BRS - Brokerage and Shipping Costs gone way up?

[theyangman]

[quote author=theyangman link=topic=6483.msg63623#msg63623 date=1381326594]
...Canadian orders will arrive at your door with no extra fees due. Here's how: BulkReefSupply.com pays all brokerage charges out of our pocket to UPS. We also pay the GST, customs duties, and other Canadian government fees however these are passed on to the customer via a flat 15% Canadian tax assessed at checkout on our site. In a nut shell we pay brokerage and you still pay your government fees, but you know the cost up front and there is no surprise bill presented when the package is delivered at your door...

So by my understanding;

Group Buy:

- 15% flat Canadian tax
- Shipping
- Group buy pricing (0 - 10% off)

thats it, no surprises no nothing, shipped to my door.

-------------------------------------

On my own shipped to the depot:

- Potential for free shipping (175 bucks or more)
- 5 dollar ferry fee, gas and time to the border
- might get it by customs with 0 hassles
- no taxes of any sort unless tagged at border

Is this correct?

no
[/quote]

Care to correct?

 

[Duke]

i dont understand why you think you need to pay shipping costs or canadian taxes as part of the group buy.. thats a choice you can make if you live in canada, you can also choose to spend more than 175(free shipping) and delivery to the USA (no taxes) if you want.. AND be part of the group buy and save 10%

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

hey.  do a order with group buy and to canada.  and another one with group buy to zip code 48060 which is port huron and again with no group buy to canada and again with no group buy to 48060.  ok now all canada shipping orders will have the whole price on the bill yu will pay  brs. ..nothing more . to port huron  yu pay the 5 bucks to shipping depot then the 3.50 to cross and 3 to come back plus yur gas. but anyways fuel up over there ..i got e.85 when i went to kees pets on monday and it worked out to .82 cents a litre ...then when yu get to the booth ...yu tell them how much yu have  they may want to see yur receipts ...it will be either yu have tp go pay taxes or have a good day

 

[theyangman]

i dont understand why you think you need to pay shipping costs or canadian taxes as part of the group buy.. thats a choice you can make if you live in canada, you can also choose to spend more than 175(free shipping) and delivery to the USA (no taxes) if you want.. AND be part of the group buy and save 10%

Because the group buy information says we are assessed a flat 15% canadian tax in lieu of brokerage which they front for us in the group buy format. You just pay it bundled into the order rather than getting a yellow customs tag on the box when you pick it up from the post office or when it arrives at your door.

 

[Salty Cracker]

I think they only do the tax thing if you're getting it shipped to Canada.  If you were getting it shipped to the states, they wouldn't do it.  They can't just charge us 15% because we're stupid Canadians (that's UPS's job)

 

[Duke]

[quote author=Duke link=topic=6483.msg63628#msg63628 date=1381326961]
i dont understand why you think you need to pay shipping costs or canadian taxes as part of the group buy.. thats a choice you can make if you live in canada, you can also choose to spend more than 175(free shipping) and delivery to the USA (no taxes) if you want.. AND be part of the group buy and save 10%

Because the group buy information says we are assessed a flat 15% canadian tax in lieu of brokerage which they front for us in the group buy format. You just pay it bundled into the order rather than getting a yellow customs tag on the box when you pick it up from the post office or when it arrives at your door.
[/quote]

there is no difference in group buy shipping or stand alone order shipping.. they are the exact same. same rules apply for both. unless something has changed at brs.

 

[theyangman]

That is the answer I was looking for.

So as a group buyer, I can spend 175 bucks, get free shipping to the depot in the states, and pay 5.00 bucks to have it ferried across and hope to get skipped?

OR

pay the shipping and 15% tax and have it shipped to my door.

Both situations get the BRS group buy discount.

