Good Sam Membership for Canadians - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Problem Solving | Owners helping each other
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 10-17-2014, 06:20 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Abbotsford, British Columbia
Trailer: Proud new 17B owners
Posts: 11
Good Sam Membership for Canadians

Hi everyone,

Is it worth getting a membership if you live in Canada; we need to get a few items for our new trailer?

It says free shipping??

Thanks and have a good weekend!!
BrendaT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2014, 06:39 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
Canada is generally excluded from free shipping offers, which is why I've bought nothing from Camping World. When I do purchase from the U.S. I make sure that they DO NOT ship by UPS. I've gotten burned with excessive brokerage fees by UPS. I insist on USPS ( U.S. Postal Service ) which passes the package to Canada Post and delivers to your door.
I've made purchases from etrailer.com and I do it by phone. When they take the order, they can check their Canadian warehouse. If it's in stock there they ship it by Canada Post so no duty.
I've heard that if you join Good Sam you'll get lots and lots of mail.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2014, 06:43 PM   #3
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Abbotsford, British Columbia
Trailer: Proud new 17B owners
Posts: 11
thanks so much for the info; much appreciated
BrendaT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-17-2014, 07:24 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Ron in BC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,743
We currently have a membership. If we're going to be making any larger purchases we definitely renew it. Don't use the supposed good deals at RV parks because we don't really like staying at those type of places.

For the current sale free delivery is offered. But it's not all that far to Burlington WA and so next week we'll run down there, buy a cover and ceiling light and have a mini holiday.

I haven't noticed much in the way of junk mail from them. I always decline that option when it's offered.

Ron
Ron in BC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2014, 12:19 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Nanoose Bay, British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 5.0 TA
Posts: 152
The only mail we have received is our membership card after returning from our trip.

gbaglo... UPS is not to blame for the fees & charges problems that you experienced. That rests with the vendor that you purchased from... Free shipping is free shipping... it's the shipper's responsibility to ensure all paperwork is done correctly. Couriers do not double bill. For my business, I ship with all of the couriers (& posties), including Purolator in Canada. At times, all damage goods... the real test is how well they respond to claims

Larry
Stargeezer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2014, 12:39 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
There have been numerous posts about UPS "brokerage" fees over the years. Many warnings about not accepting shipping by UPS.
I purchased a microphone that was shipped by UPS from New York. Cost about $250. Two weeks after it was deposited at my door, I received a bill ( $50 ) for brokerage ( clearing it through customs ) from UPS. Canada Post delivered the bill. I had no option but to pay it or risk my credit rating.
The purchase was made for the company I worked for, so I just paid and billed my company.
From that point on, I will not accept anything shipped UPS from the U.S.
I won't purchase from a company that ships UPS.
I have never had the same experience with items shipped by USPS.

Electronic items such as cameras, microphones etc. are free of duty under NAFTA.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2014, 01:50 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Nanoose Bay, British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 5.0 TA
Posts: 152
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo View Post
There have been numerous posts about UPS "brokerage" fees over the years. Many warnings about not accepting shipping by UPS.
I purchased a microphone that was shipped by UPS from New York. Cost about $250. Two weeks after it was deposited at my door, I received a bill ( $50 ) for brokerage ( clearing it through customs ) from UPS. Canada Post delivered the bill. I had no option but to pay it or risk my credit rating.
The purchase was made for the company I worked for, so I just paid and billed my company.
From that point on, I will not accept anything shipped UPS from the U.S.
I won't purchase from a company that ships UPS.
I have never had the same experience with items shipped by USPS.

Electronic items such as cameras, microphones etc. are free of duty under NAFTA.
Glen... Glen... Glen... Where did Mother & I go wrong

Your microphone was not shipped by UPS. The vendor that you purchased the microphone from was the shipper and they chose UPS as the carrier. Your vendor simply shipped it to you "collect". The vendor is the party that you should have gone after for the repayment of the charges.

