Cheap, easy way to get stuff from the States: DYK Post

[PedalFaster]

Enough of you drive to the Montana border to pick up car parts that we have a sticky thread on the topic.

I'd been seeing ads for "DYK Post", but they looked a bit sketchy, so I ignored them. Joe told me he'd used them, so I gave them a shot for a set of four 18" wheels that I had shipped from the States. Their total cost to get the wheels (not light at ~100 lbs. / 50 kg) to their shop in Calgary was $97 CAD -- way cheaper than any other quotes I got, and less than I would have paid for gas to drive to Montana and back, let alone the hassle and time commitment.

As far as I can tell, their deal is that they partner with a warehouse in Sweet Grass, and have a truck that does laps of an Edmonton-Calgary-Lethbridge-Sweet Grass circuit twice a week. They take packages to their Calgary shop in Marlborough, a block from Cam's shop.

I have no affiliation with the company -- I'm just a very satisfied customer.

https://www2.dykpost.com/canada-bound-shipping/

[94boosted]

Stephen I take it that the $97 was not inclusive of the warehouse fees (MSO and ATB charge per package) or the 5% GST charged by customs?

[PedalFaster]

I paid $235.79 in total, including duties and taxes. Without duties and taxes, the total came to $97. That was inclusive of the warehouse fee:

Code: [Select]

$ 71.42  duty
$ 63.08  customs tax
$  4.24  GST
-------
$138.74  duties and taxes

$ 45.00  customs brokerage
$ 30.00  DYK fees
$ 12.24  warehouse fee
$  7.34  disbursement fee
$  2.47  fuel surcharge
-------
$ 97.05  other costs
That was for a $900 USD set of wheels.

Their fee structure is in the link I posted above. They look like a no-brainer choice for large items like car parts. I haven't yet done the math on smaller items.

[rairdan93]

I’ve used DYK lots for the past couple years. Enough that they always remember me. So far so good. Costs for me are half instead of me driving 5hrs one way to sweet grass. Plus you don’t have to deal with crossing the border. Montana Mailbox, the warehousing company they use in sweet grass, has also given me great customer service. I needed NAFTA forms out of a package they had for me and they had no issue getting them out, scanning and emailing them to me at no charge. I meet DYK posts drivers in Red Deer to pick up my packages since they only have warehouses in Calgary and Edmonton. Great customer service, huge time saver and I recommend giving them a try to anyone who ships stuff to the border. I have run into company’s not selling certain parts to us in Canada so I ship it to the border and DYK has been a good solution for me to get them up here.

[94boosted]

Seems like a good option.

I'm surprised they made you pay duty as well as tax.... I've brought well over a hundred packages across over the last 5+ years including many sets of wheels and never paid duty, only tax. I know it's meant to be charged on anything manufactured/produced outside of the US but in my experience the CBSA never bothers to check the country of origin.

[rairdan93]

Here’s my invoice for my forgestar wheels(around $2500cnd) from Vorshlag. Vorshlag wanted $400usd to ship to my door plus taxes and customs fees.

[94boosted]

Thanks Matt. Looks like you only got charged tax not duty which makes sense.

[nnywg]

CBSA never bothers to check the country of origin.

They will if it's easy, like tires, where it's moulded right in to the sidewall.  But otherwise you're right.

[Joe-G]

They're also a really good option if you ever need to ship big/bulky things to the states.

Here's what it cost me to ship a set of four wheels to Oklahoma. 3 day service once it gets to Montana, for < $250 CAD.

[94boosted]

They're also a really good option if you ever need to ship big/bulky things to the states.

Here's what it cost me to ship a set of four wheels to Oklahoma. 3 day service once it gets to Montana, for < $250 CAD.

That's the all in cost for you dropping off the wheels at their location and them taking cared of everything else in order to get it to the final destination in the US?

[Joe-G]

They're also a really good option if you ever need to ship big/bulky things to the states.

Here's what it cost me to ship a set of four wheels to Oklahoma. 3 day service once it gets to Montana, for < $250 CAD.

That's the all in cost for you dropping off the wheels at their location and them taking cared of everything else in order to get it to the final destination in the US?

Yup, that's was all in. Didn't see any other costs from the receivers end either. 

[94boosted]

FYI I just called these guys and apparently they no longer pick up from MSO or ATB only from a company called Montana Mailbox. Just a heads up.