Digikey packing slip woes

[Boris Mohar]

After going through the packing slip I almost ordered some rather expensive
items because I thought that I forgot to order them. Some further
investigation turned out that the said items were indeed ordered originally
but the back ordered items did not show up on the invoice or packing slip as
being back ordered. After questioning Digikey their was their reply:

"After we hung up, I realized you were a Canadian customer. The back
orders will not show on Canadian orders crossing the border due to
customs. We can only show what is shipping on the invoice for tax
purposes. You stated that other companies show the b/o's, and if you
order from a company within Canada, they probably would as nothing
crosses the border. On all US domestic orders, we do show the b/o's. I
did check into this just to make sure and they verified that this is
correct. If there is some information you are aware of that would help
us in resolving this, please share and we can look into it as we would
love to make things easier for our customers. Please contact me with
any further questions."

I find it rather perplexing the Digikey cannot show on the packing slip those
items that are not being shipped.

 

[RST Engineering \(jw\)]

Would you prefer to pay import duty twice?

Jim

 

[Ecnerwal]

Would you prefer to pay import duty twice?

The import duty on "Quantity shipped = 0" of a $1000 item is what?

Same as "Quantity shipped = 1"? That would then mean that "quantity
shipped = 100" would be the same duty as 0 or 1, since the duty
apparently pays no attention to the quantity shipped in this
fantasy-land?

Seems a bit far-fetched. Standard packing-slip language is pretty clear
about what's in the box - Ordered = 10, Shipped = 5, Backordered = 5, or
whatever numbers fit.

 

[RST Engineering \(jw\)]

I have no idea, nor am I a Canadian customs lawyer. I only know that when I
ship to Canada, the Canadians will do ANYTHING to keep from going through
Customs, even if it means driving a couple of hundred miles to pick up a
fairly low cost item at a friend's place in the States.

Canadian Customs must be a real bitchkitty, at least from my observations.

Jim

--
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."
--James Dean

 

[qrk]

After going through the packing slip I almost ordered some rather expensive
items because I thought that I forgot to order them. Some further
investigation turned out that the said items were indeed ordered originally
but the back ordered items did not show up on the invoice or packing slip as
being back ordered. After questioning Digikey their was their reply:

"After we hung up, I realized you were a Canadian customer. The back
orders will not show on Canadian orders crossing the border due to
customs. We can only show what is shipping on the invoice for tax
purposes. You stated that other companies show the b/o's, and if you
order from a company within Canada, they probably would as nothing
crosses the border. On all US domestic orders, we do show the b/o's. I
did check into this just to make sure and they verified that this is
correct. If there is some information you are aware of that would help
us in resolving this, please share and we can look into it as we would
love to make things easier for our customers. Please contact me with
any further questions."

I find it rather perplexing the Digikey cannot show on the packing slip those
items that are not being shipped.

Export/Import from the US is an increasingly difficult subject due to
the miriad of fuzzy rules. Shippers do not tempt problems by putting
zero quantity items on invoices as that will confuse the highly
trained officials. The US government actively persues a policy to
prevent US companies from exporting by creating a rule set that is
extremely complicated and subject to interpretation at their whim. It
takes big $$ lawyers to straighten out our officials. Our policy
makers still can't figure out why US companies are forced to produce
outside of the US.

 

[J.A. Legris]

I have no idea, nor am I a Canadian customs lawyer. I only know that when I
ship to Canada, the Canadians will do ANYTHING to keep from going through
Customs, even if it means driving a couple of hundred miles to pick up a
fairly low cost item at a friend's place in the States.

Canadian Customs must be a real bitchkitty, at least from my observations.

It's not so much Customs per se, it's the 6% tax that's added to just
about everything, including the shipping charge and the brokerage fee.
And if the bill is kind of small, then UPS is happy to make it bigger
by tacking a US$25 brokerage charge (minimum) onto a $20 item. So
please, America, ship it by US Post if possible.

 

[D from BC]

It's not so much Customs per se, it's the 6% tax that's added to just
about everything, including the shipping charge and the brokerage fee.
And if the bill is kind of small, then UPS is happy to make it bigger
by tacking a US$25 brokerage charge (minimum) onto a $20 item. So
please, America, ship it by US Post if possible.

Ugh... UPS brokerage
I'm still pissed at those guys..
D from BC

 

[John Larkin]

Ugh... UPS brokerage
I'm still pissed at those guys..
D from BC

I sent an ancient Tek 1S2 sampling plugin to a guy in Canada, as a
gift, and they hit him with a $50 import fee.

What happened to NAFTA?

John

 

[Richard The Dreaded Libertarian]

[snip about US-Canada trade]
I sent an ancient Tek 1S2 sampling plugin to a guy in Canada, as a gift,
and they hit him with a $50 import fee.

What happened to NAFTA?

It conflicted with the interests of too many unionists, protectionists,
and other special interests.

You can probably thank the "republican" regime for that.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[mpm]

After going through the packing slip I almost ordered some rather expensive
items because I thought that I forgot to order them. Some further
investigation turned out that the said items were indeed ordered originally
but the back ordered items did not show up on the invoice or packing slip as
being back ordered. After questioning Digikey their was their reply:

"After we hung up, I realized you were a Canadian customer. The back
orders will not show on Canadian orders crossing the border due to
customs. We can only show what is shipping on the invoice for tax
purposes. You stated that other companies show the b/o's, and if you
order from a company within Canada, they probably would as nothing
crosses the border. On all US domestic orders, we do show the b/o's. I
did check into this just to make sure and they verified that this is
correct. If there is some information you are aware of that would help
us in resolving this, please share and we can look into it as we would
love to make things easier for our customers. Please contact me with
any further questions."

