This is leading to the inevitable... "what's the best way to ship from
the US?" thread :-) :-) :-).
I've had EXCELLENT results shipping everything that I buy USPS GROUND!!!
Everything that you buy from the US is subject to GST and, depending
on your province PST. For items under $20 you operate on the "honour"
system. You're expected to remit the taxes upon receipt of item.
Since the honour system doesn't work that well (and, people are more
than willing to cheat on their taxes (or simply forget or don't know)
so...) the shipping companies are expected to collect and remit taxes
on items valued over 20 CAD.
Canada Post (USPS ground's partner) charges a reasonable and
predictable $5 for their brokerage service + the taxes to be collected
(unless already paid for by sender).
USPS air uses a third party courier who, like many of the courier
services uses private "brokers" (<eherm>THIEVES!!!) that will charge
you anywhere from $25-50 for the "privilege" of collecting and
remitting your taxes for you (I can understand $5 since the process
does require a certain infrastructure to maintain but... $25 for some
clerk to look at declared value, enter it into a computer and attach a
printout to your package... give me a break).
That said, sometimes you can avoid the brokerage fee all together
(and, on occasion, you will have to remit your own taxes (and, we know
how many people do that!!!)) by shipping with one of the over-night
services. You pay through the nose for high speed delivery but that
price at least either includes the broker or they skip the broker step
alltogether.
YMMV (your milage may vary): it's up to you to do your research to
figure out who will gouge you and who won't. For higher value items
($10-100... I don't buy more $$$ from the US) I've always shipped USPS
with good results. I once made the mistake of accepting FedEx and
never went back.
Eric.
On 1/21/06, Steve Kidd <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> On 1/21/06, Mark D. Chapman wrote:
> >
> > Has anybody ever bought something from OWC?
> > Is there some other cost with OWC I am missing?
>
> Hi Mark.
>
> I've bought RAM from them several times. With the understandable
> exception of the order I put in just before Sept. 11, 2001, I've never
> had a problem with their prices, their RAM or their shipping.
>
> The only "hidden charges" you might come across are not from them, but
> from crossing the border. On a recent order of RAM for my Mini, ($116)
> it cost me $22 to pick it up from the post office.
>
> Cheers - Steve K.
>
> --
> Heraclitus said you can never step in the same river twice.
> No one ever said you couldn't step in a different one.
--
Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html>
Mac Canada info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/mac-can.shtml>
--> AOL users, remove "mailto:";
Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]>
To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-canada%40mail.maclaunch.com/>
