Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 20

Has anyone from CANADA called the CSRs and got the REAL DEAL with the shipping? I know that if there is going to be an issue Im going to cancel and get a Palm. I think this is a problem that we need to resolve.

So... any Canadians that have called handspring about shipping lately PLEASE post.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: CANADA
Posts: 46

I've been on hold for 9 min's so far, and still waiting to find out my status. I'm not too onfident that the info will be too earth shattering, but will report back either way. I'm from Vancouver, and have very seriously been thinking of dropping this Visor order, and buying one of those $142.00 Palm IIIX's from Value America!!!.....11 min's

DC

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: CANADA
Posts: 46

28 min's on hold and 15 min's with a CSR to add a case to my order and add the overnight shipping(which the CSR said "would not make a difference, but I can charge you the $3.00 anyways" said ???!!! He did find my info, and said that I should receive my Visor and case within a week to a week and a half. My fingers are crossed!!!!!!!!!!

DC

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: North York, Canada
Posts: 50

What shipping cost were you quoted, and what do you mean by a deal?

Handspring told me $11 for UPS express shipping (prepaid), which is in line with what I have experienced before for shipments from the USA.

I called UPS (800.742.5877) and they told me customs clearance is included in the price of express shipping, but not ground shipping, so express is worth the extra charge.

Canada Customs (800.461.9999) told me there is no duty on imported computers, regardless of where they are made, and that the broker will charge PST and GST on the purchase.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 24

Hey, I just got off the phone with a CSR and he confirmed that Handspring WILL be shipping to Canada. I guess they figure Canada is part of the States...they wish.
Anyway he also confirmed my order and said express shipping WAS available. My Visor Deluxe should be here before Halloween.
Now I'll just watch my MC account on the net to see when they debit my account...

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 20

I was quoted $21 for UPS express shipping!(?)

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 3

One of my colleagues waited for about forty minutes to talk to a Handspring CSR. The CSR was surprised at the ambiguity for us Canadians, put my colleague on hold while he checked, and came back with the good news that Canadians are being treated just like the Americans, i.e. I ordered mine on Sept. 14 and can still expect to have it shipped before October's done (4-6 weeks for everyone else). That's all they promised; that's all I'm holding them to. Just like everyone should do, Americans included. Get back to a real life in the meantime--which, of course, includes coming back to VisorCentral for all the latest poop

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 3

Ah, I see they've made the appropriate changes at Handspring. Squeaky wheels rule, baby!:

"Currently we're only shipping to addresses in the United States and Canada. We'll begin shipping internationally early next year."

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC. Canada
Posts: 26

Here's an update on shipping for all you Canadians. I called tonight, at 10:00pm PST and waited 30 minutes on hold to talk to a friendly CSR. I asked him to confirm the shipping method for my order. I did this because I had called to change the shipping method from regular to UPS express. Not that I'm thrilled about using UPS with their high brokerage fees, but I noted from a previous post that the brokerage fees are actually included in the cost of express post, so its worth it. (may cost less overall to get your Visor faster!).

The CSR said that orders have already started to ship, for 1-2 days perhaps (wasn't totally sure), but that he had no way of looking up my order; it was on a different database. I persisted a bit and he finally agreed to have me wait while he put me on hold again for another 15 minutes. He came back on line and said he had found my order. It was on a computer, but in a different database. (Maybe it was in another building? Maybe there was a line for the order-checking database? I don't know). But he was able to confirm that method of shipping was changed to express. Nothing could be done to change the order at this point, he thought there was a good chance that it had already been shipped.

Good luck to all!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 12

I found out from a CSR that to have the product shipped to Canada, it's an extra $85 CDN which includes taxes and duties/broker fees.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 20

Which taxes? GST, PST, HST... which ones?

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 42

Can't we all be American for the purposes of ordering a visor?

Merry in Australia.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 12

At the Cdn border, they charge:
Customs, Broker's Fees, GST, and I doubt they charge PST b/c that's only if it's sold in the province. HST isn't in effect in Ontario (since 1993 I believe).

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 36

With regards to the metion of $85Cdn extra for taxes/brokerage fees by having it sent to Canada, has anyone here who ordered from Canada checked what the acutal charge on his/her credit card was? Hopefully also, when the first patch comes out next week, someone will be able to confirm the exact "extra" amount?

Still sitting on the fence with a Palm Professional...

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 71

I assumed there would be no duty since the device is an American-made computer device. Brokerage and PST/GST (I'm in MB), on the other hand, will be inevitable. $53 tax based on a 1.5x exchange rate plus, say, $25 brokerage would amount to about $75. That's my best guess.

-Doug

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: CANADA
Posts: 46

If the Visor was an "American made computer device", that would be true. Unfortunately, the Visor is made in Malaysia and may be subject to different duties or taxes?

DC

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 31

Weel, I caught this quote "The Visor units are shipped standard UPS and should reach their destinations in "a couple of days."

Now if that's true, then those who paid for express shipping is actually getting it sent to them as regular shipping, meaning that they would get nailed with duties plus taxes. That's nice of Handspring. No wonder they said that changing your regular shipping to expresss shipping would not affect anything. They just get to charge you more eventhough you end up getting the same shipping method as regular..!!!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 31

Entry Preparation Charges
UPS offers free1 routine customs clearance of UPS Express Plus,
UPS Express and UPS Expedited. Our published rates are among the
lowest in the business, with savings of up to 50% - and often more.
Use the chart below to calculate the customs brokerage fee for your
inbound shipments.


Value for Duty

UPS Standard Service
& All Other Couriers/
Transportation
Companies2

UPS Express Plus,
Express
&
Expedited Services
$ 0.00 to $ 40.00
$ 6.25
Free!1
$ 40.01 to $ 100.00
$ 16.75
$ 100.01 to $ 200.00
$ 23.25
$ 200.01 to $ 350.00
$ 30.00
$ 350.01 to $ 500.00
$ 34.00
$ 500.01 to $ 750.00
$ 38.25
$ 750.01 to $1,000.00
$ 43.25
$1,000.01 to $1,250.00
$ 48.50
$1,250.01 to $1,600.00
$ 51.50
$1,600.01 to $5,000.00
$ 54.00
Each add'l $1,000.00
$ 3.75

Note: All rates are in Canadian funds. Rates do not include applicable taxes.

Disbursement Fees
Customers are responsible for payment of duties and taxes. When
funds are not provided in advance by the customer, a fee of 2.5%
(minimum $4.50) of the amount advanced by UPS will be charged. To
avoid disbursement fees call 1 800 PICK-UPS and ask about our
pre-payment and EFT plans.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 20

Traveller: Where did you read that post??? I called just the other day for express shipping just to eliminate the Broker fees... and they said nothing to me about all shipments going ground.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Montreal, Canada
Posts: 45

Please everyone, there should be no dutie, cost of the unit probably has a fake split between hardware and software...Its free trade... I import all day long...expect to pay tax that'zit
god, are canadians really that anal...I'm kind of suprised !