Vent:Why Americans will not ship to Canada?

[hanohorse]

I am shopping for another saddle and naturally Ebay is a good spot to go. I am AMAZED at the number of sellers that will not ship to Canada! And not just on Ebay, but other classified sections as well. I see stuff for sale that is not selling and I would bid, but not a chance they will ship to Canada, even when I offer to pay for packing and quote on shipping costs. The times I have shipped items from the States I have used USPS and it rocks, cheap and fast! The people I have dealt with have been great. I just don't understand why so many Americans will not ship to Canada, we are not that far away! We have real addresses, we don't live in igloos! There is a huge buying force north of you guys, use it. Ok, vent over, but it is really fustrating.

[Pirateer]

Its because its easy to cost yourself an extra $50 if you screw up...

Trust me, I feel your pain.
Individuals will ship to Alaska, but so many tack stores think we are in another country. BAH!

[Rainman]

My husband has had some experience shipping to Canada - not a horse item but an Ebay sale item. It took a lot of back and forth due to both the American and Canadian customs regulations. The item went back and forth between warehouses several times then was returned to him to refill out the paperwork, ended up having to ask the buyer to ante up more for the tarifs- major hassle. Will not do that again!

[everyequine]

I ship anything anywhere. never had a problem. Saddles have gone as far as Australia.
A bidder paid $150 for shipping, USPS.
it would have been $750 if I sent it UPS.
Most buyers are aware of customs tariffs and extra costs. The saddles I sent to Australia were quarantined, and sprayed. The cost was on the buyer.
Some of my saddles have gone to Canada, and i never heard anything other than customs taking a little longer to get it through, but no one ever had a problem once it arrived.
USPS is the best shipper to use for tack IMO. :)

[CatOnLap]

oh my.
its very hit and miss with Canada Customs. Whenever I can I get stuff shipped to friends just over the border and then get it when we visit. Sometimes stuff get through in a few days and is fine. More often it takes a few weeks. The last thing I tried to ship up here from the USA was a couple of coils of wire for my invisible fence last September. They NEVER arrived, but they tracked to Canada Customs and then disappeared. I've had more than one expensive large item wait in customs for weeks, then get shipped back to the shipper because they never phoned/mailed me to tell me to come and pick it up once it was inspected.They are terribly understaffed. I have a number of books and video tapes get lost in shipping or really damaged (arriving in pieces in a sealed plastic bag, having been shipped in a proper corrugated shipping box) in customs warehouses too. These are not small items- those usually get through OK. But anything bigger than a shoebox is a bit of a gamble.

[Donkey]

I am lucky enough to live close to the border so I can have stuff shipped to a receiving service in the US and then pick it up and drive it through customs myself.

However, my pet peeve is tack stores that won't let you enter a non US billing address upon check out!

[WorthTheWait95]

I don't because if I misjudge the shipping I could potentially end up paying the buyer to take my item if the item was lower cost to begin with! Plus I've found international buyers expect me to basically ship their items for free and get really angry when I send them the quote.

For example:
I sell a martingale for $20
Tell buyer shipping will be $20, send invoice and receive money.
Shipping actually comes to $45
I'm out a martingale and five bucks.

Also the customs stuff can be a real PITA especially when shipping leather goods I've found.

[hanohorse]

I do find UPS and Fedex a hassel. UPS brokerage charges are nuts, and they will hold items at the border, so I won't use them if at all possible. We and friends at work have had items stolen through Fedex and we end up losing out. I have never had an item held by customs when using USPS, including my years supply of horse wormers from Jeffers. Most of the time I don't even pay taxes. I guess I've had great luck with USPS (and Canada Post when shipping the other direction).

[hanohorse]

WorthTheWait95, I always offer for the seller to get a quote and then pay, I even offer to pay a little extra for the trouble. I had one ebay seller misquote on a shipping price (she charged me too little) and I quickly paid the difference without her asking (as it was a rush order and a favor from the seller). I had a saddle shipped from Texas to BC and it cost $45US, pretty cheap. I have never had issues with items, but I do get the box marked "gift" or "returned to owner", then they don't ask any questions. Same when I ship south. Geez, so much for free trade.

