I'm curious if anyone from eBrandon has ordered anything from the States and had it shipped to these guys. Have you had any problems with customs? Had to pay any extras fees?  
I have contacted the people who run this place but am curious to hear your experiences good/bad  
Thanks!  
 
http://www.theborderservices.com/301.html

Great people, great service, fair service fees!  
 
IIRC Lola is actually an eBrandon member here and posts on occasion. Maybe she will see your post and reply herself.  
 
Their website...  
 
http://www.theborderservices.com/  
 
I honestly doubt you will find a single person that has anything bad to say about these people / business, they have a lot of respect and have earned every bit of it!  
 
Not to mention, depending on what your purchase is, you could potentially save BIG money going this route. It was common sense that they created this business, as I myself, and many more experienced the completely ABSURD brokerage fees charged by almost all couriers!  
 
Krunch

used them alot over the last few years. They are great people to deal with and accept nearly anything. There is a small fee but compared with UPS or Fedex (both you can get stuck with huge brokerage fees)they are cheap!  
A  
General rules. Email them that something is coming in, they will email you when it has arrived. Make sure you have your own bill printed out from whomever you bought the item.  
 
Pick up item...go into town and fill up with gas....you might as well its only a few miles down the road and half the price!  
Take item with your bill of sale back to the border and stop in. You will generally pay GST only. Items made outside of North America you may pay import costs or duty.  
 
There are alot of great deals down south that our Canadian counter parts cannot come close to matching.  
 
I know this is a sore spot for some who believe firmly in buying at home...but when it comes to 100's or thousands of dollars...make your own mind up.

The reason why this business even exists is that many couriers came up with some sort of "Brokerage Fee". I have made several attempts to calculate how they even come up with their charges and it's confusing as crap!  
 
Easy way, you ship you package to Vanorny's, drive accross the border. Entering the US you tell them, "I'm going to Vanorny's to pick up a package". They know who Vanorny's are  
 
Driving back you declare your purchase to Canada Customs, they essentially only charge you PST and or GST depending on the item. Now you have essentially "Brokeraged" your own item YOURSELF!  
 
I have saved hundreds, if not THOUSANDS of dollars using Vanorny's. The only thing you really need to consider is the rough calculation of is your time worth money driving 2 hours roundtrip to pick it up, your gas money, Vanorny's charges, and your taxes bringing it back. Usually the bigger the ticket item, the more you save!  
 
2 personal examples come to mind where I have esentially saved 50% on buying a specefic product in the US Vs. Canada. One of those products, while I found a Canadian MSRP from the manufacturer, I could not even find anywhere in Canada that had it! The second product I imported from the US was actually MADE in Canada, but sold for 50% less in the US WTF!?!?  
 
Krunch

RickR said "used them alot over the last few years. They are great people to deal with and accept nearly anything. There is a small fee but compared with UPS or Fedex (both you can get stuck with huge brokerage fees)they are cheap!   A   General rules. Email them that something is coming in, they will email you when it has arrived. Make sure you have your own bill printed out from whomever you bought the item.     Pick up item...go into town and fill up with gas....you might as well its only a few miles down the road and half the price!   Take item with your bill of sale back to the border and stop in. You will generally pay GST only. Items made outside of North America you may pay import costs or duty.     There are alot of great deals down south that our Canadian counter parts cannot come close to matching.     I know this is a sore spot for some who believe firmly in buying at home...but when it comes to 100's or thousands of dollars...make your own mind up. "

Could not have said it better myself!  
 
Side note, be careful on buying gas in town, that is not the reason you were there and a friend of mine went into town one day just for nothing more than a soft drink, not gas, but when he mentioned it to Canadian Customs, it seemed their eyebrows raised a little and this might have been a no no.  
 
You are entering another country. Be smart about it, or don't do anything dumb. Whatever way you look at it.  
 
Krunch

Jay and Lola Vanorny's services both commercially and personally for about ten years now. Good country folk and always acommodating. Seven days a week until 8:00 p.m. Leave your contact info with them and they'll email you when packages arrive.  
 
You won't have any problems with customs provided you have proper receipts, know country of origin (manufacture)and know which customs officers not to smile at or try to talk to....lol. Thankfully, there isn't many of the latter!  
 
