Shipping to Western Canada from the U.S.A

[leadsled]

This is what my friend has been doing. He forwarded the info to me.Seems i can save a few bucks shipping costs seeing as I live 30 minutes from Canada/U.S border

Birch Bay Storage Service

4550 Birch Bay/Lynden Rd.

Blaine, Wa. 98230

360-371-7442

Talk to Lorraine or Lynn, tell them that you are Canadian and that you would like to have your goods shipped to them and they will set you up. They have a fee of $10 US per year + a $2 receiving fee for each item and a storage fee if you don't pick up your goods within a reasonable time.

When you have something shipped there have the shipper label it:

Your Name

c/o Birch Bay Storage Service etc.\

I have used there service for aprox. 10 years with no problems. Phone them when you are expecting something to arrive so it won't get returned because you didn't pick it up.

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

Great idea. I'm lucky, my wife has relatives in Minnesota that I get stuff shipped to. More often then not, they also bring it up for me when they visit. Would of been funny to have seen my 65 year old aunt explain the used Yosh pipe to the border staff.

[sunnyboy]

Thanks for the tip. I also live very close to the border. What do you tell the border staff?

[leadsled]

They ask how long you've been in the U.S and the value of goods you are bringing back. Then they instruct you what to do. Usually charge you a few dollars for taxes. Duty is usually only charged if the product is manufactured outside of North America. The big savings are on shipping and handling fees. The retailers are giving free shipping on certain sized orders within the Continental U.S. And the shippers charge exhorbatant handling fees to clear things through customs.

[leadsled]

Strong word of advice with border guards. Never offer extra information, just answer their questions to the point. People who ramble on with explanations or offer info to questions not asked get treated as suspicious