Brokerage fees

JeffinAB · Sep 6, 2010

What's the rules for brokerage fees for Canadians ordering from the Usa?
I ordered manuals earlier this summer from JD and they arrived with no extra fees to pay. Purlolator handled the shipping from the border that time.
Now I ordered another service manual from JD, this time UPS handled the shipping, and I have to pay another $30 for brokerage fees.

I'm not even sure how come they came with Purlolator the first time, and UPS this time. It sure screwed me up, I expected it would be Purolator this time again.
Any thoughts why the brokerage fees?

JDseller · Sep 6, 2010

Fifteen years ago I ordered a John Deere loader. I screwed up and ordered the wrong hydraulic valve. The freight on the whole loader and hydraulics was $180-190 dollars. I called JD and got it straighten out and they shipped me the correct valve, freight was $28. I called UPS for a return pickup and found out that the return freight to Welland,On. Canada was almost two hundred dollars. What the hell??? I called Welland to find out what was going on. If I shipped it direct then it would have brokerage fees on it crossing the boarder. So Welland had a shipping address in Buffalo. They sent a truck there each day to pick up and ship things without the brokerage fees.
I bet that your first books came across without the brokerage fees some how.

Ohiohillbilly · Sep 6, 2010

I've been out of cross-border freight for about 6 years so things may have changed. UPS has in house brokerage. If it went Purolator and its shipping description was a very low or no value document it would get shuffled along as mail with no customs or brokerage. If it got shipped UPS as a parcel with value then it would have to be declared, brokered, and cleared through customs. Since UPS has in house brokerage I'll bet they don't miss much they can bill for.

rustyfarmall · Sep 6, 2010

I've shipped a few items to Canada using the U.S. Post Office. To my knowledge, there has never been a problem nor did the customer have to pay any brokerage fees.

JeffinAB · Sep 6, 2010

It seems pretty excessive, $30 fees for a $50 book. I wish I understood this whole brokerage system. Hopefully I can get some answers tomorrow, I have to phone UPS to rearrange a pickup since they won't deliver to our address.

buickanddeere · Sep 7, 2010

The key word here is "UPS". If a supplier in the UPS insists on shipping via UPS. I take my business elsewhere.
Among other examples I won the bid on a 3/4 600lb ft torque wrench from Texas. Communication was clear with the vendor that the wrench was NOT to be shipped via UPS. She assured me it was coming via the US Post Office for X dollars. Two days later the stupid old bat calls me in breathless excitement. That she had kept searching for alternative shoppers.She found UPS was $2 cheaper and shipped via UPS.
It was about even money to refuse acceptance of the wrench, return to sender and forget about the wrench. Then it was to pay UPS's brokerage fees.

Brokerage fees

JeffinAB

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JDseller

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Ohiohillbilly

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rustyfarmall

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JeffinAB

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buickanddeere

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