In the end, depending what you're planning to import other than household goods...you should call customs(peacegardens) 204.534.6820 to find what's required for tax or duty.  
 
There is also a website where you can investigate the different classifications to see where your goods fall, but that's more for a commercial use...for example, a motorcycle bought in the US, but made in Japan will have G.S.T. , P.S.T. plus around 13% tax/duty. (no P.S.T. for commercial)  
 
There again, different rules for commercial or end user (personal)...just do your homework beforehand.  
 
Hope this helps.

Every once in a while I order a bunch of stuff to Border Services. I was just there last week. They prefer if you pick it up within 30 days. Very nice folks. A lot of online vendors offer free shipping within the USA but to Canada it's very expensive, especially UPS, etc., that charge you expensive brokerage fees. Just two hours and 1/2 a tank of gas to pick it up and bring it accross yourself. Stop for gas in Dunseith, then go on to Walmart at Bottineau for groceries. There is no sales tax or duty on groceries. Meat and dairy stuff is a lot cheaper and they have a lot of products/brands not available here. You just can't bring back fruits or vegetables.

I should add, make sure you take your invoices to show Customs and they will also want to know where the goods were made because there will be duty to pay if it was made outside N.America.

bigmoe said "Every once in a while I order a bunch of stuff to Border Services. I was just there last week. They prefer if you pick it up within 30 days. Very nice folks. A lot of online vendors offer free shipping within the USA but to Canada it's very expensive, especially UPS, etc., that charge you expensive brokerage fees. Just two hours and 1/2 a tank of gas to pick it up and bring it accross yourself. Stop for gas in Dunseith, then go on to Walmart at Bottineau for groceries. There is no sales tax or duty on groceries. Meat and dairy stuff is a lot cheaper and they have a lot of products/brands not available here. You just can't bring back fruits or vegetables. "

2 Hours?? Where do you live? It's maybe an hour South of Brandon, just across the border by Kelvin's Klinic.  
 
Gas in Dunseith is relatively the same price as Brandon you might save a few cents. Bottineau is a good half hour from Border Services and the prices aren't that good to make driving the extra worthwhile. Stop at Kelvin's and grab a 6-pack of Bud Lite you won't get charged duty for a 6'er

Uncle Z said "    bigmoe said "Every once in a while I order a bunch of stuff to Border Services. I was just there last week. They prefer if you pick it up within 30 days. Very nice folks. A lot of online vendors offer free shipping within the USA but to Canada it's very expensive, especially UPS, etc., that charge you expensive brokerage fees. Just two hours and 1/2 a tank of gas to pick it up and bring it accross yourself. Stop for gas in Dunseith, then go on to Walmart at Bottineau for groceries. There is no sales tax or duty on groceries. Meat and dairy stuff is a lot cheaper and they have a lot of products/brands not available here. You just can't bring back fruits or vegetables. " 2 Hours?? Where do you live? It's maybe an hour South of Brandon, just across the border by Kelvin's Klinic.     Gas in Dunseith is relatively the same price as Brandon you might save a few cents. Bottineau is a good half hour from Border Services and the prices aren't that good to make driving the extra worthwhile. Stop at Kelvin's and grab a 6-pack of Bud Lite you won't get charged duty for a 6'er "

one hour south + one hour return = 2 hours?

Uncle Z said "    bigmoe said "Every once in a while I order a bunch of stuff to Border Services. I was just there last week. They prefer if you pick it up within 30 days. Very nice folks. A lot of online vendors offer free shipping within the USA but to Canada it's very expensive, especially UPS, etc., that charge you expensive brokerage fees. Just two hours and 1/2 a tank of gas to pick it up and bring it accross yourself. Stop for gas in Dunseith, then go on to Walmart at Bottineau for groceries. There is no sales tax or duty on groceries. Meat and dairy stuff is a lot cheaper and they have a lot of products/brands not available here. You just can't bring back fruits or vegetables. " 2 Hours?? Where do you live? It's maybe an hour South of Brandon, just across the border by Kelvin's Klinic.     Gas in Dunseith is relatively the same price as Brandon you might save a few cents. Bottineau is a good half hour from Border Services and the prices aren't that good to make driving the extra worthwhile. Stop at Kelvin's and grab a 6-pack of Bud Lite you won't get charged duty for a 6'er "

