UPS and the Excessive Brokerage charges.

So UPS came by my work to drop off a poster valued at $205 CAD ($200 USD) & to my dismay, the invoice was $87.19 CAD. The poster was delivered from Florida to Vancouver, Canada. The brokerage fee was $55.85 + brokerage tax = $62.55. Our Canadian tax was $24.64. I was expecting only to pay no more then $40.

So I look at the UPS Rates for Customs Clearance into Canada and this is what I found outarages.

(1) UPS has a standard Brokerage Rate based on value of the content. The higher the value, the more you pay? This is absolutely bogus. It should be one flat rate fee regardless of value of content.

(2) Invoice Integrity Fee at $5.00? Seriously WTF is wrong with this? UPS charges $5 to print an invoice?

(3) C.O.D. Fees at $4.25. If this isn't bad enough charging the customer for printing an invoice, they charge you additional money for collecting the money?

I have never been so pissed off with any company before & did I ever voice my concern with UPS customer service operater after I refuse to pay the brokerage fee. She told me she will have someone contact me about the brokerage charge.

So now, I have someone at UPS called me later today. I explain to her how ridiculous these charges are. Fedex charges a flat rate of $10 & Canada Post $8.50 on brokerage / VAT Fees. How on bloody hell can UPS charge over 5 times the rate of the other couriers? Her explanation, "UPS Corporate approved the charges" and there is nothing you can do but to file a complaint to them. I assume that they could get away of this is because the rates are posted on there web page. At the end of the day, she reduce the invoice from $77.19 to $67.19. Yah... $20 bucks off was take it or leave it kind of thing I got from her. I am still paying $42.55 in brokerage fees.

I filed a complaint afterwards to BBB about there excessive brokerage charges and they should never be able to get away with this crap!

When you UPS comes by my work to collect the charges, I am writing a little note on the check with this written on the memo part, "Paid Under Protest because brokerage fees are excessive.

I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH UPS EVER AGAIN!

Move out of Canada? Or refuse and return the package to the sender, then request another method.

USPS > UPS

Last item I shipped international was $11.20 to the UK. UPS wanted around $42 to ship the same package.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxPRHXgYVlk[/ame]

It has nothing to do with Canada guys. This is a UPS bogus brokerage fee's on how they can presumely charge whatever they want. There is more charges then any courier that is out there right now!


There are actually a lot of complaints I've found with UPS...

https://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordp...age-fee-class-action/comment-page-8/#comments

Here is there rate chart:
Rates for Customs Clearance into Canada


Entry Preparation Charges
Bond Fees

Entry Preparation Charges

UPS offers free+* routine customs clearance of UPS Worldwide Express Plus™, UPS Worldwide Express™, UPS Worldwide Express Saver™, and UPS Worldwide Expedited™. Use the chart below to calculate the customs brokerage fee for your inbound shipments.

Note: Rates do not include applicable duties or taxes.

Entry Preparation Charges

Value for Duty
CAD UPS Standard Service and All Other Couriers/Transportation Companies* UPS Worldwide Express Plus, UPS Worldwide Express, UPS Worldwide Express Saver, and UPS Worldwide Expedited Services


$0.00 to $20.00 $ - Free+


$20.01 to $40.00 $7.00 Free+


$40.01 to $100.00 $19.45 Free+


$100.01 to $200.00 $29.00 Free+1


$200.01 to $350.00 $45.60 Free+


$350.01 to $500.00 $51.20 Free+


$500.01 to $750.00 $58.20 Free+


$750.01 to $1,000.00 $65.15 Free+


$1,000.01 to $1,250.00 $72.10 Free+


$1,250.01 to $1,600.00 $76.65 Free+


$1,600.01 to $5,000.00 $80.85 Free+


Each additional $1,000 $6.25 Free+






Bond Fees

Customers are responsible for payment of duties and taxes. When funds are not provided in advance by the customer, and UPS must post a bond to allow UPS shipments to be released in advance of payment to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), a fee of 2.7 percent (minimum $6.00 on Worldwide Standard™; minimum $10 on UPS Worldwide Express Plus™, UPS Worldwide Express™, UPS Worldwide Express Saver™ and UPS Worldwide Expedited™) of the amount advanced by UPS will be charged. To avoid bond fees, call 1-800-PICK-UPS and ask about our Prepayment or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) plans.

Additional Services

Service Charge


Duty and Tax Amendment $50.00


Import Permits (each) $23.00 each


Other Government Departments (O.G.D.) Processing Fee** $16.00 each


Outport Entry Fee (for non-UPS carried shipments only) $10.00 each


Low-Value Shipment Amendment $15.00


Each additional classification line after first 5 lines* $4.50/line


Collect On Delivery (C.O.D.) Fee for collecting import charges on delivery to avoid C.O.D. Fees and expedite the customs clearance of your shipments, call 1-800-PICK-UPS and ask about setting up a UPS Customs Brokerage/Importer Account. $4.25


Invoice Integrity Fee*** $5.00





Other services are available. Additional charges may apply. Call 1-800-PICK-UPS for details.

Note: Additional charges may apply for shipments requiring Governmental Department clearance.

* The first five classification lines are included in this fee; line charges only apply from the sixth line.

** This fee applies to all shipments requiring other government department clearance including, but not limited to, those subject to Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Natural Resources Canada import requirements.

