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UPS SELF CLEARING (Montreal)

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Deal Addict
Aug 4, 2005
1341 posts
43 upvotes

UPS SELF CLEARING (Montreal)

Hi,

This is the procedure to follow in order to avoid payment for UPS Brokerage charges. I don't know if you know this but i hope it is useful for others.

Below is for Montreal, but i think you can find similar places for other cities.
I've just copied the below and i'm not the original author.

UPS rates for customs clearance into Canada:
http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shippi ... rance.html

[INDENT]BEFORE YOU BEGIN: If the parcel arrives at your door without UPS having called you to warn you about brokerage and other fees, simply refuse the parcel, do NOT pay the driver. The parcel will be returned to the sender, you can then make alternate arrangements with the sender; UPS has no right to act as your customs broker without your consent;

SUMMARY: UPS hands you printouts, you drive down to Customs, pay the taxes, get the printouts stamped "PAID", drive back to UPS, hand the papers over and get your parcel. Total time: 15 minutes.

BEGIN:

(1) When UPS calls you saying they have a parcel for you and asking if you want them to act as your customs broker, say NO, say YOU will clear the package YOURSELF through customs. While you have the UPS on the phone ask for the tracking number. Fun Fact: At this time the parcel is still in the US and will take a few more days to arrive in Canada.

(2) UPS will ship the parcel to LACHINE, QC, at their hub at 1221 32nd Avenue, Lachine, H8T 3H2 (514) 633-0010.

(3) UPS will call you when the parcel arrives in Lachine and when the "paperwork" is ready. The "paperwork" is basically two copies of computer screen prints and two copies of a UPS form indicating shipment value, content etc. Fun Fact: You do not need to fill out any forms whatsoever.

(4) Take with you any eBay/PayPal/other proof of payment and drive down to UPS in Lachine, give the guy at the counter the tracking number, he will hand you the "paperwork". Fun Fact: There is near-zero wait time at the UPS hub and it's easy to get to, it's the last building on 32nd Avenue.

(5) Ask the UPS guy at the counter for a map showing where the Canada Customs office is located, the UPS guys have a bunch of these maps already photocopied, it's a 5 minutes drive from UPS to the Customs office located at 10765 Cote-de-Liesse Road, Suite 217, Dorval, H9P 2R9.

(6) Drive to the Canada Customs office with the paperwork and your proof of payment. (Leaving the UPS parking, do a left on Fairway, right at 55th Avenue to the end, park near the runway, walk through the gates to the customs building. There's a Canadian flagon the building so it's easy to spot) Fun Fact: There is zero-wait time at the Customs office and lots of parking.

(7) Hand the paperwork over to the Customs Officer. He will ask you for ID. He'll go through the paperwork, and may ask you a few questions, (example "Is this new?", "What are you going to do with it?"), he'll enter information in the computer, grab stuff from the printer, rubber stamp it, rubber stamp the UPS paperwork and hand the whole thing over to the lady at the cash counter. Fun Fact: Total time to perform this: about 45-60 seconds.

(8) You pay the lady at the cash counter the GST and PST on the converted amount of the declared value. In other words, if you paid $100 US for the item, you will be charged 6% GST and 7.5% PST on $117.50 CDN, that's it, there are no other fees. I had a $30 US item, converted to $34.96 CDN and had to pay $4.88 CDN. She will rubber stamp the UPS forms some more, she'll keep one copy and hand you the remaining copy. Fun Fact: They take Visa/ Mastercard, cash and Interac.

(9) Drive back to the UPS office, hand the guy at the counter the stamped paperwork, he'll hand you over your parcel.

That's it. Beware of UPS employees on the telephone giving you incorrect or misleading information. I had one person giving me the worng address for the UPS Hub, and another person giving me the wrong call back number for their Lachine number. [/INDENT]
34 replies
Deal Fanatic
Dec 3, 2004
5156 posts
616 upvotes
in a plane
Thanks for the useful info. Mind - UPS _never_ _ever_ calls me to clear a package. They just deliver it and charge me ******** fees at the door, but since it's eBay purchases, I can't quite RTS (return to sender)......
Doko ni itemo... hito wa tsunagatte iru.
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Deal Expert
Mar 25, 2005
22705 posts
3696 upvotes
Do you know if you have to go to the POE (port of entry) to get the paper work? As Im in Toronto, my ground packages arrive somewhere else far away.
Sr. Member
User avatar
Mar 7, 2008
802 posts
78 upvotes
how do u get UPS to call you though? whenever i get something delivered by them they always clear it and never bother to ask, and i cant return to sender in most cases.

