Canadian Shipping and Importing Experiences

[Animatic33]

Seeing that a majority of us Canadian movie collectors have to seek outside of Canada to get discs - let alone deals, I thought a comprehensive shipping and importing thread might be useful for people.

As well, a lot of the existing threads contain complaints/concerns around shipping in general, therefore migrating shipping issues to a central thread may free up more room for deals in those individual threads.

Hope this helps!

Importing Info

Last Updated: October 3 2024

I have removed the details of each store because this stuff was getting outdated way too fast and scenarios of importing charges change far too regularly with the added fact I didn't track any of it. Please refer to observations later in the thread to determine whether to place an order. More recent discussions are far more helpful than relying on outdated information presented here.

[spawningblue]

GREAT

Ronin - Extremely fast shipping, reasonable rates, great packing, no duty

GOOD

Screen Archives - fast shipping, reasonable rates, no duty (Apparently don't cover lost packages though)
Vinegar Syndrome - Fast shipping, reasonable rates, no duty

DECENT

Synapse - Shipping a little pricey, well packed
Diabolik - Shipping a little pricey, well packed, excellent customer service, can't cancel pre-orders
Twilight Time - Shipping a little pricey

MEDIOCRE

Mondo Macabro - Duty on all orders
Amazon - Shipping and duty expensive. Well packed, great customer service


UNDECIDED

Severin - Shipping expensive

[RCRochester]

I recently ordered a single item from Amazon France, and two items from Amazon Spain. I was charged import fees on both orders, which is something they never did before, however, both orders came incredibly fast. The Amazon Spain order was delivered by UPS and went from Barcelona to Saskatchewan in 3 days.

[Habsfan77]

Originally Posted by spawningblue

MEDIOCRE

Mondo Macabro - Duty on all orders
Amazon - Shipping and duty expensive. Well packed, great customer service

Personally, my experience with Mondo Macabro has been great. I ordered 3 or 4 times and it was very well packed and I didn't pay any duty fees. The value on the custom form was valued down to something like $5.

[suddend]

I have ordered from numerous places and have overall good experiences.

Zavvi from UK - reasonable shipping time, always been packaged well, cheap shipping and no duties

Amazon (Europe) - usually quite fast, some import fees but removal of VAT helps, packaging usually is good

KimchiDVD - direct from them takes forever and a day, but heavily packaged and reasonable shipping for the cost/collectability of their product

Amazon US - silly import fees and shipping cost, usually fairly quick, but i'd rather ship state side and pickup from a mailbox since i'm <1 hour drive

Shoutfactory - very well packaged when coming with a poster, otherwise sometimes flimsy carboard mailer. timing is usually 1 week from shipping, which is 2 weeks before street date on pre-order usually. No duties I have seen.

Kino Lorber - reasonably quick, ok packaging, haven't seen any duties

Hope this is helpful to the community.

[alull]

These are fun and informative! Keep 'em coming!

[gentileschi]

Loving this thread!

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever imported from Australia (JB Hi-Fi, specifically)? I do know from ebay experience that parcels from there can take a while. I have no idea what to expect from JB, though, I gave them a shot because of their cheap shipping rates.

[jsvg00]

Originally Posted by gentileschi

Loving this thread!

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever imported from Australia (JB Hi-Fi, specifically)? I do know from ebay experience that parcels from there can take a while. I have no idea what to expect from JB, though, I gave them a shot because of their cheap shipping rates.

JB is pretty slow to be honest. Just when you thought the package had been swallowed up by the St Lawrence triangle, it shows up all of a sudden. Usually between 5-10 weeks. They also have a weird shipping system. I ordered the 8MM blu-ray from them and after several email attempts I was notified that they were getting their separate stock allocated for international shipment 6 weeks later.

[GreatGreg]

I order from JB Hi-Fi occasionally. No problems, but it takes awhile if you choose cheap shipping, but no longer than anything I order from Asia.

It's well packaged. Never had to open an issue with them and I would say I have ordered from them four or five times.

[Hitman Horton]

When it comes to paying duty on something, I believe that's up to people at customs to decide whether or not to charge anything. My suggestion would be to eliminate that part of your list because it may not be accurate. I know some places like Amazon always charge you for it but if you don't have to pay they refund it to you.

[suddend]

Originally Posted by gentileschi

Loving this thread!

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever imported from Australia (JB Hi-Fi, specifically)? I do know from ebay experience that parcels from there can take a while. I have no idea what to expect from JB, though, I gave them a shot because of their cheap shipping rates.

Shoot forgot JB HIFI from my list haha

An occasional purchase but honestly very expensive shipping and it takes forever and ever and ever. Has to be something I can't get anywhere else or ridiculously cheap price.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by Hitman Horton

When it comes to paying duty on something, I believe that's up to people at customs to decide whether or not to charge anything. My suggestion would be to eliminate that part of your list because it may not be accurate. I know some places like Amazon always charge you for it but if you don't have to pay they refund it to you.

This is something that I never understood. In Canada, we aren’t actually suppose to pay import fees on media products. Our customs states that DVDs and Blu-rays are tax exempt. So, why the hell are these places pre-charging for import fees?!?! Also, when Amazon charges import fees, I have NEVER been refunded that amount.

