shipping to Canada, need some info/help

[danger boy]

I'm selling a receiver on the Bay... and I have a potential buyer in Canada who wants to know if I would ship to him. Before I say yes.. what should I know about cost, customs, and any other possible taxes?

I know this has been a thread before.. but I couldn't find it. The recevier boxed would weigh about 35lbs total. Would i be expected to pay any kind of overage for weight?

Any of our neighbor's to the North have any suggestions for moi? ;) :D

[dragon1952]

You don't have to pay anything extra. I've sent a guitar amplifier up there before. You have to declare, on a customs form, the value and the contents. He would be the one to have to pay any customs or brokerage fees....especially if you use UPS. I believe USPS is the preferred method. I have found that the shipping costs are not all that much more. You can go to USPS website and get an estimate using their calculator. They can ding you for a few bucks more if the package dimensions exceed a certain amount so keep that in mind. You can always estimate $5 or $6 high on top of all that for your safety and do a refund or whatever afterwards. If they send you a money order, make sure it's in US funds. Also, your bank can charge you for the exchange rate conversion. I like to use PayPal exclusively for foreign transactions.

[danger boy]

mr dragon1952 where on the OR coast do you live? I'll be in Manzanita in late Aug. is that close to you?

[billbillw]

DB,
The easiest and preferred way for most Canadians is to send it by USPS Airmail Parcel Post. The rate is the same no matter where it is sent (within Canada) and USPS doesn't charge a brokerage fee to the recipient. They do have to pay duty and taxes, which vary on what the item is, where it was manufactured, and the value assigned to the item. I would not short value the item. Insure it for the full sale value (incl shipping), and claim that value on the customs paperwork. If the buyer doesn't like that, then they shouldn't buy from you. They also need to be aware that it will take 2 weeks or longer to get delivered.

You must be careful because there is a package size limit to Canada. The sum of girth + length cannot be more than 108 inches. The formula would be 2W+2H+L <=108". There is also a max insurance value of $675. Let the buyer know that any value in addition to that, would be their loss if something happened to the package. Good luck. I've shipped probably a dozen or more packages to Canada with this method and there have been no problems yet.

[janmike]

DB, exactly hat billbillw has indicated. I have received hundreds of packages from the USA and USPS is preferred unless the item is huge and very $. My SVS did not come USPS - case in point. Good luck.

[dragon1952]

mr boy.....according to mapquest, Manzanita is 82.75 miles from Depoe Bay, or 1 hr 55 min. We will be in our new house with a beautiful ocean view by then. If you make it down this far let me know and we can enjoy a beer together. BTW, this invitation extends to any Polk member that may find themselves in the area. I always have plenty of beer on hand and maybe even some grub. ;)

[dorokusai]

Usps.

[danger boy]

ok thanks y'all. if the winner happens to be from BC Canada.. i'll use USPS.

dragon1952 sir, I will keep that in mind.. would be great to meet you.. I'll be on the coast for several days in Aug.... keep that beer chilled for me will ya? :)

[hearingimpared]

Al USPS sends everything to Canada for the same price. I shipped clamps up there and they cost the same as the lower 48.

[danger boy]

that's good news Joe.. alot of my worries have been lessened now that i've heard from several people about shipping North of the border.