[JamRSW6]

Looking for some advice. I have a GTO part that is going to be sold to someone in Canada. I have zero experience with this. Suggestions?
I know Canadian dollars are not the same as US dollars. I am in the southern United States. Customer wants the part shipped via US Post office. Suggestions for secure payment and any other tips y'all may have are appreciated! Thanks, Jimmy

[form74]

Originally Posted by JamRSW6

Looking for some advice. I have a GTO part that is going to be sold to someone in Canada. I have zero experience with this. Suggestions?
I know Canadian dollars are not the same as US dollars. I am in the southern United States. Customer wants the part shipped via US Post office. Suggestions for secure payment and any other tips y'all may have are appreciated! Thanks, Jimmy

Get a quote from the post office first and any additional fees.

Shipping to Canada is expensive, I sent a package with it fit's it ship's a while back , told the guy it would be an extra 10 to Canada and I wound up paying twice that to get it shipped.

Plus all the paperwork you have to fill out for Customs.

IMO not worth the hassle

[carbking]

Measure the box!!!!!!!!

One issue is insurance, if it is a part that is not readily available.

As mentioned, shipping to Canada is expensive. Make sure your customer is very understanding, because the time frame during covid may take months.

In the FWIW category; the last three shipments we made to Canada before we gave up completely took (1) 7 weeks, (2) 6 months, and the last one is still lost, and the p.o. will not pay the insurance because they are still looking for the package.

Best bet is to ship it to one of the "drop spots" just this side of the Canadian border.

Good luck!

Jon.

[66sprint6]

I get stuff shipped here all the time from the States. The place where you ship from should have all of the paperwork required.
I've resigned myself to the fact that it is expensive to ship here. But it's all just part of the hobby. Just be sure to get the proper shipping amount, all in, and let the buyer know. They will have to pay sales tax when it hits the border, none of your concern. Get your money by paypal or whatever before shipping of course. I have paid several different ways, such as sending a money order, etc. My best experience paying is by email transfer.

[TAKerry]

Not sure about payment from north to south but I sent a guy in CA a money order and it was no good north of the border. I would imagine there are international ones available, mine was a usps.

[Tempest]

I have found that USPS is the best. FedEx is OK (expensive), and UPS is the worst, as they have a nasty habit of charging brokerage fees (to the receiver) after the shipment has delivered.

From a Shippers standpoint, simply take the box to a Post office with the Canadian Postal Code (Canadian zip code) and they will tell you the shipping cost and duty required. Tell the receiver the costs, and if they refuse, then don't sell the part to him/her.

The paperwork requires you to enter your name and address, the receivers name and address, a description of the part, and it's value. (for customs purposes)

If you are NOT a business, I would ask that you 'low ball' the value, to reduce the duty that the receiver is required to pay. (businesses are required to declare the actual value)


I just received a part today from Ohio (for my wife's DD) and it shipped on Dec 29, for a box that was 8 x 8 x 6 and weighed 2 lbs for $25 (duty and shipping)

Canadian's understand the risks involved in shipping, so if you provide them with the Tracking number once it has been sent, that is all you can do.


Please don't cut us off, as we need your US parts for our projects.


TAKerry - USPS money orders are not accepted by Canadian banks.

[Stuart]

You should be able to get an estimate of the shipping costs from the USPS website. The actual cost may be different when you get to the post office but it should be in the ballpark.

[mrennie]

I'm sure I have bought over $50K of parts, tools, and accessories over the years from the US, either through eBay, private sale, or online shopping. In the literally hundreds of transactions I have had, I have never, ever, had a package lost by the post office, and only once had something damaged and that was due to poor packing on the seller/shippers part. Have actually had more issues with UPS than anyone else.

Have even recently been shipped a 50lb package of machine tool parts for my lathe...without issue (again, proper packing).

Canadians are fully aware it is expensive to have stuff shipped here, and anyone in the car hobby will not be surprised by this...but what we don't like is being told shipping is $40 then told after the sale is agreed to that it is now $80...so make sure you have a decent estimate first.

