Re: Anybody pay full retail?

"Mark Mathu"

Canada Post. A Crown corporation.

The money goes to the government. It's a tax.

-- Cheers Roger T.

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Reply to
Roger T.
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Hi Roger, Is this handling fee by Canada Post you're referring to the "brokerage charge". This would be the charge for the service of acting on your behalf in dealing with customs issues? (ie collecting PST, GST and duty if any). I once ordered about $16.00 worth of books and when it came across the border via UPS they charged me way over the cost of the books themselves in brokerage fees. ( $20+ if I remember correctly) I am very careful now to find out how cross border shipping is done before I place orders. Canada Post only charges a few dollars so I pick this method even though it may not arrive as fast as UPS. Lynn

Reply to
Lynn Caron

"Lynn Caron"

It's an "Inspection Fee", for Canada Customs and Revenue.

When ordering from the States INSIST that the order comes USPS and not by courier.

Couriers will charge you an arm and a leg for "Brokerage Fees", as you've sadly found out.

I feel waiting a few extra days is well worth not paying excessive brokerage fees.

-- Cheers Roger T.

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Reply to
Roger T.

There is no brokerage fees with UPS if you have the package shipped EXPRESS or EXPEDITED. Any of the slower options incurs the brokerage fees. Though I usually have shipments from the US come via USPS, once in a while I have to use UPS and found this out a few years ago. Last year, I had an Expedited package waiting for customs clearance. UPS called me during the day while I was at work, so when I got home, I called them at 4:45pm with the required info - brown truck rolled up with the package an hour later. No brokerage fees on this shipment.

Reply to
Terry Link

I learned by experience that UPS has a subcontractor that gets $10 U.S. for clearing a package through Canadian customs. So if they decide to assess any duty, that's in addition to the fee. Part of it is brokerage, and part is taxes. After that, I didn't use UPS any more for shipping to Canada. They're not competitive.

Reply to
Joe

When all of the local hobby shops go out of business because everyone's buying mail order/Internet, who will become the hobby's ambassadors? Who will guide & direct the first train purchaser through locos, track, scale, guage, power packs and all of that other stuff that most everyone in this group depended on when WE were starting out?

While it may be considered as "shameless self promotion" by some, the reality is that the one thing that mail order/Internet sales will NEVER provide is S-E-R-V-I-C-E! So the next time you get something mail order and you have a problem with it, I'd suggest that you either pick up the phone or log on to superdirtcheapchoochoos.com and ask for help. You might be really surprised at what you get... exactly what you paid for... nothing.

In search of that "best deal," we fail to realize that we are slowly slitting our own throats. Who wants to buy a couple packages of KD couplers for $3 then pay an extra $5 to get them shipped... not to mention waiting 3-4 days to get them? More than once, I went to my "local" shop and they have pulled a missing part from another kit to get me fixed up... there was never a question.

All of these intangibles will go into the mix, and I'm really concerned that when the hobby shops go, the hobby goes as well.

Besides, that guy across the counter is trying to make a living just like the rest of us... how many of us would be willing to work for 30-40-50% less than what we are currently getting? Why ask/expect him to do the same thing? Think about it...........................................................................

In spite of all of this self-centered BS about the customer always being right, remember that without someone to actually sell you something, your buying power is zero.

dlm

Reply to
Dan L. Merkel

While some outfits may not offer service, I have gotten excellent service from others.

Most of my mail order is from train stores, just ones that are a thousand miles away.

Reply to
MrRathburne

mail order/Internet, who will become the hobby's ambassadors? Who will guide & direct the first train purchaser through locos, track, scale, guage, power packs and all of that other stuff that most everyone in this group depended on when WE were starting out?

is that the one thing that mail order/Internet sales will NEVER provide is S-E-R-V-I-C-E! So the next time you get something mail order and you have a problem with it, I'd suggest that you either pick up the phone or log on to superdirtcheapchoochoos.com and ask for help. You might be really surprised at what you get... exactly what you paid for... nothing.

our own throats. Who wants to buy a couple packages of KD couplers for $3 then pay an extra $5 to get them shipped... not to mention waiting 3-4 days to get them? More than once, I went to my "local" shop and they have pulled a missing part from another kit to get me fixed up... there was never a question.

when the hobby shops go, the hobby goes as well.

rest of us... how many of us would be willing to work for 30-40-50% less than what we are currently getting? Why ask/expect him to do the same thing? Think about it...........................................................................

remember that without someone to actually sell you something, your buying power is zero.

Hey Dan, your line wrap is broken...

As to the "local" hobby shop, can you find one for me? The nearest hobby shop is 60 miles from my house, to get there it costs at least $5.00 in gasoline, not to mention my time in travel. Hardly practical.

OTOH, my on-line dealer charges less than $5.00 to ship [most] any package, carries a complete line of products (including Walthers) at a discount of at least 20% -- and he is a modeler himself, and couldn't be more helpful. This is more than I can get from the RPG shop with the shelf of IHC boxcars at the mall...

Sorry, I appreciate your sentiment, but I won't go broke supporting poor businessmen and shops that don't cater to my needs.

Jeff Sc. Anti-Rant, Ga.

Reply to
crosstie

But how many model railroaders take their purchases back for service?

Unless it's completely broken when you open the box of course. So then it goes back to the manufacturer and not the hobby store anyway.

When mine stuff needs repair, under warranty or not, I repair it myself. I don't even send things back to the manufacturer except as mentioned above. And in all these years, I've never had to do that anyway.

As for "service", how many other do, or do not, "service" your own equipment?

-- Cheers Roger T.

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Reply to
Roger T.

Shop at Joe's. Knowledgeable sales staff. We will take time to help.

In our RC department they will help you build/re-build your car, plane, boat or helicopter right there on the counter.

In the train department we will listen and sell you only what you need. Not what we want you to have.

Reply to
Frank A. Rosenbaum

Heaven?

Reply to
MrRathburne

Close - Poughkeepsie.

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If you're still wearing that sailor suit, Rathburne, you get an extra

10% off....
Reply to
crosstie

I never buy retail except for the occasional magazine. I always get

40% off or in some cases 30% on items that do not have good distributor discounts like Kadee couplers.

Sal

Reply to
Salinas McGee

Reply to
K day

Why would you have to conceal your identity?

Jim

Reply to
Jim Stanton

Reply to
Ken Day

Ken,

If I said specifically you'd know who we are. Let's just say we manufacture model railroad products (and a few other products) in three of the most popular scales.

Sal

Reply to
Salinas McGee

Are you Phil Walthers?

Reply to
Jim Stanton

Curious....? If I was a manufacturer I would get in all the plugs everywhere I could. let me as you this. I model 3' narrow gauge in both HO and O. My interests are mainly in logging operations in the 30's. I'm always looking for detail items , vehicles and unusual "stuff". Do you have anything like that ?

Thanks

Ken Day

Reply to
Ken Day

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