Why I HAVE TO buy in China

Thread Starter

praondevou

Joined Jul 9, 2011
2,942
I just bought a couple of enclosures at polycase.com . Spent $26 for the merchandise.
Shipping cost via UPS = $10. Not cheap but well, I wanted the stuff.

Then it arrives here (Canada), customs/taxes is an additional $23!!!

RIDICULOUS!

So this is why I rather buy for $2 with free shipping from Hongkong on eBay.

Sorry guys, I wanted to support your economy, but ....:mad:
 

ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
I don't have to go to Ebay to get things from China, I can just drive around the corner to Walmart and get all I want.

I just did some "extreme" (for me) Chinese partying out on my last project. I got some incredibly low prices with free shipping that got to my door here in NY in 8 to 9 days.

While I may be eating my own seed grain I'm going to continue buying direct from China off Ebay.

(Got a link for enclosure?)
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
Because a bunch of employees standing around machines waiting for the polystyrene extruding press to go through it's cycle all decided they should be paid more to stand there to wait, then unload the extrusions, cut off mold flashes, then start the machine again. They agreed that the job was making their employer a profit, so they wanted a bigger chunk of it, since it was there. So, with the help of the government, they got the employer to give them guaranteed pay raises and retirement plans for essentially watching a machine, and cutting off plastic flash once in a while. There now was no more profit, which is why somebody goes through the severe pains of setting up a business in the first place, so the business closed. The owner made a little bit of money selling all of his plans for his clients to a Chinese company that was more than happy to do the work.

Anymore questions?
 

Thread Starter

praondevou

Joined Jul 9, 2011
2,942
Anymore questions?
That may be part of the problem. But I was referring to import charges of UPS (or Canada customs fees, no idea).

While I may be eating my own seed grain I'm going to continue buying direct from China
Yes, that's what I was thinking.I wonder what happens if in the future chinese workers do what thatoneguy was describing.
We bringing us into a state of total dependency.

To add something funny: I recently bought THIS:


Where do you think this would come from? With all these symbols ? Guess what, it's printed on the back: Made in USA!
 

ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
...Where do you think this would come from? With all these symbols ? Guess what, it's printed on the back: Made in USA!
That's like the Häagen-Dazs conspiracy (those of you not familiar it's a premium ice cream). It has a map of Scandinavia, early boxes outlines Denmark and accented Copenhagen.

It was originally developed and manufactured by Polish immigrants in Brooklyn New York, then their first major plant was in New Jersey. Zero Scandinavian content.
 

GetDeviceInfo

Joined Jun 7, 2009
2,192
I just bought a couple of enclosures at polycase.com . Spent $26 for the merchandise.
Shipping cost via UPS = $10. Not cheap but well, I wanted the stuff.

Then it arrives here (Canada), customs/taxes is an additional $23!!!

RIDICULOUS!

So this is why I rather buy for $2 with free shipping from Hongkong on eBay.

Sorry guys, I wanted to support your economy, but ....:mad:
and to think, for your total investment, you could have bought Canadian. When I deal with State side suppliers, I get quoted FOB my dock.
 

BillO

Joined Nov 24, 2008
999
and to think, for your total investment, you could have bought Canadian. When I deal with State side suppliers, I get quoted FOB my dock.
Right! And i've been looking for a Canadian made equivalent of the ATmega328 for some months now. Closest I came was an arrangement of feathers I saw at the shop on Moose Factory island, Moosonee.

I guess praondevou could have bought Hammond cases. But 3/4 of their stuff is made in Korea and Taiwan these days, and it's cheaper to buy it from the US. So, let's see how that works. The bauxite is mined in Gahna, gets shipped to south america to get smelted into aluminum and rolled into sheets that are floated off to Korea, bent into boxes and wrapped in Chinese polyethylene with a Vietnamese paper label that says "Hammond Manufacturing Inc., Guelph Ontario" that are then shipped to the US to the big distributors like Digikey and Mouser, where praondevou can order them. I'm not sure where a Canadian, other than the pit-boss over in Guelph, gets anything out of it.

I support local business. All my furniture is locally custom made. It's nice stuff. The last piece I had made, I even went out and selected my own blond red oak, bought it separately and sent it to the artisan to have a entertainment console made to fit my exact needs. $2800. Mind you, I had a job back then, but that's beside the point. What else would I possibly buy made in Canada? Gypsum? No, I can't find a single Canadian made piece of drywall at the local Home depot. Funny, since we are the largest producers of gypsum in the world. High-tech such as ICs, LEDs, LCD displays? Yeah, right...I’ll buy them at source, thanks.

I'm desperately trying to start a 'high-tech' company here and I get the strangest reactions you have ever seen. Support? Not an f'ing chance. I can't even find anyone that even remotely understands what I'm trying to do. Sigh.....
 

Markd77

Joined Sep 7, 2009
2,806
That's like the Häagen-Dazs conspiracy (those of you not familiar it's a premium ice cream). It has a map of Scandinavia, early boxes outlines Denmark and accented Copenhagen.

