UPS Brokerage Question

[theedge111]

Hi all, I've got a package coming in from the US. Seller and I agreed to USPS then a day later I get notification that the item has shipped and it's got a UPS tracking number.

I've been down this road before and now avoid UPS like the plague. Their brokerage fees are criminal IMO. I NEVER would have agreed to the deal if UPS was the shipping option.

The parts coming in have a value of $900 and I've been told that there will be a bill of $230 for brokerage and duties. This would have been $45 in GST and $5 handling fee if it had been shipped USPS like I agreed to.

The Sellers response was that I should have told him about the high fees, and UPS was closer to him.

So my question is what happens if I refuse delivery on friday? Am I going to get a bill a month later for the brokerage anyway or will the seller get the bill when the parts go back to him?

Anyone been down this road before?

Thanks
Mike

[sabbySC]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shi...clearance.html

Using usps would have saved you $65.15 the rest is duty, which you would have payed either way. USPS is often more expensive for heavy items, so I would just leave it as is. In the end you are likely responsible for the duties and fee anyway, unless you want to spend more in court and in wasted time sorting this out.

[stefan]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shi...clearance.html

Using usps would have saved you $65.15 the rest is duty, which you would have payed either way. USPS is often more expensive for heavy items, so I would just leave it as is. In the end you are likely responsible for the duties and fee anyway, unless you want to spend more in court and in wasted time sorting this out.

How are you calculating duty? I figure he'd be saving more than that....

[witchcraftz]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

I just dealt with this exact issue this week, don't let UPS screw you!

Do this:

UPS/Fedex/DHL/etc... participates in a CBSA program called LVS or The Courier Low Value Shipment Program.

This means you can pay the duties yourself on any parcel with a value of less than $1600 and not pay any broker fees!

UPS people may try to tell you it's impossible to self clear or mislead you on the process or give you conflicting information. If they aren't cooperating ask for the supervisor or hang up and call again to get a person who will help you.

You can pay all government fees outstanding for an international shipment in any CBSA office offering the service of Inland Customs Office. It is legal and in no way restricted. Once all government fees are paid, the shipment can be cleared for delivery by UPS with no need for further CBSA involvement.

Call UPS, reference the tracking number and tell them you wish Self Clear, OR if your parcel is with the driver, tell the driver in person, you can self clear within 1 month of your parcel arriving in Canada (as long as UPS keeps it anyway).

First get the Warehouse fax number where your parcel will be held temporarily.

You now need 3 documents to self clear your own shipment via CBSA.

The first is called a manifest or cargo control document. The UPS form may be called "SUMMARY SHEET".

The second document is a commercial invoice. This is a form usually filled out by the shipper with detail and valuation amounts.

Call to the UPS brokerage department directly, bypassing the normal agents. Dial the the main UPS 1-800 number and select option 3 to got to international shipments and brokerage.

Get the 2 documents emailed or faxed to you.

UPS has been refusing to give out the cargo control document, if you can't get it, call CBSA and explain, they may be willing to let you get by with just the commercial invoice. Call the main CBSA contact number listen to the super long recording, press zero and ask the agent to connect you to the local office you are going to go to self clear.

The third document is the paypal (or whatever form of payment) receipt.

Go to the CBSA office present your forms and pay the couple of dollars of duties required. They will give you another form. The form given to you by the Border Services Agent is called a B-15 and proves that all required taxes, duties and fees have been paid to the government for your shipment. You need to provide this document to UPS and ask them to release your shipment and schedule it for immediate delivery.

Fax the B-15 to the UPS warehouse fax number, It's very important that you quote the UPS tracking number on this fax.

Then ask them to deliver your parcel!

[PRY4SNO]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

^^^ That's gold!

[sabbySC]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

How are you calculating duty? I figure he'd be saving more than that....

Look at the link posted, UPS charges a fixed rate for brokerage based off the value of teh shipment. The rest is duties/taxes.

I avoid UPS like the plague as well.

[stefan]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

Look at the link posted, UPS charges a fixed rate for brokerage based off the value of teh shipment. The rest is duties/taxes.