Two hours round trip (approx). Obviously more if you go on to Walmart.

bigmoe said "    Uncle Z said "    bigmoe said "Every once in a while I order a bunch of stuff to Border Services. I was just there last week. They prefer if you pick it up within 30 days. Very nice folks. A lot of online vendors offer free shipping within the USA but to Canada it's very expensive, especially UPS, etc., that charge you expensive brokerage fees. Just two hours and 1/2 a tank of gas to pick it up and bring it accross yourself. Stop for gas in Dunseith, then go on to Walmart at Bottineau for groceries. There is no sales tax or duty on groceries. Meat and dairy stuff is a lot cheaper and they have a lot of products/brands not available here. You just can't bring back fruits or vegetables. " 2 Hours?? Where do you live? It's maybe an hour South of Brandon, just across the border by Kelvin's Klinic.     Gas in Dunseith is relatively the same price as Brandon you might save a few cents. Bottineau is a good half hour from Border Services and the prices aren't that good to make driving the extra worthwhile. Stop at Kelvin's and grab a 6-pack of Bud Lite you won't get charged duty for a 6'er " Two hours round trip (approx). Obviously more if you go on to Walmart. "

No where near the same price! In Dunseith last week I paid $2.89/gal. I did some math and that's 76.4 cents/litre. That's a heck of a lot cheaper than 95.9

bigmoe said "    bigmoe said "    Uncle Z said "    bigmoe said "Every once in a while I order a bunch of stuff to Border Services. I was just there last week. They prefer if you pick it up within 30 days. Very nice folks. A lot of online vendors offer free shipping within the USA but to Canada it's very expensive, especially UPS, etc., that charge you expensive brokerage fees. Just two hours and 1/2 a tank of gas to pick it up and bring it accross yourself. Stop for gas in Dunseith, then go on to Walmart at Bottineau for groceries. There is no sales tax or duty on groceries. Meat and dairy stuff is a lot cheaper and they have a lot of products/brands not available here. You just can't bring back fruits or vegetables. " 2 Hours?? Where do you live? It's maybe an hour South of Brandon, just across the border by Kelvin's Klinic.     Gas in Dunseith is relatively the same price as Brandon you might save a few cents. Bottineau is a good half hour from Border Services and the prices aren't that good to make driving the extra worthwhile. Stop at Kelvin's and grab a 6-pack of Bud Lite you won't get charged duty for a 6'er " Two hours round trip (approx). Obviously more if you go on to Walmart. " No where near the same price! In Dunseith last week I paid $2.89/gal. I did some math and that's 76.4 cents/litre. That's a heck of a lot cheaper than 95.9 "

Your correct. Being it is a US Gal and with the great exchange rate it works out to $0.12 difference a liter. My car took 32.7L so I saved about $4!!! Not too mention that $2.89 gal is SUPER unleaded enriched with "ethanol" which will burn a lot faster too so you will help yourself that pump more often!  
 

What are you using?  
 
2.89 / gallon divide by 3.78 = 76.5 cents / liter. Local price is 96.9 that's 20.4 cents / liter difference. Let's take 2 cents off for the exchange. Rate today is $0.985 So 18.4 cents per liter.  
 
My car takes over 65L when empty so that's a savings of almost $12.00 per tank.  
 
WRT the ethanol blend? That's a wash, Canada stations are blending regular up to 10%.  
 
Krunch

krunch said "What are you using?     2.89 / gallon divide by 3.78 = 76.5 cents / liter. Local price is 96.9 that's 20.4 cents / liter difference. Let's take 2 cents off for the exchange. Rate today is $0.985 So 18.4 cents per liter.     My car takes over 65L when empty so that's a savings of almost $12.00 per tank.     WRT the ethanol blend? That's a wash, Canada stations are blending regular up to 10%.     Krunch "

Okay okay...  
 
My calculator is "red neck"  
 
Dunseith gas is roughly .80 cents a liter  
Brandon gas is .97 cents a liter  
 
(Difference roughly 17 cents!)  
 
Gas in Dunseith doesn't give me an incentives like Canadian Tire money (which you like so much I know) nor the GOLDEN airmiles... Those gotta be worth something, especially to you right??  
 
