What's in the mailbox? 📬 📦

[fig]

My understanding is that the broker exists to handle the duties/fees so you don't have to be at the port of entry. So, it's a market solution to a taxation obligation.

How does a n item become classified as “duty-free” I wonder?

 

[fig]

It seems HS-classification has some bearing on the rates.

 

[Feral Feline]

Why is it a USPS bag and a UPS bill? That’s a tag-team forged in Hell.

FOR THE UPS FIASCO BEING COMPARED, PLEASE SEE THIS THREAD'S POST:
#1,182
Sorry I shouted.

 

[benny_profane]

Seems like that should just be part of the service they offer.... or quoted in the price up front.

They hit you with surprise charges after the fact, then hold your shipment ransom.

Definitely. And that's what I was referring to above about the opacity. Different brokers will list fees for different monetary values and line items, but this in-house UPS fee is inscrutable. Another issue here is that the broker system seems best-suited for commercial accounts rather than personal purchases.

How does a n item become classified as “duty-free” I wonder?

It's typically a designated area (see: airport shops in ticketed areas and designated industrial assembly areas in Ireland) that does not charge local duties because there's an expectation that you will pay duties/taxes in your own locality. For airport duty-free shops, the shops exist en route to another destination. Your locality will have its own rules for how those items will be taxed. Typically a designated amount will be 'duty-free', overages will be taxed though.

 

[Feral Feline]

As I've said, I'm happy to pay duty/tax/shipping, just don't like being F'd over.


Canadians are allowed CAD$150 (US$116-ish) of free duty per online-ordered package.
I'd rather pay some duty than break my order and pay 2x3x shipping, which is what I was previously doing with Tayda trying to save some bucks on duties. The duties are negligible compared to the shipping from Thailand, so long as DuHelL and UltimatePieceofShite are not involved.

Problem is, a lot of times the size of the order (physical or by pieces) to make anything worthwhile paired with the rising costs (ex Ge Transistors) means that orders OFTEN exceed that CAD$150 threshold (anyone remember when the CAD was almost on par with USD? Raise your hands... I thought so)...

Anyway, Stompbox Parts is FULLY INTEGRATED with UPS — look at your next order from SBP and see that the pick-list is printed on UPS-branded sticker rolls. So, SBP is VERY UNLIKELY to stop shipping via UPS and often the UPS price is listed as cheaper than going USPS at checkout —
Caveat Emptor the hidden costs.
This is particularly true for Tayda's DHL-option — which is substantially cheaper-looking than the postal option. It is not, because that courier will also bend you over...
The fees charged by UPS (and DHL from what I've read) are NOT commensurate with other companies' going rates for such services.

@Robert Thanks for the tip on refusal, I may just get to try that yet if I don't want the parts bad enough.


So what's the lesson learned for today, folks?


GO POSTAL!

 

[fig]

Well, there is some good news…you’ve given me a new source for a random number seed.

 

[fig]

Posted this on the wrong thread…

Chicklets!

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

A: Knock Knock
B: Who’s there?
A: What the difference between Ticketmaster and the federal postal systems of the globe?
B: What the difference between Ticketmaster and the federal postal systems of the globe, who?
A: Fees.

 

[Robert]

Ticketmaster, seriously... a $29 ticket comes out to a total of $169.

 

[fig]

Self-proclaimed masters charging high fees…who’d have thunk?

 

[mdc]

wow it's almost as if privatizing basic public services is problematic

 

[mdc]

"wow"

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

Can't wait for them to start adding a "fee fee" where there's a fee charged for having feelings about all the fees.

 

[mybud]

Can't wait for them to start adding a "fee fee" where there's a fee charged for having feelings about all the fees.

Fee fi fo fum…

 

[szukalski]

Seems like that should just be part of the service they offer.... or quoted in the price up front.

They hit you with surprise charges after the fact, then hold your shipment ransom.

This is precisely the reason we don't have DHL as a shipping method anymore.

It’s funny, because DHL does offer a DDP option where that is already in the quote..

 

[Deperduci]

Small care package from LMS, loving the 'limited' run boxes that are close to same as anodized knobs, all I have to add is a proper label to the controls.

I forgot to add 3pdt's to the order but I might see if I can get a PPCB latching relay to fit in that sludge box.

 

[Robert]

It’s funny, because DHL does offer a DDP option where that is already in the quote..

DHL was hitting me with surprise charges after the fact, not just the customer. It wasn't for obvious things that could be predicted or charged ahead of time...

They'd tack on "residential delivery" charges, transportation / fuel fees, rural address fees, etc...

There were multiple cases were I was charged redelivery fees because a customer wasn't at home at the time the first delivery attempt was made, despite the fact that no signature or delivery confirmation was required.

It became very expensive, very fast. It's a completely different experience using DHL to ship from the United States compared to having them ship to the United States.

 

[DGWVI]

DeadEndFX collection of Last Gasp boards, and a Wolftone Chaos clone


And, an order from FuzzDog that I actually don't even remember ordering . But, there's another Last Gasp board, and a mini Rat, so I'll allow it

 

[Harry Klippton]

Definitely.

I’ve been trying to find out what’s going on here, and it seems really opaque. In my experience (US), I’ve never dealt with a shipping broker. Interestingly, customs seems to be very lax about collecting import duties on personal shipments.

One theory about why USPS/Canada Post is cheaper is some sort of cooperative agreement. I don’t know for sure, but there are plenty of shipping agreements with SEA countries and USPS—which is why shipping from China is often cheaper than shipping from another state.

I can’t parse that UPS invoice. The bulk of the charges are a vague ‘broker fee’ that isn’t explained, nor does it seem to align with published broker fee schedules and import duties.

So yeah, this does seem to be simply a grift. I really wish I could offer some sort of insight or suggestion. Have you tried contacting UPS for an explanation?

I used UPS once from tayda and got hit with a brokerage fee several weeks after my order arrived. I don't like DHL so I'm back to the slow option or buying domestic if I don't want to wait

 

[szukalski]

DHL was hitting me with surprise charges after the fact, not just the customer. It wasn't for obvious things that could be predicted or charged ahead of time...

They'd tack on "residential delivery" charges, transportation / fuel fees, rural address fees, etc...

There were multiple cases were I was charged redelivery fees because a customer wasn't at home at the time the first delivery attempt was made, despite the fact that no signature or delivery confirmation was required.

It became very expensive, very fast. It's a completely different experience using DHL to ship from the United States compared to having them ship to the United States.

That is downright nefarious. How they can survive with such a untrustworthy business model is beyond me.