My costly Canadian surprise

[Boots]

For starters I received my new sterndrive that was shipped June 21 on June 29 by Fed Ex.
My mechanic informs me it is a great looking unit and is in the process of installing it for me now.
Unfortunately it ended up costing me much more than what I was led to believe it would!
The person I dealt with informed me she shipped drive units to Canada all the time (putting me at ease about the whole process)
When I asked for the price of a complete drive including gasketsI was informed it would be $1195.00 for the SE106 and $55.00 for the install kit plus $230.00 for shipping to my address, total being $1480.00 US, my cost in Canadian $ being $1663.37.
Unfortunately much to my surprise $230.00 shipping charges did not bring the drive to my address because Fed Ex informed me I would get the unit only after I pay a additional charge of $255.00 for customs charges!
So now my unit has cost me a tottal of $1918.37
My argument being how can something that I am quoted as costing me $230.00 delivered to my address end up turning into $485.00?
I contacted the person I dealt with and asked for an explanation and was basically told that had nothing to do with her!
Excuse me but when someone tells me the price is $230.00
deliverd to your address, that tells me this is what it is costing me to have it shipped to me.

I do want Sterndrive to know and understand that this blunder is going to cost them a potential customer who would probably have done a large amount of bussiness with you!
I informed your girl about this and frankly she didn't seem to much care!

[Sales]

When purchasing from outside the US, International customers are responsible for all duties and taxes going into their country. This is a fee assessed by customs and not SEI. You may opt to use Fedex as your broker or provide your own for the shipment. SEI values all of our customers and appreciates their business, but unfortunately has no control over customs charges.

[Boots]

Proper communication would help a lot

My argument wasn't and isn't about having to pay the customs and brokerage fees!
My argument is that I was told my tottal cost would be $230.00 delivered to my address.
No one made any mention about additional fees for brokerage or customs!
The point I am trying to make here is that when the person I deal with informs me she deals with shipments to Canada all the time, common sence would dictate she is aware of the additional customs fees and would advice the customer about these, not say the tottal shipping charges to you are $230.00 to your address.
To my way of thinking the way it was worded, means for that sum it will be delivered to my door!
The $230.00 gets the unit as far as customs and is stopped until such time as Fed Ex gets my $255.00 for duty and brokerage. (surprise!!!!!!)
If I had been adviced about the additional charges I could have made arrangements and safed my self some money.

I would think that it would be very much to Sterndrives advantage to tell the customer about these additional charges and maybe find a brokerage firm to handle these shipments and be of great assistance to Canadian customers?

[hooligan]

Boots;
Of course you are complaining about customs and brokerage!!! Dont write as if you were previously aware of boirder costs!
You seriously can't think SEI is responsible for, and CAN quote customs and brokerage charges when it is out of their hands. In customer service for 20+ yrs, I would hazard a bet that if they did quote you and it was a low quote/estimate, you would be yelling that the quote was incorrect. Did you complain the last time you ordered a pizza and found out the delivery guy was looking for a tip and that increased the cost??

This cannot be the first time you have bought anything Internationally, online, cross border visit or otherwise? Even with customs charges it is a great deal! What other arrangements were you possibly coming up with if you "had known" about this in advance?

They quoted you properly..the shipping was exactly as they stated. The additional charges were not shipping charges and have nothing to do with this , or any other supplier out of country.

From one canuck to another...that was a useless, petty, compliant post.

[Boots]

Hooligan

Thanks for the support bud!
I have no problem with anyone getting on my case, but I do have a problem with it when they can't be bothered to read what I said properly and pick out part of what I said to try and create hate and discontent!
If you had read my arguments in it's entirety you would have discovered that my argument was that the person I dealt with didn't inform me about brokerage fees, that I was told My price was $230.00 tottal cost delivered to my address!
If I had been told $230.00 plus whatever the brokerage charges come to I would have told her "no problem send it"
As for your statement about the pizza delivery? Excuse me but I think you just made my argument for me, with the pizza delivery I have a choice and a option, if the person deserves the tip I have the choice of giving one, unfortunately customs didn't give me that choice.
If it helps make you feel any better I spent more than 30 years crossing the border driving transport and yes I do know all about customs!
Allso I certainly do not need you to inform me that it is still a great deal because I very much aware of the fact that a used unit here would have cost me even more.
But I do want to thank you for taking the trouble to inform me that I'
m being useless and petty!

[hooligan]

No Hate or discontent Boots. No need to....you created that yourself when you wanted to point blame at someone for not telling you something you ALREADY knew!
I'm just like everyone else who would scratch their head after reading your complaint. I didnt pick and choose a comment to reply to.... just the whole point of your statement. And I use the term "point" loosely.
It now appears even more petty and without basis after reading you have had many border crossing as a driver.
The bottome line is, and always will be, that it is not the retailers job to inform you of duties and interenationall taxes...or EVEN the possibility of them.
Reason being, there probably isnt an adult in North America who is unaware of possible duty and taxes on cross border shopping, online or in person.
Your email complains about a supplier not informing you about something you (have repeatedly said) you already know!!!!!!!!!!! Are you for real?
Knowing all you do, why didnt you discuss this and clarify when YOU placed the order?
So to recap:
- You know before, during and after order that there will be duties and taxes.....!!!
-(Unless your think SEI has magical border shipments) you now think the total cost quoted was all inclusive...?
- When you get customs bill that you were prepared to get, you wonder why the supplier didnt inform you?

My reference to the pizza was not to illustrate buyer's choice, it was an example of whether you should complain to a supplier when a 3rd party adds to the cost.
You would have been better off pleading ignorance to the customs and duty policies.
If anyone followed your example or agreed with you, we would be turning our cars around at the border and heading back to the store to complain that they didn't tell us our purchase may have additional costs over the price and local tax.
I just came on here to read about a product, but was so dumbfounded by your unnecessary comment to SEI that I knew someone had to reply in more detail than the employee who surely had to bite their tongue.
The original post is a joke. Just no one else took the time to reply in the obvious. Move on!

[Precision-Upholstery]

Boots & hooligan

I understand both of you. Boots I have an Ebay store and deal alot with Canada, Ever person I have mailed to ask's about customs charges. Sorry to tell you, but you are the one who should have asked. Now Hooligan I feel ya. I think your right on track. Boots the bigger issue is how SE would feel about a sales person that was rude or even showed little care to your complaint. But ask your self this what did you really want SE to do? If it was that big of an issue, then you had the right to decline shipping and had them returned. Then you should have call SE and ask what the deal is. Not trying to make any waves with you Boots, But had a similar problem. I own an Upholstery shop. A couple weeks ago I ordered $1500 worth of product from a company for an enclosure on a yacht I was doing. The company sent the product and when I finished the job ($7000) the customer asked why the color was different. Boy did I miss that. They sent me the same color (ordered at the same time) but it was made at different times. Now being in the Upholstery biz I should have known that. So was it the company who was a fault or me? I see it as the same kinda situation. If you order out of Canada, then you should have relied on Number One to ask the right questions, YOU. That's just my 2 cents.

[payosa]

Positive Surprise

I have to say that I was positively surprised with 300 USD shipping costs SE charged me for shipping a complete unit to Switzerland via Fedex, and yes, I was always aware that Swiss customs would charge custom fees and Import duties (total less than 150 USD), but that is not the sellers problem. Keep up your great job!

[garrynielson]

I think that Boots issue isn't customs and brokerage fees. Its about being told it's one cost but turns out to be another. I would check with Fedex about duties etc. Brokerage is cheap and I think that NAFTA takes care of any duties. The biggest issue up here in Canada is usually the exchange rate.