[MistyBlue]

it would have been $750 if I sent it UPS.
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: Was it going in a kangaroo's pouch??? :lol: Whoa, that's a lot of shipping!
I also find usps cheaper than ups many times.
I just shipped a saddle to SK CA and the shipping was $55 and change for a 22 lbs package I think it was. I haven't had issues with stuff getting through but they sure fib a lot about the "it'll be there in 5 business days" crap.

[Lucassb]

I think a lot of US sellers just think selling outside the US is too much of a hassle. Most are not familiar with the required forms and the "instructions" are somewhat intimidating... you can find them here:

http://reviews.ebay.com/Canada-amp-USA-Import-Export-Shipping-Guide_W0QQugidZ10000000000067340

Many people are not willing to lie and say the item is a gift; the record of the sale exists on Ebay and those records can be checked.

[joiedevie99]

I think a lot of US sellers just think selling outside the US is too much of a hassle. Most are not familiar with the required forms and the "instructions" are somewhat intimidating... you can find them here:

http://reviews.ebay.com/Canada-amp-USA-Import-Export-Shipping-Guide_W0QQugidZ10000000000067340

Many people are not willing to lie and say the item is a gift; the record of the sale exists on Ebay and those records can be checked.

Yup. The average ebay seller is just a casual seller, who sells used things they own to make some extra money. They don't want the hassle of extra paperwork, taking it to the post office to weigh it and get a shipping quote, etc. Also, paypal protection is pretty strict about what qualifies and what doesn't.

[DeeThbd]

Both the buyer and seller can call Customs to inquire about regulations, duties, etc.
I don't mind if something takes longer coming from the US - what I DO mind is when a seller essentially doubles the cost of shipping for the "hassle" of sending it - same flat rate envelope, same act of writing out an address and sticking it in a mailbox. Most EBay sellers are great and are happy to give an actual quote, which makes most of us happy to give them repeat business. A great way to save is sending it economy rather than expedited. Also, UPS is notorious for high brokerage fees et al....USPS is far, far cheaper.
Dee

[Ambrey]

It is more hassle and many sellers don't like to use USPS, and UPS has insane international rates. Additionally, there's always the concern that the extra step of going through customs is going to throw a wrench into the works.

Plus, of course, a lot of people just don't like to have to fill out the forms or are confused by them.

I always offer items internationally, though. Have you tried e-mailing the seller and asking? Many people don't know that shipping rates to Canada are not that high through USPS (and easily calculated on the USPS website).

Oh one more thing though- there's a limit to the size of box that can be shipped USPS international. I had to specially make a box for a western saddle I shipped to Canada. It cost $90 to ship a 45 lb saddle.

[dalpal]

Hassle is correct....I did it once, never again.

Besides spending 15 minutes filling out forms for a freakin girth cover, then spending 10 extra dollars to ship (I will say that the buyer covered it, but I was lucky enough to have someone honest on the other end)...I said NEVER AGAIN, not worth it.

[greysandbays]

I once mailed a cashier's check to Canada to pay for a stud fee. With all the nuisance it was just to mail a business letter envelope (and then they had NO IDEA when it would arrive at the other end), I'd sure not want to mess with anything like a package going to Canada.

The stallion owner at the other end had a courier bring the semen container down across the border to get it into the FedEx system on this side.

[hanohorse]

How is it difficult to fill out the forms??? I send stuff to my sister in Germany and it's not a hassle, pretty simple actually. I thought the whole precess was pretty easy shipping back and forth. Wow, you can send people to the moon, but not a package to Canada!

[glitterless]

I don't because if I misjudge the shipping I could potentially end up paying the buyer to take my item if the item was lower cost to begin with!

Canada Post has a shipping calculator online. You enter the size, weight, your postal code and the destination, and voila. There's the quote you should get at the post office. Doesn't USPS have something similar? I suppose it would be a pain to get the dimensions of the package and the weight, but I'd probably use it when shipping domestically just so that I could give the buyer an accurate shipping cost.

Does anyone on here seriously sell with eBay? What do you do about shipping? It wouldn't be practical to get quotes if you're shipping stuff daily and I'd feel like I'm ripping people off or on the other end, losing money myself if I guessed at shipping.

