Hey Jeff,
I live in Ontario and I'm looking at getting the 950B/7100 combo, can you please send along your information on importing into Canada?

One thing I want to know, I have a broker who will take care of the import into Canada, will UPS still insist on doing it themselves? I can concur with what you've said about using USPS. I've bought several things on E-Bay, and I now insist on USPS as the shipping method. It has never cost me more than $5 and has usually been pretty fast.


Cheers

ooops..sorry Jeff, my e-mail to send the info is:

johnster(at)sympatico.ca

Cheers

Bytor,

I don't know if UPS will let you opt out of their brokerage system - even if you have your own. Give 'em a call. I'd like to hear the result.

Years ago I was called by a courier firm who asked if it was ok if they handled the brokerage on my behalf, or if I had someone else in mind. But that only happened once. Every other time the courier company has just gone ahead and done it without asking. I don't have a problem with that (since it saves me having to answer a lot of phone calls) so long as they charge a reasonable fee for their service - like the $5.00 Canada Post charges.

Regards.

Jeff Mackwood

UPS tells me that they will allow you to use your own broker. You call them when the shipment is in transit, and they will take the information then. Whats interesting is that they say that on ground shipments, the brokerage fees are based on the cost of the item, but if they are shipped by air, the brokerage fees are included in the price. Very interesting. I'll post more as I get closer to deciding what to do with this.

Cheers

Hi, Can you send me the info too> I'm in Whte Rock, BC so it's pretty easy for me to get to the US. My email address is:
bob_hornibrook(at)telus.net.

Thanks!

Outlaw informs me that they will still only ship via UPS, and they also inform me that they will ONLY ship UPS ground, so I cant utilize the built-in customs fee aspect of air shipment. I really want to ge the 950/7100 combo, but there's no way I'm going to take a chance on a $600 customs/tax bill.

Bytor, it's not that bad... I just had a 950/770 plus cables shipped. You are going to be dinged for GST plus PST applicable to your province. Yes, that's going to be quite a few dollars, obviously. There is NO legal way to avoid these sales taxes! Just think about it: you pay that here on anything and everything you buy.

Apart from sales taxes, there potentially is an extra import duty. You do *not* pay duty on the 770 or 7100, as they're made in the US (as per NAFTA).
I did not pay any duties on the 950. I know that electronics in general from Japan have a duty of 6%, I'm not sure if Taiwan does not have duties, or if the broker & customs couldn't be bothered to asses it.

Outlaw ships the 950 separately from the 770 as they come from different warehouses (so I was told), so you *will* be dinged by UPS twice for brokerage fees, each of ~ C$60. So if you also order cables, make sure they're put into the same package or sent at the same time.

Make absolutely sure with Outlaw that they put correct shipping invoices on the packages that *only* list the package's contents, not your whole order. They did not do this for me, and it's causing no end of hassles -- you'll have to pay for things twice, and claim it back from customs. Also make sure they state the country of origin for each item.

Also, if Outlaw sends you a warrenty item (e.g., they send you the wrong thing and then send you the right thing, or a 'real' warrenty shipment) then make sure that the shipping invoice states the real value (i.e., $1,600) and *also* prominently states something in the vein of "Warrenty Return - NO CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER" so that you will not be assessed sales taxes. Someone will still have to pay UPS brokerage charges.

Basically, you need to determine if the extra ~C$120 in brokerage costs still makes the Outlaw equipment competitive. I figured it does - easily.

On last note: UPS will use any other broker that you specify. If you work for a larger company they might have an in-house broker that'll do it for significantly less money. Ask your shipping person!

Regards, Nicholas

Hi Nicholas,
Thanks for the advice. I appreciate your input on this. I guess my contention is that there seems to be a huge amount of guesswork involved in trying to figure out what this will cost me. There have been several postings here telling of $600 horror stories, and I simply dont want to become another one. This could all be alleviated if Outlaw would simply offer their Canadian customers an alternative in shipping (as they do their US customers). To me $120 is way too much for a brokerage fee, add to that the fact that it could be way more, and I would have no choice but to pay it. I'm not complaining about the taxes, or the duties, thats definitely my problem (and a discussion for another day ) and Outlaw is surely free to do as they please, but I can say that if they offered an alternative in shipping (like USPS Air Parcel Post insured or even UPS air, so that I could at least know in advance what my brokerage fees will be), I would have ordered by now. As it stands, I just found a used 950 here, (which will probably be sold before I even finish typing this ) , hopefully the whole shipping issue will become moot, until I order the 7100 to go along with it .

Cheers

Interesting thread here and just the kind of information i was looking for.

I have the luxury (in this instance at least) of living 60km from the U.S. border. Just on the other side into Minnesota is a General Store that alot of people from where i live use as a parcel pickup for goods from the U.S. Since i really really want a 755 when the time comes i'll have it shipped there, drive down to pick it up (they call when your order is in).
Once at Canada Customs i'll be responsible to pay pst/gst, and luckily no duty as the 755 is made in the U.S.

Unfortunately for other potential Canadian buyers of Outlaw products, my method is not viable and must resort to paying the high UPS brokerage fees.

I was told by Outlaw last year when purchasing my ICBM that they were looking into having a Canadian distributor for their products but obviously have not worked that out yet or perhaps have changed their minds.
I sure hope they do as i'm sure alot more Canadians will start purchsing Outlaw products.

Hi BroonsBane,
As you say, a Canadian distributor would solve a great many of these problems, and undoubtedly lead to increased sales to the Canadian market, I assume that Outlaw was/is looking into that. As it is, last night I was lucky enough to buy a used (8 months old) 950 from a seller only an hour or so away from me, so now the only issue will be the amp. Wanna pick mine up for me???.. .

Cheers