Can you call ups once u get ur tracking number from the shipper and tell them not to clear it for you? and that you will do it yourself?

i hate ups.. Canada Post is always my number 1
Deal Addict
Dec 6, 2005
1074 posts
if you buy something from e Bay lets say...wouldnt it cost the same amount if you refuse the package and get it sent back to seller?
Sr. Member
User avatar
Mar 7, 2008
802 posts
78 upvotes
well for ebay, u pay for them to ship it to you, once u refuse it it gets sent back to the sihpper, then ud have to pay to re-ship it (if u still wanted it)

i believe thats how it goes.
Deal Addict
Dec 6, 2005
1074 posts
billsan101 wrote: well for ebay, u pay for them to ship it to you, once u refuse it it gets sent back to the sihpper, then ud have to pay to re-ship it (if u still wanted it)

i believe thats how it goes.
that's what i was saying.
wouldn't it defeat the purpose of doing the customs by yourself to save money if you have to pay shipping fees again (which are very high to begin with)
Sr. Member
User avatar
Mar 7, 2008
802 posts
78 upvotes
No, because the original poster said to refuse only is UPS did NOT contact you, and already did the custom papers theirselves.

But if they do contact you (asking if you want THEM to bring it through customs), or you contact them, they will hold the item for you at their offices till you clear the item urself following the steps above, and it never goes back to the shipper that way, so u would'nt have to pay to re-ship it, you'd only have to pay the taxes and stuff at the customs office.
Deal Addict
Dec 6, 2005
1074 posts
billsan101 wrote: No, because the original poster said to refuse only is UPS did NOT contact you, and already did the custom papers theirselves.

But if they do contact you (asking if you want THEM to bring it through customs), or you contact them, they will hold the item for you at their offices till you clear the item urself following the steps above, and it never goes back to the shipper that way, so u would'nt have to pay to re-ship it, you'd only have to pay the taxes and stuff at the customs office.
yeah i got that.
just everytime i deal with UPS, they never ever asked me if they want to clear it.
they just call me in the morning and ask if i will be home from 9 to 5 (ridiculous time frame).

i buy a lot of stuff online and eBay...never they contacted me
Sr. Member
User avatar
Mar 7, 2008
802 posts
78 upvotes
ya i asked about that in my post above

[QUOTE]Can you call ups once u get ur tracking number from the shipper and tell them not to clear it for you? and that you will do it yourself?[/QUOTE]

but i guess once u get ur shipping # from the shipper, u call UPS right away and let them know u'll take care of the customs or something, because if u dont, i guess they do it automatically.

Because i never got a call.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jan 28, 2008
1177 posts
31 upvotes
Sarnia
It is my understanding that the shipper must note on the shipping documents whether or not UPS or the receiver is doing the clearance. If the shipper doesn't make note of it on the paperwork UPS will do the clearing and the receiver is stuck. Always tell the shipper to ensure they mark the paperwork properly if you want to clear it yourself. The person that is paying the shipping charges is in charge not the receiver and UPS isn't suppose to alter what the shipper denoted on their waybill and customs forms to suit the receiver.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Dec 17, 2001
11723 posts
4919 upvotes
St-Fabien de Panet, …
A few weeks ago I won a contest and the prize was shipped via UPS Express from the US. The driver simply left the package at my door and no request for taxes etc was requested. Today I received a bill from them for PST and GST on the value of the item.

I called them up and asked why I was being charged at all since the commercial invoice clearly stated the item was a sample order and no money was being charged to me for the item. There were no brokerage fees added.

