Ok, I'm going to give it to you straight on our shipping policy because I want you to understand why I will ONLY ship Canada Post (USPS) so bear with me while I get down to the nitty gritty. 

We've been in business for over 9 years now and had faithfully used UPS for shipping for the first 6 years because they were convenient. They seemed to have had lower shipping rates than most couriers, faster times, guaranteed delivery times and would pick up/drop off right to our door - but times have changed and we have caught onto their high brokerage/duty/tax rates, not honoring their declared value rates or return policies, losing shipments, damaging shipments and their downright RUDE customer service. 

NAFTA:  In the beginning we were new to NAFTA and didn't really know much about it and I'm assuming that most customers don't know what NAFTA is either. The "North American Free Trade Agreement" (NAFTA) came into effect in 1994 and was a treaty between Canada, the US and Mexico to allow free trade between these countries so customers did not have to pay DUTY upon the item entering their country as long as the product(s) were made in the US, Canada and Mexico. When you import something across the border that was 100% manufactured in either of these 3 countries, you should not pay a duty charge at all, as long as the proper NAFTA certificate paperwork is filled out and it clearly states what the Harmonized code is and where it was manufactured. For years we didn't catch on until a customer phoned and asked us why he got a bill from UPS and what the charges were for. The bill was outrageous! It was twice the price of what the item cost in the first place and 1/2 of it was duty! Here i was, spending an hour for each package to fill out the paperwork, include 5 copies of everything in the envelope upon shipping so the customer would benefit from the NAFTA. I was totally wrong. UPS was charging each and every customer duty, brokerage, taxes and whatever else fees on top of the shipping charges. Every time someone would call, I would refund the duty to them, spend hours on the phone with UPS and wait 3 months for our duty to be reimbursed... that is, IF they reimbursed us at all. Most of the time they would argue with me and say there was no paperwork with the shipment and I was out of luck. 

BROKERAGE:  Now, brokerage & GST charges are another topic of discussion. Any time you order something from another country, you have to pay brokerage/GST upon the item entering your country. What are Brokerage Fees? They are fees that are charged to the customer to handle the paperwork it takes to clear customs at the border. UPS has its own Customs Brokers that they hire to do the work for their shipments and that is why they charge a small mint to the customer. If you don't pay, they send you to collections no matter how small the amount is. Their average seems to be about $50-$75 on a $1000 order + GST etc. and if they charge you duty on top of that, you are looking at a $200 bill. Canada Post charges around $8 on items crossing the border and is usually included in the price of your shipping charge so you should never see a "Brokerage/Duty" bill after you receive your items. When I receive items from the US I generally pay $8.99 brokerage plus my provincial GST when I pick the package up.

If you are still with me after this long-winded explanation than you now know what all the charges are and what I've done to try and save every customer from ever having to pay those charges. Now, on the otherhand if you absolutely want us to send your package via another courier other than Canada Post, I absolutely will do that (just enter "In-store pickup" on the shipping in your checkout and give me a call at 877-236-3545... but it is up to you to pay all the fees associated with it, and if you receive a duty charge, it is YOUR responsibility to sort it out with the courier and pay your bill. We have paid hundreds of dollars worth of duty/brokerage charges because of customer complaints and we just won't do it anymore.... which is why I have chosen Canada Post / USPS as our couriers of choice. 

Paypal Payment Option:  We understand that some customers only have Paypal as a payment option.  Due to the amount of risk associated with chargebacks etc, we will ONLY ship to the address provided in the customers Paypal account.  If you require a different shipping address please make sure your profile is updated before you send the transaction amount.

Taxation Policy: Canadian Residents are subject to 5% GST. US Residents are charged zero taxes as you will usually pay those through the shipment fees.