Mailing through Customs.

[Danno]

Had a mildly entertaining experience regarding shipping through the Post office to our buddy Profcucchi.

The package was barely big enough to hold a cell phone, but double the thickness. It contained shredded paper and two of the guides for seatbelts.

Her: "What's the value of these?"
Me: "Zero"
Her: "they aren't worth anything?"
Me: "Well, not to me they aren't."
Her: "But what do they cost?"
Me: "Well, I'm pretty sure I got them for free, and I'm sending them for free, so I guess they don't cost anything"
Her: "Well, then why are you mailing them if they can be had for free?"
Me: "Because they are hard to find."
Her: "They are hard to find, but still not worth anything?"
Me: "I guess not."
Her: "Ok, then."

At this point I feel as I'm guilty of trying to smuggle some illegal goods across the border. I then share with her the nature of the Fiatsi people and how I've gotten odds-n-ends over the years from kind-hearted people that wanted nothing more than see a part or two get used instead of land-filled. Her response was basically. "Gee, that sounds nice."

[seabeelt]

And then she charges you $8.50 cause she don't know how to do free

[Tango]

I'm really surprised that she went along with that. My experience with Canadian and US Customs has always been that "zero does not compute".

You can say its worth $0.05 so long as you have some rational explanation of how you got that value (for example, "I got it free but it cost $1.50 to mail it to me, so its value is $1.50"). But if you say it has no value they just can't agree to that.

T

[4uall]

my very first lesson was learning to have your item labeled "antique auto parts" so that there is no customs or brokerage fees etc Sadly I found out the hard way on my first order in which I paid more in fees than I did in parts

[beater]

Well I'm in Ontario and I have ordered twice from Midwest Bayless. First time was $600 plus order and it came right to my door with no duty charges. Second time it was about $300 and I was charged $32 so it doesnt' always make sense.

[courtenay]

Never, never, never have anything shipped to Canada via UPS. In addition to the shipping charges you pay when you order, you will get hit with "customs and brokerage" fees at your door. My experience (twice) is that the brokerage fee is about $50 and it doesn't seem to matter what the value of the package is.

[beater]

Yep and courier will screw you. I had it shipped USPS both times.

[4uall]

Well I'm in Ontario and I have ordered twice from Midwest Bayless. First time was $600 plus order and it came right to my door with no duty charges. Second time it was about $300 and I was charged $32 so it doesnt' always make sense.

I've had that happen and I investigated it. It turns out that there are random checks at customs. To me that equals bullshit

[4uall]

UPS IS AWFUL