My $0.02:

-You can ask the buyer for an international postal money order if you wish. It will be issued by Canada Post (our version of USPS), and is cashable in the US. The buyer can request it to be payable in USD and he will pay the CAD equivalent upon issue, so there is nothing for you to do at your end but cash it and get the money you agreed to. Otherwise, you can ask to be paid via Paypal and issue him an invoice in USD (do not use "Friends and Family" option to save fees as there is no recourse for failed transactions.)

-I always ask to ship to Canada by USPS as it is the cheapest unless I am dealing with a large company like Summit Racing who has negotiated rates better than USPS. For a private transaction, USPS will likely be the cheapest.

-The other reason we prefer USPS is due to the customs brokerage arrangement the post office has with Canada Customs. When you ship by USPS, when it gets to Canada it gets transferred to Canada Post, then Canada Customs reviews the value and adds an invoice to the package payable by the receiver for the tax collected. This process is a flat rate of $10-15 and is added to the tax to be collected. When we go to the post office to get the package, we pay this invoice and the package is released. Contrast that to UPS (big brown truck), they do this customs brokerage themselves and charge a fee that is a flat percentage of the declared value, plus a minimum of ~$35 processing fee. So a package that has $20 in tax to pay could cost $55 to have released. The same package though USPS/Canada Post would be $30. If the package was worth more the difference between UPS and USPS/Canada Post could be $50-80 more with UPS! This is the #1 reason why we don't want things shipped UPS. Plus, many times if Canada Customs is backed up, they will not even bother assessing tax and will just let the package through at no cost. I'm sure I have not been charged hundreds of dollars in tax over the year due to this. Compare this to UPS, who will never let a box go through without doing brokerage if it should have tax collected.

-The "big hassle" of paperwork is a fallacy...as others have said, you fill out a USPS supplied form and declare what's inside, the value, who you are shipping to, and who you are. Takes less than 5 minutes.

-when getting a shipping estimate from USPS, do not simply enter a weight. You MUST provide the package dimensions as well to ensure your quote is correct. USPS and Canada Post uses 'volumetric weight' which is a concept that a certain sized box should weight a certain amount. In other words, if you ship a very small box that weighs 50lbs, you will pay for 50 lbs, but if you ship a very large box that weights 5lb, you will pay shipping as if that box weighed 50-60 lbs. When you enter the dimensions and weight into the shipping estimator, it is figuring out the correct rate based on weight AND size.

-Insurance vs declared value: You must declare the value on the declaration form, this is used by Canada Customs to determine how much tax has to be paid when we receive it. As others have mentioned, the less you put for a value, the less tax we pay. However, you cannot declare a part as valued at $100 but ask for insurance for $500 if it is lost or damaged. That is obvious fraud...so ask the seller if they want insurance and what amount, and make it clear that the insured value will be the declared value. Buyer can't have it both ways.

-Regarding sending postal money orders to Canada, there are 2 versions issued by USPS, a domestic and an international version. I think they are pink and blue but can't remember which is which. In any event, if you are sending money to Canada using a USPS money order, you must get the correct international version. Do not send us a personal cheque, they are virtually uncashable and even if the bank will agree to cash it they will impose many extra fees and surcharges and put a hold on the funds to make sure it clears. Paypal is really the easiest for most people either way. If you are bothered by the small fees that you have to pay as the seller, then increase the sale to cover...as I buyer I would rather pay you an extra $5 to cover your PayPal fees and have you agree to accept payment that way, then to pay $8 or 10 bucks for a postal money order that I need to stand in line for, and that could get lost.

Finally, packing: Pack that part up tight...this is critically important with heavy parts. DO NOT pack heavy parts with foam peanuts, air bags, or any loose space of any kind. The first time that box is dropped by USPS, the packings gets squished and the parts starts moving around, and by drop #3 it is a rocket bouncing of the walls of the box trying to break free. I have ordered heavy items multiple times and received a box that looked like it has the ***** beat out of it, only to find a smaller heavy item inside a box that was too big and with all the air bags busted or peanuts collapsed. This is 100% the fault of the seller and not USPS. If you pack the item tight so it cannot move, surrounded by dense packing that will not collapse, you will seldom have any issues. Remember the 50lb of machine tools I mentioned? This was a complete taper turning attachment for my Clausing lathe and the seller packed it up so tight there was no give at all. Postal clerk could barely lift it and the box had clearly travelled a long way but everything was intact with no damage.

