geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Keyboard_Freak on Fri, 11 January 2013, 17:18:19
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Hi folks! I'm currently using a Topre RF 103UB. Though I love this keyboard I've been pondering over the potential purchase of a Unicomp 104. They can be had for a cheaper price than the model "M". After using their shipping estimator I was quite put off that it may cost $53 or so to ship to Canada plus possible duties. Has anyone here had one shippted to Canada? I'm not to thrilled that I can nearly purchase a 2nd board for the shipping cost. :eek:
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I've been wanting to order one as well.
The INFLATED shipping cost is what has been stopping me.
They did have a shipping promo earlier that I missed where is the only $10 to Canada.
I hope they have another promo soon.
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I can't answer your question, but shipping from US to Canada seems insane.
I have always assumed it is also crazy coming here from there, as well.
I suppose I can understand why it costs 70% as much, or more, to ship from Atlanta, Georgia, to England as it does to Tasmania, but with "North American Free Trade" and all that, it seems like a keyboard should go to eastern Canada for no more than $20-25 and western Canada for $25-30, at most, since a $15.85 flat rate box will go anywhere in the US, even Alaska.
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I'm not sure how much it costs to ship something to Canada, but if it's a lot cheaper than that, you may be able to find someone on GH in the US to act as a middleman. Or just email Unicomp about it and see if they'll cut you any slack.
I've complained to sites before about their shipping costs to Hawaii and they're often quite accommodating.
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True.
I made an order for parts from Unicomp just yesterday, and the site calculated a high shipping cost. Within 2 hours they had refunded my Paypal account $4 without me even asking.
Not that you can depend on it, but ask the question.
PS - it takes several tries to get a warm body on a telephone line.
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The problem is two-fold with shipping to/from Canada.
1) They have to estimate, often having to over-estimate, because they may have to change shipping companies within Canada. (e.g. UPS->Canada Post or different rate cards and so on.)
2) CUSTOMS AND IMPORT DUTIES. >:|
Guess which o-YES. CUSTOMS SUCKS. SO. FRIGGING. MUCH. And yes, they HAVE to pay customs fees and duties, which I swear must be calculated using the phase of the moon relative to the orbit of Venus. I have had NCIX spend more on shipping and duty than the item cost due to that madness, and I have also had thousands of dollars of parts cost less than $10 in duty. And they can't just evade them by calling it 'blank paper' because customs evasion is a criminal offense. So even if the shipping was the same cost as within the US, it's going to end up costing more.
"Oh! But there's a tool to calculate those, isn't there?" Yes there is (http://export.gov/FTA/ftatarifftool/index.asp). Please let me know if anyone who doesn't do logistics and import/export for a living can figure out how to calculate it reliably for varied orders.