Speaking of shipping to Canada and eBay, I've had some sellers quote ridiculously high rates. I used to buy a lot of CDs on eBay...those are pretty lightweight and most of them came in a small padded envelope. I can't recall shipping costs, but I remember that I was sometimes paying up to $20. Could shipping really be that expensive or are these costs to cover the hassles of shipping and customs?

The same goes for ordering from places like Jeffers. I ordered, I think 4 or 6 tubes of dewormer at 1.99 each. I think I paid something like $20 or $30 in shipping. Still cheaper than what it would cost me to buy dewormer locally, but that's a lot of money! Are we Canadians that much trouble? ;)

[vxf111]

I just offered a freebie pair of dress boots as a giveaway on another board.

I didn't really *want* to ship to Canada and I didn't really *want* to accept a Canadian Postal money order, but I did. Against my better judgment.

I weighed the boots and estimated shipping at $15. When I got to the post office, apparently their scale is more sensitive because the boots weighed 1/2 oz more. Which made the shipping $26.

The buyer refuses to give me the additional $11 (and she's under no obligation to do so, but I would have though-- since I am GIVING AWAY something of value, that she'd want to do the right thing and make me whole). Now I just paid someone $11 to take a pair of boots for free. Nice.

A little 1/2 oz error in shipping a package in the U.S. would have been a difference of a buck or two.

I'm done shipping to Canada and frankly I am done giving away horsey items as well. From now on, everything just shipped to a charity-- no more freebies on bulletin boards.

[Nancy!]

Vxf111:

Sorry but I still wouldn't be shipping free boots that cost me more than I originally thought. If the person wouldn't pay the extra shipping, they don't need the boots.

We have a small tack store and the cost of UPS shipping has cost us more than the original item quite a few times. We will not order if the company will only ship UPS. USPS is quite good but shipping can still be expensive.

Too many people only look at the price of the item and not the price of the shipping when buying from the states.

Nancy!

[vxf111]

Nancy!, you're absolutely correct. I should have just not shipped the boots. In a moment of bad judgment, I was there at the post office with the box and I just hoped/assumed the recipient would want to do the right thing and pay what the shipping actually cost.

Going to the post office is a MAJOR imposition for me (I live in NJ, work in Philly. I like to be at work by 9am. The post office in NJ opens at 8:30am. That makes it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to be at work on time if I go to the post office. The alternative is to lug the packages to Philly on the train and then at lunch go to thre world's-slowest-post-office and stand in line for [no exaggeration] up to 1.5 hours to mail the package from Philly). When I am in the post office with a package, I am really loathe to leave and NOT mail the package, even if the shipping is off.

In the past I've trusted people and they've always done the right thing. Not this time. Oh well.

But the point I was making doesn't really have to do with this particular package. The point is that if you make a small error in calculating the weight of a domestic package, the resulting shipping increase is minimal. If you make an error shipping to Canada, the difference can be huge.

Hey I am CANADIAN (though I live in the states)... it pains me to not want to ship to Canadian buyers-- but from now on I really don't want to do it. And I am done with giveaways-- it's more tire kicking and annoyance than it's worth.

[Ambrey]

Does anyone on here seriously sell with eBay? What do you do about shipping? It wouldn't be practical to get quotes if you're shipping stuff daily and I'd feel like I'm ripping people off or on the other end, losing money myself if I guessed at shipping.


Not seriously, but frequently- I use their shipping calculator and as long as I enter good information, it's always pretty close.

If I'm concerned I double check with the USPS's online calculator (which does give international rates).

Shipping USPS to Canada isn't that expensive, but many online companies don't use USPS, and UPS shipping to Canada is ungodly.

[Ambrey]

That's OK, VFX, we're evened out by the pair of freebie dress boots I sent someone shipping $$ for but never got ;)

[Tiligsmom]

Another one here who won't ship to Canada for all of the reasons other posters have indicated. Even though a Canadian buyer will pay for the extra shipping, there is the hassle of time and forms and customs and....

For my ebay items, there's not enough profit to warrant the extra hassle and there are enough US buyers for my items that I don't need international buyers.

Nope... not worth it....

[Ibex]

Seriously folks... it's a small form.

