ice_station_zebra
Well-known member
I often see stuff for sale stipulating "the lower 48" only? Buyer almost always seems to be on the hook for shipping so why the problem with shipping outside the "lower 48". What am I missing here?
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Why Shipping to "the lower 48" Only?
- Thread starter ice_station_zebra
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Pterodactyl
Well-known member
There is no reason not to ship to Canada, Alaska or any other place if the buyer is willing to pay the price. It was frustrating when we lived in Alaska. Some motorcycle venders would not ship to Alaska at any price.
RossKean
Well-known member
It can be stupidly expensive to ship to Canada for normal everyday personal shipments (commercial vendors are usually different). Not to mention the potential of customs hassles. I live fairly close to the border and ship to a mailbox in Houlton Maine. Pick stuff up when I am planning a trip for some camping in New Hampshire or Vermont. Just a LOT easier and cheaper too. No cost to get the mailbox but costs $5.00 US for each package. (I use a Kinek mailbox. Shipment is to a Houlton powersports address)
ice_station_zebra
Well-known member
No argument there, but if I'm paying why would the seller care? BTW whenever someone has shipped to me I always ask that they use USPS...it's worked well...not that expensive and I have never had a problem with customs using USPS....couriers yes, but not USPS.
Pterodactyl
Well-known member
I live about 200 miles from the border and have friends in Alberta that ship stuff to me when they know they are headed down this way. I guess the rules allow them to bring in up to a certain dollar amount duty free if they are in the US a certain amount of time.
ice_station_zebra
Well-known member
I think, answering my own question, some sellers have come to automatically believe (wrongly I think) that somehow there is an added hassle/inconvenience/problem in dealing with 'weird' place names and zip codes they've never heard of before, unlike Scratch Ankle, Toad Suck, Moosup, Flea Hill or Cucamonga. I'm no where near the border so renting a post box there doesn't work, neither do I like to impose on others to pick up/store/deliver stuff. And of course, with the virus I can't cross anyway.
Geezer
Parsimonious Curmudgeon
How about if you have the dealer ship to a trusted friend in the states and that person re-sends it to you via USPS? I realize there is additional cost, but it won't be much unless the package is heavy.
The last time I shipped something to Canada (a used seat) there WAS the hassle of additional paperwork, customs value declaration, etc. And it WAS a PITA to try to get something shipped USPS. Never again!
RossKean
Well-known member
Coming into Canada, USPS works better than UPS or other courier but can still be a pain in the ass. If I am buying from a commercial vendor, I tell them USPS only (or I deal with someone else). UPS makes a killing off their exorbitant shipping fees in Canada as well as fees for customs brokerage.
If shipping is a hassle, you don't have much motivation to ship to Canada (or AK and HI) if another buyer exists in the lower 48.
ice_station_zebra
Well-known member
I get all that, it just hasn't been my experience that USPS was a hassle at either end. I think the physical size of what you're shipping and the declared value can factor in here...ie the bigger and more expensive (declared value) the more likely to run into the pia described by rbentnail (above).
Many times I'll offer items for sale with shipping factored in. Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Military APO, is generally a pita and I believe more expensive. Canada seems to be expensive but Europe is super bad. I bought a helmet in Italy, paid the seller $30 to send it to me. Sending it back was over $80. Ouchy wowwee.
blchandl2
Well-known member
When people beat you down on the price then you have to go to the hassle of shipping to Canada, etc it is not worth it. I have done it a couple of times and won't do it again. I am not a business and don't have the time or resources to mess with it. I look at it as my loss since I am limiting my potential customer base.
Auburn
Well-known member
Because it is a major PIA to ship to CA. Like others said, they usually make arrangements to pick up in the US.
