Worst Online Shopping Experience... from SparkFun?

Roko:
Out of curiosity, did you chose Fedex economy or Fedex priority?

I used FedEx Economy.

Roko:
Edit: I found this blog post which deals with brokerage fees to Canada…

http://www.thegatesofdawn.ca/wordpress/ … rage-fees/

Thank you for the article. It was definitely a very enlightening read that I wish I had read that before I ordered. I should check if there is a CBSA office in my city where I could pay customs directly in the future. The author describes FedEx's brokerage fees as "extortionate", but I think one of the other comment's puts it more accurately as "highway robbery". :roll:

Roko:
“They” say that FedEx Ground will have brokerage fees, but FedEx Int’l Economy and Priority should have those included…

The FedEx representatives I spoke to - not to mention my wallet - care to disagree. :(

Roko:
Is it perhaps possible that SF wasn’t aware that the brokerage fees would be waived if the shipment was returned? (Did you communicate that to them, or did they just assume that you were trying to push the brokerage fees back to them)

Here is the email I sent to SparkFun when I was asking for instructions about returning the items. Please note that, at the time, the FedEx representatives had provided me with the impression that fees were entirely for customs. It was only later that I discovered the FedEx representatives were misrepresenting the fact that **FedEx** was charging me the majority of the fees. If the email below didn't make it clear enough that the fees would be waived, I did when I called SparkFun. I sent another email after this one repeating my explicit request for the exact expected refund.

Dear Returns Representative,

After speaking with FedEx again, I have been informed that the fees are for customs and that I will not have to pay them if I decline the order, returning the goods to the supplier. Due to the large extra customs charges, I must decline the order and I would like to return the items to SparkFun for a refund.

I have read SparkFun’s return policy. I have not even seen the box containing the shipped items as I never accepted the order from FedEx.

Please let me know the instructions for returning the items to SparkFun, noting I do not have and never have had contact with the box. I would also like to confirm that I will be refunded the value of my order.

Thank you

brainwav:
… next time I would order from RobotShop instead. Choose the usps shipping from swparkfun instead.

I can assure you that I will be ordering from Canadian reseller next time.