It was originally developed and manufactured by Polish immigrants in Brooklyn New York, then their first major plant was in New Jersey. Zero Scandinavian content.
And guess where this famous brand is from (It's not Japan or America).
 

loosewire

Joined Apr 25, 2008
1,686
Class warfare and products warfare,Its used to be nice to have piece of
swiss chocolate,even better to have a swiss watch.I think the difference
now that all our favorite things are not from there prospective countries.
The problem has become that China copies things that we like to brag that
we could afford Crown Royal in a little blue bag.We felt special,now we
wonder if every thing we buy comes from China,we feal cheap.
 

Thread Starter

praondevou

Joined Jul 9, 2011
2,942
The problem in my particular case seems to be UPS.

I paid $26 for the purchased products and $33 for UPS brokerage fees/taxes/customs. (don't know exactly)

When asking their customer service you get very short and incomplete responses. On their website it states $7 for entry preparation charges = brokerage fee. They tell me it is something different and additional charges may apply (they did, oh yes).

The best way to ship something from the US is probably still USPS.
UPS and FedEX are fast, but more expensive AND they need to drop off the package at your home, unless you call them to pick it up yourself.

Now, I wonder how I can get something from ebay shipping from Hongkong and doesn't cost me a cent of shipping fees. :confused: No customs fees neither...
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
I don't have to go to Ebay to get things from China, I can just drive around the corner to Walmart and get all I want.

I just did some "extreme" (for me) Chinese partying out on my last project. I got some incredibly low prices with free shipping that got to my door here in NY in 8 to 9 days.

While I may be eating my own seed grain I'm going to continue buying direct from China off Ebay.

(Got a link for enclosure?)
The problem I have with that is how much counterfit stuff is being sold and how its getting harder to tell the difference. Like Soldering irons, ballasts, programmers, etc.. Some chinese venders are good, but the age old saying holds, you get what you pay for.
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
The problem in my particular case seems to be UPS.

I paid $26 for the purchased products and $33 for UPS brokerage fees/taxes/customs. (don't know exactly)

When asking their customer service you get very short and incomplete responses. On their website it states $7 for entry preparation charges = brokerage fee. They tell me it is something different and additional charges may apply (they did, oh yes).

The best way to ship something from the US is probably still USPS.
UPS and FedEX are fast, but more expensive AND they need to drop off the package at your home, unless you call them to pick it up yourself.

Now, I wonder how I can get something from ebay shipping from Hongkong and doesn't cost me a cent of shipping fees. :confused: No customs fees neither...
Where ever you got it from did they mark it as a gift? Or a product. Thats the only way china ebay guys survive is they ship everything as a gift so they don't pay taxes on it. If where ever you bought it marked it as something else that may be responsible for the extra charges.
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
That may be part of the problem. But I was referring to import charges of UPS (or Canada customs fees, no idea).



Yes, that's what I was thinking.I wonder what happens if in the future chinese workers do what thatoneguy was describing.
We bringing us into a state of total dependency.

To add something funny: I recently bought THIS:


Where do you think this would come from? With all these symbols ? Guess what, it's printed on the back: Made in USA!
Thats made for the american chinese food market. Chances are you couldn't even find it in asia. Many people forget chinese resturaunts have suppliers and mnf's here in the US too. I used to eat at one chinese resturaunt and all the boxes were in english.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Where ever you got it from did they mark it as a gift? Or a product. Thats the only way china ebay guys survive is they ship everything as a gift so they don't pay taxes on it. If where ever you bought it marked it as something else that may be responsible for the extra charges.
When my wife sent me a christmas present last year from the Philippines, marked as a gift (a legitimate gift) I had to pay tax on it. It was like 36$ I had to pay for a 6"cube box containing a shirt and a watch. She also paid about the same in shipping. And the price of the actual gifts weren't much more than that.
 

Thread Starter

praondevou

Joined Jul 9, 2011
2,942
When my wife sent me a christmas present last year from the Philippines, marked as a gift (a legitimate gift) I had to pay tax on it. It was like 36$ I had to pay for a 6"cube box containing a shirt and a watch. She also paid about the same in shipping. And the price of the actual gifts weren't much more than that.
For gifts it shouldn't really be !! They surely made a mistake.

I received several gift packages from abroad, never paid anything.
AND, I received several electronic parts from China that were not marked as a gift, still had to pay nothing... I don't know what way they go.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Fraid so, I just sent Lightfire a care package, he will have to pay customs to pick it up. It is about 10% of the listed value.

I paid around the same price for shipping the package was worth.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Fraid so, I just sent Lightfire a care package, he will have to pay customs to pick it up. It is about 10% of the listed value.

I paid around the same price for shipping the package was worth.
sending things to the Philippines is even worse. Their customs agents are notoriously foul. They will open up your gift package, find out how much its worth, and when you go to pick it up they will demand that much or a little less. You either pay it or they keep it. or they will just keep it anyway if they want it. This is a problem if you are sending stuff like rolex watches, but electronic components should be a non issue.
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
I don't know all the rules and taxes either I just know everything I've ever gotten from china off ebay was checked gift. Never bought from a legit vender in china so I don't know how that works. In all I got about 6 items from there marked gift.
 
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