U.S.$
 

Everyone has seen how our loonie has gone up in value against the U.S. buck, has anyone noticed a drop in prices for livestock or hardware for this hobby? It wasn`t that long ago and we were paying 1.60 for a yank buck, now were`re down to 1.27 area. Should this not translate into lower prices on things that we buy?

Translates to higer profit for the LFS. :eek:

I have been wondering that lately as well.

The low US$ means lower profit for my company. We buy in Cad and sell in US. Blech. I miss the 1.6 days :|

It does make sense when you really think about it... Since the US dollar has been on the decline (canadian dollar isn't really that much stronger, the US dollar has just weakened in relation to the cdn$, euro etc) prices of oil etc have gone way up.

Which translates to higher shipping costs, and post 9/11 higher fees for customs and airport improvement taxes etc.

So yeah, those products do cost a bit less, but comparatively the price has remained the same due to increases in other costs...

Andy

There should be a lag time before the increased value of our currency shows up in retail prices for stuff imported from the U.S.

Meantime it makes it much more attractive to order stuff direct from the U.S.

Thats what I was thinking... :mrgreen:

Dito :cool:

That's what most people are already thinking from what I gather after watching the News article about the 6 week backlog of parcels stuck at the border while waiting for Customs clearance. There aren't enough people to timely clear the huge increase in number of items being sent by postal service from the States. 4 more weeks til I get my MH bulb. hehe.

Sam:

If you don't mind crossing the border you can have your parcels shipped to a mailbox in Blaine. Much cheaper shipping and quite often Canada customs won't bother collecting the duty if the item duty value is small.

I got my bulbs in 10 days again from Premium Aquatics. I'm thinking of making another order real soon before the buck goes up.

Customs officials in Alberta are more efficient. That's why Albertans don't need to pay provincial tax. :lol: Gov't workers actually do work there. Just a guess. No offense to gov't workers in BC. :smile:

None taken. We really don't do anything. :razz:

Same with my last order with Premium Aquatics. They really know their stuff when shipping international. Paperwork is done right. which makes a big difference in fast customs clearance.

Well, I don't doubt that shipping time from the US in the past has been good.

But for US shoppers in the near term:

http://www.canadapost.ca/business/co....asp?prid=1026

"October 18, 2004

CANADA POST ADVISES CUSTOMERS OF EXTREME BACKLOG OF INCOMING INTERNATIONAL MAIL

Ottawa - Canada Post today announced a serious delay in the delivery of incoming international mail due to a backlog at the Canadian Border Services Agency in Vancouver.

“Parcels coming into Canada are taking up to five weeks to clear Customs”, said Cal Hart, senior vice-president, Marketing and Product Management for Canada Post. “While we understand the need for security precautions, this situation is unacceptable for our business and for Canadians. We can’t deliver the product until it is cleared by Customs.”

Canada Post receives dispatches from foreign posts on a daily basis and relies on the Canadian Border Services Agency officials in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal to review incoming mail admissibility to Canada as well as the assessment of any duties and taxes.

Since August 2002, mail has been subjected to backlogs at the Customs centre in Vancouver and today more than 150,000 packages (45 tractor-trailer loads) are waiting for Customs clearance in the Vancouver Mail Processing Plant. "

--


I guess mail to Alberta has to come in from Vancouver so they should be affected as well.

Well, I got the bulb in about 14 days. Not bad at all. Came in a big box stuffed with styro peanuts. No way that bulb was going to break.

What do you think the savings were on you bulb?

I saved $48 on the bulb (assuming I was going to buy from the average local store). If I bought 2 bulbs at the same time, the savings on the 2nd bulb would have been $61 (total savings of $109 for 2 bulbs) since you don't need to pay shipping and brokerage twice. Most of the weight of the package was the big cardboard box used for shipping.

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but it appears there have been HUGE increases in the price of sending parcels. Both in Canada, and the US. My last order of a PFO pendant from Premium Aquatics had $25.00 US postage on it. I just sent a 24" T5 fixture to Montreal, and it cost me $9.36. That seems to be much higher than I am used to. :mad:

I favour buying from a Canadian store when the item is available within 10% to 15% of the cost.

One barrier to buying from the U.S. is the cost of customs brokerage plus shipping, especially when you are buying a single item like one light bulb.

It might make sense to arrange a group order of drygoods on a regular schedule, say every 3 months, from the U.S., if anyone is interested.

If you use USPS (Post Office), you don't have to pay brokerage. I have bought quite a few items from Premium Aquatics. I always have it sent by mail. I only ever pay GST plus the standard $5.00 handling charge.

Hello,

I just bought some non-Aquarium items and had it shiped via USPS. The items took a long time to arrive. But before it arrives, the tracking number doesn't work, and it got lost somewhere after crossing border. Then I bought an additional item to have it shipped via UPS. The item arrived then arrived at exactly the scheduled date.