Hope this helps!

[mrennie]

Originally Posted by carbking

Best bet is to ship it to one of the "drop spots" just this side of the Canadian border.

Unfortunately this isn't a great option right now due to covid and our testing requirements. We currently require a $300 PCR (not rapid) test when coming into Canada, even if we are only out of the country for 15 minutes. I routinely use a package holding service in Niagara Falls NY and go there twice a year, but right now it just doesn't make sense to use it.

In fact, I have a $100 accessory for my lathe I ordered last year and it would cost me 4 times that in gas and testing to go pick it up, so I am stuck paying a holding fee until I get there.

[carbking]

Michael - your post number 8 above is the most complete and comprehensive post I have seen on this subject. If I were smart enough to use the "like" button, I certainly would.

Jon.

[Tom Vaught]

Originally Posted by form74

Get a quote from the post office first and any additional fees.

Shipping to Canada is expensive, I sent a package with it fit's it ship's a while back , told the guy it would be an extra 10 to Canada and I wound up paying twice that to get it shipped.

Plus all the paperwork you have to fill out for Customs.

IMO not worth the hassle

X2,X3,X4 on that deal, US Government is the one bending you over the log. Not the Canadians.
I totally quit trying to buy anything there or send anything there.
Dave B has a US location to send your parts to, and then someone takes them over the border for him.

Tom V.

[Formulabruce]

Being on a border state and ship a lot to Canada, Ill add this.
If its Metal, its a bit more money, although the Steering hubs I send north are not that bad.
There is no "Flat rate" with Canada post, even if there is on this side of the border.
If you send something priority mail, you may get to track it after the customs ( in NY) with Canada post, but that's not always the case.
I sent a package to Matagami and It seemed lost, but eventually showed up undamaged.

[78w72]

Originally Posted by JamRSW6

Looking for some advice. I have a GTO part that is going to be sold to someone in Canada. I have zero experience with this. Suggestions?
I know Canadian dollars are not the same as US dollars. I am in the southern United States. Customer wants the part shipped via US Post office. Suggestions for secure payment and any other tips y'all may have are appreciated! Thanks, Jimmy

i have shipped hundreds of items international & probably 100+ to canada, its really quite simple & not that expensive although obviously higher than domestic. & even with the border lockdown crap its fairly quick, sold a heat/ac control to a member here in canada a few months ago & he got it in a week or 2.

go to the USPS website & have the final weight & dimensions of the box & the shipping postal code, enter the info & it will give you an accurate quote. you can then pay for the shipping charge if you set up a free account (usually at a slight discount over going to the post office). when you pay on the website it will print out the label & includes all the "extra" documents/forms. it really is very simple & not at all complicated as some of the above posts imply.

as for payment, the easiest & most secure way is to use paypal, unless you trust the buyer/seller be sure to pay as merchandise & not friend/family, that way you are protected if the seller/buyer tries to pull a fast one & not ship your item or it isnt as described etc. & realize there is a 3% fee to receive payment so consider that or work it into your sale price. USPS provides tracking info & allows for insurance, yes they wont pay a claim until they complete their search or investigation if the item is lost or not delivered but thats the case with any carrier. out of literally hundreds of USPS international/canada shipments i have never had one problem but i have had a couple damaged items with them domestically & they always honored the insurance claim.

so paypal for payment, & use the USPS website to get a accurate quote & pay for it all in one place... then schedule a free pickup & your mail man will pick it up from your house, or bring it to the post office if you prefer & walk right up to the counter to drop it off with the pre paid label, no waiting in line.

[unruhjonny]

as a Canadian I will add my two cents (in addition to Michaels very well written post);

I understand that as an American, you are used to getting better service from couriers, but this doesn't apply to shipping to Canada;
We get absolutely hammered on "brokerage fees" - these are arbitrary* fees that the couriers broker applies to a shipment, that is due in full before you can receive the shipment.