[suddend]

Yes that is correct were using the term wrong. It's really import fees which boils down to taxes collected. If you get stopped at the border shopping if they feel it's justified you will have to pay tax on the purchased items that are taxable in your province. Duty is all together different and mostly seen on tobacco and liqueur etc.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by gentileschi

Loving this thread!

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever imported from Australia (JB Hi-Fi, specifically)? I do know from ebay experience that parcels from there can take a while. I have no idea what to expect from JB, though, I gave them a shot because of their cheap shipping rates.

I’ve imported several times from JB. In the past shipping was expensive and they never offered reduced rates on shipping for multiple items ordered, however, I just ordered four titles during a recent sale and they finally appeared to have changed this. I’ll have to wait and see if it’s any faster though.

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

This is something that I never understood. In Canada, we aren’t actually suppose to pay import fees on media products. Our customs states that DVDs and Blu-rays are tax exempt. So, why the hell are these places pre-charging for import fees?!?! Also, when Amazon charges import fees, I have NEVER been refunded that amount.

I’ve been refunded import fees from Amazon.com but never the full amount.

[gentileschi]

Thanks for the info on JB! Yeah, sounds pretty much like my Aussie ebay experiences - I won't complain as long as my purchases arrive without incident, which sounds like the case for most. I wasn't sure about ordering from there but I couldn't turn down the $1 shipping cost?? Though they charged a lot more for a slightly heavier set, by which I mean a slipbox with a few more discs.

[Rui]

Originally Posted by gentileschi

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever imported from Australia (JB Hi-Fi, specifically)? I do know from ebay experience that parcels from there can take a while. I have no idea what to expect from JB, though, I gave them a shot because of their cheap shipping rates.

i'll echo what others have said. my order arrived ok, but shipment took quite a bit. I wasn't charged anything extra.

One extra bit to note is that JB charges Australian tax which you can actually email them to credit back to you because you're not an Australian citizen.

Originally Posted by Hitman Horton

When it comes to paying duty on something, I believe that's up to people at customs to decide whether or not to charge anything. My suggestion would be to eliminate that part of your list because it may not be accurate. I know some places like Amazon always charge you for it but if you don't have to pay they refund it to you.

IMO there's still value to keeping it as relevant info because we may be able to factor in how often it happens from certain retailers (because of the shipment method they use or perhaps how they fill in the customs form, etc..etc..)

[spawningblue]

Originally Posted by Habsfan77

Personally, my experience with Mondo Macabro has been great. I ordered 3 or 4 times and it was very well packed and I didn't pay any duty fees. The value on the custom form was valued down to something like $5.

That's strange as the two times I ordered from them (Both were only two films) I was charged import fees. And they wrote the full amount. I order a LOT and rarely get charged, but both times from Mondo I did. We'll see how my next order with Blood Splattered Bride goes.

[Animatic33]

Originally Posted by aaron158

looks like amazon uk isnt the only one forcing to pay the import fee on all shipping options now amazon.de is to. the standard option use to have no fee but now it requires u to pay the import fee.

another thing thats odd is Standard Shipping the slowest option 7-19 days cost around 9 euros. but AmazonGlobal Standard (9-12 business days) was on 3,59 euro the fast option cost less money.

germany also unlike the uk dont really have any other good options to buy from there is one store called jpc.de but there prices are quite high and shipping cost start at 9 euro.

x-post from UK Deals (12/2/2017)

[aaron158]

Originally Posted by RCRochester

I’ve imported several times from JB. In the past shipping was expensive and they never offered reduced rates on shipping for multiple items ordered, however, I just ordered four titles during a recent sale and they finally appeared to have changed this. I’ll have to wait and see if it’s any faster though.
t.

actually before 2014 there old website use to charge shipping based on weight so it would start at like 8 bucks and then as u added more it would just go up a little they would ship everything in one package. but in 2014 after they re did the website they stopped combining items into 1 package now its basically treating each item as if it were its own order and charging a full shipping cost for it they no long ship multiple items in 1 package every item will be put in its own mailer. if they finally fixed this again that would be great having to pay 8.5 for each item sucked i asked there c/s if they could fix that once before and they said no that its just the way it is now.

another thing thats odd is the shipping method they use air mail the shipping label has a bar code and what looks like a standard tracking number. but the packages are totally not trackable on there post offices website. shipments are also super slow from there i had one that took 4 months to show up.

also even if an items shows in stock dont always mean it will ship right away because apparently they have several warehouses for online shopping but only 1 of them is aloud to ship items overseas so even if it says the item is in stock it might not be in stock at the warehouse that can ship to canada. so if u ever have an item that's in stock but hasn't shipped out its probably not in stock at there warehouse that can ship things overseas. if u want the item quickly its best to message c/s and ask if they can have one transferred from another warehouse as normally rather then do that they order it direct from the supplier witch can take like 2-3 weeks but could take upto 12 they said to come in vs a couple days to transfer from one of there other locations.

[tezster]

For Amazon US - just use a cross border shipping service. There are no additional import fees aside from sales taxes, and customs fees will be applied in a very consistent basis i.e. if you're not supposed to be charged for it, you aren't.