How do handle Custom Fees??

[beengel]

I am contemplating allowing my items to be sold in Canada, as well as the US.

For those of you doing so, how do you handle custom and brokerage fees? Seems like this is a liability if the customer does not pay them....

[Jan]

You have to be very, very clear with the customer that any customs/brokerage fees are to be paid by them. They can be pricey, also, so you may want to contact UPS/FedEx to get some ideas on pricing so you can inform your customers, or give them a ballpark figure. I used to mail to Canada via USPS and they don't seem to collect any fees.

[ironlinx]

Shipping International gets tricky. We recommend shipping most non-urgent, low value international shipments via USPS First Class INTL or USPS Priority Mail INTL. While not the most timely of International options, customs and related fees tend to be less (if applicable), and the destination country's mail system handles final delivery and collection of duty payment from the recipient.

Use of a commercial courier (like FedEx or UPS) for International deliveries is recommended for time-sensitive merchandise or valuable shipments. FedEx and UPS offer the most comprehensive tracking component, and have a on-time delivery rate that is hard to beat. However, this comes at an increased cost to both the shipper and recipient. In addition to duties and taxes applicable to the recipients country, broker charges and VAT fees over and above the duty are assessed. If this balance goes unpaid by the recipient (usually after 60 days), it becomes the responsibility of the shipper to pay the invoice.

It is good practice to add a clause to your website confirming that all destination duties, taxes and related fees are the responsibility of the recipient. Just be ready for an ear-full if they didn't expect you to use a commercial carrier and don't want to pay the added VAT and broker charges.

And of course, we'd be happy to handle your exporting from IronLinx if you ever decide to consider fulfillment = )


Good Luck!

Scott Danby
IronLinx Distribution Services
Ironlinx - Order Fulfillment & Distribution Services