Good news about KEH and Canada

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Dec 7, 2006

They have started shipping to Canada via USPS instead of UPS, and that's a whole world of difference. I used to get shipping quotes of more than 20$ US for something like a lens+caps, and now it's down to about 8$ US, which finally decided me to get a nice SMC Macro Takumar 50mm with matching caps and case!

Travis Nunn · Dec 7, 2006

Wow, that's a great price for shipping considering the minimum shipping for me is $12.95 and I'm only a few states away.

Nick Zentena · Dec 7, 2006

Don't forget Canada post will add about $5 for the customs fee. It's still cheaper but considering how much slower it'll be only seems to matter for small items.

Greg_E · Dec 7, 2006

If they do it right I think they can pay the duty charges up front so that you don't get hit with the service charge. You might also be able to chose Priority or overnight now too.

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Dec 7, 2006

The customs fee is a mysterious entity to me: the parcel I received today required me to pay none, neither through KEH nor to the postman who delivered it to me. Sometimes when I order a book I pay them, sometimes I don't. I usually don't budget them, and if they happen, then they happen.

Nick Zentena · Dec 7, 2006

If it's under $20 Canadian then it's supposed to be tax free. So no fees at all. If it's over that they charge $5 plus the taxes.

Of course they forget some times. OTOH so do the other services.

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Dec 7, 2006

In my case it was above 20$ canadian, so it should have been taxed. I don't know if there's a distinction between new vs. used equipment, or if the civil servant just slept on the job as usual. But then, I have the type of luck that in the event of a major power surge, my house is the last one with electricity (happened last weekend after the icy rain).

Uncle Bill · Dec 8, 2006

This is good news because KEH has some neat toys.

Bill

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Dec 8, 2006

Yeah, and awesome quality too. The lens was listed as bargain and the only thing that could dimnish its value was the fact that there was some writing scratched at the bottom of the lens. It's not even visible when the lens is mounted, and the mechanical condition of the lens is still "like a knife through hot butter".

thebanana · Dec 8, 2006

It's the luck of the draw as far as the postal system goes. I've had some big ticket items sail though with no fees or GST charges and some smaller items with both charges added. Like any other worker, I suppose it has more to do with whether or not the postie is having a good day or not .

PhotoJim · Dec 9, 2006

I've gotten a couple of packages from KEH. They shipped overnight via FedEx. Expensive, but not bad in total considering their attractive prices. Small orders, indeed, would suck but are a lot better now.

Incidentally there is no duty on photo gear. You pay GST (6%) and PST if applicable in your province.

KEH could set up to collect GST which would help. Amazon does that now. Most American magazines collect GST on subscriptions.

rjas · Dec 10, 2006

Nick Zentena said:
Don't forget Canada post will add about $5 for the customs fee. It's still cheaper but considering how much slower it'll be only seems to matter for small items.

canadapost is fast and kicks ups and fedex's butt! I ship with only canadapost on ebay, and I also buy only with canadapost and I've never been dissapointed. the people that work for them seem to care about the work they do, unlike ups...

rjas · Dec 10, 2006

mhv said:
In my case it was above 20$ canadian, so it should have been taxed. I don't know if there's a distinction between new vs. used equipment, or if the civil servant just slept on the job as usual. But then, I have the type of luck that in the event of a major power surge, my house is the last one with electricity (happened last weekend after the icy rain).

Its just your luck. Out of 10 packages I only pay gst and pst on about 3. I just got hit with $150 on a $1000 purchase, but I can't complain after having them sail through unnoticed for so long.

canuhead · Jan 18, 2007

Just talked to someone at Keh and asked about USPS shipping. Yes they will ship USPS to Canada but apparently not for major items like lenses etc..The only option for those kind of items are UPS and FedEx.

Prices are still good so may be worth the extra expense ?

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Jan 18, 2007

canuhead said:
Just talked to someone at Keh and asked about USPS shipping. Yes they will ship USPS to Canada but apparently not for major items like lenses etc..The only option for those kind of items are UPS and FedEx.

Prices are still good so may be worth the extra expense ?

I have to disagree with KEH themselves then, because I bought an SMC Macro Takumar with case and caps to have it delivered by First Class Mail (that's USPS I gather).

Maybe it's because my lens was not worth a hundred dollars (yet worth every penny!). I could understand for a Summicron; but for that, I think one could suffer the extra 10 bucks in shipping.

canuhead · Jan 18, 2007

That was the sense I got. We didn't go into it but it had to do with paperwork if things went missing via the postal system.

