[Guest]

I don't know who is worse anymore.
Recently I purchased a BVM Super Bandit kit from a friend in the US. Against better judgement I had him ship it UPS ground to me.
Well, within the first 2 days, it had miraculously travelled from Los Angeles California to Fredricton New Brunswick!!!!!
I discovered this when UPS called me asking for a little more info on the shipment. I asked where my package was sitting now and was told it was in their warehouse in New Brunswick! Why on gods green earth would they send it over double the distance it takes to get it to me?????
So, the next day, guess where it is? Sacramento California!!!! so now it's already travelled almost 8,000miles!!!!
The next day it ends up in Roseburg oregon and sits there for a day.
The next day it travels a whoping 177 miles into Portland Oregon. Then about 4 hours later it makes it to Redmond Washington. It can travel 8,000miles in 2 days but can barely make 400 miles the next day?

Well, whatever, as I sit anxiously watching the tracking online and envisioning my Bandit in way more pieces than it should be I see this.......

A VALID TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER OR DEFERMENT NUMBER IS REQUIRED FOR CLEARANCE

I don't know what the hell this is about so I call UPS. I had already told them in the previous phone call that it was a personal shipment so why do they need a tax ID number???

Well, I am told that "Canada customs rejected the shipment the first time the paperwork was sent through so we have resubmitted different forms"
Why was it rejected???

"Canada customs says they need to investigate the receiver of the shipment, the product involved, and the receivers ability to use, and intentions for this product"

WHAT??????

Miraculously it cleared customs last night, but what the hell is that about, I need to be investigated as to my ability to use the product and what my intentions are?????

So, anyway, if you are having items shipped up to Canada from the US, maybe specifically turbine jets I don't know, be prepared for some of the most ridiculous BS you've ever heard in your life.

I do have to say I'm thankful the UPS broker was able to get it cleared, there have been times with mail that I have had to drive to Calgary to the canada customs office to appeal my own shipments before they could be released and that is a major pain in the butt for me.

Here's hoping my bandit is still in original kit form, not rekitted form.
And good luck to anyone having stuff shipped to them from anywhere. My biggest fear is with the way Canada customs has been opening packages if they opened my bandit did it even get packed safely again?

[Ken W]

Just wait about a month until they send you another bill because Santa flew over the North Pole!
KenW

[Kelly W]

Sorry to hear about your fiasco Jeremy, I hear ya...

For those of you living near the US border, you may have a much better option. In Vancouver, we are located close to the mainland US and a small land-locked chunk of the US called Point Roberts. It’s a small peninsula that protrudes just a few miles past the border and has a grocery store, a dozen gas stations, a marina, and not much more...

There are a few small businesses that act as package receivers, just so Canadian customers can receive their own goods, save on those $#*%&#$ brokerage fees, and handle the transaction at the boarder themselves. All you need is a receipt (or a printout off eBay if that's the case) and you'll pay GST and PST on the item's value. Make sure to only give them the item's value, without shipping because that's not taxable.

I’ve heard of similar businesses across the country, but for you Vancouverites the place that my friends and I use is called the 'The Letter Carrier'. Is about 1000ft into the US on the right hand side. They charge something like $2US per package. We’ve been using them for ~8 years now, no problems at all...

Now the irony of Point Roberts... You don't pay any brokerage fees since you’re picking it up from the US side, but..... In order to get to Point Roberts, the packages goes through Blaine on the mainland US, then it’s transported through Canada to get to the delivery location in the US again. Go figure.

Kelly

[flysrcs]

Jeremy,

I bet that customs seen the words "JET, or "Bandit" and thought that you were importing a real jet into Canada and "Homeland Secutriy mught be breached".
Good luck and I hope that it was not used in UPS's famed game of Postal football.
Dave

[Fodder]

Just wait until you get the brokerage bill from UPS . hopefully it won't be that bad

[Guest]

Credit card was charged by UPS for taxes and brokerage at $272.54, that's about what I was expecting as $200 of that was GST, considering the crap going on with customs right now, I won't bitch about the $72 for brokerage.

[AJCoholic]

man o man...

I try and avoid UPS as well, for more reasons...

A few years back I accidentally double paid the duty/tax on some chair parts I order from a company in Tennessee. It took me a hundred phone calls and fax's and god only knows how many hours of my time to finally get my overpayment back ( about $200) - over ONE YEAR from the time I made the payment!

Good luck Jeremy... you wont forget this episode I am sure!

[rcjetguy]

I'm of the same opinion. If you're a Canadian buying from USA or any foreign country DON"T even EVER think of UPS OR any other similar courrier service no matter how small or inexpensive the item. It has cost me way too much every time. But I'm getting smarter! rcjetguy

[Midair]

Jeremy:

Your shipping woes may very well be the result of the customs and LEA concerns described by flyrc. UAVs (unmanned or uninhabited aerial vehicles) are capable of posing a real and identified threat. Couple that with the good 'ol U.S. of A's paranoia surrounding the export of sensitive technology, it's easy to understand why a relatively large box labeled with words like "jet" and "Bandit" might raise some eyebrows. Hope your aircraft arrives in good shape - the building season begins .

Cheers,

Peter

[4*60]

Another business receiving packages is "Package Express" in Sumas, south of Abbottsford. They charge $3. They are on the net and respond to emails quickly. They provide excellent service.



http://packageexpress.com/