justinsrx7

I stumbled upon this site while looking for something else, but here are instructions on how to order from the US and avoid paying the stupid and outrageous brokerage fees charged by the courier companies.

http://trueler.com/2010/09/13/ups-br...ting-avoid-it/

I haven't tried it and I don't know if it is real, but worth a try. If somebody does it or has done it, let us know how it goes.

theiceman

thats just waaaay to much reading for me

Christien

It basically says you can self-broker any items under $1600 at any CBSA office; it doesn't have to be the port of entry where the goods are coming through. You can then tell UPS to stuff their brokerage charges.

But really, in the end, it's half a day of your time to go to a CBSA office to broker the shipment. Why not just use USPS and let them do it for $10. Or if you're in a rush, use fedex - their brokerage charges are reasonable ($20 or so, last time I used them for an international shipment, which was several years ago).

Besides, brokerage charges are only one reason UPS is the worst shipping company in N. America.

Adamant1971

Or DHL, they are pretty reasonable with the fees. If I had a that much time I would just drive to the border and pick the parts up. In the p car of course.

ronnie993tt

Glenn and I ordered $175 worth of Lloyd's mats and UPS wanted $60 brokerage. $10 or even $20 would be fine but I've never been quoted this low a rate??

Rally Guy

UPS is the spawn of the devil. I have put in place a corporate policy whereby any vendor who uses ups only loses our business. Can't imagine why any one uses them. Exploitative, incompetent, over priced. Would free market forces please kill this firm!

RK

wucash

UPS is the worst company on every continent. I understand why you would use them in USA as they are way cheaper than anything else. But in europe there is so much other way better competition. They have managed to loose one of my rims last year, replacement added $1000 in costs I was no planning on, as they never found the rim and the seller ignored me till I could do nothing about it, like paypal chargeback. Last week the delivered my package in Canada to the wrong address in the same city, and just today I found out the delivered my USA package to the wrong address, wrong city too.

ronnie993tt

+1. My policy as well. I explain to prospective seller why it must be USPS to get my business and it usually works. Shipping has never been more than $40 to my door in Toronto. Never done big items like rims though.

justinsrx7

I got a quote to ship the timing belt kit for my Audi A4 from Wisconsin to Richmond hill and it was $73.00 from USPS so it ain't always cheap, but I imagine the big couriers would charge that plus the brokerage fee.

69gaugeman

Because in the USA they are super cheap and reliable. They will only make money going outside the US so they charge for the services. I have a US shipping address and when it is free shipping it almost always is UPS. Have NEVER had a problem with UPS internally in the US. To Canada, well that is another issue.

They must have used a huge box then. USPS is only good up to a certain size. Their system is not very well designed for larger boxes. Either that or whoever you talked to added a **** ton of money to the quote they got.

curtisr

I've been pretty lucky thanks to a service called KINEK. Admittedly, if you're not close to a border town, it's not much use. But if you are (as I am in Kingston) this is worth your while. It's free to sign up for and not much more than that. I have parcels delivered to an affiliated store--Wellesley Island Building Supply in NY--who appear to be happy to wait until I get there (sometimes weeks later) and pay them $5.00 per box. Yup, they charge more for 'big' stuff but that's the most I've ever paid. This includes a box with two rims and an even bigger box with sets of wheel-well liners.

Best yet, if you choose this spot you get to drive the 1000 Islands (as it were) including the chicanes of Fineview. Lunch anyone?