I avoid UPS like the plague as well.

I see what you are getting at, but there is no way there is that much duty - it's more a UPS special

[theedge111]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shi...clearance.html

Using usps would have saved you $65.15 the rest is duty, which you would have payed either way. USPS is often more expensive for heavy items, so I would just leave it as is. In the end you are likely responsible for the duties and fee anyway, unless you want to spend more in court and in wasted time sorting this out.

I've had many items come in through USPS valued at $900+ and have never had a bill over $100 before so I'm not sure why you think it's only a $65 difference. The package is 3lbs so it's not heavy at all...

Witch...Thanks for all the info, it's just not what I want to be doing though. I agreed with the seller to use USPS not UPS to avoid all of this crap, then he goes ahead and uses UPS anyway.

I'm going to refuse delivery and just deal with what comes from that.

[sabbySC]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

I've had many items come in through USPS valued at $900+ and have never had a bill over $100 before so I'm not sure why you think it's only a $65 difference. The package is 3lbs so it's not heavy at all...

Witch...Thanks for all the info, it's just not what I want to be doing though. I agreed with the seller to use USPS not UPS to avoid all of this crap, then he goes ahead and uses UPS anyway.

I'm going to refuse delivery and just deal with what comes from that.

I'd like to see the bill. Maybe the shipper put an excessively high value on the insurance portion? Maybe it is some kind of item that has a high duty on it? I don't really know, but I do think that if you refuse the shipment, you will be fighting this out for a while, I'd imagine the shipper might refund you the purchase price, but not likely any other costs incurred. I guess its buyer beware, how much would the same item have cost you locally?

[stefan]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

I guess its buyer beware, how much would the same item have cost you locally?

I think here the buyer was aware as he asked to ship with USPS, and this was a term of the sale. Just unfortunate it went with UPS at all.

On another note, I see ECS has the option to ship with USPS now.

[sabbySC]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

I think here the buyer was aware as he asked to ship with USPS, and this was a term of the sale. Just unfortunate it went with UPS at all.

I realize this fact, what I am saying is that if this was a private sale there are always things that can go wrong. It is a shitty deal either way.

[theedge111]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

Yes it was a private sell, paid with PayPal.

Parts would run me well over $2000 new from a dealership, but they are commonly available second hand for $900 so I don't feel like its a "savings " and that I should just suck it up and live with it.

If the seller had said no to USPS and told me he would use ups instead payment would have never been made and I would have moved onto another deal.

[witchcraftz]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

I've had many items come in through USPS valued at $900+ and have never had a bill over $100 before so I'm not sure why you think it's only a $65 difference. The package is 3lbs so it's not heavy at all...

Witch...Thanks for all the info, it's just not what I want to be doing though. I agreed with the seller to use USPS not UPS to avoid all of this crap, then he goes ahead and uses UPS anyway.

That was the exact situation for me too.

But if UPS sends your shipment back the seller can claim you refused delivery and then you will loose the price of shipping both ways, and UPS will charge you for the brokerage fee both ways too.


Two reasons USA people use UPS to ship international:

1- A lot of people in the USA think that to ship international, only UPS is possible, even though USPS is clearly available. (I've had this argument with US shippers numerous times)

2 - Shipping via UPS ground international is 20%-15% cheaper than USPS (of course UPS recoups the "loss" by charging the Brokerage fee to the recipient).


I know my post made it sound difficult but it's really not that bad.

1 - Call UPS and get them to email the document(s) to you.
2 - Go to local CBSA office and pay the duties.
3 - Fax the receipt (B15 form) to UPS and ask them to deliver your parcel.

The CBSA agents have lots of people doing this because of the UPS fees. They were really nice and helpful.

[bart]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

isn't is still true if you go UPS next day or 2 day there is no brokerage? only for ground there is...

[witchcraftz]

Re: UPS Brokerage Question

Yep, if you ship UPS "Worldwide" or "Critical" there is no brokerage fro shipments under a certain value, but if you ship UPS "Standard" there are. Of course shipping UPS "Worldwide" costs double what "Standard" costs...