dying_here

I'm thinking about picking up some OEM appearance parts.. whats a good online place with the best/cheapest shipping ( ie doesnt use UPS ground)..

thanks

YT1300

Shipping rates are pretty standard in Canada; they are based on the postal rate, which is set by Canada Post. It applies to the cost per weight of the item; it's the same if you ship 100 lbs of freight by truck if you use UPS or the postal service. It costs more if they pick it up or drop it off for you, or they go faster. It won't be lower than the postal rate, you can be sure.

Cheapest way would actually to get Mazda to order you the parts, if you can get a discount from the dealer on the parts themselves. They do not charge you for the cost of shipping to the dealership (you obviously still need to pick it up) but they will beat you up over the mark-up.

dying_here

Most ( if not all ) of the website seem to be US based, and it is tempted to order from the US based on the exchange rate ( making the parts quite a bit cheaper). they seem to be quite a bit more pricy ordering from the dealer.

But Im asking which online company is the best because I've heard Horror stories like the item was mailed via UPS ground, and UPS decided to charge some outragous brokage fee for anything as small as a pen.

bean438

UPS charges a broker fee for everything. The minimum is somewhere around 28 dollars.
I know this because I paid 28 bucks brokerage fees for a book that was worth 20 dollars.

Criminal.

Yes Canada post will charge the same for shipping but their brokerage fee is only 5 dollars. (so much for private industry doing something foe less than the public sector)

Always use USPS as an option if you can. Just because a company lists FedEx/UPS as the only shipping options always ask. Many will ship USPS.

One thing I did learn though, is that if you have to use UPS, you do not have to use them as a broker. You have the option to broker your own parcel.
UPS will try desperately to talk you out of this "very time consuming, stressfull task", which really only amounts to bringing some paperwork from the UPS depot (usually located very close to an airport, AND Canada Customs outlet), and paying your duties, and applicable taxes.
Customs then stamps your paper work, and UPS will release your parcel.

Easy as pie. However you run the risk of Customs wanting to search your parcel. This could take a few days, and cost you another back and forth trip.

Importing from a legitimite company will minimize this.
If your parcel originated from a country of questionable nature, then be prepared.

To act as your own broker you can either:

A) Notify UPS you will be acting as your own broker. They will notify you when the parcel is in.

B) Refuse to accept your parcel. It will go back to the depot, and they will call you. Notify them you will act as your own broker.


Fed Ex will not allow you to be your own broker.
UPS air includes the broker fee in the shipping costs.

The best option is to request USPS shipment, or if possible do not buy from a US company that will not ship USPS to Canada.

Some companies I have bought from were not aware of the criminal charges UPS charges their valued Canadian customers, and have now added USPS as a shipping option to Canada.

If you don't ask, the answer is always no.

scoop

Assuming you are close to the border, much of the country is, just pop across to pick up the package . . . The UPS store I use in US will take delivery of your stuff for $5 per box and I have used a warehouse to take delivery of a couple skids of stuff for $20 ea. Then you just pay the two taxes at the border. These were all expensive items where the brokerage fees and international shipping would have been excessive. This is also a way to take advantage of free in the US UPS shipping which many web sites offer. Yes, never use UPS for cross border shipping unless the expensive international rate is used up front, USPS is the best, cheapest and most convenient way to go but not for moving half a car :-)

YT1300

With the exchange rate doing so well, the temptation to buy from the US is even greater. However, keep in mind that even if you live close to the border, and you buy stuff in the US, you still have to declare it at the border; duty gets charged on that, depending on what exactly you're bringing over. Don't even think of not declaring stuff - Customs beats you up for a long, long time each and every time you cross afterwards if they find out. It's just a small fee for most automotive bits, however.

