Just a Rant!!

[Barry McFadden]

Recently in the Turning forum there was a post about some funny tee shirts for sale on Amazon. I thought they were be cool to have so I attempted to order a couple of them. At checkout I get the message "this item does not ship to Canada". This really annoys me since we are SO FAR AWAY from the USA!! I find it hard to believe that in 2017 where there are so many advances in everything including technology, automobiles, medicine, travel. etc... that companies are so backward that can't ship an item across a border. Maybe they are still using a horse and buggy to deliver? Thanks for listening....

[Matt Day]

I doubt the companies are "backward". If it was easy and the company would make money they of course would do it. Customs fees and taxes and additional shipping charges surely make it not worth it.

[Prashun Patel]

We ship a good deal of product to Canada. It's expensive, and many of our Canadian customers are not willing to pay customs/clearing fees. I cannot say whether this pertains to t-shirts, but I can say that it probably has nothing to do with being backward; it has to do with cost...

although, if you (customer) are paying the shipping, I suppose this wouldn't be the case.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Your customs is very difficult- notoriously so. So are Italy, Brazil, and Russia. More likely, it could simply be they don't ship anywhere out of the US because they don't understand or want to deal with all the customs forms. These businesses will be left behind in coming years. No offense, USA and Great Britain, but your two countries appear to top the list of "sorry, we don't ship outside our own country." (Based on my own unscientific survey consisting of trying to buy tools on eBay and other online sites.) I love ya, but you're losing money on exports. Also eBayers take note- we folks outside your borders will often bid higher on items than your home folks. We save VAT in many cases, and also we are just simply used to paying more for stuff. I can't count the times where a seller would not ship to me, and the item went for way less than I would have bid.

I did take a moment to look up prohibited items to Canada and the only thing I saw that might relate was "Items made wholly or in part by prison labor." Maybe they use prison labor. Haha. Not likely.

Rant over... for now... but I may think of something to add later.

[Barry McFadden]

We ship a good deal of product to Canada. It's expensive, and many of our Canadian customers are not willing to pay customs/clearing fees. I cannot say whether this pertains to t-shirts, but I can say that it probably has nothing to do with being backward; it has to do with cost...

although, if you (customer) are paying the shipping, I suppose this wouldn't be the case.

I don't pretend to be an expert on shipping or customs... but as far as I know .. I would be the one paying the shipping and duty and taxes... so if I'm willing to do that, then, I don't see the problem.... (my son recently ordered something from China and it cost him $60 in duty...he wanted the item so he paid the duty...If China can ship to Canada then why can't the USA?)

I agree with Malcolm... the USA maybe is like Sears....staying rooted in an outdated mentality and not advancing with the times .....

[Mike Henderson]

Maybe you could get Ontario to agree to become part of the USA for one day a week:). On that day, we could ship everything we want from the US to Ontario at US postage rates and no customs duties.

Hey, it's a thought.

Mike

[Kev Williams]

The problem is the paperwork.

Below are instructions on shipping TO the USA, and yes this is more complicated than shipping from here to Canada-- but not by much! ;)

Exporting to the U.S.A.
A step by step guide to help you in
preparing Form 12
1 Show the exporter’s name, complete mailing address and any reference number.
2 Indicate the complete address of the point from which the shipment is made, if different than block 1.
3 Name, complete address, country and tax identification number of the buyer. Also show the buyer’s reference number, if any.
4 Give the consignee’s name, delivery address, and tax identification number, if not the same as the buyer. Also give any reference number.
5 Indicate whether the buyer and seller are related or not related.
6 Show the foreign country of final destination, if other than U.S.A.
7 Show commercial invoice number and date, if known.
8 Show the name of the vessel, vehicle or aircraft bringing the goods to the first port of arrival.
9 Show the date of sale.
10 Show percentage and type of any discounts; cash, trade, etc.
11 Indicate currency of value. Example: U.S. funds.
12 Indicate the party to be billed for duty and brokerage. There are two boxes for exporter. Mark the “Included” box if duty and brokerage are included in the prices or are absorbed by the exporter. Mark the “Not Included” box if the exporter separately invoices the buyer for duty and brokerage.
13 Show the number and kind of packages.
14 Gross shipping weight and unit of measure.
15 Show the total freight and insurance amount included in the prices. This includes freight costs absorbed by the exporter, but does not include costs to be billed separately to the buyer/importer or consignee.
16 Show the estimated amount of freight charges from the shipping point to the port of export.
17 Show the country where the goods were grown, produced or last subjected to a substantial process of manufacture. If the country is Canada, also show the province where the goods were grown, produced or last manufactured. Eg. Canada-Ontario or CA-ON.
18 Give a detailed description of each item. When necessary include details such as the function of the item, the materials of which it is made, and other characteristics.
19 Show the quantity and unit of quantity (pieces, pounds, gallons, kilograms, litres, etc.)
20 Show the unit price. If the goods were not sold, show the amount for which they would be sold.
21 Show the total price or value for each line, and show the total invoice price.
22 If additional detail is needed to fully describe the goods or transaction use this area.
(and there was more!!)

