Inkjet News

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Free Trade (NAFTA) doesn’t work

Well I guess you see some of those really cheap cartridges advertised from U.S. suppliers stipulating “almost” free delivery… Read the details of their offers and you’ll see that they take no responsibility for any Customs Clearance, and or Duties associated with your purchase.

UPS stifles trade from the U.S.

To add to the misery UPS (for one) has some arcane antiquated processes and policies in place to maximize their profitability, while in some cases, charging you more for Customs clearance than the value of the items being purchased. To make matters worse, they then have to charge you GST on top of their clearance prices.

Customs Brokerage Fee

Value for Duty UPS Standard Service Fee
$0.00 to $20.00 $ -Free1
$20.01 to $40.00 $6.90
$40.01 to $100.00 $19.00
$100.01 to $200.00 $28.30
$200.01 to $350.00 $36.70
$350.01 to $500.00 $41.20
$500.01 to $750.00 $46.85
$750.01 to $1,000.00 $52.40
$1,000.01 to $1,250.00 $58.05
$1,250.01 to $1,600.00 $61.70
$1,600.01 to $5,000.00 $65.00
Each additional $1,000 $5.10

PLUS

Disbursement Fees

Customers are responsible for payment of duties and taxes.

When funds are not provided in advance by the customer, a fee of 2.7 percent (minimum $5.85) of the amount advanced by UPS will be charged.

To avoid disbursement fees call 1-800-PICK-UPS and ask about our pre-payment and EFT plans.

PLUS

Additional Service Charges

Service Charge Each additional classification line after first 5 lines $4.00/line
C.O.D. Fee for Collecting Brokerage Charges $4.25
Release on Minimum Documentation (only non-UPS shipments) $10.00 each
Import Permits $23.00 each

To make a long story short lets take an example of a $20.01 cdn purchase.

UPS Fees are

Brokerage fee $6.90
Advance Fee $5.85
C.O.D. Fee $4.25
Sub Total $17.00
GST $ 1.02
Total UPS $18.02

Note: This is also assuming that there is no duty associated with the item being purchased.
It also assumes that the the correct import code has been assigned to the shipment.

Conclusion

If you need your Cartridges delivered quicky, at a known fixed price, stay clear of U.S. suppliers.

Although the savings look appealing from the onset, the clearance delays and fees assocated with the purchase can quicky eliminate any apparent savings.

Note: It seems that shipping from Canada to the U.S. is not similarily constrained and you can easily ship to the U.S. while the receipients of your order will receive them in many cases without any additional fees.

Filed under: Blogroll, FAQ | Tagged: Cartridges delivered quicky, Free Trade, NAFTA doesn't work, UPS Fees, UPS Standard Service Fee, UPS stifles trade |