Well since the amount is solely for taxes, I must pay the bill and then print out a form and request Canada Customs reimburse me.
Deal Addict
Feb 3, 2008
1970 posts
563 upvotes
Winnipeg
Best thing to do is avoid UPS altogether.
Sr. Member
Apr 14, 2004
997 posts
19 upvotes
Winnipeg
billsan101 wrote: how do u get UPS to call you though? whenever i get something delivered by them they always clear it and never bother to ask, and i cant return to sender in most cases.

Can you call ups once u get ur tracking number from the shipper and tell them not to clear it for you? and that you will do it yourself?

i hate ups.. Canada Post is always my number 1
Call UPS at 1-800-742-5877. Talk to somebody, give them the tracking number, and tell them you want to clear the package through customs yourself. They will call you when the package arrives and the paperwork is ready.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Sep 4, 2007
3104 posts
1726 upvotes
Canada
Anyone know the details of doing this in Winnipeg? Where would the package be held, and where do I have to bring the paperwork for customs?
Thanks!
Deal Addict
User avatar
Sep 4, 2007
3104 posts
1726 upvotes
Canada
Ok, having just gone through this, I'll answer my own question:

For Winnipeg:
You pick up your paperwork at UPS at 1099 King Edward, but at the West customer service entrance. They have terrible hours (10 - 3pm).

Drive 5 minutes to the Customs office at 1821 Wellington Ave (same strip mall as Liquidation World). They are super nice and helpful.

Drive back to UPS, pick up your package at the East (parcel pick-up) entrance.

I saved about $60 doing this, took little time at all.
Deal Fanatic
Oct 26, 2008
7022 posts
2907 upvotes
Victoria, BC
grantz wrote: I saved about $60 doing this, took little time at all.
Kudos to you for writing it up.

Varies by location of course, but if it is fairly easy in the 'peg., then it should be a breeze most anywhere else. You just need to be smart and organized.

All RFD'ers should have a New Year resolution to educate at least one other person about avoiding the outrageous UPS brokerage fee.
Then we will all be better for it.
Sending an item back to the seller is a ridiculous solution - more and more U.S. sellers are no longer shipping to Canada because of things like that.
Banned
Sep 11, 2008
404 posts
4 upvotes
Yes, also wondering about Toronto because ground packages come through Fort Erie, and I had one come through Vancouver once.

And, could I specify address as:
"Name
123 Any St
UPS: CALL RE: CUSTOMS CLEARANCE
Mississauga ON A1A 1A1
Canada"

Or would it be better as:
"UPS: CALL 905-0-0 RE:CUSTOMS"
Mortgage Agent Licence M08006899
Mortgage Brokerage Licence 11157
Newbie
May 10, 2007
48 posts
15 upvotes
Cambridge, ON
I know this is an old thread, but it's ranked relatively high in google's search results, so I thought I'd put this up here.

If your item entered the country far away from you, you can still get your item without getting screwed by UPS.

When the delivery guy tries to give you your package, and inevitably tells you you owe him $100 for your $200 package, you say, "I'll do a self clear, please take it back to the warehouse." He should give you your paperwork so you have it, and then he'll be on his way with your stuff.

Call UPS, and tell them you want to self clear. Tell them you'd like them to email you the documentation you need. Give them your email address (obviously). They're pretty quick about it, and should have the paperwork to you in ~1h.

Once you have the paperwork, print it out, and print out the original paypal invoice and/or invoice for the items you purchased from whatever person/site and go to your local CBSA office:

You can look that up here:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/list ... e49-e.html

Go there, pay your tax bill, get your B15, go home, and then scan/email or fax it to UPS. They will process it, and then they will bring you your item(s), or hold them at the local depot and you can go get them.

Fun fact I learned today: even if you pay extra for UPS Express so there won't be any brokerage, you'll get charged $4.50 per item beyond 5 if there's > 5 items on the waybill.

In my case, I bought a bunch of small novelty stuff from a US retailer, and paid $55 to get it shipped here to avoid brokerage. Imagine my surprise when the UPS guy told me I owed him $62 in brokerage because I was charged $4.50 + GST per item beyond 5 on the way bill. (Many of those items were only worth $2.99.)

But all in all, the short answer: don't give those worthless sleazeballs at UPS your business.

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