Plus if your car uses 65L to travel 200 kms you better maybe upgrade that guzzler!! (hence the 35L comment which is rather high as is) As I doubt most rational people aren't waiting until they are empty and making a special trip to Dunseith for gas.  
 
All in all you might be lucky to save $4 :D Not to mention you are giving nothing to the Government in taxes to help fix and maintain Manitoba's poor crumbling infrastructure  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Edited by Uncle Z, 2010-03-16 12:09:30

on the motorcycle thing. I have bought 5 motorcycles over the years from down south. All made in Japan...there is no yamaha manufacturer in Canada or the US or Mexico. There is no duty on these items. I did once have a one fella try and charge me duty but another one sorted him out but the first guy still called the main crossing before he was satisfied.  
 
The bikes are made in Japan for the NorthAmerican market. They arrive in the US or Canada in pieces and then assembled at the dealer.  
 
Just to stir the pot with our Harley loving fans...lol...(nice bikes btw) there are many Japanese parts on those bikes too!  
 
And before it gets to off topic with the gas thing. I just suggested it since you were already down there...no I wouldnt drive that far just to fill up.

I worked for a local company that did tons of importing through Jay and Lola. I can say without a doubt that the service they provide is extremely reliable and reasonably priced, and that they themselves are amazing people. Making the trip down to pick up stock and chat with them quickly became one of my favorite parts of the week. In fact, one of their fat, old barn cats even spent a week vacationing in Canada with us after it snuck aboard the truck unnoticed and was accidentally transported across the boarder. “Uh, Jay, I think we stole your cat” is still one of the funniest things I’ve ever had to say over the phone.

Uncle Z said "    krunch said "What are you using?     2.89 / gallon divide by 3.78 = 76.5 cents / liter. Local price is 96.9 that's 20.4 cents / liter difference. Let's take 2 cents off for the exchange. Rate today is $0.985 So 18.4 cents per liter.     My car takes over 65L when empty so that's a savings of almost $12.00 per tank.     WRT the ethanol blend? That's a wash, Canada stations are blending regular up to 10%.     Krunch " Okay okay...     My calculator is "red neck"     Dunseith gas is roughly .80 cents a liter   Brandon gas is .97 cents a liter     (Difference roughly 17 cents!)     Gas in Dunseith doesn't give me an incentives like Canadian Tire money (which you like so much I know) nor the GOLDEN airmiles... Those gotta be worth something, especially to you right??     Plus if your car uses 65L to travel 200 kms you better maybe upgrade that guzzler!! (hence the 35L comment which is rather high as is) As I doubt most rational people aren't waiting until they are empty and making a special trip to Dunseith for gas.     All in all you might be lucky to save $4 :D Not to mention you are giving nothing to the Government in taxes to help fix and maintain Manitoba's poor crumbling infrastructure                         Edited by Uncle Z, 2010-03-16 12:09:30"

Red Neck calculator. Hmmmm. Do you find this calculator to be superior than an electronic one? Where do I buy one of these? How much Canadian Tire money would it cost me? I'll put my US gas on my Gold MasterCard and get Airmiles for buying it  
 
Also, who said anything about driving 200km and burning 65L gas? That's about 7.25 mpg. What get's gas mileage that bad? Think about what you're saying before you say it.  
 
IF someone drives to Dunseith, who says they left Brandon with a full tank in the first place? If I am going to the states for a weekend or whatever, I'm going to only have enough gas to get me to the border, and the last think I do on the way back is fill up. So that's two tanks of gas at a savings of about $24.00.  
 
All-in-all I'm saving $12.00 per tank, I already calculated it above, but for some reason your red neck calculator depreciated my savings by two thirds?  
 
Maybe use your CT money to buy a real calculator.  
 
Krunch  
 

I have just been looking into US purchases as we are heading to Minot next weekend.Always wondered why getting American at the bank was different than the rates i had researched. Apparently the banks are not only higher than the Bank of Canada rate. But they add their own little extra. Couldn't get a for sure answer from them, but sounds like the add 4% to the total amount. Also checked the Credit card Company who said if you use the card when down south you get hit with a 2.5% extra on your bill. Therefore i thought this was the better option. Then talked to someone else at the bank to clarify. The spin they put on it; is the credit card company charges its 2.5% on top of the banks 4% for a 6%. Now i am totally confused and need someone with a redneck calculator to give me a tally on WTF to do for best spending bargain. With this in mind would that weigh the filling up with gas debate. Just wanted to fuel the fire as it is an interesting conversation and learning experience.  
 