I find it rather perplexing the Digikey cannot show on the packing slip those
items that are not being shipped.

 

[mpm]

I can understand Digikey not listing backorders on the customs
invoice.
The people at the border are so damn inept, you probably wouldn't get
your package at all.
They'd be too busy tearing apart the layers of cardboard (box) looking
for the "missing" items. Maybe bring in some guard dogs to sniff /
pee on them.

My advance apoligies to all the Customs inspectors out there... But
deep down, you know I'm right!. TERROR!! HOMELAND SECURITY!! NO ONE
IS SAFE, CODE ORANGE, etc... you know it's all B/S. Has to be!!

As for Digikey, they could at least put a slip inside the package (not
invoice), but then I'm sure some Company's shipping & receiving would
lose it, or try to file it, pay it twice, etc....

"Yes." Bad day here. But I'm still in no mood for more government
"protections"...
After all, you can ship jobs across the border no problem!

-mpm

 

[D from BC]

I sent an ancient Tek 1S2 sampling plugin to a guy in Canada, as a
gift, and they hit him with a $50 import fee.

What happened to NAFTA?

John

NAFTA..
AFAIK...individual electronic components are duty free between Canada
and the US.
I think the brokerage fee still applies because somebody has to
certify that the goods are indeed duty free?
Can I become my own broker and do the paperwork myself?

"
Dear Canadian Government
I bought some electronic components..I don't owe you any money because
it's a NAFTA item..
Thank You
Have a nice day...
"
And...
"
Dear Canada Post
You bastards for charging me brokerage on duty free items..
"

When I receive an item by US postal..I have to pay brokerage at the BC
(Canada) postal outlet. I think it's ~$9.00CAN.

I'm 30minutes from the Washington border. Maybe I can have my
components mailed to the border crossing and have a customs officer
just check it out for free!?? No duty, no brokerage...??
D from BC

 

[John Larkin]

[snip about US-Canada trade]
I sent an ancient Tek 1S2 sampling plugin to a guy in Canada, as a gift,
and they hit him with a $50 import fee.

What happened to NAFTA?

It conflicted with the interests of too many unionists, protectionists,
and other special interests.

You can probably thank the "republican" regime for that.

Are the Republicans running Canada now?

John

 

[John Larkin]

When I receive an item by US postal..I have to pay brokerage at the BC
(Canada) postal outlet. I think it's ~$9.00CAN.

That is insane. Who does your government work for?

John

 

[John Larkin]

Export/Import from the US is an increasingly difficult subject due to
the miriad of fuzzy rules. Shippers do not tempt problems by putting
zero quantity items on invoices as that will confuse the highly
trained officials. The US government actively persues a policy to
prevent US companies from exporting by creating a rule set that is
extremely complicated and subject to interpretation at their whim. It
takes big $$ lawyers to straighten out our officials. Our policy
makers still can't figure out why US companies are forced to produce
outside of the US.

We export a lot of stuff, without much hassle. The only thing we have
to be careful about is some technology limitations on some of our
products, super-fast risetimes and such. The rules are pretty much
obsolete but still require a bit of care. And a few countries are
embargoed, like Iran and Cuba.

A bigger problem is the tendency for Europeans to not pay invoices for
6 months or more. We don't let them get away with that.

John

 

[mpm]

That is insane. Who does your government work for?

John

"Government"? "Work"?
I can't believe you used those two words in the same sentence!

 

[Richard The Dreaded Libertarian]

[snip about US-Canada trade]
I sent an ancient Tek 1S2 sampling plugin to a guy in Canada, as a
gift, and they hit him with a $50 import fee.

What happened to NAFTA?

It conflicted with the interests of too many unionists, protectionists,
and other special interests.

You can probably thank the "republican" regime for that.

Are the Republicans running Canada now?

Of course not. They're just setting up obstacles on "our" side, to make
it as inconvenient as possible for everyone.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Richard Henry]

A bigger problem is the tendency for Europeans to not pay invoices for
6 months or more. We don't let them get away with that.

How?

 

[J.A. Legris]

NAFTA..
AFAIK...individual electronic components are duty free between Canada
and the US.
I think the brokerage fee still applies because somebody has to
certify that the goods are indeed duty free?
Can I become my own broker and do the paperwork myself?

"
Dear Canadian Government
I bought some electronic components..I don't owe you any money because
it's a NAFTA item..
Thank You
Have a nice day...
"
And...
"
Dear Canada Post
You bastards for charging me brokerage on duty free items..
"

When I receive an item by US postal..I have to pay brokerage at the BC
(Canada) postal outlet. I think it's ~$9.00CAN.

I'm 30minutes from the Washington border. Maybe I can have my
components mailed to the border crossing and have a customs officer
just check it out for free!?? No duty, no brokerage...??
D from BC

Still, CDN$9 to the government is easier to swallow (actually I
believe it's a flat $8 plus 6% G.S.T. for all amounts up to $1600)
than US$25 and up to UPS.

Check out this web page ( one long URL):
http://www.canadabusiness.ca/servle.../display&lang=en&cid=1081944192455&c=Services

And here are some forms:
http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/formspubs/forms/import-export/menu-e.html

 

[John Larkin]

How?

By cutting off additional shipments.

John