Problems with shipping to Canada

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.

To stop some of the rumours and to clarify some of the things for shipping to Canada:

1) Educate yourself about shipping costs and customs charges with the shipping company:

- basic freight costs
- import taxes (in Canada: between 7% and 15 dependent on the state the item is shipped to)
- import duty (none for items made in North America following NAFTA rules)
- brokerage charges (anywhere between $20 to $200+)

2) The important and difficult charges are the brokerage charges: Usually FEDEX Ground and UPS Ground charge fairly high brokarage charges for their own highly paid lawyer (anywhere between $20 to $200+). Air shipping (FEDEX Air, UPS expedited, UPS Express) are usually free of brokerage charges.

See for example:

UPS Brokerage rates

3) Of course the distribution of all these different costs should be agreed on beforehand and usually the receiver in Canada will pay for it. Just don't sell to any zero feedback members in Canada if you are afraid of being stuck with customs charges.

All cross-border transactions would be so much easier if people on both sides would be aware of the costs and possible problems.

Certainly there is no need for an irrational fear of shipping internationally!

Good luck,

Rene