Anywhere in Canada to get DIY LED supplies?

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by GMGQ

How much (value) did you order? If it's a few hundred bucks, technically you should still get dinged for duty... Even if the sender checks off "gift."

Usually it's the smaller packages that can squeak through customs.

It was $80 worth of stuff and I didn't pay duty. I don't think I've ever paid duty or GST on any items shipped USPS. I even just ordered $600 worth of bathroom fixtures and paid no duty so I'm not sure if some companies pay the duty for you or what. When something is shipped courier I usually always have to pay brokerage fees which I believe include duty and sometimes GST.

[kookie_guy]

Originally Posted by sphelps

It was $80 worth of stuff and I didn't pay duty. I don't think I've ever paid duty or GST on any items shipped USPS. I even just ordered $600 worth of bathroom fixtures and paid no duty so I'm not sure if some companies pay the duty for you or what. When something is shipped courier I usually always have to pay brokerage fees which I believe include duty and sometimes GST.

USPS is by far the cheapest. Not sure how you are getting away with not paying. Some companies charge you extra up front and prepay the fees for you, so that may have been your case.

- USPS charges $5 brokerage, and then you pay tax. This is done at package pickup. No pay, no package.
- UPS charges something like $15 plus tax, and they want the money at the door, or no package for you.
- FedEX is the worst. They are something like $20, plus the tax. The worst part is that THEY pay the fees on your behalf, and then mail you a leter 4 weeks later that you owe them money. If you don't pay, they send it to collections.

At least with UPS and USPS, if there's an error made, you can show paperwork and the brokerage/fees are adjusted. With fedex, is a pain in the ass, since the fees were paid a month prior.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by kookie_guy

- - UPS charges something like $15 plus tax, and they want the money at the door, or no package for you.

Not quite.

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

If you can get away with using USPS you are better off unless you are talking high dollar items.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Bryan

Not quite.

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

If you can get away with using USPS you are better off unless you are talking high dollar items.

and that realy isn't right all the time.

I ordered 19 bucks worth of LEDs from the us 5 years ago and when the UPS guy got to my door they wanted 35 bucks brokerage and import fees. so I refused the package then right away called the company and explained what had happened and asked them to resend them USPS. they came 5 days later with 0 for fees as they put "tester samples" on the way bill.

Steve