I buy stuff from the states all the time (eBay, VTO etc), and never had a problem. If you ship it via USPS and there's duty, they hold it at the local post office. They're a bit hit and miss on the duty (I've been nailed for an item $5 over the limit, but got a saddle with no extra charges :confused: ).

[Tiligsmom]

Seriously folks... it's a small form.

I buy stuff from the states all the time (eBay, VTO etc), and never had a problem. If you ship it via USPS and there's duty, they hold it at the local post office. They're a bit hit and miss on the duty (I've been nailed for an item $5 over the limit, but got a saddle with no extra charges :confused: ).

Ibex.... you need to read all of the reasons we don't want to ship to Canada...it's more than the hassle of "the form".

[Mayaty02]

I am a seller on ebay and I don't ship to Canada simply because it means I have to go to the post office rather than do all my shipping from my home. It's just an inconvience and I never know what to charge for shipping etc.

I have a vent too about Canadians :D I clearly listed an ebay item as ship only to the US and a Canadian won the auction, and wanted me to ship to Canada - hello, didn't I say in the ad I don't ship internationally??? well Isince she was my high bidder I had to truck off to the post office, at a time when I was extremely busy at work....most annoying :)

[DeeThbd]

I wonder, though, if an Ebayer from Canada would refuse to ship to the US, would we be seen as being reasonable people, or a bunch of igloo-dwelling, Meese-jumping hicks?
Just askin'.;)
Dee

[Beezer]

When I sell on eBay, I don't mind filling out the customs forms ... it's the freaking cost of the postage itself to send outside the U.S. that puts me and, usually, the buyer off -- so I don't list an item as being shipped "worldwide" anymore; a potential buyer needs to contact me first, get a shipping quote and agree to pay the extra $$ in shipping. And even that doesn't always work.

I cannot tell you the number of times that I have had people refuse to pay the cost of postage after they were the winning bidder. Which meant that I, as the seller, had to deal with the hassle of going back to eBay, dinging the buyer as a non-paying bidder, get the listing and commission refunded, re-listing the item....

Shipping costs via USPS weren't so bad before the last go-round of rate increases and the elimination of international "surface" shipping -- everything has to go priority mail, unless it's light enough to go first class. Which means even if you can send something in a flat-rate box, you're looking at a minimum of $25 (U.S. ;) ) to send an item to Canada -- and it goes up from there, depending on the country.

And, no, I **don't** charge for my time boxing up stuff, or going to the post office, or for packing materials ... more fool me. :lol:

I still remember the email I got from one Canadian buyer thanking me for getting the item to them so quickly and wanting to know my "secret" for getting through Canadian customs and Canadian post that fast ... dumb luck, frankly. Of course, I've also had U.S. buyers bi&ch at me when they buy something and want it sent by ox train, then complain when it's not there in two days. :rolleyes: Seriously, you cannot win when shipping anything, anywhere.

To be honest, if I were in Canada (and I would be if you guys had weather suitable for, oh, ordinary mortals :p :p ), I'd be making shipping charges my main factor in deciding from where and whom to buy.

[Ibex]

Ibex.... you need to read all of the reasons we don't want to ship to Canada...it's more than the hassle of "the form".

And I ship to the states when I sell on eBay. If you set things up right, and do your homework at the beginning, it's really not that hard. I won't buy from sellers from the states who use UPS as those services grossly complicate things. USPS is the way to go.

When I ship to the states I have a flat rate, like it or lump it, and haven't been burnt yet. If someone refused to pay the shipping I'd decline to sell it, and let eBay know that they're a non-payer.

And I agree, if I refused to ship to the States I'd probably suddenly be considered an anti-american wack-job.

[Lucassb]

Does anyone on here seriously sell with eBay? What do you do about shipping? It wouldn't be practical to get quotes if you're shipping stuff daily and I'd feel like I'm ripping people off or on the other end, losing money myself if I guessed at shipping.


I think a lot of sellers have figured out that it is quite easy to use flat rate priority mail boxes - which mean you know in advance what the exact cost of shipping will be ahead of time without any measuring or weighing necessary. As long as you can fit the item into the priority mail package, you pay a simple flat rate.