I say "arbitrary" because they are supposed to essentially be a fee for doing paperwork to import your package, and pay your duty up front;
It is supposed to be a percentage of the products value, plus the duty paid - but my experience is that it's often much worse.
When I bought my seat covers in '01 or '02, I was facing a brokerage fee that nearly equalled my seat cover purchase - and I had the choice to pay it, or be out the money paid for my seat covers.

I love UPS, but I will NEVER use them again when shipping an item from the 'states to myself;
I have had some good luck with FedEx - they have a pre-paid brokerage option.
But!!
Go against your gut instinct, and ship via USPS.
I repeat;
Go against your gut and ship with USPS.

As stated earlier, it goes directly into our postal system, and even though the initial shipment cost might look higher that a courier, the recipient nine times out of ten, will be saving over the "cheaper" courier by the time the package is received.

And as much as I might whine about Canada Post, they are pretty darn good at getting stuff to me.

When you send via USPS, it essentially gets air mailed to a Canada Post warehouse, where it is re-assessed and shipped.

Recently eBay and Amazon have realized the stupid logistics of shipping between our countries, and have bypassed using conventional shipping all together.

Regarding payment;
I might be a bit old fashioned, but I prefer cheques;
When I am sending payment, I generally work with the seller on how they might prefer to receive payment, but I might suggest that using a Western Union money order from Wal Mart might work the easiest for both parties;
https://www.walmart.ca/en/financial-...oney-transfers

[78w72]

be sure you know or trust the person getting the money at walmart.. its one of the payment options that has zero protection once you send the money. i had a friend buy something off marketplace recently, the seller said he doesnt have paypal so suggested walmart, my friend sent $250 for the item & never heard from the guy again & walmart said nothing they can do.

paypal is the most secure & widely used online payment option, but personal checks are ok too if the buyer is ok with waiting the 5-7 days to fully clear your bank before shipping.

[unruhjonny]

/\ I see what you're saying, but the OP would be on the receiving end (he's shipping the part/s)

[78w72]

true. just a FYI about walmart MO's

[BDHABT]

More trouble than it is worth.

[unruhjonny]

I will mention that the "trouble" is a matter of perspective;
Frankly that comment, as a Canadian, is disappointing to read.

I have known of several heavy USPS shipments that went missing, or their contents were not delivered, but an empty box was - That made me suspect that something along the line with USPS's system goes sideways with heavy items - I didn't think to mention it, becasue all the examples I know of, were state-side shipments (meaning they were not leaving the continental United States).
The most disappointing undelivered shipment I know of was a non production pois differential - I personally suspect it ended up as a door stop at a USPS office... And I think the shipper waived extra insurance.

What I did forget to mention was that heavy/big stuff I'd ship via a courier with ample insurance.

What some see as "more trouble than it's worth", is really (for most packages) essentially the same as sending to another state - with an additional form for customs;
When I (or any Canadian) am sending stateside I have to fill out the same type of paperwork for your customs.

Considering that most Canadian Pontiac's were essentially Chevrolet's in disguise (Chev drivetrains, Chev frames, Chev suspension), most of the real Pontiac parts are state-side;
This is why "more trouble than it's worth" is disappointing for me to read.
If you as a seller do not want to send via USPS, then the buyer has to deal with it.
But, if as a seller you do not want to send via USPS, please don't insist on UPS - because that really screws Canadian's, a large percentage of the time.

[Sirrotica]

When I was selling Pontiac T shirts, I sent some to a neighbor to the North, using USPS as the carrier. I did not use friends, or family, because I simply didn't know about it. I guess it ended up costing him twice the price of the shirts, and he wasn't very happy with the transaction. In my defense I just shipped the package same as I would in the states, plus the extra paperwork.

My first foray into shipping merchandise to Canada, needless to say I wasn't looking forward to another one.....LOL

In all my business dealings, I want the customer happy with his purchase of goods, or services. I felt bad that he was out so much, but he also didn't specify how exactly I should have handled the transaction.

I'd make sure the customer set me the details of exactly how they wanted the package sent, follow their directions, so no one was to blame, but the customer.