I am new to this forum, and I just wanted to make a comment about a positive on-line purchasing experience that I recently had with Lifeview Outdoors from Tennessee.

I ordered some survival gear on-line from their website at lifeviewoutdoors.com

The bill, including $23 for shipping and handling, came to about $160. I live in Canada. When the package arrived a few days later, the delivery person wanted another $68 C.O.D. to cover brokerage fees at the border for UPS!!!!

I was upset, and sent an e-mail to Lifeview Outdoors that night. I thought that I had just been scammed, and that I was either going to lose my money, or have to pay an exorbitant cost for the items, or would have to wait to get my refund.

To my surprise, I received a phone call from Mike Merryman at 08:00 the next morning. After a very short discussion, Mike agreed to split the UPS brokerage fees with me, which worked out the best for both of us.

A short time later, Mike sent me an e-mail stating that their company had several complaints about unreasonable rates charged by UPS to International customers, and therefore they decided to remove UPS as a shipping option from their website.

I must say that I am completely blown away by the level of service and attention that I received from Lifeview Outdoors. My order was not worth very much, but yet this company treated me with the kind of consideration usually reserved for family and friends! For service, I highly recommend dealing with them for your survival equipment needs.

Paul

Welcome Newguy!

It's unfortunate you had to learn this lesson the hard way. What you experienced is completely normal for UPS international shipping. I've posted about this several times as I've been burned in the past myself. I will never deal with UPS again and strongly suggest my fellow Canadians do the same.

Yup. A complete rip-off. And no faster than USPS ground. I ordered an item from Cabelas the same day as I ordered from Lifeview, and it showed up the same day.

Cabelas has excellent service even to Canada. The post office used to be the worst choice for international shipping but these days I prefer it to any other method.

I agree 100% with what Hacksaw said. Down here, we get burned even more by UPS International to the point that DHL picked up on it and cashing in because of it.

A lot of times when you order online you don't even have the option to choose who will deliver your package. This is because some companies have a deal with UPS. They get discounts in exchange for agreeing to use UPS and no other delivery service.

No, it's not a racket, it's a business with overhead to cover and profit to be made. Nobody twists your arm to use them. It's the nature of a free (more or less) economy.

You can pack it yourself or have someone else pack it and pay them whatever they want to charge you. You can go online and do all the paperwork and pay UPS directly yourself at UPS.com and drop it off at that same UPS store for FREE.

I know a number of owners of UPS Stores and other similar businesses. None of them are getting rich, they all work long hours and they provide a valuable service at a reasonable price, all things considered. Disliking paying for the service is one thing. Wishing it were cheaper? Open your own or find someone who can provide the service cheaper. However, calling these stores "major rip offs" or a "racket" is simply not justified.

Well I hate to go against the guy who has provided this place for us but I feel I have to disagree...partly.

I agree that the owners of UPS stores aren't gouging...they have nothing to do with who UPS charges for brokerage. I could go on about the service I've received at certain UPS store locations but that's now what this is about...completely different argument.

Brokerage is nothing more than a surcharge for UPS processing your package through customs without customs ever having to lay their hands on it. This used to be a service worth it's weight in gold because Customs (on this side of the border at least) was famous for slow processing times and losing packages (I once had a package take 8 months to arrive here from Scotland because of Customs).

But when their brokerage fee is 3 times what the duty and sales tax combined are, I think the rates are excessive. I've experienced examples where UPS brokerage fees have been triple what the sales tax and duty on the item were, nearly doubling my overall cost (My $160 Scott eVest order cost me over $300 in the end). I've had UPS brokerage decide on it's own what my item was worth. I once bought a broken laptop off of eBay. UPS decided that $5 was an impossible price for a notebook computer and charged me duty, sales tax, and brokerage for a value off $1500. My $5 notebook became a $100 notebook. Because they had already paid Customs for it on my behalf, they washed their hands of the situation and forced me to appeal the charge with Canada Customs. I never did get the brokerage fees back. I have many stories like this but I think a couple of examples will suffice.

***Hacksaw beat me to the punch***

Valid points Doug, but I think the OP issues are with the brokerage company that UPS deals with, not the shipping company directly (unless the brokerage company is owned by UPS).

If you choose to pay the extra for a company to pack the item, you are agreeing to their costs. This is a desicion on your part, the customer. As for brokerage charges, this decision is out of the customers hands aside of picking a different courier company.

If you have anything shipped by Fedex, DHL or UPS costs about the same (plus/minus), but the brokerage fees vary greatly and you will never know the costs until the item is deliveried.

USPS just ships directly and just lets the local country's customs deal with it. Again, this is a pro/con depending on your need/situation (speed, actual item being shipped, etc).

My two cents from a person who relies on international shipping for all my toys!

With all due respect, you guys are comparing apples to oranges. Doug is talking about the individually operated UPS stores, Mr. Saw is talking about corporate UPS policies.

UPS stores are simply a means for an individual or a small business to access UPS shipping facilities and a place to buy mailing and shipping supplies.

UPS corporate is the business to business, business to customer shipping company which does have a nasty reputation for charging unrealistic customs brokerage fees. For use in the U.S. UPS works pretty damned well, I would never use them to ship anything internationally, unless the recipient is willing to pick up the tab.

John E