S. Worthen | Weblog

I can order shirts from North American-based webcomics without crippling charges. But only if I keep each of my orders on the correct side of the border. US orders I send to my parents, while Canadian orders can go directly to me.

I've had some really lousy experiences with people generously trying to mail me gifts from the US. I don't mind paying the 15 percent taxes, which is due on any gift being sent to Canada worth more than $35. I do mind the handling charges. Things sent via the post office aren't so bad. They charge a $5 handling fee, although on top of a $35 package, that's a substantial additional charge. UPS and Fedex have been nightmares, however. One of them (can't remember which) charged me a $25 handling fee, which was much, much, much more than the taxes due on that particular package.

As a consequence, I've been encouraging my family and friends only to send me cheap gifts, or hold them for when I come to visit. And so I generally try to keep my orders to each side of the border. The shipping charges from the US to Canada and vice versa aren't bad though, at least. Sometimes they're even equal.

It's true, it is. But just think of it in pounds. If you were ordering it in the US ($5 shipping) vs the UK ($10 shipping), you would save all of 2 pounds 50p.

In answer to your other question, we might be going over to England in early July. But keep in mind that if you order something from the US to Canada ($7 - only saving just over a pound now), if they mark it as a commercial item (in which case there's no exemption level for cost value), there will be 15 percent taxes, plus C$5 to add on to the price - so it's actually cheaper to send it directly to the UK - well, depending on what import charges are like there.

If I knew I was going back to the US before then, obviously that really would be cheaper! But my parents are leaving for Venice in a week, so odds are I wouldn't.

International shipping is entirely too complicated!