USPS is the way to go. But considering the part is likely going to be worth a few hundred bucks, you might want to do it right, no?

dying_here

do you have any more specific information (or website) on the office ( or any company) thatwill take delivery for you in the US so that I can pick it up myself? that would be the best way IMO, taking advantage of the low domestic shipping cost and save a bunch of time and BS charges. Alot easier to order used parts from local members too, I find that people are alot mroe reluntent to ship outside of US.

I live in calgary so Im pretty damn close to the boarder ( ~ 3 hours?) and I have no problem paying the 6% duty fee.

really appreciate the info, keep them coming :D

scoop

Well the UPS Store is your best bet, I think Great Falls is about the closest sort of real US town to you if I remember correctly. See contacts below from www.theupsstore.com, I would contact them first to make sure they work like the one I use in Ogdensburg and that they have something similar to the $5 a box holding fee. All I do is put my name followed by my phone number with area code c/o The UPS Store and its address in the Ship To fields. That way the store has some way to contact you if required, by checking the tracking number you will know when the thing has been delivered. The really large stuff I have had delivered to Corporate Services which I think is just a local outfit. That place acts mostly as a warehousing and distribution point for Canadian companies selling into the US, the whole office is lined with credit card machines belonging to the various companies, I assume so they can bill directly in US$. There might also be something like that in Montana but some research would be required. BTW - If by chance you are looking for stuff from RB, they will ship USPS if you request by phone, done that also . . .

In terms of duty, I have never encountered any on automotive stuff due to NAFTA so you only pay that tax and lucky you there is no provincial tax. Lots of the stuff I have bought from the US was for Audis, much of it manufactured in Germany and there was still no duty. I think that once stuff is cleared into the free trade zone it can move around freely although I don't know how "US origin" is really determined in an official sense. It appears to me that they just use a simple class system at the border, last time it was stuff for the pool, there was a code and a description like pool parts and accessories and they just asked where I bought it. And yes, never think about not declaring everything, the penalties are severe and it's not worth it for a few bucks in tax. Make sure also that you take your receipt with you as there might not be one attached to the box at the other end.

The UPS Store # 3834
300 SMELTER AVE NE, STE 1
GREAT FALLS, MT 59404 - USA
Phone: (406)455-6000

The UPS Store # 2116
2611 10TH AVE S, STE 2
GREAT FALLS, MT 59405 - USA
Phone: (406)761-5800

bean438

Scoop, was your stuff from Germany actually opened by customs?
I am surprised there was no duty. Sometimes they just let things slip by.
Of course customs employees are human too and are subject to certain discretions (i.e. I am retireing soon , and don,t care etc)

One other thing to consider about not declaring things properly:

I would imagine after you are caught once, your name address would go on some kind of blacklist that would ensure all packages would be held up and searched. This might even give you problems when crossing the border in person.

I travel quite a bit across the US border, and would not want to turn that into a big hassle.

scoop

Not sure if the packages were ever opened but I remember getting a pile of brake parts sent USPS and the declaration form clearly said the origin was Germany and I was kind of surprised there were no duty issues. The box probably weighed 50 lbs and was much bigger than an bread box, you would think that big pile of cast iron would peak somebodies curiosity. Me thinks that the US vendor that imported the stuff into the US from Germany had to probably pay some duty but once landed in the free trade zone it can move around without further duties. Maybe someone out there knows the real NAFTA rules, this is kind of anecdotal experience stuff . . .

Yes small stuff does slip through via USPS with no tax. Have bought a bunch of stuff off eBay that came through with no tax, either the dollar value was small, the packages were small or the packaging didn't look very commercial. At a certain point it's probably not worth their time to collect either . . .

YT1300

Exactly what I said. It's not really worth it, actually.

What is it that you can't get here that you can get in the US?

dying_here

Thanks for all the information! much appreciated. I was just thinking 3 hours = ~ 350km so ~ 1 full tank of gas. two tank of gas round trip = 110 L = $121. I will haev to look into it and hpoe the saving is >> $121 haha.. or order some expensive expensive item like a MS kit haha.. anyawy thanks for the info guys