Kevin Davis
member
Reged: 10/12/09
Posts: 21
Loc: Near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Some of you may remember that I ordered a 10" telescope a couple weeks ago.. Well, they called us a week or so ago and said that they are shipping USPS. Does that mean that we have to pick it up at the post office or will it be shipped to our house? I'm not sure if they said.
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azskies
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/29/07
Posts: 1735
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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The postal service? Delivering a scope? Ouch! Is your postal service different than the U.S.'s? And really...lots of luck!!
Jeff
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Meade 12" Deluxe Light Bridge
Meade series 4000 QX 26mm wide angle
Meade series 5000 20mm
Orion Stratus 13mm wide angle
Meade series 4000 15mm eyepiece
Thousand Oaks UHC Filter
Meade 2X Telenegative Amplifier
Howie Glatter 1 1/4 635nm single beam laser
The Blug!
Tectron Chesire and Site Tube Collimation eyepieces
AstroZap Light Shield
Bobs Knobs primary and secondary
A cool looking eye patch!
Music is like candy, you have to throw away the rappers.
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Kevin Davis
member
Reged: 10/12/09
Posts: 21
Loc: Near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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What do you mean?
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nyc_nurse
sage
Reged: 07/29/09
Posts: 254
Loc: nyc
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I think Jeff was being a bit facetious.  No you don't have to go to the Post Office to pick up the scope Kevin - unless you aren't home for delivery. It just means that the carrier is going to be the US postal system. From my experience between FedEx, UPS and USPS, USPS has usually been the best with my shipments. As an aside I never use UPS as they will routinely leave packages outside my door even when it states explicitly that a signature is required. I've never had that happen with USPS.
Edit: Humm, just noticed that you're up in Canada. I would assume that your postal system will take over the shipment at the border.
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Sam P.
www.agirlandaguy.blogspot.com
Pentax 7X50
TV-102 APO w/ (Starbeam - on backorder  )
Ash Gibraltar w/ SkyTour DSC
NZ3-6, N9T6, N13T6
TV 20 Plossl
Pan 24, 35
Pentax XW10, XW14
Edited by nyc_nurse (11/07/09 03:29 PM)
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Radiostar
sage
Reged: 10/16/08
Posts: 285
Loc: Thunder Bay, Ontario
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It should be delivered to your house via whatever company ( UPS FEDEX CARPAR, some local company etc) has a contract with Canada Post to deliver parcels. If you are not home they should leave a card with contact information to arrange an alternate time or if you want to pick it up at a local depot. In my experience they have done a better job at a much cheaper rate than the other shipping companies. If it is coming from the US, the cross border brokerage fee will be much much much lower as UPS and Fedex basically make up their own very expensive rates. You will have to pay duties and taxes though.
Cheers
Eddy B
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Kevin Davis
member
Reged: 10/12/09
Posts: 21
Loc: Near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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For some reason it was supposed to come as Fedex, but they called and said USPS and said shipping was going to cost $200 bucks instead of $69 like Astronomics said, can anyone explain to me why they would have raised it? And that price isn't even with duty added. Is it the brokerage fees?
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie no more
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 25196
Loc: NE Ohio
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Quote:
And that price isn't even with duty added. Is it the brokerage fees?
Probably. UPS and Fedex tack on substantial brokerage fees at border crossings, while USPS does not. I always use USPS for that reason.
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John C
Urban Observatory
A&M/Astreya 76mm F/6 APO
TMB/LOMO 80mm F/7.5 APO
Tak FSQ-106N F/5 APO
Meade 178ED F/9 "APO"
Meade ETX-125AT
C14
Teeter 20" F/3.8 truss Newt w/ServoCat
CI-700, NJP, GPDX/SS2KPC, CG5-GT
ST-10XME, DSI Pro
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Kevin Davis
member
Reged: 10/12/09
Posts: 21
Loc: Near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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But its coming USPS you see? And I'm still getting charged for more.
