ship bike from Canada to USA

[mack]

Anyone experience shipping a bike from Canada to US......
Looking to buy bike in/from Toronto and am seeking most economical form of, secure, shipping and also wondering about customs/Duty fees?

My cursory search finds UPS @ around $100 + insurance and the duty fees for the given value at around $300....whew! that is a bit of a bite!

any tips are appreciated.
Thanks -mack

[Chousen One]

You shouldn't have to pay duty from Canada > US, it's the other way around where customs gets ya. $100 sounds about right.

FYI - If you do it through Canadapost, it switches over to USPS when it gets to the States.

[mack]

Thanks Chosen one......but I'm thinking there might be more to it, in the duty department...and I'm simply looking to tap into some info from those savvy type who are well versed at finesse(ing) the system......savvy travelers, savvy shoppers, and in this case 'savvy shippers'......nothing deviant mind you, just looking for a knowledgeable heads up to approach this unknown landscape.....

-mack

[Pete Serotta]

no import duties that I have ever heard of.

[mack]

I'm with you Pete.......I was in the occasional habit of shipping my bike to a distant location, like 'hell week', where I planned to ride and that seemed to work out fairly well,the times I did it..... point being I can't imagine shipping my bike from canada to do a week ride in the US and dropping large coin on duty fees!
But this is what I'm finding on several shipping sites...

[zmudshark]

If you ship via FDX or UPS, you will have to pay duty and/or brokerage fees. Both companies will lie to you, and waste more time than the fees are worth. Both companies have been sued for this practice, but it still continues, as far as I can tell.

Just because the NAFTA agreement says no duty doesn't mean these greedy bastards wont charge you for it, and waste a day of your time arguing. They get paid regardless, you have to take time out of YOUR day to argue. At a certain point it's not worth the $30-$40 they steal from you.

Speaking from experience, and as a retired employee from one of the carriers mentioned.

Good luck. I have no idea how the postal service operates, but size limitations may play into using them.

[Chousen One]

Thanks Chosen one......but I'm thinking there might be more to it, in the duty department...and I'm simply looking to tap into some info from those savvy type who are well versed at finesse(ing) the system......savvy travelers, savvy shoppers, and in this case 'savvy shippers'......nothing deviant mind you, just looking for a knowledgeable heads up to approach this unknown landscape.....

-mack

Call me un-savvy, but I went to school in Vancouver and have lived there and shipped bike stuff back and forth to the US many times, whether it be my own stuff to myself, or bought stuff from Canada to the US, and vice versa. Brokerage fees are what you're looking at - it's UPS or FedEx's fees for taking your stuff through customs - not the same as duty. There is no customs or duty if you go via Canadapost/USPS. And there's your heads up. A simple google search would reveal that info as well, just saying. Good luck.

[Chousen One]

whoa, just read that and totally didn't mean to come off that snarky. Just meant that there's not much to it, and there's DEFINITELY no duty on stuff incoming from Canada to the US.

Cheers,
Chris

[Grant McLean]

A bike box is too big for Canada Post/USPS.

I've shipped quite a few wheels/frames/parts to the USA from here
in Toronto, using the post office as much as possible, but most bikes
i've sent UPS, and I really prefer the type of box that Cannondale and Trek
use where you pack the frame on one side, and both wheels on the other.

-g