What's the best way to ship from US to Canada??

[SoonerRack]

Gentleman wants to buy a set of irons from me but is located in Canada - I've never shipped to CA.  Best Method?  Cost idea?

[icecat88]

Just shipped a putter across the pond usps and it was $51. That was in the smallest box possible and just 1 club. I’d say with a whole set of clubs might want to get shipping quote and have buyer pay shipping or a least split. But as a far process not that big of deal just have to fill out the customs papers. People at the post office will assist you make sure it’s correct 

 

[SoonerRack]

Awesome - thank you!

[Bad9]

USPS and its going to be $40-$50 or more and is the only realistic option. Do not ship UPS, Fedex, et al because they charge fees over and above any tax or duties that may be charged. Taxes and duties may or may not be charged shipping via the post office.mThe buyer is responsible for any of these extra fees and should not expect you to cover any of it, they have to build it into what they are willing to pay. The two of you should agree on how to deal with the increased shipping costs up front. For the record I am Canadian and this is how I expect cross border deals to be conducted.

[Blackett]

Another vote for usps.. be sure to manage expectations though.. usps shipping is slow..

[SoonerRack]

Thank you all for the info - big help. 

[Bad9]

15 minutes ago, Blackett said:

Another vote for usps.. be sure to manage expectations though.. usps shipping is slow..

 

The last two items I have bought from the US, coming from Illinois and Wisconsin, have taken about 11 days. Considering I am in a northern, remote area of Canada I consider that to to be really, really good.

[Blackett]

1 minute ago, Bad9 said:

 

The last two items I have bought from the US, coming from Illinois and Wisconsin, have taken about 11 days. Considering I am in a northern, remote area of Canada I consider that to to be really, really good.

Wow! That is really good .   I guess it just depends.. I have had packages take longer than that to go from PA to NC..

[Bad9]

Just now, Blackett said:

Wow! That is really good .   I guess it just depends.. I have had packages take longer than that to go from PA to NC..

To be fair I think most of the transit time was before it got to Canada but it was still excellent time.

[Hotdocta]

I am Canadian and I have ordered a ton of stuff off stuff off of bst. USPS is by far the best option.  It is the least amount of hassle, for both buyer and shipper.

[MofoJones]

Single club will be $40-$50. I had a set of irons shipped for $76

[Skhacker]

USPS is the best way to get it up here. The buyer should expect to cover the additional cost over what it would cost you to ship within the USA and should be prepared to wait as it will get held up for a few days at our Canadian border. I’ve had UPS and FedEx lose multiple shipments to Canada from the USA but never an issue with USPS (which switches to Canada Post once it crosses the border). It takes longer but it’s better. 

[ode]

23 hours ago, icecat88 said:

buyer pay shipping

Shipping will be expensive for a full set.  I shipped a set of heads recently and it was $54 (via PayPal, so there is a small price break vs. paying at the PO).  There should be no expectation that you have to pay any of the shipping cost, that is on the buyer.

[bvmagic]

Wow, I had no idea it cost that much to ship to Canada.  

[Skhacker]

3 hours ago, ode said:

Shipping will be expensive for a full set.  I shipped a set of heads recently and it was $54 (via PayPal, so there is a small price break vs. paying at the PO).  There should be no expectation that you have to pay any of the shipping cost, that is on the buyer.

In my 200-300 transactions, the USA seller and I usually agree on me paying the additional cost over what it would have cost to ship within the USA. It is a fair and equitable solution in my experience. 

[Skhacker]

2 hours ago, bvmagic said:

Wow, I had no idea it cost that much to ship to Canada.  

Well it might have to cross the Mississippi 😂

[ode]

1 hour ago, Skhacker said:

In my 200-300 transactions, the USA seller and I usually agree on me paying the additional cost over what it would have cost to ship within the USA. It is a fair and equitable solution in my experience. 

Yes.....I don't screw people on shipping, they would get a credit for what was already factored into the shipping cost for CONUS.  Buyer pays shipping cost in full.  I'm happy to donate my time for getting the package into the hands of the post office 😉

Edited March 31, 2021 by ode

[ReviellGolf]

Just wanted to share my experience here as a Canadian buyer. I have ordered a few different things on here through the 3 main shipping options (UPS, Fedex, USPS).

 

First off, I want to point out that currently there are no duties charges on golf clubs, there is only taxes that will vary depending on which province the item is shipped to. These taxes depend on the declared value of the item and the Canadian buyer can get a pretty accurate estimate of what these charges will be through the CBSA website. The shipping rate that the US seller will get also depends on the declared value of the item. For example, I recently bought an item for $245 USD and the taxes I payed to have it shipped to Manitoba came out to $30 USD. 

 

USPS: The items I've had shipped via USPS have arrived in a normal timeframe however I've heard others say that it may take longer to arrive through USPS/Canada Post. There is no brokerage fee, but you will pay the taxes once the item is delivered. 

 

UPS: The items I've had shipped via UPS have arrived in a timely manner. Once the item reaches the border, I usually receive a text or email that I need to pay my customs clearance fees. Sometimes, the item clears customs and you will be requested to pay the fees on delivery of the item. Since there are no duties on golf clubs, the charges consist of the taxes on the item and then the brokerage fee. Couriers like UPS and Fedex can be predatory when it comes to this brokerage fee. The breakdown for the brokerage fee is obscure and the amount can vary wildly and be ridiculously high. They take advantage of the fact that most Canadians aren't aware that you can simply request the customs paperwork (the courier is legally obliged to send it to you) and bring it to your local CBSA office to self clear your item. The brokerage fee is now null as you have essentially now acted as your own broker and you are now only required to pay the taxes due. Both times I've done this, the CBSA officer has simply accepted my paperwork and waved both the brokerage fee and the taxes and sent me on my way with my item within two minutes of entering the CBSA office. (This may just be my luck)

 

Fedex: Using fedex has been the worst experience i've had with a courier so far. The process is effectively the same as UPS except for whatever reason, the item will clear customs, then they deliver the item on your doorstep, giving you the impression that there was no brokerage fee, taxes or anything to be paid. You go ahead and open and use the item and then suddenly about a month later, you will receive a notice in the mail or by email that you have outstanding fees that need to be paid. Since it's like a month later, it's hard to remember exactly what parcel the outstanding fees are from and since you've already opened the parcel and used the item, you can't tell fedex to hold it while you self clear your item. If you look up your options, it states in the fineprint that by the seller choosing fedex ground, you as the buyer have automatically agreed to fedex acting as your broker so you can't dispute the huge brokerage fee they are trying to charge you. In my opinion, this is insanely predatory and I have no idea how Fedex is still legally allowed to do this.

 

I just want to add a couple notes:

 

Taxes due for the buyer as well as shipping rates for the seller are proportional to the DECLARED value of the item. Don't take this as a suggestion! You are responsible for your own decisions.

 

I can't speak to courier shipping options from the US seller's side. The US seller will need to figure out what the most cost effective solution is for them. As a buyer, I will normally provide my address so that the buyer can get a shipping estimate for the item and then we work out an agreement on how to split the shipping costs. In my opinion, if the seller advertised shipped to CONUS then I will cover whatever extra cost it would be in addition to the highest shipped cost they would incur by shipping CONUS. If the seller is not willing to work with me on this then that is totally fine and I thank them for their consideration.

 

In my experience the seller has always covered the paypal fees (factored into price of item) but the Canadian buyer will have to pay an additional paypal fee on their end for currency conversion so as a Canadian buyer, it is always appreciated when the seller can work with you on the cost of shipping.