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With the shipping they charge, it's almost 50% extra on the cost of the order. In comparison, I shipped US$9500 of solar batteries across the border last month and paid $170 to a reputable broker that actually had to do some work.
What unmitigated scumbags.
Last time I had to deal with them the sender PREPAID all the customs fees, and they still charged me literally a total of 100% the value of the item! I've been fighting with them for over two months to get a refund.
If I had any choices whatsoever I wouldn't have shipped UPS because I knew I was going to get bent over.
In comparison, USPS charges $5 flat.
I don't buy from the USA if it's not shipped via USPS and don't mind contacting companies to tell them they lost a customer for this reason.
contacting companies to tell them they lost a customer
I've done this and actually had one get back to me saying they adjusted their carriers and try again. My next orders went to them and I let them know that was why.
I decided long ago that I'd rather do without than deal with anyone other than the post office.
It's getting tougher, though, with an increasing number of vendors who refuse to drop something in the mail. I don't know, maybe in the US, the postal service won't do daily scheduled pickups for companies with enough business.
For what it's worth the express service level includes brokerage fees, this is listed on their site but is well hidden. It is often significantly cheaper to pay for express and avoid these idiotic fees. Not defending them but at least UPS tells you up front what the costs are unlike FedEx who just sends you a surprise bill in the mail weeks to months later.
I hate all the major carriers.
I called UPS to protest a $100 fee charged on an under-$300 item. They discounted the brokerage portion of the fee by half for me (wow, so generous), which I paid over the phone, and I requested they hold the parcel at one of their locations for me to pick up because it was a Christmas present for my housemate.
So of course they delivered it to the door, my housemate answered, the delivery person cheerfully announced what the thing was that had just arrived, and charged her the full $100 fee right there.
I spent six months contesting this double-charge and finally scraped back enough from them to constitute a proper refund for her only a few weeks ago. I talked to nine different representatives over the phone and had to explain the situation three different times to the same representative over email. UPS's indifference and incompetence is staggering.
Priority 1: Get the Money
Priority 2: Get the Goods
Priority 3: Move the Goods
They get you coming and going. If they can squeeze you for any extra money along the way they're bound to do so. If they knew that you had a life-saving item in your package I could see them suddenly charge an extra handling fee due to the importance of the item. "Oh, this is the Insulin you need? It'd be a shame if something happened to it."
What burns me is that they ALREADY got the money with the goods. They were paid to deliver an item described as X to location Y. Then, they come back to the recipient and say "of, you have to pay us to receive your item because we took it across the border and had to do some work (that probably amounted to 5 minutes).
It's a bloody scam
To be a scam there needs to be dishonesty. They are honest about the shipping fees being for shipping alone, with any brokerage fees being a separate line item to be paid as brokerage services are needed.
They certainly do prey on ignorance, though.
This is such a scam. They also make it as hard as possible for you do do your own custom clearance with border security. Though every time I do get a UPS shipment I'll tell them I'll self-clear it. It costs significantly less, but I having to drive 30 min to get it cleared is fairly painful depending on how much cost I'm trying to avoid.
So yeah, I suggest learning how to self-clear, even if it's just so UPS doesn't get that little bit more in scummy profits.
"How much can Brown squeeze out of You?"
Someone should just set up shop at a border crossing and have their only job be brokering shipments across the border.
There are (or were as of a couple of years ago) still a couple of transshipment firms around whose business revolves around receiving packages from within the US and sending them on to Canada in consolidated batches for a bit more than cost. Thing is, I don't think they'll deal with UPS either. π
These companies are all crooks, fuck them
Always go for postal mail for smaller stuff when you have the option. The prices are cheaper, and in my experience the level of service is better.