You can print the shipping form right off your computer in the comfort of your living room, stick it on the box, and the mailman will take it along with the rest of the outgoing mail. Alternatively you drop those boxes off at the nearest collection point at your convenience.

At times I have sold a lot of stuff on ebay, and frankly this is really the only method I'll use as I do not have the time or patience to do detailed measurements or to stand in line at the post office. My post office isn't open before work or after, so going there in person is a PITA for me.

[Tiligsmom]

I think a lot of sellers have figured out that it is quite easy to use flat rate priority mail boxes - which mean you know in advance what the exact cost of shipping will be ahead of time without any measuring or weighing necessary. As long as you can fit the item into the priority mail package, you pay a simple flat rate.

You can print the shipping form right off your computer in the comfort of your living room, stick it on the box, and the mailman will take it along with the rest of the outgoing mail. Alternatively you drop those boxes off at the nearest collection point at your convenience.

At times I have sold a lot of stuff on ebay, and frankly this is really the only method I'll use as I do not have the time or patience to do detailed measurements or to stand in line at the post office. My post office isn't open before work or after, so going there in person is a PITA for me.

I use Click N Ship, USPS priority mail and have the postal service pick my boxes up at my home. However, you still have to trudge to the post office for Intl shipping.... and, yes... it's a PITA. I've had similar experiences with Canadian buyers who want me to list their item as a "gift" to avoid customs or who want to haggle down the shipping cost. It's not worth it as an individual seller who isn't running a tack store ;).

[dalpal]

How is it difficult to fill out the forms??? I send stuff to my sister in Germany and it's not a hassle, pretty simple actually. I thought the whole precess was pretty easy shipping back and forth. Wow, you can send people to the moon, but not a package to Canada!

That's cool...you are free to ship whereever...but, whether it's diffcult or not, I am not going to waste 15 minutes in the post office filling out forms when there are buyers here in the US.

[dalpal]

I wonder, though, if an Ebayer from Canada would refuse to ship to the US, would we be seen as being reasonable people, or a bunch of igloo-dwelling, Meese-jumping hicks?
Just askin'.;)
Dee

Wouldn't care actually. :lol: Would just find it somewhere else.

[Mayaty02]

I used to sell alot, now I'm not getting anything for my stuff so I barely do it anymore. But i do use a postal scale and the paypal shipping tool, then set up so my mail person picks up my packages at my doorstep. As long as I can use paypal to ship, I'm fine with it, but you can't ship internationally with paypal (or if you can, it's incredibly expensive).

I for one have no problem with someone in any other country (Canada included) who doesn't want to ship out of the country. It's more work for the seller so why would you bother?

[Mayaty02]

PS I have had buyers contact me while a listing was still active asking if I'd ship to Canada, and when they do that (BEFORE BIDDING) I am normally fine with it. I have turned down people in Europe and Asia though...

[WorthTheWait95]

I for one have no problem with someone in any other country (Canada included) who doesn't want to ship out of the country. It's more work for the seller so why would you bother?

Yup, exactly. I would never expect someone else to ship to the US if they're international...it's a PITA and quite frankly we have so many retailers here on U.S. soil there really isn't any reason to HAVE to buy internationally unless a really great deal is found (why pay the extra shipping?).

I kind of think all this frustration would be better placed toward your fellow Canadians, though. We've all been burned and had bad experiences shipping with non payers or people being outraged at the actual cost of shipping. Why should we have to put up with that?

[everyequine]

I enjoy shipping worldwide. I really do! I have had such good experiences with international buyers, that I have never turned one down.
I see it this way, if they want what I am selling bad enough to pay the fees involved with it, I am more than happy to send it over.
Many times it is an item they just can't get in the country they live in, or it's just what they needed... I buy stuff overseas too... it's what you make of it.

[kellyb]

I ship to Canada. But then again I am really well-versed in the USPS, that's all I use at work. I use click and ship for my labels (even int'l). If you need shipping supplies, i.e. boxes, packets (for the int'l labels) etc you can get them free from USPS.com and they will be delivered right to your house. Then your mail man can pick it up right from your mailbox/doorstep.