Regarding duties, it is the Canadian Customs Classification Codes that determine how much duty or lack thereof, not NAFTA. Under NAFTA, goods manufactured in Canada or the US are duty free to both countries... Mexico included, I believe. But I wouldn't bet your new house on it

Larry
Stargeezer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2014, 06:53 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Trailer: 2015 5.0TA, Toyota Tundra CrewMax
Posts: 570
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo View Post
There have been numerous posts about UPS "brokerage" fees over the years. Many warnings about not accepting shipping by UPS.
I purchased a microphone that was shipped by UPS from New York. Cost about $250. Two weeks after it was deposited at my door, I received a bill ( $50 ) for brokerage ( clearing it through customs ) from UPS. Canada Post delivered the bill. I had no option but to pay it or risk my credit rating.
The purchase was made for the company I worked for, so I just paid and billed my company.
From that point on, I will not accept anything shipped UPS from the U.S.
I won't purchase from a company that ships UPS.
I have never had the same experience with items shipped by USPS.

Electronic items such as cameras, microphones etc. are free of duty under NAFTA.
I have had similar experiences with items shipped via UPS except I've had to pay the brokerage fees upfront to receive my goods. There have not been any warnings or statements in advance that brokerage will be part of the fees.

Now I will not purchase from companies who use UPS to ship to me. Purolator and USPS do not charge such fees so I will only purchase from US companies who will ship via those carriers.

It's interesting to learn it's the sellers not doing the extra paperwork who are responsible for the brokerage fees being charged by the carrier. Either way, they don't get my business.

This Camping World deal sounds like a real winner considering the free shipping to Canada. I hope you let us know if you receive a brokerage fee bill in the mail, Larry.
__________________
Lyle
iamunique127 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2014, 09:06 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Burlington, Ontario
Trailer: 2012 Escape 19
Posts: 193
The core message of Glen's warning is correct..

if at all possible do not ship trans-border USA to Canada via UPS or FedEx.. their brokerage fees to clear the shipment into Canada are much higher then the USPS/Canada post combination and are payable on every delivery. Canada Post assesses a flat brokerage fee of $9.95 + applicable duty + tax only if the latter two items are deemed collectable by Canada Border Services Agency(CBSA).. otherwise $0.00 is owed to the post office. I receive many lower value items (usually <$50, sometimes more :-) items owing nothing extra to anyone upon delivery receipt in Canada.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stargeezer View Post
Glen... Glen... Glen... Where did Mother & I go wrong

Your microphone was not shipped by UPS. The vendor that you purchased the microphone from was the shipper and they chose UPS as the carrier. Your vendor simply shipped it to you "collect". The vendor is the party that you should have gone after for the repayment of the charges.

Regarding duties, it is the Canadian Customs Classification Codes that determine how much duty or lack thereof, not NAFTA. Under NAFTA, goods manufactured in Canada or the US are duty free to both countries... Mexico included, I believe. But I wouldn't bet your new house on it

Larry
__________________
Robert
Burloak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2014, 09:28 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Jim Bennett's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
I too have been ripped off by UPS a bunch of times, where there charge for brokerage fee has been charged 3 times (did get one payment back), and just paying their stupidly high fees, sometime almost as much as the item.


USPS/Canada Post is definitely the way to go. They charge a flat $10 for brokerage fees, and it is always included in the shipping cost.

I haven't paid duty on anything in many a year now.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
Jim Bennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2014, 03:06 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
The "courier" carriers certainly do charge fees which are not imposed by any government agency, are far beyond those charged by the Post Offices, and are neither covered nor even admitted to by the shippers. That could be considered fraud by the shippers (they claim a certain shipping cost, which is much less than the actual cost to the customer), but it is certainly an excessive charge by the carriers.

Due to the North American Free Trade Agreement and other agreements, it is common for shipments from the U.S. to Canada to involve no duty and no border-crossing fee from the postal services.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:26 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.