I have a Canadian importers #. Doing brokerage is a easy thing once you know what hoops you need to jump thru. I declare everything that I bring across the border and pay whatever taxes are due.
I have a P.O. Box in North Dakota just for having another option than shipping up here.
Watch that "Uggly American" comment....my dad was born in Chicago and I look like him. (including both passports)
The problem with UPS up here is that they think there the government and can do what they want. Their favorite trick is to show up at your door with a package and demand whatever they want for your package. If you don't pay they send your package back to the shipper (or try to) Under Canadian customs law a broker must have the addresses permission to clear a package. I almost had their licence suspended because they failed to follow the rules.
A company sent me some stuff, UPS showed up my door demanding $$ for it. I told them no, they said we'll ship it back and you can do your own brokerage. I said no, the package is in Canada and has been cleared by Customs, you will eat your charges and in the future you will do as you are told when it comes to my customs clearance. The package was left and the driver went away (poor guy was stuck here for 2 hrs) A couple weeks later I get a bill from UPS for the shipment. I filled it in the big green can. Several more followed and they went in the same place. Then a collection agency started to call. I was polite and took the callers names, explained why I wasn't going to pay anything. Then I sent UPS a bill for "Professional services" in reguards to this matter. $25 per contact (plus GST & PST) My bill to them was 6 times what they wanted. I included a letter explain why they were now receiving a bill from me and a copy of my complaint to Canada Customs that UPS was acting without my permission and to what I understood was contrary to the Customs act.
I received a letter back from Canada Customs stating that they would investigate the matter. About 2 months latter I received another letter from them stating that this apperared to be a isolated incident and no further action would be taken. I never received another bill from UPS tho or another contact from the collection agency. *I did think about sending them to collection when they didn't pay my bill.
UPS Canada