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

[quote author=theyangman link=topic=6483.msg63632#msg63632 date=1381328262]
[quote author=Duke link=topic=6483.msg63628#msg63628 date=1381326961]
i dont understand why you think you need to pay shipping costs or canadian taxes as part of the group buy.. thats a choice you can make if you live in canada, you can also choose to spend more than 175(free shipping) and delivery to the USA (no taxes) if you want.. AND be part of the group buy and save 10%

Because the group buy information says we are assessed a flat 15% canadian tax in lieu of brokerage which they front for us in the group buy format. You just pay it bundled into the order rather than getting a yellow customs tag on the box when you pick it up from the post office or when it arrives at your door.
[/quote]

there is no difference in group buy shipping or stand alone order shipping.. they are the exact same. same rules apply for both. unless something has changed at brs.
[/quote]right ...yu still pay shipping and taxes. to canada no matter how much yu spend..group buy or not

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

Look at the weight of the 2 gallons of alk. No doubt that the brokerage fees have gone up, but you also have to remember the weight of things

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i see yesterday brs had a deal of the day which was calcium chloride.  so i press shipped to 48060.  and got over 175 bucks the shipping is still free.  no katter how many pails yu buy ...i press all 4 soluitons yud need for dosing. at 5 gallon pails.  so thats 4 - 5 gallon pails.  shippied to port huron. and its free shipping    so i guess the heavier yu get to cnada the shipping costs go up

 

[Pistol]

The discount for being in on the group buy ranges for 0-10% it seems. That being said, if I bought the order on my own and had it shipped for free to the border and bring in across via ferry and only get lucky 50% of the time, it seems that this would be a much more profitable endeavor...

The difference is that via the group buy you are 100% forced to pay 15% taxes, brokerage, and shipping.

If you get it shipped to the border and qualify for free shipping, even if you get dinged, you are at maximum 10% of your total order behind what a group buyer would have gotten, +5 bucks for the ferry and say 20 bucks for gas and your time driving there.

It just seems like people have had greater success rates than 50% on getting things across with no issues which makes me wonder.

Am I missing something?

I am about 95% successful at the border if it's $150 or less, about 50% if $150 to $200, 0% over $200.

 

[nexusnight]

I know Sealife has di resin and Ian was talking about bulk additives are in the works too.


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[reeffreak]

Check out www.reefsupplies.ca 2 days at your door. I've bought most of my supplies from them, not one issue .... ever. And the most important part of it all THEIR CANADIAN !!!!!!

 

[AdamS]

The 15% taxes has nothing to do with the group buy, it has to do with shipping to canada.

And if you ship to the ferry it is just $5 to the ferry guy, you DO NOT go across the border. Last time I didnt even get my ID out. I placed an order on monday for $300, it will arrive at the Ferry on thurs, and I will likely pick it up monday night or tues night. I will let you know how it goes.

You can come for the ride if you really want to see, you dont even need to get out of the car

 

[Pistol]

I'm pretty sure it's a 80lb limit per pkg., I saw a person picking up a barbeque, I had a 55lb HRV brought across.

 

[draper]

take a trip to port huron once a month, get your self a mail box at a ups store. also that outfit in british Columbia is a pretty good online store. sometimes the prices are in line.

 

[AdamS]

I had a BRS order shipped to the ferry last week. It was a $320 order so BRS shipped it for free, if I had to ship to London i think it was going to be $110. Anyways had to pay the ferry $5, and the hst ($43 and change) plus gas, so it prolly saved me $30 or so and cost me 3 hours. $10/hr is more than I make at work, so not a bad deal.  ;D

 

[Duke]

I had a BRS order shipped to the ferry last week. It was a $320 order so BRS shipped it for free, if I had to ship to London i think it was going to be $110. Anyways had to pay the ferry $5, and the hst ($43 and change) plus gas, so it prolly saved me $30 or so and cost me 3 hours. $10/hr is more than I make at work, so not a bad deal.  ;D

good to hear, theres still always the possibility you'll walk without paying even the hst, maybe next time try the mailbox depot Bluewater Shipping Depot in Pt huron and just drive across, coming back in a car you probably have a much better chance of just getting waved through without paying any taxes or duties. than doing the ferry thing.

 

[Sidewaze]

Plus get a Kroger card and get groceries at the same time. Milk 2.59 a gallon plus $0.10/g off fuel. Great/different selection of foods plus no duty. I plan shipments around grocery shopping. Wife and I usually spent $200 on groceries plus whatever I have to pickup. If my other purchases are less than a $100 never usually pay.

 

[AdamS]

Right, I have used SCC before, but the pickup hours are not as good. It makes it a lot better if you go over and get gas, food, etc.  I do find they are pretty lax at the ferry and they are open until 10:30pm, plus you save a few bucks not having to pay tolls.  The first time I picked up a parcel at the ferry it was right before close and they didnt make me pay on $300.

I guess its all a matter of what you have time for.