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Kenny2004
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/17/04
Posts: 1476
Loc: Toronto, Canada
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There should not be any customs fee I don't think for scopes, but you will have to pay the provincial sales taxes of the declared US =>CAD value.
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Skywatcher Black Diamond 80ED /w HEQ5 Pro
Celestron 8" SCT /w XLT
Celestron CPC800XLT
Meade DSI-C on a homebrew guidescope
ATik 314L+
Philips SPC900NC Webcam
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Radiostar
sage
Reged: 10/16/08
Posts: 285
Loc: Thunder Bay, Ontario
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Sounds like some kind of miscommunication somewhere. Did they mean UPS? Were you given a tracking number so you can confirm the movement of the shipment and who the shipper is? If it is Canada Post and USPS there may be a very low brokerage fee. As Kenny mentioned there will be provincial sales tax and GST on the canadian value. One of the other companies may deliver it as an agent of Canada Post. Do not let them charge you their brokerage fee as they did not handle the cross border transaction. The drivers do not have an understanding of the fee structure so you may have to get them to call a supervisor. How do you feel about NAFTA now?
This is one of the reasons that I generally get the American retailer to ship to a border point and I drive down and pick it up and bring it across myself.
Hope it all works out in the end.
Eddy B
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Kevin Davis
member
Reged: 10/12/09
Posts: 21
Loc: Near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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No actually, I never received the confirmation email I was supposed to be emailed a couple days after purchasing my product, yet they called to confirm shipping. So I do not have a tracking number and I do not know where it is.
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Festus
sage
Reged: 01/07/04
Posts: 218
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I have had many scopes and astronomical items shipped using USPS to Canada and had to pay the sales tax and sometimes brokerage, depending on cost, when it crossed the border (no duties). Rarely given a tracking number. As long as the paperwork states astronomical equipment there is usually no delays in customs.
If I am not at home, Canada post leaves a notice for pick up rather than trying to deliver a second time.
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JamesE
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/22/07
Posts: 1115
Loc: Westbank, BC, Canada
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This discussed a lot of issues with cross border shipping
Cross Border Shipping on CN
1) US to US shipping is WAY cheaper than States to Canada shipping.
2) Canada Customs is not consistent on whether they will charge duties or not, regardless of price or description
3) Brokerage fees are only applicable to UPS and Fedex or any other private company.
Just my 2 cents (plus duties, plus brokerage, plus exchange rate, plus paypal fees, plus.......) worth
Cheers,
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James
(Thanks to Attilla for the Clear Sky charts)
Current Projects : Tasco 15TEA - 3 inch pier mounted planetary scope
Priorities : Wife, Kids
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kaaikop
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/13/08
Posts: 767
Loc: North of the Montreal nebula
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If you are home, they will deliver, and collect you (2 level of taxes, their might be some duty, etc.)
If you are not home, they'll leave a tag in the mailbox so you can pick it up (and pay up) at your Post Office.
You have to think about these things before ordering from USA. Sometimes it IS worth the deal, sometimes NOT.
You have to check carefully local VS import and factor in everything.
An example, I bought recently a C6 for USD. 399.
Once I got it in my hands, it cost me a total of CAN.$ 550.00 (still better than the local store).
But for eyepieces, right now it's not worth it (La Maison de l'Astronomie in Mtl. has better prices than US stores)
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Benoit, RASC Montreal
-C9.25 on EQ6 Pro - C6/ED80 on Portamount
-TV Plossls, Radians, Nags, Pans, UO Orthos.
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Bill Weir
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 1297
Loc: Metchosin (Victoria), Canada
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When ever I have had things shipped from the US I always use USPS. It avoids brokerage fees, but the cost of international shipping is higher than postage within the US. I've found it's often 2-3 X higher. Then there is the difference in currency. These things all add up. Often it's less expensive to get things from a local dealer unless it's only available from the US.
