Canadian Buyers of US Parts Beware

[iluvboxsters]

2 years ago I bought a wall mount for a TV ($35) not knowing that it was shipped via UPS. when it came to the door I had to pay $22, which I thought was ridiculous because I could have just walked into best buy and gotten it for cheaper. After that I learned my lesson. I just had a 2000$ laptop shipped via USPS and paid no duty or taxes. How I do not know I guess I got lucky, but USPS is the best.

[t2-bxtrs]

Folks,
My experience goes a long waaay back, paying extra freight charges or Custom duties, taxes etc...
So what i've been doing eversince was order the parts needed, tires etc.. have them shipped at my U.S.address, go there for our annual trip coming back with shipment in my vehicle and cross the border with no hassle and extra expense whatsoever!
thx

[coolbreeze551]

Originally Posted by t2-bxtrs

Folks,
My experience goes a long waaay back, paying extra freight charges or Custom duties, taxes etc...
So what i've been doing eversince was order the parts needed, tires etc.. have them shipped at my U.S.address, go there for our annual trip coming back with shipment in my vehicle and cross the border with no hassle and extra expense whatsoever!
thx

You make a good point. Right now it might be cheaper to buy a house in the states then to ship items via UPS for the life of the car.

[iluvboxsters]

Haha, first off I don't have a US address to ship to. Second, even if I did I couldn't wait until I made a trip down there to get my parts. Seems like a difficult and painful way to avoid customs.

[t2-bxtrs]

Hahaha ! you guys are right , might be cheaper to buy a house in the States than to get ripped of by these Shipping companies? oh the pain we all go through just to get the best possible price for our toy !
anybody tried opening up a P.O.Box across the border it maybe possible?
or maybe try this place called GermanParts.Ca in Toronto... haven't tried them yet, but have spoken to them for some parts for Benz before, they seem to be knowledgeable and helpful?
good luck !

[tdurnan]

I know we hate these guys but an alternative is to ship and pick-up if you are close enough to the border and the fees seem worth it. There are a lot of other services like this too.


http://www.needausaddress.com/

[Mark_T]

I've done the self-broker thing. Basically, you refuse to accept the package at your door and tell the driver you will broker it yourself. He will give you a form and drive away with your package. You take that form down to ups to get another form which you take to customs. You pay the gst there and then customs will give you a form that you take back to ups where you pick up your package, gratis. You drive home with your package.

[airbud]

Originally Posted by t2-bxtrs

Hahaha ! you guys are right , might be cheaper to buy a house in the States than to get ripped of by these Shipping companies? oh the pain we all go through just to get the best possible price for our toy !
anybody tried opening up a P.O.Box across the border it maybe possible?
or maybe try this place called GermanParts.Ca in Toronto... haven't tried them yet, but have spoken to them for some parts for Benz before, they seem to be knowledgeable and helpful?
good luck !

I've shipped parts to a PO box just across the border in Buffalo (I live in Toronto so the drive isn't bad) and they charge $5 per item. I got to know the people there so they let me pickup all of my items for the flat $5 rate. Then I cross over the border and declare nothing (I understand this is illegal) and get home without having to pay shipping (as long as you purchase from websites that offer free shipping within the US) or tax.

[jaykay]

Do you have contact info for your place in Buffalo? I have been burned too many times!