canada customs sucks.......

[danwelsh]

Between Customs, and shipping taking bloody AGES, I don't know whether to laugh, LOUDLY, or buy a plane ticket and punch someone in the nose whenever someone from a certain large country bleats about something taking a whole WEEK to get to him (poor baby.)

It actually took 2 weeks to get the tube.....and the components stayed another 3 days.....I wasn't sooking about it......it just doesn't make sense. And yes I'm gonna get nailed with 15% tax when it does arrive

[davent]

USPS/Canada Post always.

On another forum a U.S.of A. member had scored a large quantity of surplus garolite which he was offering/divying up for free. I asked about a couple pieces that would easily fit in your standard large brown envelope. In the course of sorting the deal out, address, how much for shipping he emails back to say its on the way and wants nothing for shipping, he'd popped in next door to where he worked and alls taken care of. Next door... UPS, cost me just shy of $40 to liberate my envelope of free garolite from the UPS driver.
dave

edit,...and not all UPS hate, Digikey used them for a time and it was still the $8/Free above... no nonsense next business day delivery so whomever Digikey uses is moot and Lou, my UPS driver for over 20 years also use to deliver to where i worked so give him a heads up that something was coming down the line and he'd bring me my stuff to work which was much appreciated! Here's to Lou!

[Muadzin]

Wow!

I thought I had it bad in the Netherlands, but our customs at least seems to keep things in their secret stash for only a week. And when they grace you with the privilege of having to pay customs duties you can pay at the post office, or with the delivery guy.

...and that can be on anything over the value of £15 INCLUDING delivery. What's more amusing is if you go over that £15 by a couple of pounds say. You get taxed on the £17, not the £2 it went over, and they stitch you up for £8 handling fee.

Yeah, they do that too here. Praise the Flying Spaghetti Monster for the Chinese, who offer both free shipping and are willing to label packets as gifts.

Anyone would think that the UK gov doesn't want you buying anything from outside the EU...[/quite]

Isn't that the whole point of customs duties? Protect local business from foreign competitors and make sure governments still get their taxes regardless?

Makes getting parts from the US completely pot luck for us as to whether we get them in a couple of weeks or over a month. Had a record recently where a delivery from Canada, which normally takes about a week if customs aren't involved, took two months.

Some things seem to oddly escape the notice of Dutch customs. A $100 guitar neck which miraculously made it through without getting hit by customs duties. And packages from Smallbear and Guitarfetish also seem to go unnoticed for some strange reason. Which considering their ridiculous shipping costs is a blessing in disguise.