There isn't duty but what they might have tacked on at the front end are the Federal (GST) and Provincial taxes. These you often can't avoid and are expected to pay. I have usually found though that these get tacked on at the end when I have to pick it up at the post office. I always have to pick it up at the post office because I'm rural and they don't deliver past the group box. I was surprised recently when I wasn't taxed on the copy of Megastar that I picked up last week. Then I noticed on the invoice it's listed as "Educational Material" bullet dodged, NICE.
Bill
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6'' Orion SkyQuest
12.5'' f/5 Custom Truss Dob
William Optics 80mm ZenithStar ED II
f/5 25" newtonian on a giant GEM, any time I want
Observing sessions grand total for 2008, 121.
So far in 2009, 92
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Radiostar
sage
Reged: 10/16/08
Posts: 285
Loc: Thunder Bay, Ontario
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Thanks for the reminder about La Maison de l'Astronomie, Benoit, I had forgotten about them.
Eddy B
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ebusinesstutor
sage
Reged: 07/01/09
Posts: 461
Loc: Nanaimo, BC, Canada
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I also recommend using USPS in shipping telescopes from the US to Canada. That way Canada Post handles the customs clearing and will deliver it to your home.
My wife and I import Native American flutes and it is always cheaper by USPS then FedEX or UPS as they charge huge brokerage fees.
In Ontario I believe you get charged 5% GST and 8% provincial sales tax. So, if your order was $1,000 you will get charged an extra $130 for taxes alone plus a modest brokerage fee.
When I ordered an eyepiece valued at $230.48 CAD, I was charged a $5 brokerage fee, $11.52 GST and $16.13 PST. FedEx and UPS would likely have charged about $50 for brokerage.
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Garland Coulson
Orion XT8i Dob & Celestron 80 ED on a Vixen Porta Mount Mini
Baader Hyperion 8-24mm Click Zoom & Siebert Observatory 36mm
Siebert Black Knight Binoviewers
SkyWatcher Observing Chair
Celestron Skymaster 15x70mm binos
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Zotty
super member
Reged: 07/24/09
Posts: 129
Loc: The Netherlands
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Wow, stunned to see how USPS get so many votes here, instead of UPS. Granted it's a different continent, but UPS wins big time over here. When ordering from the US using USPS, packages are handed over to TNT and then the horror begins.... UPS is more expensive, but they're light years ahead in delivery time, more careful and just better service. So from a Dutch point of view USPS = TNT = nothing but trouble.
Sorry this adds nothing to the topic, but I was simply amazed at the difference in experience that I couldn't keep my mouth shut.
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GSO 8" RC ♦ WO Megrez 72FD ♦ Losmandy G11 Gemini ♦ Atik 314L+ ♦ Starlight Xpress 2" wheel with Astronomik filters ♦ QHY5
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sailor70623
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/12/08
Posts: 944
Loc: Ok.
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As for those "Brokerage fees", UPS and FedEx must pay these on each load coming into and out of Canada. The carriers don't get that money, your Governmnts do. While exempting themselves from the fees. So yes, when shipping form the US to Canada, use USPS. And yes, even if shipping only a mile into Canada the shipping will be higher. It is now an internation rate vs. domestic rate. Again, Goverment vs. private, the rules and costs differ. And you shuld see what they charge for coming back into the US, even when the truck is empty!
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Corornado PST
LB 16" & 12"
Z 10"
LX50 8"
8" CPC
ETX127
102&90mm MAKs
80mm Richfield APO
70mm refractor
ETX60
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stevenf
member
Reged: 10/11/09
Posts: 31
Loc: Vancouver, BC
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The government gets 'some' of the brokerage fees that UPS and FedEx charge, but they include for themselves a very nice handling and service charge.
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Meade ETX-60BB
Meade ETX-90EC UHTC
Skywatcher ST80
Orion ST120
Skywatcher 90mm Mak
Meade 9x63 binoculars
Celestron Explorascope
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