Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

[Number Of The Priest]

Arrgh. What the hell? I received something in the mail from FedEx, and it's apparently services billed to me. I have to remit and make a check payable to FedEx Trade Networks for the RG560 I shipped to a JCFer a few weeks ago. It's $53.40US of brokerage fees, duties, merchandise processing fees, and homeland security requirements... no FREAKIN' way I am paying that. What do I have to pay it for? Doesn't the buyer pay for this sort of stuff? Every time I receive stuff from UPS from America, I have to pay ridiculous taxes. This time, I am the seller. The buyer told me he wasn't asked to pay anything or even sign for the guitar.

I will be definitely calling them tomorrow, but I want some JCFers' takes on this first. This is an outrage. I don't want to go with FedEx any longer if they are going to charge ME for brokerage and duties. [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] Screw purchasing and selling guitars on the internet if this is the case. [img]/images/graemlins/eviltongue.gif[/img]

Help! [img]/images/graemlins/help.gif[/img]

[fr0sty]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

Fedex is on my **** list too. The damaged a speaker that I was getting. They picked it up for return to the sender , twice. They shipped it back to me, twice... [img]/images/graemlins/eviltongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[Top Jimmy B]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

It sucks bro, but that's the way it is. Unless you work out all shipping and fees, prior to your sale, you will most likely have to pay these fees. A customs invoice usually accompanies the bill of lading and offers you a choice of who will pay the customs and brokerage charges. If you received a bill, you either left it blank or checked "shipper to pay".
I go through this every time I ship or receive a package from the US. It bites, but you just have to figure theses fees into your transaction.

The brokerage fee is FedEx's charge for "fast tracking" customs and completely processing all the necessary paperwork. This paperwork is probably all bullsh1t and doesn't exist, but they say it does and you have to pay.
Of course you can always kick up a stink with Canada Customs & Revenue Agency. That's a great way to expedite your next tax audit. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I'd pay the fee and move on.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

Gahhhhh, that's fifty American bucks I could use towards anything else.

My dad was explaining the various fees to me. The brokerage he might sort of understand the exporter (ie- ME) paying, but duties are supposed to be paid by the importer (the American JCFer who bought my guitar).

Anyways, I'll get the real dilly-o from the FedEx offices tomorrow. I cannot guarantee that I will not have a snarling tone of voice with those bastards though. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

And it was my first time shipping out a guitar... it might have been that I signed/checked something off on the forms that I wasn't aware of in my "ignorance". Live and learn I guess.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

Yeah, shipping to Canada can be quite a hassle, could get expensive should you use Fed Ex or UPS as (as you found) Fees can be high, seems last I was going to ship, they only offered Air for the thing I was sending and the price was really high, like several hundred bucks. I sent it to the guys friend near the border and he came over and got it. He was still reamed by customs I remember.

Shipping stuff over or back can take a lot of time it seems. I had something shipped in from Canada Post and it took weeks to get here with no info on its whereabouts till it just popped up one day.

[SEEGERMANY]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

I bought a Les Paul from a jackass in Canada. I got a great deal on the guitar, but the fees were astronomical. From that point on, I buy US and sell US.

[txcharvel]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

FedEx charges a brokerage fee to handle items over the border. USPS does not. These charges are usually paid by the receiver, but...if they don't pay, the shipper is sent the bill.

This was explained to me the last time I sent a guitar to Canada. Remember, USPS...no brokerage fee.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

Hmmm, I will think about using Canada Post to send things cross-border but I don't know how the mail handles fragile stuff like guitars. The KE3 I sent to a Canadian JCFer arrived with no problems and no extra payments were necessary. The shipping WAS expensive due to the ginormous hardshell case the Kelly comes in but that is a totally different story. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

WTF?
Fedex sucks.
You should change it to DHL next time.
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

DHL was expensive. It was the most expensive of the four major couriers here in my city - FedEx, UPS, Purolator, and DHL. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

NOTP - I've done 4 or 5 guitars to/from Canada in the last year. All via USPS/Canda Post with no problems at all (and no visible abuse of the packaging on this end).

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

OK, DHL Sucks!
[img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

You should move to U.S. now
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[lerxstcat]

Re: Why do I owe FedEx money? This is CRAP!!!

It's the new sealing the border from our side since your government won't tax! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Just kidding!!I bought a Saga II 335 copy from a guy in Saskatchewan a few years ago and it came via Canada Post/USPS for $29 with no problems. It only took about 9 days to arrive too, from Saskatchewan to Los Angeles, so it was pretty painless. I'd say the Postal Service is the only way to sell gear across the USA-Canadian border. I shipped a lot of gear crosscountry by USPS when I moved home too, and they didn't break or hurt anything except pop the tube out of my VS40. The prices were surprisingly comparable to UPS as well.