I've had good experiences with both postal systems. A 300 Symmar arrived in time and intact so I have no complaints but if I have to FedEx, I'll FedEx. I refuse to go brown however.

copake_ham · Jan 18, 2007

I occassionally sell photo or ham radio gear on eBay. Years ago I got "burned by Brown" when I shipped an item up to Canada. Seems they tried to hit me with a "brokerage fee" long after the item was delivered.

So for quite a while I refused to sell outside the US until a ham up in Canada pleaded with me to sell to him and just ship it via USPS. I decided to do so and was amazed how easy it was for me and how he got his item (NY to northern ON) in just three or four days! And no crazy "brokerage fee".

Since then I gladly ship to Canada (and elsewhere too) - always via USPS. Unfortunately, I cannot use USPS Priority Mail to Canada (it is a domestic-only service). And irony of that is the fact that USPS Priority Mail is carried for them under contract with FedEx!

I suspect KEH's reluctance to ship higher value items to Canada via USPS is simply based on ignorance as to how easy it is to do so; including buying insurance etc.

Maybe if you folks keep pestering (nicely) them - maybe you can get them to try it.

Mark Layne · Jan 19, 2007

PhotoJim said:
I've gotten a couple of packages from KEH. They shipped overnight via FedEx. Expensive, but not bad in total considering their attractive prices. Small orders, indeed, would suck but are a lot better now.

Incidentally there is no duty on photo gear. You pay GST (6%) and PST if applicable in your province.

KEH could set up to collect GST which would help. Amazon does that now. Most American magazines collect GST on subscriptions.

I have never had any problem with the post except one box that came marked found loose in the mail in Los Angeles. It was mailed in LA and contained Kodak chemicals half of which were missing.

I suspect that if GST or HST is collected outside Canada you will end up paying it twice as the PO will add it on again on delivery. With the amount of stuff they handle they just look for a dollar figure x 15%
Mark

Nick Zentena · Jan 19, 2007

I can't imagine using post for larger orders. It's bad enough waiting for UPS/FedEx. No way I'm waiting what can easily be 2 weeks for USPS. Plus I guess KEH gets a deal from UPS/FedEX so USPS isn't going to be that much less. Not enough to cover the hassle. Plus UPS Expedia is brokerage free. Canada Post is $5 for the brokerage fee. That brings the total cost even closer. I can't imagine the total difference to be much more then $5-10.

Now USPS will be great for those large cheap items that UPS wants to charge based on size. Things like camera cases. But a lens or camera? Nope not for me.

PhotoJim · Jan 19, 2007

copake_ham said:
Since then I gladly ship to Canada (and elsewhere too) - always via USPS. Unfortunately, I cannot use USPS Priority Mail to Canada (it is a domestic-only service). And irony of that is the fact that USPS Priority Mail is carried for them under contract with FedEx!

Are you sure? Recently, Canada Post expanded its Xpresspost mail service to the US. I just shipped a package that way and it actually said "USPS Priority Mail / Xpresspost" on the shipping label.

PhotoJim · Jan 19, 2007

Mark Layne said:
I suspect that if GST or HST is collected outside Canada you will end up paying it twice as the PO will add it on again on delivery. With the amount of stuff they handle they just look for a dollar figure x 15%

They check the paperwork. Anything I've ordered from the US that had GST collected already just sailed right through. TigerDirect's Canadian site collects Canadian taxes and the packages are shipped by UPS, and they just deliver them like a normal domestic shipment, too.

Nick Zentena · Jan 19, 2007

Tiger has Canadian stores.

PhotoJim · Jan 19, 2007

Nick Zentena said:
Tiger has Canadian stores.

They do, but my mail order shipments from them come from Napierville, Illinois.

copake_ham · Jan 19, 2007

Nick Zentena said:
Tiger has Canadian stores.

Interesting info.

I was never aware that TigerDirect had any stores. I always thought they were just a mail-order house. Live and learn.

MattKing · Feb 9, 2007

I placed an order today (February 9, 2007) for a very reasonably priced bargain grade lens and a few small accessories. KEH indicated to me that they aren't willing to ship the lens to Canada by USPS, because the insurance that is available to them through USPS is very poor, and their experience is that if the item is broken during shipment, most likely they or the buyer won't be successful in making a claim.

They would have been content to send the accessories (some caps, and a shade) by USPS.

I decided to go with my backup plan - my Washington State parcel pickup service.

Matt

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