I live in Canada. If I order an album from Acoustic Sounds it can only ship FedEx or UPS. Then I get burned with duties and customs fees, and brokerage fees. This is something that is rarely applied to deliveries made from many other sellers, who use USPS, with a simple transfer to Canada Post, prior to the album's final delivery to me in Port Hope, Ontario. I don't know how to access information regarding this, with anyone who would know anything about it at Acoustic Sounds. I contacted customer service and simply got the generic, "Unfortunately at this time we do not offer any USPS shipping services anywhere as we only offer FedEx. Hopefully in the future we can offer more services that will allow more user friendly options." Thanks for nothing! Does anyone know why Acoustic Sounds wouldn't use something as straight forward as USPS for shipping. Maybe since Acoustic Sounds is still just a fledgling record st0re business, they haven't gotten that far yet. I jest! Any comments would be welcome. I'd like to make purchases directly from Acoustic Sounds, rather than deal with 3rd party transactions, but I can't afford it, either way. Maybe I just don't get it. Anybody?
I have never ordered from Acoustic Sounds, but I had the impression that they'd addressed some of the higher shipping costs for those outside of the US.
I'm surprised anyone uses FedEx or UPS to ship outside the US. Because these services make a "best attempt" to collect duties and fees from the recipient, but if they are not successful, charge those to the shipper. I got burned that way once, and after that, nothing but USPS for me. (USPS does not charge you anything more once they accept your package).
$43 bucks in Fedex brokerage fees last time I picked up a Steely Dan UHQR from AS. Not cool. They need to USPS.
There you go! You know exactly, as I'm sure do many others, just where I'm coming from. Forty-three bucks. That's almost exactly the amount FedEx came after me for, almost a month after I'd taken delivery of Acoustic Sound's 45 rpm Fleetwood Mac "Rumours" album. That album was expensive to begin with. I honestly thought it was some kind of hoax, and seriously considered ignoring it, and not paying. But I broke down and paid, just because I'm naturally a "law abiding citizen", I guess. Maybe to a fault. I don't know. But it did piss me off. Acoustic Sounds, as described in the video clip above, does have an alternative to the, "FedEx International Ground (Canada Only)", which is "FedEx International Connect Plus" for a few dollars less. It seems that with this shipping plan FedEx absorbs the brokerage fees. But I'm afraid to try it because I don't see, or hear, the customs duties and fees addressed. I was considering pre-ordering Willie Nelson's "Shotgun Willie", a two disc 45 rpm offering. I entered details and was informed that "FedEx International Ground (Canada Only)" would be $32.98 USD. FedEx International Connect Plus" would be $25.86 USD. But like I said, "I'm afraid to try it because I don't see, or hear, the customs duties and fees addressed." And also, a alternative to FedEx is a UPS Expedited plan for $181.07. WTF is that!! I'd still like to know why, considering the likelihood that Acoustic Sounds is probably fully aware of this problem for Canadian, and no doubt many other international purchasers, that they can't seem to establish a shipping arrangement via USPS. If there is some bona fide reason for it, I'd like to know what that reason is.
Fellow Canadians: if you know the declared value, and the harmonized code, you can self-complete and self-declare the Customs forms yourself. Call the CRA, and they will guide you through the steps, and tell you where you can find the forms online. By doing so, you can avoid paying UPS & FedEx, and there isn't a damn thing they can do. 100% legal, and it's a wonderful feeling to let them know (especially UPS) that they aren't getting their grubby fingers on your money. And, it's less expensive, since you aren't paying their "service fees."
Personally, I prefer Canada Post for the security. My building has the Canada Post lockers for oversized packages. UPS and FedEx will: - leave it for Porch Pirates, if they don't require a signature. - leave a card and re-schedule. - leave a card and make you go to them to get it. The UPS guy on my street is an absolute fecal-stain. I regularly see him get out of the truck with "you weren't home" cards. He makes ZERO attempt to deliver.
I too, have had those experiences with FedEx etc. The delivery guy for Canada Post always pushes the button in the entranceway of my building, almost always quite early in the morning, 7 o'clock, and that rings my phone to wake me up. Then I can remotely open the main door, and just have him leave it on one of the lobby tables. It's safe there, until I go down and retrieve it later on. Or the building manager, or another tenant, brings it up an leaves it by my apartment door. No problem. Everybody gets along in my building. Me and him are on a first name basis. I have had no problems with Canada Post.
Every package I ever got from AS via Fedex has gotten stuck somewhere in transit and took well over two weeks to arrive. USPS Discogs deliveries often take much less than one week and very rarely more. Considering the price of AS shipping, it’s really unacceptable.
I wondered why they don't use USPS as well. Must be easier, possibly cheaper, for them to use Fedex and UPS.
It gets better if you buy more. I bought 7 albums and the total FedEx bill was $103 Cdn and all but $12 was PST/GST. Shipping was $45 US.
