Brokerage For Canadians (ATTN Vendors)

So today I finally figured out how to avoid brokerage fees from UPS. Which means I can order more things from the vendors on here.;D Was a VERY simple process. I called UPS with my tracking number and told them I wanted to self clear. They said I would hear from someone in 24 hours. The next day I got a call asking for my email address and they sent me the forms. I went to a local CBSA (Canada customs) office and received a B15 form, after paying my taxes. UPS is just down the street so I went there and picked up my package. A little effort, but the savings were great. I was charged $96 by UPS for brokerage and taxes, I self cleared for $27. So it's definitely worth the effort. I hope this helps.

If you happen to live within a reasonable driving distance from a border crossing, you just have your packages to a mail/shipping depot. When they arrive go across the border yourself and pick it up, present bill of sale to customs , pay the GST , and go home. It is imperative that the vendor puts the bill of sale in the package to save hours at the border.

I've gone through this before myself and it was a pain in the ass. For the used A429 heads I bought from Dave Freelander they wanted to know the country of origin that they were made in and all this other BS to approve my papers. I can get stuff shipped here with FedEx for 1/2 as much bullshit as UPS. As for the border crossing deal, that's the best option. I have a set of Jomar girdles and a header weld up kit waiting for me in Maine. My buddy lives close to the border in New Brunswick and once his k-member is there he's going to cross over and get our stuff.

I live within a 1.5 hour drive to the border, but it isn't worth my while to drive as crossing costs $5 and most places charge a fee to hold a mailbox (UPS store is $10). All I paid yesterday was the HST on the value of the package. The only 2 things the guy wanted to know was what the contents were and why I couldn't get them in Canada. I was in and out in 10 minutes.

Crossing the border here in B.C. is free, the places that take your delivery will charge $5 fee per package. All the Canadian side cares about is getting the sales taxes, auto parts are duty free and as long as you have the bill of sale from a U.S. vendor they never ask where its made. I am 3 minutes from one border and half of an hour from 3 more

Been doing that for years and I am 5 hours north of the border. Just make sure you have enough parts at your storage depot to justify the cost.

If you have a GST number yourself you can also be a importer/exporter which also helps if you ever want to return something back to the US. Especially for farming related equipment.

FWIW Mark