[geeks] Stupid people rant

[Mike Nicewonger]

On Tue, 12 Feb 2002, you wrote:
> [ On Tuesday, February 12, 2002 at 15:58:22 (-0500), Mike Nicewonger wrote: ]
> > Subject: Re: [geeks] Stupid people rant
> >
> > To be honest I do not like shipping to Canada. Not that I distrust any of our
> > brothers in the great white north, but because of the silly games customs play
> > with us regarding paperwork and your import/VAT/whatever taxes
> 
> Yeah, but FedEx and, wonders of wonders, the USPS make this all pretty
> easy at both ends.  FedEx Canada, once they have our credit card
> numbers, will automatically clear most things right through and then
> send us statemtents showing how much duty and taxes they dinged us
> for....  :-) Same thing happens with the post office.  UPS is similar,
> but they have a much bigger "brokerage fee" if I remember correctly, and
> it also seems the only way UPS can get stuff across the border is by
> kicking it, rolling it, dragging it, or otherwise beating upon it and
> pushing it off the back of a truck a couple of times.  (I hate UPS  ;-)
> 
> With parcel post if you don't need major insurance, etc., it's much
> easier to make it look like something's a one-off packaging job
> (i.e. not done by a professional shipper) and then just declare it as a
> "gift", which is normally duty and tax free (except of course for
> controlled substances like tobacco or liquor).  Of course Canada Customs
> may open the box, or any attached envelope, so don't include anything
> looking like a waybill or invoice!  ;-)

Well that is all fine if the person on the recieving end is clueful and has an
account set up with a large carrier. I have been fist fsck'ed by FedEx when
they billed ME for the bloody taxes on several shipments to Canada since the
recipient did not have a FedEx account.

Have that happen a few times and see how eager you are to ship.

the other thing is customs. they hold things up and I get yelled at.
<crybaby>Where's my widget! Waaaaa!!</crybaby>

Mike N