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Avoid UPS Shipping To/From Canada

Just received a UPS Customhouse Brokerages bill for $19 US for a package that originated in Canada. It's UPS's charge for collecting NO duty and NO tariff on some US manufactured cables. The "entry prep fee" as they call it is a 150% addition to their posted freight. Nice markup for an conveyor automated bar code read and a first class stamp (for the bill).

So now besides their notorious reputation for mishandling electronics and not paying damage claims, you have another reason to NOT USE THEM.

In researching the archives, I see there has been some mention of their rip off brokerage fees before. I think it bears reposting for the unsuspecting. It certainly unpleasantly surprised me having paid nothing extra in the past using Canada's postal system. I'm sure there are other reputable shipping alternatives that other members can recommend.
alexanderj
caligula
1 posts
 
I agree that UPS is not an option.
The first thing is that their charges are way too high
the other issue is poor customer service level.

US mail works best of all.
dismalonyx
36 posts
 
I also had bad experience with ups ( I bought a 10$ US thing and they charged me 15$ CAD !!! they said that was 10$ for the handsling and 5$ for the taxes, I know UPS have a special custom just for them and they charge alot of money when they can.
ed_sawyer
588 posts
 
Just throw the bill away. I have gotten bills from that for that sort of thing before (canadian shipping), tossed them in the trash, no big deal.

Agreed that FedEx is a better choice.

-Ed
fam124
57 posts
 
What a coincidence finding your thread on this subject matter. I just received UPS's invoice for such charges in the amount of $97.45 re: a speaker shipment out of Canada; a supreme insult added to injury as I had already found myself obliged to file a complaint of fraud against the seller for blatant misrepresentation of their cosmetic condition.
dtsag
119 posts
 
Most people use UPS because their rate is cheaper to start with. BUT WAIT, that is because they are talking about the UPS Standard Services (i.e. Ground Services). For this services, the receiving party has to pay all brokerage fee base on a fixed rate scale of the actual declared value.

If you use UPS AIR services, their rate will be roughly about the same as Fedex, and the receiving party will not have to pay any brokerage fee. BUT their customer services is another story.

Fedex is actually the same. If you use Fedex Ground between USA and Canada, Fedex will charge brokerage as well.

It is just that Fedex's default service is AIR, while UPS's default service is GROUND.

Hope this help.
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