Not saying everyone should do it, but I do. :)

[Equibrit]

Canadian Customs is the biggest pain in the rear of all. Surprising as they are a NAFTA country! If you are running a business you can't afford the time to take a package down to the Post Office every time somebody from Canada orders something. We ship to Canada Via UPS or Fedex and the customer either uses their own customs broker or UPS/Fedex's. I don't need to fill in all the EXTRA paperwork for NAFTA !

[DakotaTA]

I sell on eBay, have for over 10 years, 20,000+ positive feedback. I ship to Canada and a lot of other international places. You do not have to take international packages to your post office to ship them, just do the label on Click 'n Ship, put it in the plastic envelope and put it on the box, print off your scan sheet for that item and all the other stuff you're shipping, and schedule a carrier pickup at your humble dwelling.

Mine picks up every day and if we're not here she closes the gate and locks it after her. No hassles.

Now, it's the Canadian who wants me to ship the item as a "gift"...no, I don't know you, it's not a gift, and my mail carrier knows we're a business. I have my listings set up with the postage calculator and the buyer knows what the shipping will be before buying the item. Customs is your problem, not mine, although I agree the limit of $15 before y'all have to pay duty is a bit low, especially when we're buying so much oil from Canada.

[Equibrit]

It's not that easy for high value shipments to Canada.
requirements, http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/acc-resp-eng.html

[jengersnap]

We're in Canada and have shipped internationally since we started in '99. We're on the boarder, and I drive items over once or twice a week through the US boarder with a simple customs declaration form in the commercial lane. They rarely ask where the items are going, probably really don't care, but on occassion they do chat me up and find it interesting that a couple of times packages have been to places back in Canada, yet we're taking them to the US to ship because it's actually much CHEAPER that way. We gave the buyer the choice, and they chose that cheaper option. Really weird but it works for us. Having the boarder option, we get a LOT of Canadian buyers as well as US for items that may not sell for much or even get bids with other sellers. I sure don't mind catering to a niche market :)

[PonyPenny]

I used to ship to Canada, but had problems with items actually getting there. One time I shipped Vogel Field Boots and according to the buyer, only one boot arrived. She wanted me to refund her money and when I refused, left negative feedback. There were two boots when I sent them. I had trouble getting insurance to Canada, so none was offered to buyer. It is such a pain that I only ship to USA only with a confirmed address.

[avezan]

As someone who used to do a lot of ebay I finally said no shipments to Canada. The problem is that it can get held up in customs, get "lost", who knows. Sometimes it takes 5 days, sometimes 10 days, sometimes 3 weeks, and as I said, sometimes it never shows up. The only negative feedback I ever got was from Canadians who either didn't get the package fast enough, or who were pissed they didn't get the flat rate shipping offered to continental US addresses, or who were pissed I wouldn't mark it as a gift. The ones that never made it, I just refunded and took the loss. (this only happened twice, but once on a pair of $100+ boots) In the end, it just wasn't worth it. I would always ship to previous Canadian customers. The forms were not a problem. The Canadians were not (usually) the problem, it was just the process of crossing the border.

[equestrian72]

Another long time ebayer here that lives north of the boarder. I've had my fair share of dealings with shipping hassles both as buyer & seller and on both sides of the border. I average about two weeks turn around from time of shipment to receiving it when something is sent from the states but I realize it's all up to the luck of the draw at customs.

I always write to a seller to ask if they will ship up here if it's not listed and have done a lot of educating of those who are willing but who at first didn't want to ship up here because they had been lead to believe it was a huge hassle or were only looking at priority international shipping not realizing that they can ship the same items for a lot less to Canada via USPS small packet (or whatever it's called now). Once I've walked them through all what it takes, they have often been open to trying it and have emailed after that it was easy peasy once they sent it. I tend to always ask that they only ship via USPS - do not like UPS & FedEx for cross border shipping at all after too many problems - and always ask that the mark the actual amount I bought the item for on the customs form. I've been dinged by customs for sellers who list a $20 purchase as $200 because they feel I will get better insurance value... even though the item isn't insured! I never ask that it be listed as gift and figure I will have to pay duty/tax on a purchase and factor that into the bidding price.

That said, I don't push the issue if they won't ship here and instead use my mailing address in the states for items that I really want and then suck it up and deal with the hassle of going across the border. I will only do this though on only certain items and those stores (smartpak) that just do not ship up here.