One last note Bryan.... The fees charged by the courier companies are the same in nature as those charged by brokers--it's just the courier company acting as the broker. The fee is charged per entry (they have to make a submission called a B3 per shipment--now most of this is done electronically using systems called CADEX and ACROSS). The courier companies, like the brokers, submit duty on your behalf--they may or may not pay the GST. It varies. The brokerage fee is a handling fee and is usually a minimum of around $40 or $50, sometimes it's a percentage of the value of the goods over and above the minimum, and often it's inflated by various little service charges (number of lines having to be rated, etc.). Some goods are duty-free--that gets complicated.
And a way to avoid paying high brokerage fees using FEDEX or UPS is to ship the goods to yourself personally--avoid the use of a company name--they then assume the goods are personal, and they usually won't charge the brokerage fee--except FEDEX always charges if it's a ground shipment I believe ?? Go figure. Anyway, you are right. This is a importing issue--not an ecomm matter. Whatever costs accrue as a result of importing goods should already be built into the purchase price by then. My father ran a brokerage business--retired at age 40 and lives in New Zealand. Lucrative I guess :o~ Dawn > Way to go Dawn...a Canuck on Canuck taxes...excellent ;-) > > Just one note on brokerage fees.... > > I believe they relate to the fees charged by the courier companies when > goods cross the border or it's just another fee from the CCRA (Canadian > Customs and Revenue Agency). There is always duty and then the mysterious > extra brokerage/handling fee (which is usually really high). I don't think > it neccessarily has anything to do with using a specific broker for > importing/exporting goods. > > Either way it's nothing that should be factored into your eComm site (other > than to mention to customers they could get dinged at the border). > > Bryan Stevenson B.Comm. > VP & Director of E-Commerce Development > Electric Edge Systems Group Inc. > t. 250.920.8830 > e. [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=4 FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq This list and all House of Fusion resources hosted by CFHosting.com. The place for dependable ColdFusion Hosting.
