Why no shipping to Canada ?

[epicentre]

I don't understand the reluctance.

If our Cafe rep is good, Paypal is functional, ..........................?

We are taking the hit when it comes to currency difference, but if we're prepared to do that...........whassamatter ?

Maybe someone could explain.

Thanks

Epi.

[houseworker]

Perhaps it's to avoid falling foul of CITES.

[ferrousgeek]

It's also expensive and unreliable shipping from the U.S. to Canada. I recently did a string swap with someone in Ottawa. I was shipping one set of strings valued at $6. UPS would have cost $17 from Raleigh, NC. That was from my business, with my discount rate. My cheapest alternative was USPS, which cost $8. Not exactly cost effective, but I had made a deal.

I recently shipped an article of clothing to a desperate customer (complicated story) in Eastern Canada. A small box weighing 3 lbs. cost $65 for 3 Day Priority and took 10 days to get there.

These were items that did not contain exotic woods. The paperwork and potential delays/confiscation when shipping wooden instruments across borders make it potentially prohibitive. I know of several well known musicians who are having luthiers build them instruments with woods not on the Cites list to avoid the hassles of getting through customs when touring internationally.

[houseworker]

I don't understand the reluctance.

If someone doesn't want to ship to you, that's their choice. It's a wonderful opportunity to support your own economy by buying Canadian.

[epicentre]

So from an honest question we go to smarmy answer. Thank you Queenie et all.

[epicentre]

good point.

[MikeEdgerton]

So from an honest question we go to smarmy answer. Thank you Queenie et all.

I'm still trying to figure out this answer. Did I miss a post? You got three realistic answers, none from anyone by that name and none that were smarmy. What am I missing?

[epicentre]

I buy Canadian whenever I can. Sometimes we have few choices but to attempt to purchase something south of the
49th. Personally i've had no difficulty shipping South, and feel deeply sorry for those who, from mental incapacity or other reasons, run afoul of our postal service. We are trying to bring it slowly into the C21st. And I doubt my singular efforts would bail out our horrible economy. Queenie was just a barb at the Brit sense of humour. Sorry if I offended anyone, and, oh look, I spelled humour wrong. Sorry twice.

[ferrousgeek]

There does not seem to be much of an issue shipping from Canada south. It's the reverse direction that seems to incur problems.

[Mandobar]

Actually, the paperwork has become quite ridicules to ship in or out of the U.S.

[Jackgaryk]

So from an honest question we go to smarmy answer. Thank you Queenie et all.

Another thing I like about The Cafe. I have learned so many new words. I will have to look up the meaning of "Smarmy". Don't hear that too often here in North Georgia.

[mandroid]

So did you ask anyone in Canadien Customs? , what did they Say?

[Mark Wilson]

Another thing I like about The Cafe. I have learned so many new words. I will have to look up the meaning of "Smarmy". Don't hear that too often here in North Georgia.

I looked it up. I had been trying to come up with a word for a new manager at work. Smarmy fits so well I might add Canada to my shipping options.

[cskyle]

I haven't had a problem receiving any products from the U.S. It is more expensive and takes longer, but if the buyer is willing to wait and to pay for the shipping, then what's the problem?
I recently purchased an F5G from a forum member in a southern U.S. State that went very smoothly. PayPal allows me to choose CAD or USD as payment.
I chose to buy from the U.S. Simply because I couldn't find an instrument that I wanted in Canada.

[epicentre]

Another thing I like about The Cafe. I have learned so many new words. I will have to look up the meaning of "Smarmy". Don't hear that too often here in North Georgia.

Yah, me too eh (eh is Canuk for huh). Smarmy is a cross betwixt "smart azz" and "army.Like, if you're in the army, don't be smarmy. It ain't nifty and you'll do 50. You knew that, jess pullin me chain, eh.

Nice ta meet cha. Son is in Georgia quite a bit doing long haul.

[epicentre]

So did you ask anyone in Canadien Customs? , what did they Say?

They referred me to their supervisor, and he put me on "hold.".. Probably still there. That was in June.

[epicentre]

I haven't had a problem receiving any products from the U.S. It is more expensive and takes longer, but if the buyer is willing to wait and to pay for the shipping, then what's the problem?
I recently purchased an F5G from a forum member in a southern U.S. State that went very smoothly. PayPal allows me to choose CAD or USD as payment.
I chose to buy from the U.S. Simply because I couldn't find an instrument that I wanted in Canada.

Me neither. Bought lots off'n the Cafe and from e.bay. Only got stung once. not for much, but it's the principle of the thing.
I can't figure out what the problem is either. Always willing to pay shipping. And wait. I'm not that busy anyway.

[k0k0peli]

I've mentioned before that as an online camera+lens trader in California I had more headaches shipping to Canada than any other nation. When I resume eBay selling I'll need to closely consider doing Canadian business. I wish I could just walk stuff across the border! (That was easy when I lived a couple miles from Mexico.)

[foldedpath]

One reason for reluctance to ship outside the USA might be the issue of returns.

At least on the Cafe classifieds, you can require that the buyer pay for return shipment. On Ebay though, most sellers will take the hit on return shipment, either voluntarily to preserve their rating, or mandated by Ebay as part of their buyer protection policy. In recent years, Ebay has tilted the scales very heavily in favor of buyer rights vs. seller rights.