Titus

I ordered some cf light bulbs, requested them to be shipped U.S. Postal Service, they shipped it UPS anyway, UPS tried to charge me about $60.00 brokerage fee, I refused the order and it got returned.

I do not like rip-offs like that, if UPS had any business sense they would realize that ****ing off your customers is not a smart way to stay in business.

My three favourite companies:

1. Telus
2. Air Canada
3. UPS

Most of the time, they try to trick you by delivering the goods first and then billing you later after you've accepted the package thinking that you have no additional charges. Sometimes they just drop the item at your doorstep and you don't have a chance to refuse the package. Then a few weeks later, you get a nice large bill and you can no longer refuse to accept the package since you've most likely opened the package already.

I detailed my experience with them here when I refused a shipment from Brineshrimp Direct. They tried to bill me for brokerage and taxes on the original item that I refused to accept and then also tried to bill me additional costs for sending the shipment back. They hired a collections agency as well. Took months to sort that out.

I think the handling fee is the same thing as the brokerage fee. In this case, the postal company is acting as a collections company for the gov't.

By the way, neither place charge brokerage fees for items under $20 because those are exempt from GST and PST, thus no labor is required for them to fill out paper work.

http://www.canadapost.ca/personal/to...b06-e.asp#c006

There's also a link for UPS that states this but I don't have that link handy.

Well, it wasn't much of a barrier in my case because it saved me 29% off for 1 bulb after taking brokerage fees and shipping into consideration. :lol: If I bought 2 bulbs, I would have saved 32%. The additional savings for multiple units wasn't that much because the shipping cost and brokerage fee was low relative to the cost of the item (1 bulb).

However, in the case of the $7 PCI extension card that I paid $14 to ship. It would have been cheaper to buy that locally if it existed locally (which it didn't). :smile: Luckily, I didn't have to pay a brokerage fee (and thus no tax) on that item.

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned anywhere.. but in regards to UPS and their brokrage fee. you can refuse the delivery and clear customs on your own. I've done it a few times.

Canada post charges a 5.00 flat handling fee if the value is over a set amount and other wise all they collect is taxes. I just ordered a part for my motor bike and it was valued at 100 cdn.. I paid Canada post 14.50 to pick it up.

Ups has no minimum value for brokerage fees, if you order a 5.00 part you pay the minimum brokerage of 35.00 (which is why I refused an 8.00 shipment of LED's) as the value gets higher it is a minimum of 35.00 or a persentage of the declared value which ever is higher.

thats great if you live in vancouver :mrgreen: for us we just refuse it and phone the company and ask them to reship it USPS. the 100.00 in ferry costs makes it not worth it.

Steve

Actually that's incorrect. If the value of the goods is less than $20.00 CDN they are not allowed to charge a brokerage fee. The same applies to Canada Post as well.

The shipper probably overstated the value.

I would have thought every major centre would have its own customs office.

Steve, in the link I posted:

http://www.canadapost.ca/personal/to...b06-e.asp#c006

"Gifts from friends and relatives, valued at $60CDN or less, are duty and tax exempt. Goods imported into Canada, valued at $20CDN or more, are subject to all duties and taxes.

Mail items that are assessed for duties and taxes, or require inspection for compliance to other government regulations (e.g. agricultural goods) are subject to additional fees.

<snip>

Canada Post has taken over many of the material-handling and revenue-collection functions previously performed by Canada Customs. A handling fee of $5CDN per dutiable or taxable mail item is applied. "


The only time I've ever been charged $5 is when my goods are taxed. When my goods aren't taxed, I've never been charged $5. This seems to agree with the website.

From UPS

http://www.ups.com/media/en/rate_guide_ca.pdf

Page 60:


Value for Duty or via other couriers/transportation companies* UPS Express™ & UPS Expedited Services*

$ 0.00 to $ 20.00 - FREE


I've never been charged a brokerage fee when my goods were not taxed (in other words, $20 or less). This agrees with the website.

The $20 exemption is set by the gov't so there should be no brokerage fee regardless of UPS, Fedex, Canada Post, etc since no taxes are being collected by anyone for items less than $20. Brokerage fee applies only if someone has to fill out the paper work to collect your taxes. That's the idea of the brokerage fee.

Canada Post charges a flat rate of $5 for items over $20 (unless its agricultural good). When I picked up my bulb, I was charged GST, PST, and $5 brokerage fee.

UPS charges an incremental fee for items over $20 (additional fees for agricultural goods).

UPS Brokerage fee rates. Read and weep.

http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shi...ration+Charges

In theory you could go through an independent brokerage, although a. it would probably not be worth your time given what most of us actually import, and b. UPS has been systematically buying many of them out in the past few years.

Does anyone know the brokerage fees charged by FedEx?