rapidotrains Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Hi guys, Right now if you order the F40 locos from VIA Rail Canada the P&P to the UK turns up as astronomical. I have been working with them on this. Apparently, someone up high in the souvenirs department has decided that they can't ship the F40 locos via regular post because there is no tracking and insurance. They've had issues in the past where customers overseas claim that they never received their goods and the souvenirs department got a "charge back" from the credit card company because they couldn't prove the goods arrived. The shipping via four-day courier service with tracking and insurance is an incredibly high $82 CAD. This is not acceptable to a lot of people, and I've let them know. My colleague at VIA is now proposing that they still send the locomotives by the $82 courier service but eat $32 of the cost and only charge UK customers $50 for insured, four-day courier service for one or two engines. This is not confirmed yet - it's just a proposal. Anyone who has already ordered will get the lower rate. What do you think about that? $50 for one-week service is cheaper than I've ever seen. To compare, Canada Post airmail for two F40s with no insurance and no tracking info is about $42 and takes 7-14 days. I want to get feedback from F40 customers (or potential F40 customers) in the UK before I report back to VIA. Thanks, Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
torikoos Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 As Dutchmaster says, Not to mention, quite often the cost of the item PLUS shipping is what you pay your VAT , BTW, MwSt (or what ever it's called in your respective countries) over. So even an item below the tax treshold, can be OVER the treshold when adding the shipping, and on top of that you get a handling fee by the shipper.....so things can turn out very expensive. Several small detail parts shipping on their own therefore have become astronomical for me on more than one occasion... The only way to avoid any of that, is to have a value on the parcel of 0 or gift or 'commercial sample' or similar, but then you won't get any money back from the courier if they damaged it either.... 50CAD seems very reasonable for such a quick service! Looking up the conversion rate: 1.00 CAD, = 0.547247 GBP. so this would be £27.36 in shipping from across the big pond. Not bad I think! I really love this model by the way, but I model US, and would need an Amtrak version...... I might even buy more than one in such case, which is what Jason would prefer anyway, saves on shipping , and only one handling fee :-) Koos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mp55aec Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 If they don't change the price then 12 UK buyers should nominate a person to go over and physically collect! You cant really blame Canada post for a mess up in Holland they come up pretty good in my books, opposite on the scale to Italy or Spain! Another option might be for you to use your own courier collect with tracking if they allow, I got an MTH shipped from the USA in 3 days for £26 using Parcel Hero, all the seller had to do is label and it was then door to door. MP Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 i got a bit of flak on this forum when I drew the cost of shipping to the UK from VIA into the equation over the cost of Rapido-quality models in the UK. Anything which VIA can do to reduce the cost will be welcome because the way they shipped in the past, the goods go into a rip-off British outfit called ParcelForce. It used to be the parcels section of Royal Mail but now I think it is just a private company. The problem, then, is not just the cost of postage, its the fact that ParcelForce collects the VAT (tax) added by the customs AND puts on its own charge for collecting that tax. In the case of one of the C$105 VIA passenger cars, it was (if I remember the figures correctly) C$32 VIA charge for postage, + C$20 (£13.50)VAT + C$20 (£13.50)collection charge. Which made a C$105 car C$177 in the UK. The collection charge remains the same, whether the VAT is one pound or one hundred pounds. The VAT (20%) will, of course, be much more on a loco and the £13.50 charge would, therefore seem a bit less as a proportion of total cost. I'd say VIA's proposal is very generous. With a bit of luck, I can have my F40PH shipped to a friend or a relative in Canada and pick it up next time I visit. That means, of course, that I'll have to be patient and wait for it but we Brits are getting used to waiting for our models - particularly British ones! CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mp55aec Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I was once told import duty was to defend our nations domestic products, basically to try and tempt you to buy British, but now we are not the manufacturing giant we were perhaps it should be looked at, as china seem to make everything from our model trains to the 40ft coach my son goes to school on. So with a domestic industry to defend there import duties must be astrnomical! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I was once told import duty was to defend our nations domestic products, basically to try and tempt you to buy British, but now we are not the manufacturing giant we were perhaps it should be looked at, as china seem to make everything from our model trains to the 40ft coach my son goes to school on. So with a domestic industry to defend there import duties must be astrnomical! But you aren't paying import duties. You are paying VAT and a collection charge. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 $50 CAD seems pretty reasonable to me for tracked priority shipping. I'd be wary of untracked mail, that definitely seems to go missing more often. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northpoint Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I have ordered and was quite staggered at the shipping cost so anything that brings it down to a more acceptable level is welcome. I'd be wary of untracked mail, that definitely seems to go missing more often. I agree with that sentiment as Dutch Master well knows!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidotrains Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 Thanks everyone for your feedback. I have passed it on to VIA. We'll see if the $50 flat rate thing will work. I'll report back. -Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidotrains Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Hi all, We had some meetings with VIA's souvenirs department over the last few days about the high shipping costs to the UK and the USA. VIA has now brought the shipping under control. Orders to the UK will feature four-day, courier service with tracking and insurance for only $49.95 (about £27) for one or two locomotives. Orders to the USA will feature five-day, expedited service with tracking and insurance for only $34.95 (about $32 US) for one or two locomotives. This is much more reasonable than what was being quoted before. If you ordered earlier with the higher rate, you will be charged the lower rate when the locomotives ship. It was very important to VIA to have tracking and insurance included, and this thread has revealed to me that sending via any other method to the UK is a recipe for disaster. You can now order the F40PH-2D locos from VIA's web site directly: http://www.viaf40.com Thanks, Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc4199 Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Just curious, as VIA has to use a courier, will 'brokerage fees', apply on the UK end? Cheers. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 There will be a charge for VAT plus an admin fee for the carrier concerned, I expect. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 If the model is exported, is GST still applied? Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidotrains Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 If the model is exported, is GST still applied? Nick No. GST/HST is only applied for domestic sales. -Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Thanks Jason, Tax Canada's website isn't all that clear on whether exports can be zero rated. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 E-mail received from VIA Rail showing postage to UK now at C$49.95. Thanks, Jason. Mine is still likely to be mailed to Toronto. It's swings and roundabouts as Canadian tax gets charged if I do that.CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted July 6, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 6, 2014 That is a very reasonable shipping rate for buying models from NA, for four day courier service it is actually a bargain. Tx for arranging this with VIA!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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