Problems with shipping to Canada


I checked the Forums but this topic doesn't seem to have been addressed before so potential shippers to Canada take heed. In June I shipped an item to Canada by FEDEX where the buyer had agreed to pay shipping and be responsible for paying the import duties. However FEDEX has been unable to collect the fees from the buyer and have informed me that as shipper I am ultimately responsible for payment. Luckily the amount I'm out of pocket is not large ($120) but I just wanted Agoner's to be aware of this possible pitfall especially if shipping high-value items
jaynewt
Hold your horses eh!....shipped watt puppies from quebec to california....hell never again.Thank God ,i too came across one of many true GON memebers and turned this nightmare into a success
Oh yeah when using USPS, you need to inform the receiving party that there is no insurance option (since once it is out of USPS hands they are not responsible) so once you send it, everything else is at their risk. There are no tracking number for USPS shipments international.

It gets lost! You can't track it
It gets Damaged! No one is responsible (so make sure to pack it for guerilla treatment)
There are tracking numbers for USPS depending on the service you use. I always request USPS Global Express,Global Priority or Insured Mail Int'l depending on size and value. Never a problem.
I've been sent alot of packages from the U.S. (I am Canadian) and have ALWAYS paid for the shipping along with the agreed upon price, without exception. I always clarify that I will pay for shiping immediately upon initial contact with the seller (except for one time when a seller/sender refunded the shipping price to me, happy that I didn't try to haggle him from his asking price, a nice surprise.)
I have bought 65lb. amps, 75lb each speakers, cables, c.d.'s, large items, bulky items, heavy items, small items, .... you get the point- I've always used DHL, ground and air, without a dent in my packages. DHL comes highly recommended from my own experiences.
So, perhaps in such situations it's "seller beware" along with "buyer beware". I think it's a good practice to insist pre-paid shipping, too many jerks in this world who are completely ignorant to common courtesy and good business practices.
After one rough experience, I would not buy anything from Canada. Shipping, customs, etc..a pain.