Hudson
Well-known member
I once sold a CD transport (If you’re an audiophile you’ll know what this is) to a collector in Korea, who offered to pay the shipping cost, which was an additional $200. Between extra paperwork, customs forms, and additional fees plus extra packing, i ended up eating $50 of that shipping cost. Luckily he paid me full boat for the transport, but otherwise it was the last time I’ll ship goods outside the US.
i did ship a 1956 Matchless G80 to my friend in the UK, via air freight. What a challenge that was. Luckily I used the crate he built to ship me a 1966 Rickman, but the customs paperwork and forms were ridiculous. Also, I learned that the the time to ship a bike to the EU is after Oct, when the fees drop more than half - it went from $1800 down to $750. Plus you have to go through a customs agent and pay another $300 to cover fees and such.
something I won’t plan to do again, but it was worth it for this bike.
i did ship a 1956 Matchless G80 to my friend in the UK, via air freight. What a challenge that was. Luckily I used the crate he built to ship me a 1966 Rickman, but the customs paperwork and forms were ridiculous. Also, I learned that the the time to ship a bike to the EU is after Oct, when the fees drop more than half - it went from $1800 down to $750. Plus you have to go through a customs agent and pay another $300 to cover fees and such.
something I won’t plan to do again, but it was worth it for this bike.
Did a ship to Australia. The buyer knew and agreed up front to pay ALL fees and costs. I wasn't out of pocket but I was educated. It cost more for shipping than the stuff I sent.
The one time I bought something from a dealership in Canada (2008) the part was $23 and the shipping was $52. But it's unique to the States and is still on the bike.
I sold something recently without saying “lower 48” buyer was Canadian. Shipping was crazy stupid , plus any duty on their part. Buyer helped out with crazy shipping.
THIS^^^^
Its a PITA to ship outside the US. The forms. The customs. The going to the post office & standing in line instead of printing a label at home in my underwear. Also I have never dealt with anyone from Canada who didn't want me to lie, fudge the numbers, mark as "gift", or somethig of that nature. As to why I don't ship to AK & HI---shipping is too unpredictable. There is no "ground" so its automatically expensive & even if the buyer says they are paying they will always have a better idea of why it should have been cheaper.
Ain't that right. I sold a Martin acoustic guitar for a price that was reasonable to both the buyer and I. It cost me nearly half the price of the sale to box it properly and ship. So much for "reasonable" to my wallet. To bake in shipping costs that high would then not be such a good deal to the buyer.
To be fare, it was eBay and I did use their shipping calculators (but then shipped on my own). When setting up the sale, it cranked out a price that I included in the details. When it came time to ship, using the same calculator, it was DOUBLE the first. It was the last time I used eBay to sell anything.
To be fare, it was eBay and I did use their shipping calculators (but then shipped on my own). When setting up the sale, it cranked out a price that I included in the details. When it came time to ship, using the same calculator, it was DOUBLE the first. It was the last time I used eBay to sell anything.
MotoMike
Well-known member
I am in Canada. I just bought a brake caliper assembly off eBay. The price was $32USD. Shipping was $56.55USD that I had to pay before the part was shipped for a total of $88.55USD. This was paid upfront, online via credit card, so no real hassle for me and, I imagine, not for the seller. Payment will be more of an issue for a casual seller. The buyer (me) pays the shipping cost and the part is no longer the seller's problem. The only hassle for the shipper is putting the part in a box, labeling the box and waiting for the pickup van, unless the seller chooses to go stand in line somewhere.
The part has not yet passed through Canada customs, so I don't have exact final numbers. Typically, Canadian federal taxes plus provincial taxes plus customs duty will double the cost. So I will end up with an estimated net cost of $177.10USD (about $212.52CAN) for a used brake caliper.
Note that I could not find a used brake caliper assembly in Canada. The part was listed on the Yamaha Canada parts website at $524.32CAN (about $419.46USD) before taxes and shipping. I bought other parts from the Yamaha Canada website this winter. Delivery took 8 weeks.
The part has not yet passed through Canada customs, so I don't have exact final numbers. Typically, Canadian federal taxes plus provincial taxes plus customs duty will double the cost. So I will end up with an estimated net cost of $177.10USD (about $212.52CAN) for a used brake caliper.
Note that I could not find a used brake caliper assembly in Canada. The part was listed on the Yamaha Canada parts website at $524.32CAN (about $419.46USD) before taxes and shipping. I bought other parts from the Yamaha Canada website this winter. Delivery took 8 weeks.
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