ups brokerage fee?!?!?

[FrankS]

I would imagine that UPS has jumped through this hoop and is legit.

I'm afraid you may have to accept this experience as a lesson learned. At less than $100, it has been much less expensive than some of the lessons I have learned.

 

[emraphoto]

the loop...

the loop...

actually ups does jump through a loop. when you sign the cod form and collect your goods you will unknowingly sign a document waiving your rights thus enabling them to act as your cutoms broker (albeit retroactively). the solution as i can make out is this... ups is legally compelled to return the package to customs where you can then go and pick it up yourself. you will be responsible for any taxes incurred but then waive the responsibility to pay the "brokerage fee". as i have done this (going to customs myself) many times before and have paid NOTHING to do so i will gladly go this route... the saga will continue on monday morning!
i have accumulated mountains of information in case anyone is facing the same situation...
john

 

[Nando]

UPS once charged me over 300+ for brokerage. Its insane that they are able to do this. Lesson learnt: NEVER NEVER NEVER use UPS. Refuse to do business with anybody that uses UPS as their only shipping method to Canada.

Have you read the thread about the Class Action against UPS in Canada? I know that the lawsuit is mentioned above but many RFF members shared their experiences in that thread.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30192

 

[5nap5hot]

I too have been burned by UPS and their "brokerage fees". Boycott UPS and all vendors who insist on shipping by UPS!

 

[FrankS]

Global Express Mail is aka EMS then.

This is my preferred shipping method to be used by a seller from the US to me in Canada. (But I'm done and don't have to worry about this anymore.)

 

[Dougg]

I've had excellent service from UPS for shipments within the US; it's generally the least expensive trackable shipping too...

However for a forthcoming trip I was just considering shipping ahead the stuff that would be in our checked luggage, and UPS would be faster than US Parcel Post but more than twice the cost. Scratch that idea (not enough time remaining now).

 

[MCTuomey]

i just logged onto RFF (been working earlier), so i'm late to the thread.

i am the seller of the lens held hostage by UPS. the ad for the lens spec'd shipping either by USPS or UPS. emraphoto didn't specify a choice and i didn't realize UPS has this practice. i do hope no one believes i would have shipped UPS knowing this kind of abuse would take place. i feel terrible about my naive use of UPS.

fwiw, if right of refusal exists, as emraphoto and i've discussed via PM, i'll take back the lens and meet emra in canada to deliver it or reship via USPS. "we don't need no f**king UPS." if there are return shipping costs, i'm happy to pay them, of course. this sounds like the best way to take care of the delivery problem, at this point, provided UPS will return the lens.

 

[MCTuomey]

update to the above:

i've made the decision to pay the brokerage "fees" and return shipping charges to ups in order to have the lens returned to me.

once emraphoto provides his paypal acct (means of original payment), i'll reverse payment.

my apologies to emraphoto for his trouble - it should not have happened.

lesson learned, the expensive way.

 

[David Murphy]

Global EMS is a dead-to-nuts reliable USPS service -- highly recommended for expensive items

 

[sf]

i just recieved a notice from ups that the package i was expecting was in town and i can pick it up. it also said there was a $91.14 cod brokerage fee?!?!? it was a 75mm voigtlander f2.5 that i had purchased here on rff for 275 US. that's more than 1/3 of the actual cost of the lens?!?! anyone know how one can avoid this?!? i was hoping i could send it back and have it to me sent via ole snail mail. i mean jeez, i can wait a few days and save 91 bucks!!!! it was mailed from michigan (US) to just outside of toronto (CND).
i have mailed NUMEROUS items to the us and recieved international deliveries before without having to pay a brokerage fee.
any advice/hints much appreciated
john
:bang: :bang: :bang:

This is normal. Sadly. I have paid out $$$ to UPS this year for "brokerage fees" and other fees. They charged me alot for the RF645 I bought from Robert White in the UK (I lived in Los Angeles at the time). THey took almost $60 off me for the $600 RF645 100mm lens I bought from a dealer in England (and this was USED).

I hate the postal service.