*** This fee applies if the Amendment is submitted on or before the 10th of the month following the import date. If submitted after, the Duty and Tax Amendment applies instead.

**** This fee may apply when the included documents are missing critical information and a telephone call is required to obtain the correct information. Examples of missing information include poor descriptions, no country of origin, missing quantities, etc.

Free+ - When UPS Customs Brokerage handles your imports, there is no Entry Preparation Fee for routine customs clearance of UPS Worldwide Express Plus, UPS Worldwide Express, UPS Worldwide Express Saver, and UPS Worldwide Expedited shipments, including up to five classification lines. Charges may apply for more complex customs clearance procedures.

Rates, charges, and services are subject to change without notice

So refuse the package.

thenammagazine said:

So refuse the package.

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Yah ok. I just paid the shipping to get it to me & if It goes back to the sender, he has to pay for that also. Makes a lot of sense here?


You obviously don't get my point here Nam.

FedEx charges $10 broker fees. This includes all paper work, cod fees and any other handling fees no matter how much it's worth.

UPS charges 3 separate fees totalling $55 based on how much my package is worth. Essentially they are charging 5.5 times the brokerage rate for the same service to ship from USA to Canada? Do u not see a problem here?

VS1976 said:

Yah ok. I just paid the shipping to get it to me & if It goes back to the sender, he has to pay for that.

You obviously don't get my point here Nam.

FedEx charges $10 broker fees. This includes all paper work, cod fees and any other handling fees no matter how much it's worth.

UPS charges 3 separate fees totalling $55 based on how much my package is worth. Essentially they are charging 5.5 times the brokerage rate for the same service to ship from USA to Canada? Do u not see a problem here?

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Did you know it was shipping COD via UPS before making the purchase?

thenammagazine said:

Did you know it was shipping COD via UPS before making the purchase?

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If I have to pay brokerage fees & taxes, UPS charge a fee to collect money. It has nothing to do in how the package is mailed. FedEx Fees are inclusive to there price. UPS somehow gets away with this. If they have to handle money, they charge u another fee.

Look at the link I post on the first thread. There was a class action lawsuit against UPS on the excessive brokerage fees they had charged there customers.

VS1976 said:

If I have to pay brokerage fees & taxes, UPS charge a fee to collect money. It has nothing to do in how the package is mailed. FedEx Fees are inclusive to there price. UPS somehow gets away with this. If they have to handle money, they charge u another fee.

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That's not what I asked.

Did you know it was shipping COD via UPS before you made the purchase?

thenammagazine said:

That's not what I asked.

Did you know it was shipping COD via UPS before you made the purchase?

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It wasnt ship COD.

VS1976 said:

(3) C.O.D. Fees at $4.25. If this isn't bad enough charging the customer for printing an invoice, they charge you additional money for collecting the money?

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VS1976 said:

Collect On Delivery (C.O.D.) Fee for collecting import charges on delivery to avoid C.O.D. Fees and expedite the customs clearance of your shipments, call 1-800-PICK-UPS and ask about setting up a UPS Customs Brokerage/Importer Account. $4.25

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So I take it you knew it shipped COD via UPS. If you read their website, there are a whole slew of additional fees to be paid going that route. Especially to Canada.

I never buy anything from outside the country if the ship courier.

I don't care how good of a deal it is by the time you are done it wouldn't have been worth it.

Sorry you got hosed man

thenammagazine said:

So I take it you knew it shipped COD via UPS.

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This is how they explain it to me. If they have to collect money for taxes, and if they have to handle cash, credit card or checks to pay for that tax; there is a charge. Obviously you aren't reading the thing on how UPS charges there services! Even if I have to pay that COD, there standard brokerage fee is outrages! Most couriers charge one flat rate of (example) $10. UPS various based on value of the package. Look at the chart I posted! They charged 5 times the rate of FedEx.

VS1976 said:

This is how they explain it to me. If they have to collect money for taxes, and if they have to handle cash, credit card or checks to pay for that tax; there is a charge. Obviously you aren't reading the while thing on how UPS charges there services! Even if I have to pay that COD, there standard brokerage fee is outrages! Most couriers charge one flat rate of (example) $10. UPS various based on value of the package. Look at the chart I posted!

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I did. Per your own posts, it looks like you were charged COD fees. Outrageous or not, if you knew it was shipping COD via UPS, and it looks like you did, you kinda have nobody to blame but yourself. Sucks it's expensive, but all you can do is live and learn.

Just use Fex Ex or USPS from now on

Yeah their prices suck, but they are all clearly posted on their website. Its not their fault is someone is too lazy to read them before hand.

UPS is hands down THE worst to use. Don't ever use them again. FedEx or USPS. USPS is delivered via Canada Post so you'll pay $5-$8 + tax and FedEx is $10 + tax. ____ UPS.

thenammagazine said:

I did. Per your own posts, it looks like you were charged COD fees. Outrageous or not, if you knew it was shipping COD via UPS, and it looks like you did, you kinda have nobody to blame but yourself. Sucks it's expensive, but all you can do is live and learn.

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Yah it's me to blame on this? let it be known the thread is posted so other peeps know not to use UPS due to there excessive brokerage fees. You just happen to like to argue a lot all the time.