Shipping to Canada tips?

[rodya]

Is anyone with experience shipping to Canada willing to share any tips, as well as what rates to expect?  I used ebay's shipping calculator for a Leopold keyboard (2.2lbs, 16''x13''x3.5'') to Canada and it looks to be anywhere from $15 to $25.  Is that what I should expect?

[Gerk]

Yep maybe a bit more even depending on where you're shipping from.  Up to $30.

[jpm804]

I shipped a rf86ub to Toronto Canada and it cost me 28 USD for priority.

[nigritude]

and don't be surprised if you get hit with a custom tax on top of that...

also, get ready to be patient if you ship with USPS. canadian customs can take a while sometimes...

[jpm804]

I used USPS and it arrived pretty quickly using Priority..also the buyer of my board mentioned if you declate value under $55 dollars the receiver will most likely not have to pay any customs fees....which in my case the buyer got his board in 4-5days I think and didnt have any to pay any custom taxes.. this from Cali to Toronto..so west to east travel.

[alaricljs]

The sender doesn't have to pay the import/customs duties.  For small items it is often cheaper to go into the post office because not all of their services are available on-line.

[Internetlad]

claim as gift, no tariffs.

trololo.

Honestly though i know there's a limit on gifts and they're pretty sticky about everything that ships across, even on stuff above (50-80, somewhere in there) you will pay customs if it's marked as a gift. Then again sometimes you pay no customs if you ship it as normal. I'm pretty sure they just roll some dice and add that number onto your item.

It's just one of the pleasures of international shippings.

[rodya]

Thanks for all the info guys.  It ended up costing $25 for USPS Priority from California to British Columbia.  This is for a 2 lb 5 oz keyboard.

[Quarzac]

Dang, I've never managed to ship to Canada for less than $27.

[oneproduct]

Just to give the exact value, for gifts, you don't have to pay customs if it's $60 or less. For merchandise you don't have to pay customs if it's $20 or less. However, the only time that I've ever had to pay customs for getting something across the border is when I bought my Leopold from EK. I didn't have to pay customs when I bought a WASD keyboard nor for anything I bought through Ebay, such as my Poker and a variety of non-keyboard/mouse related things.

[oneproduct]

Oh also I just wanted to mention that if you send it using First Class instead of Priority it comes out to about $10.

http://ircalc.usps.gov/MailServices.aspx?country=10054&m=7&p=2.2&o=0&l=14&w=1.3&h=5.3&g=0&r=True (click on the First Class tab)

This is for a Filco Tenkeyless: 2.2 pounds, 14x5.3x1.3 inches

I've had a Poker shipped this way in the past and it was either $7 or $9 doing the same, can't remember.

[Gerk]

If you live that close to a border then it's fine, but if not ...

As for brokerage fees it depends on who is shipping.  USPS/Canada post is typically $5.  FedEx/UPS are $25 if you use the cheap shipping option, if you use expedited or better the brokerage is free (included in the price).

Technically even if you're bringing them across yourself they could charge you duty on whatever (if you declare it), you're only saving brokerage (and time waiting in customs) at that point unless you're not declaring them coming back across the border.

[Gerk]

and don't be surprised if you get hit with a custom tax on top of that...

also, get ready to be patient if you ship with USPS. canadian customs can take a while sometimes...

That's an understatement.  My last keyboard took 20 days to get through customs (not including shipping time, that was just the time it sat in customs waiting to get cleared).

[jackdan]

and don't be surprised if you get hit with a custom tax on top of that...

also, get ready to be patient if you ship with USPS. canadian customs can take a while sometimes...

You right,  for my Topre keyboard from HK the wait, because of the customs, added a good 7 days on top  of it :-(. I really hate that. But no choice.


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[Gerk]

That does sound pretty awesome.  I'm over 1.5 hours from the border though, so none for me.  Although now that I think about it I do know someone who has this setup going for computer gear and does a weekly run ... I think maybe I need to send an email

[rodya]

Oh also I just wanted to mention that if you send it using First Class instead of Priority it comes out to about $10.

Well f**k, it is $10!  The max dimensions is 36'' total though.  I shoulda tried to get it in through first class.  Also, thanks for the tip about gift and merchandise values.  I declared it as merchandise at $45 from internetlad's tip.  Should have done it as gift.

Damn, it sucks that it's so much trouble for you Canadians to get keyboards.  Maybe we should get a shipping to Canada wiki started.

[Gerk]

The only problem with the $10 shipping option is the time it will take to arrive ... sometimes it's not too bad, sometimes it's insane.  I once got a package from California to Toronto using that method that took over 6 weeks in transit, and there's no tracking ability with that service level.  We had both pretty much given up on the package ever arriving at that point and the seller was going to file a claim for insurance and then it arrived the next day.  Even with the fastest USPS option from California to Toronto it takes 7-10 days minimum (not counting any customs holdups).  For some reason shipping from California seems to be worth the "gold" in the "golden state" LOL