Buy the way am just going to use Border services for the first time this Friday. Ordered some shoes for half what it cost here. That is including Border service fees, shipping, and exchange rate too. I am staying for 48 hours for a hockey tourney so won't need to worry about duty.(I think) Unless my wife spends her limit and mine. The communication with the Border Services people has been great thus far. They just emailed and said my shoes were there. Just to let you know they sent an email they will be closed on Sundays.  
 
Always like the tips that save me money.

I have used them a a lot. Good service & freindly. When pakage is there, they e mail me. I go & pick up. I am just 20 min. away. I have ordered and pakages arrive in 3 to 5 days usually free shipping to US address, if you have to ship from US to Canada address, figure on couple weeks !! ( make shure invoice is attached to outside of pakage as it makes it easier at customs. AND do not forget your passport ( or enhanced lic. ) at US customs !!!

The last email I received from them said they are no longer open on Sunday's. Just a heads up for people who use them.

I have gone for years to pick up my eBay shopping and my friends. I also needed to mail off a juke box, and they helped me package it. Saved a ton of $$ for me and my customer.  
PM me, if you need a pick up or want to know more. The best thing is that you can get your order in a couple of days instead of waiting weeks to cross into canada. The drive is only 1hr and 5mins to the Border Services. (just south of Boissevain). Also its great...you just pay taxes at border and not stupid broker fees. I used to work for UPS, and some people would refuse packages because broker fees came to more than their item! Could not blame them.  
Jay and Lola are the best. They have a lovely acreage and proud of their heritage. If you want to know more on how to save...shoot me an email.

Ken Slate said "I have just been looking into US purchases as we are heading to Minot next weekend.Always wondered why getting American at the bank was different than the rates i had researched. Apparently the banks are not only higher than the Bank of Canada rate. But they add their own little extra. Couldn't get a for sure answer from them, but sounds like the add 4% to the total amount. Also checked the Credit card Company who said if you use the card when down south you get hit with a 2.5% extra on your bill. Therefore i thought this was the better option. Then talked to someone else at the bank to clarify. The spin they put on it; is the credit card company charges its 2.5% on top of the banks 4% for a 6%. Now i am totally confused and need someone with a redneck calculator to give me a tally on WTF to do for best spending bargain. With this in mind would that weigh the filling up with gas debate. Just wanted to fuel the fire as it is an interesting conversation and learning experience.     Buy the way am just going to use Border services for the first time this Friday. Ordered some shoes for half what it cost here. That is including Border service fees, shipping, and exchange rate too. I am staying for 48 hours for a hockey tourney so won't need to worry about duty.(I think) Unless my wife spends her limit and mine. The communication with the Border Services people has been great thus far. They just emailed and said my shoes were there. Just to let you know they sent an email they will be closed on Sundays.     Always like the tips that save me money. "

Yes, banks and credit cards DO charge a fee / offer a different exchange rate than what the posted rate is, i.e., what you would see at www.xe.com. That is the ACTUAL exchange rate.  
 
You have to realize that banks and credit cards charge fees. This is how they make their money and survive. If they didn't how would any bank or credit card company operate?  
 
Your data above is skewed. The real data is, regardless of whether you buy cash or use a Canadian Credit card in the states, you are going to pay about a 2.5% fee to the bank / credit card company, or, they give you a rate 2.5% worse than the posted rate, whatever way you want to look at it.  
 
Is it possible that different banks charge different rates? I guess so, because your numbers above are either wrong, or the bank / credit card company you are dealing with is not very competitive. Shoot me a PM and I will tell you what bank in town my data above came from, I check before I posted this.  
 
That's it, there are no other charges. Period. Actually, there is a small disadvantage of buying actual US cash, because if you do not spend it all, you are paying that 2.5% again to convert what you have leftover BACK into Canadian dollars again. So really, the credit card is superior, but then again, cash is useful in case you encounter a purchase that does not accept credit cards.  
 
WRT the Bank of Canada rate, that is nothing more than a benchmark of where actual bank rates "Hover" around. The banks use the Bank of Canada rate as a "Basis" for their own rates.  
 