That's why I don't ship outside the USA for anything I sell on Ebay, even though they now have a feature that makes International shipping easy with a USA outgoing address, where they handle all the paperwork. Any additional fees for Customs, etc. are charged to the buyer.

Easy on the way out, not so easy on the way back, if you have to accept a return shipment at the seller's cost. The risk of paying for return shipping as a seller is acceptable when selling within the USA, just a cost of doing business. But that cost can be much higher on anything crossing the border.

Of course it all has to be balanced against reaching a wider market and the actual risk of a return.

[Denman John]

I have had no problem either shipping to Canada or from Canada. Yes, you have to fill out a declaration form that takes about 2 minutes to do at the post office, but other than that I've had no hassles other than waiting for it to clear customs ~ which can add a few days to a week. In most cases, Canadians are grateful that the desired item they purchased from outside the country is coming their way and accept the wait as par for the course. For mandolins, there is a bigger pool of instruments in the US to choose from, but at a cost that I am ready to accept when considering a purchase.

Yes, shipping has become expensive, but if both parties agree upon a price in which shipping is taken into account, their shouldn't be an issue. (I like to use USPS as it has proven to be the cheapest and safest so far) Returns can get tricky I guess, but fortunately I've done my homework and have never had to return anything. Please don't be afraid to ship to Canada, just take shipping costs into account and go from there. With that said, I've been very fortunate with my transactions here on the Cafe and have met some truly great people through our correspondences when arranging a deal.

John

[houseworker]

Smarmy, the boomer generation this side of the pond remember that word well. I certainly didn't need any dictionary to get your gist.

I thought that the opening post was somewhat short of facts, which made responding a bit of a stab in the dark. Clearly it would have been surprising if we'd been told "I wanted to buy a couple of signed Loar mandolins from a well-known Nashville emporium for $500k but they told me that they didn't ship to Canada". But "I'd spotted a cheap The Loar mandolin on eBay but the owner didn't want to ship internationally" is pretty much the norm. And my assumption that the OP was intent on buying a mandolin may be very wide of the mark, perhaps he was just after a packet of J74s.

The involvement of either Ebay or PayPal leave many sellers wary of shipping internationally, all the more so for valuable items. If a seller doesn't want to ship to you, it's best to ask them why if you really want to know.

[fscotte]

Because it gets dicey when the instruments shows up damaged. Now what...

[Mandobar]

I think you need to check the law around Lacey as there are permits required to ship in and out of Canada for any instrument with pearl, shell, and certain woods. Just because U.S. Fish and Wildlife is not intercepting or inspecting right now does now mean that there will be no issue shipping instruments in and out of the U.S. What the shipper requires in the way of paperwork is not the only paperwork required to successfully and legally ship instruments across the U.S. border.

[MysTiK PiKn]

I don't trust shipping across the border. If I need something small (big $$ items are out) I will only use Canada Post and/or USPS. The mail must go through, it's simple, and I really hope it stays that way. These big couriers like ups and defex are playing big business rules that I don't know about and don't understand - and getting info seems difficult - but I don't even try, cos it goes 'red tape' and paranoid real fast. I suspect the socalled free trade has just messed it all up for small players. For me, the killer item is the socalled brokerage fees that seem to be often applied by the big couriers. It's inconsistent; and if it's applied, it's only viewable as stupid and abusive by small players. I think it's just a cash grab - and I won't play. I have been nailed with charges like $40 on a small package. When you multiply $40 (or higher) times the number of packages = you get cash grab to the tune of millions per day. Wassup with that? And who is sucking up the money? I don't know. Does anyone? Somebody looked at the package and poked a hole in it. (used automotive parts, written on the outside) Domestic terrorism? Make the people pay? Millions?

Shipping a mandolin to me from the USA? No way will I do that. Price of item + shipping + tax + exchange rate + tax again + surprise brokerage fees (at my door) + tax again. (I have the option to refuse paying brokerage; but that means no mando, and likely more charges for redelivery, etc etc.
= I bought my mando used here in Canada - I saved near $600 by doing that. =

I bought cd's recently direct from Jami Lynn - great singer S. Dakota USA - album "Fall is a Good Time to Die". Contact by email. I sent money as an International Money Order, $US - emailed her, Money was mailed. 3 days later, cd's in my mailbox. I ordered all her older material with the new release. I'm a fan.
Very Simple business.
The IMO was from my bank in $US - mailed by CanadaPost+USPS - cd's came via USPS+CanadaPost. No problem. There is however, an element of trust involved - sure beats terrorism.

The other thing - with mandos - most dealers don't have any real mandos, toys only. The socalled distributors tend to be sold out, or have very few. It seems there is a market here for Chinese mandos. Small town stores don't seem to get it. And the big city stores aren't quite paying attention either; except on a small scale perhaps.

But the issue of returns - wow, nothing but shipping charges everywhere. Crazy stuff. I can't even imagine what that would be like - the mando would be "totalled" in no time. And people keep on doing it.

[Mandobar]

I lost three sets of cocobolo tuner buttons (this was years before Lacey became an issue) shipped from Canada to the US. It was like sending something into outerspace. I don't trust either post office. As for the mail must go through........I've lost more things in the US mail than socks in the laundry.