedEx etc not only will you have to pay $100+ to their customs agent for the privilege of them processing it through customs but also pay the full amount of duty and GST. These additional charges can easily add up to more than the cost of the goods, let alone the shipping charges.

As mentioned by Greybeard, it's not the customs charges that are the issue with UPS, but their own "brokerage" fees for dealing with customs (but from what I've seen to no advantage to the end customer).

About ten years ago I used to buy various items from the US for another hobby, and got to the point I would not order from a vendor who only shipped UPS.

We also have GST and other customs charges but they are consistent regardless of shipper.

 

[csmorris]

EDIT: In Toronto there are no post offices anymore; the gov has amalgamated them with small business' to save money. So if you want to visit a post office, go to a drug store or a travel agency and in the very back you will find a small Canada Post kiosk. It is a freekin' joke. Oh, and +1 to everything RobertH said.

I think this is in every major centre in Canada. Here in Calgary you are going to 7-11, Mac's, Hallmark, etc. for shipping and Canada Post parcel pick up.

 

[Drewhunz]

I mean, this is close to highway robbery!

I've got a few items listed on ebay and a Canadian fellow asked me if I'd ship to Canada for him and a I replied sure, as long as you pay the actual cost to ship. He then advised his postal code and I calculated the shipment (all of 3 pounds in a fairly small box) which was something like $25 or $27! That was Priority Mail International. UPS was higher still!!

I mean. what do we have to pay somebody off at the border crossing or something? Aren't we all friends?? (OK, yea I did see the movie Canadian Bacon) but still, these charges seem to be rediculously high. Is it just me? Doesn't this prohibit trade between us (US) and our Hockey inclined friends to the North? eh?

I ship hockey equipment to Canada routinely, and very seldom am I able to ship a stick via USPS for less than $20. They also make a habit of opening the packages at the border for hockey items to get a fair market value of the item inside, so the days of being able to ship a pair of $200 gloves classified as a $10 "gift" are well and gone.

 

[Greybeard]

I ship hockey equipment to Canada routinely, and very seldom am I able to ship a stick via USPS for less than $20. They also make a habit of opening the packages at the border for hockey items to get a fair market value of the item inside, so the days of being able to ship a pair of $200 gloves classified as a $10 "gift" are well and gone.

Gloves and pads I can see, but you ship hockey sticks from Texas to Canada? I'm impressed. You must sell some kind of stick. Kevlar?
And welcome to B&B.

 

[Drewhunz]

Anything you want. I have a reather sizeable glove and stick collection.

I'll be in Toronto on Thursday if I can bring you anything.

 

[buyandhold2018]

coffee breaks included. Sometimes it's more expensive to ship something within Canada than to the States.

It costs me more to send to RazoRocks within Ontario than it does to send them to California, make sense of that

The answer I was given at the post office... "Canada Post employees are very well paid, get a great pension and a great benefit package; that costs a lot of money" At least the lady was honest with me.

Forget UPS, you will pay 20$ brokerage on top of the high shipping.

 

[rodeo]

The shipping charges I paid to bring in two shaving brushes from Portugal (Semogue) was way less then what I quoted that poor fellow in Canada.
Does that make any sense???

It's just rediculous for a border Country that we are great friends with to boot.

Glad I'm not the only one to feel this way.

(By the way, my family and I are headed to Niagara Falls - Canadian side for 3 days in September. We've never been there although I've been in Buffalo many times.)

 

[Greybeard]

Anything you want. I have a reather sizeable glove and stick collection.

I'll be in Toronto on Thursday if I can bring you anything.

Thanks for the offer, but when my son-in-law retired from my senior league claiming he was too old, I figured it was time for me to hang 'em up.

I've only got daughters and grandaughters and they take after their mother. Their sports are traveling and shopping.

I just admire a businessman with vision and good products.