 

[haagen_dazs]

Sorry for the pain
your seller should never have used UPS Ground
I dont think you can avoid the brokerage fees.
That doesnt even include the potential VAT you might have to pay too

 

[GeoffL0505]

I bring in shipments from the US to Canada regularly, mostly for my business but also for personal items.
Shipping is a constant headache but what I have learnt over the years is there is no hard and fast rules but generally stay away from ups and fx. Having said that I buy a lot of film etc from B&H and only use ups expedited as all brokerage fees are included in air shipments it's only ground ups that you get clobbered.
It really depends on the company you are ordering from and to their arrangement with the shipping companies. Clearly B&H have a great deal with ups as it's not only the fastest but also most cost effective. I will only ship with usps with many companies as this is the most cost effective with them.
So not only do you have to do your homework for each shipment with each company but you have to re-do your homework on a regular basis as things don't stay the same for very long and what works today may not work in a few months.
But do ask questions BEFORE having them shipped rather than after is the moral of this story, I learnt the hard way also!

 

[mw_uio]

ups

ups

I just went to the UPS Canadian site and it takes a little bit of searching to find out the brokerage fees. I just thought of this, how accurate is the brokerage rating done by it's employees, because errors can occur. It would take a lot of time to submitt and prove to UPS that a shipment was rated incorrectly!

Here is the table of charges! 🙄


http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shipping/cost/zones/customs_clearance.html


Check it out! UPS are making a lot of CA CHING!

(this thread has been very cool to read!)


thanks

Mark
Quito, Ecuador (EMS rules!)

(Aperture Priortiy!)

 

[Nando]

Mike,

I'm very impressed that you would pay the UPS fees. Obviously both parties in the deal were not aware of the fees.

Mark,

Good find. The fees are completely bull-caca probably. Who knows how they are calculating these things. I had an $1600 order for computer parts a two years ago and my brokerage fee was over $300! According to that chart, Emraphoto should have only been charged $37.60 according to the UPS site instead of the $91.17. I wonder if Mike or Emraphoto could call UPS up on this discrepancy.

 

[emraphoto]

the discrepency...

the discrepency...

first let me say that mike has been a class act throughout the whole affair. it was very unfortunate it didn't go well for both parties...
i did call ups on the $37 (as posted on their website) vs $94 (on bill) and NO suitable response was given...
i did learn a few things
first...
1/ avoid ups at all costs!!!! seriously...
2/ if you get caught in their web DO NOT SIGN THE COD DELIVERY FORMS. pay the amount via credit card... ask for a receipt other than the cod form. immediately call your credit card company and dispute the charge. they have way more resources to fight it. when you sign the cod form you are consenting to UPS acting as your customs broker.
3/ what UPS is doing is against the law. if you back up in this thread you will see the canda customs act. without written consent from the shipper and reciever of the goods they CANNOT act as your agent. period.
4/ there is a class action lawsuit before the courts in canada right as we speak (or type). if you have paid these fee's check out the web site for the suit. it is in this thread under one of my previous messages. send them the info and you may get your money back. i highly encourage it as they will only modify their behaviour if it costs them... big.
5/ avoid UPS at all costs.
i hope someone in th us picks up the lens as it's a great deal and mike has been a straight forward and stand up fella throughout the unfortunate events.
john

 

[Turtle]

UPS are utter @rses. My sister had an ebay sale go wrong. The item was clearly stolen internally by someone inside UPS....paperwork anomalies, the item was never delivered but could tno be found. This all made sense when looking at the weird nature of the transaction (which also included an escrow scam) They lied, lied and lied again before realiseing that as they were looking silly, just being darned obstructive was the better bet. We never got to the bottom of it and despite a claim of an internal investigation never saw the result of that. One customer service agent actually admitted that stuff got stole internally all the time....other reps were less candid. This scam was clearly very sophisticated and I was mad with my sisters stupid friend for not spotting the signs of the scam (My sis had no internet at the time). I then becamse more mad when it became clear that there was a UPS insider being used to scoop items once inside their system and then to muddy the trail by doctoring and in some cases vanishing paperwork. Despite the overwhelming evidence of fould play, they refused to admit that there was anything fishy about this and that it had simply been lost. Nope, it was CLEAR that a UPS employee (or pehaps a network) was stealing items as part of a europe wide ebay scam which also involved fraudelent escrow websites. They never called back or wrote when they said they would but did everything possible to wear us out and hope we would go away....such as telling us the item had been delivered...but could not tell us where....then said it had been collected from the depot...then faild to ring back...the list goes on. Utterly unethical sh!ts and so I am not remotely surprised they asre ripping people off. I wil never use them, ever.