This is the instructions on shipping within the USA:

1- Print the name, address and zip code of the recipient on a label
2- Apply label to parcel
3- Give parcel to shipper

;)

Seriously, even just mailing stuff to Canada, the shipping forms are a pain- Harmonized this, tariff's that, is it merchandise or commercial sample, if one or the other several options pop up... "They" don't make it easy...

[Chris Parks]

Most of the stuff I want to buy from Amazon is not shipped to Australia so I don't bother looking any longer. Why this is seems to be a mystery that no one can explain and though there are ways around it but I can't be bothered so the retailers lose out.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Actually, I should have listed the US as THE WORST customs. For your shirt, you would need a textile form which will ask you for the thread count, material, stitches per inch, etc. Shipping ballpoint pens? You need a toxic form to officially state that the ink is not toxic.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Shows how well NAFTA works. I ordered some seals from a vendor in Thunder Bay, that were made in USA. He was cheaper than any US source I could find. Took a couple days to get them, via post office.

[Rod Sheridan]

Maybe you could get Ontario to agree to become part of the USA for one day a week:). On that day, we could ship everything we want from the US to Ontario at US postage rates and no customs duties.

Hey, it's a thought.

Mike

LOL, that's a good one Mike.

I often order items from the USA, however only if they will ship via US postal service. It's very inexpensive and there are no brokerage fees.................Regards, Rod.

[Mike Null]

Kev is right. The paperwork makes it a hassle and I refuse shipments to Canada because of it.

If there are a lot of shipments to one customer then there is a work-around using UPS Worldship but for individuals, it just isn't worth it. I pay UPS $11.85 a week to use Worldship and the automatic daily pick up.

[John Stankus]

The problem is the paperwork.

...
Seriously, even just mailing stuff to Canada, the shipping forms are a pain- Harmonized this, tariff's that, is it merchandise or commercial sample, if one or the other several options pop up... "They" don't make it easy...

When I used to work for Nortel Networks (before they were killed by greed), I had friends in Ottawa who kept a P.O. box(I think one of the private ones so they would accept UPS etc) just across the border for ordering US stuff. That worked for them since they were ~40 miles from the border.

I miss my business trips up to Ottawa, getting to visit the Lee Valley mothership, seeing straight 2x4s at the Home Depot... :) (And even maple 2x4s)

John

[Doug Garson]

According to the CBC in 2011, over a billion dollars a day crosses the Canada US border. Someone obviously knows how to ship across the border.

[Barry McFadden]

According to the CBC in 2011, over a billion dollars a day crosses the Canada US border. Someone obviously knows how to ship across the border.

Or cares enough about getting business... to go through a little trouble to do it.... (by the way... I still got some tee shirts but gave my business to a company that would take the time to ship across the border)

[Peter Christensen]

It works both ways. A small Canadian company stopped selling internationally, including the US, because of buyers claiming the goods didn't arrive or were damaged. To ship with tracking and signatures became unprofitable to sell outside Canada.

[John K Jordan]

Recently in the Turning forum there was a post about some funny tee shirts for sale on Amazon. I thought they were be cool to have so I attempted to order a couple of them. At checkout I get the message "this item does not ship to Canada". This really annoys me since we are SO FAR AWAY from the USA!! I find it hard to believe that in 2017 where there are so many advances in everything including technology, automobiles, medicine, travel. etc... that companies are so backward that can't ship an item across a border. Maybe they are still using a horse and buggy to deliver? Thanks for listening....

Back to getting a shirt in your hands, forget the customs. You can create artwork in some graphics program and a local shirt shop could print one, any size, any colors, assuming you have a local print shop. It could say anything you want, even the same thing as some existing shirt as long as it is for personal use.

JKJ

[Peter Christensen]

Or you could get some iron on transfer paper and make your own.

https://www.staples.ca/en/T-Shirt-Iron-On-Transfers/cat_CL215497_2-CA_1_20001

[John K Jordan]

[QUOTE=Peter Christensen;2711376]Or you could get some iron on transfer paper and make your own.

I've done that and it works. Some leave a kind of stiff layer stuck on top the cloth - OK, but doesn't hold up well to washing. We've made special shirts by hand with markers too. The best home way might be to make a silk screen - you need the mesh, make a frame, squeegee, and some consumables but can make several copies, different colored ink even. You can create the artwork by hand or with a photo emulsion. My experience is probably 45 years old - there may be new methods and simple kits available now in a craft store.

JKJ