There is one more option, however I fail to see any value / difference in it at all. Some banks are now offering Canadian, US dollar credit cards. So if you charge something in the states for $10.00 (USD) and you get your statement, it says you owe them $10.00 USD. The thing is, you have to pay them $10.00 USD meaning you still have to pay that 2.5% exchange rate charge somewhere. Hence, I see no value in this Canadian US Dollar credit card, but it exists nonetheless.  
 
Krunch

No Comment said "I have gone for years to pick up my eBay shopping and my friends. I also needed to mail off a juke box, and they helped me package it. Saved a ton of $$ for me and my customer.   PM me, if you need a pick up or want to know more. The best thing is that you can get your order in a couple of days instead of waiting weeks to cross into canada. The drive is only 1hr and 5mins to the Border Services. (just south of Boissevain). Also its great...you just pay taxes at border and not stupid broker fees. I used to work for UPS, and some people would refuse packages because broker fees came to more than their item! Could not blame them.   Jay and Lola are the best. They have a lovely acreage and proud of their heritage. If you want to know more on how to save...shoot me an email. "

You used to work for UPS! YEARS ago before I knew Vanorny's existed, I used to get dinged by these brokerage charges, but could never figure out how they arrived at these charges. Comparing receipts, I could never figure out how they arrived at the numbers they did! Is there even a calculation?  
 
All I know is that if I ordered a product from the states and had it shipped here via any courier, at times, but the time I received it, taxes, duty, brokerage, often came to DOUBLE the original price of teh item. What a rip off. We are so lucky to be living so close to the US border and have a business there like Vanorny's. I pity the poor people in Canada, the further they live away from an actual US border crossing and being subject to these charges.  
 
A lot of times the items I order are not even available in Canada! I have also imported Canadian made items back into Canada for less than what they sell for here in Canada! WTF!!  
 
Canadian dollar it almost at par, they are expecting it to be at par before summer and I even heard on the news the other day that by Christmas, the Canadian Dollar could be as high as $1.20! WOW! Watch the products flying accross the border then into Canada!  
 
Krunch

sounds like this outfit is top notch.  
 
Re freight costs. It annoys me to no end that the USA/Canada border is a line where freight charges go nutzoid. It seems we in Canada carry protectionism to a point that hurts many people. UPS In Manitoba last time I looked was by law not allowed to deliver door to door but must use a middle man. GRRRR. In many cases the packages get lost in the transfer -- no tracking available-- its crap.  
 
Thanks to the op now-- I know where to go closer to the border. I was using a contact in ND.  

that is the direction i was heading. when we do shop we get points for using the card for purchase. do take some cash for smaller purchases. and yes numbers could be skewed as no body seemed to have for sure answers for me. was just looking for ballpark figures when i originally asked. not too worried about converting back (especially when close to par) we go down several times a year. i am sure my wife and kids would be able to spend any extra cash they could find before the trip home.  
 
thanks again

I keep meaning to call these guys, but maybe someone on here can answer my question-  
If I order something that will only ship in the US (like a computer off of amazon) will they accept the parcel and then ship it up to me for a charge? (vs picking it up there)

vanornys@srt.com  
 
For a computer, I think the duty will be quite high so hopefully you got a good deal on it.  
 

You would gain nothing by doing this. Actually, you will likely pay at least $5 (Vanorney's fee) more than if you shipped it directly to yourself in the first place. The purpose of Vanorney's is to provide a US ship to address within reach of Canada, so you CAN drive down and pick the item up, hence paying the taxes and fees at the border as you bring it through. Vanorny's business thrives on the people who save bundles on bringing items into Canada themselves vs. a courier charging you the "Brokerage" fees which are totally obscene.  
 
However, computers are pretty competitive, have you tried tigerdirect.ca which is a US company, but happens to have a depot in Ontario so you pretty much get the US pricing, but, the advantages of a Canadian company.  
 
I actually picked up another package from Vanorney's today actually  
 
Krunch

I was just curious because I have a substantial credit on amazon.com (essentially free money), and they don't ship much directly to Canada, so extra fees wouldn't be that much of an issue for me, as long as it all ends up being cheaper than the price of the product (aka- a deal!!!)I'm not able to cross the border. Their website offers brokering- is that not what I would be inquiring about?