Pono shocker today

This should also go in Marketplace Discussions.

 

I will say that 1959 is a very generous Santa to someone.

 

I guess the Royal Mail is much more diligent about getting what it's due. It's been quite some time since I've had to pay duty on any package received via Canada Post, and most exporters have been fairly honest about the value of the shipments - ie, not declaring them below the CAN$20 maximum for duty-free imports. Possibly they focus on higher-value items as the costs of processing a low-value item like a couple of records might make it a money-losing transaction.

 

I totally disagree. Case in point - I ordered a $300 stylus about a year ago from the US - thru UPS I was looking at some ridiculous "brokerage" fee to get it here. Like 15% ridiculous.

Switching the shipping to USPS - it cost me like 9 bucks all in - right to my door.

While I have no clue (or interest) on what "brokerage" really means - it's clear that UPS is on another planet when it comes to gouging the living crap of their customers.

VP

 

Oh no, you misunderstand. It is not "the welfare state" but rather "the welcome state." *** ******* loves us all and welcomes us with all encompassing open arms.

 

Some shipping companies charge a service fee for doing the customs formalities, up to 30€.

Because they earn money from doing customs formalities, they make sure every parcel for which customs tax (essentially VAT) is due passes those formalities, while parcels sent through the postal service are more likely not to be charged if their value is a bit above the value for which customs fees are due (22€ in the EU).

In Germany, some customers have been successful in challenging the service fee, because they didn't request this service. The postal company was forced to let them pick up the parcel on their own from the customs, so that they only had to pay VAT and no service fee.

 

You are partially correct. UPS likes to add fees to everything. But if you order something in the 300$-Range, you have to be aware that BY LAW (and not by the awfulness of UPS), you need to add another 20-25% customs on top (at least in this country). If you escaped it with USPS, consider yourself lucky, because the law is the same.

 

Well I am in Canada and have ordered products in the 200-300 range for a long lone time from international sources and have never paid 20-25% ($50-65.00!) of the cost of the item as "customs".

Even last year with Native Instruments (US/Germany) - when I bought a physical "boxed" upgrade of a large software suite - my upgrade cost was $199.00 + 12 bucks for shipping or something. It was delivered in two days absolutely free and with no customs, brokerage or anything - by UPS no less! Maybe software etc falls under the free trade deal or something.

VP

 

UPS also charges an extra $6 to drop off your parcel at one of their outlets for pickup, if you can't arrange to have someone take delivery when you're at work. Talk about chutzpah!

 

Sorry about the wrong forum. Thanks for moving.

 

I have no idea about the custom laws in Canada, but since there is NAFTA, I assume that you do not have to pay customs when you buy something from the US. Right?

Here in Germany, you need to pay VAT of 19% on every non-EU-purchase that costs more than 22 Euros and additional custom fees for select products that are more expensive than roughly 120 Euros.

 

NAFTA doesn't apply to consumer purchases, just to bulk wholesale trade and the like. Most personal shipments with a declared value over C$20 are still subject to customs levies (in theory, anyway).

 

I have no clue on exact specifics regarding customs but one thing I do know for sure - using USPS 100% of the time (when possible) has resulted in rock bottom minimal fees on pretty much everything.

The other thing I know for sure is using UPS - for anything - will most certainly result in your "bending over" and taking it as soon as you item arrives. The only exception to this "Take it in the Brown" rule seems to be Amazon within Canada. Whenever UPS arrives with Amazon stuff - they simply hand to it to me and walk away. I am ok with that.

VP

 

So that's how Neil is able to afford that fleet of classic cars

 

Another exception is if your item gets shipped "UPS Mail Innovations", which hands off to your national postal service. A couple week back I ordered an album from a US distributor declared at C$30 that I found out after the fact was shipped UPS; I feared getting hit with that much in customs and fees, but instead I picked it up from my local postal outlet this evening with no levies applied.

 

NAFTA does apply to consumer purchases (google it). Shipments from the USA are exempt from duty but are not exempt from Provincial or Federal taxes if the value exceeds $20. There are also brokerage fees applicable from the carrier. But no duty.

 

Unless things have changed, UPS will not force the receiver to pay the customs charge. And when they don't, the shipper gets hit with it.

It's why I will never, ever, ship anything of significant value outside the US by anything but USPS. Got hit with a big customs charge on a DVD player once by a Canadian jerk who refused to pay the customs duty. (I got the last laugh: It broke about 6 months later, and he wanted the original sales receipt to get warranty service. He didn't get it ).

 

Politic lectures? Dear me. When you don't have millions of poor people unable to access healthcare, please feel free to talk politics on a music website.

 

How do you clear an international UPS shipment? That I am curious to know. I had to pay duty/taxes in my Pono WHICH by the way I love. The DAC sounds really lovely and smokes my iPod Classic.

 

Contact UPS with a tracking # and tell them you want to "clear self". Have them email you the paperwork which you print and take to your nearest Canada Customs office. You can ask CC to fax the stamped forms back to UPS or you take a picture with your camera and email UPS. Done.

I think I need a Pono.

 

The "original poster" posed a question related to consumer economics which is affected by taxation which is affected by governmental legislative policy. British and European ****** **** policy comes at the price of having to cough up some extra scrilla for Neil Young's new porno delivery contraption.

 

It's all Neil young's fault!

 

In Canada we pay tax if the item is over $20 (although sometimes they let as much as $150+ slide) but if UPS (international) delivers you not only pay tax, you also pay a high brokerage fee. This is NOT the case with any other shipper like Canada Post or even Fedex. ONLY UPS.

I always double check that UPS isn't going to deliver my package and I have noticed a lot of vendors have dumped them for international shipments.