Yeah, it can be a crapshoot ordering to Canada… I’ve had more problems with UPS than FEDEX personally… That’s why whenever I can I try for USPS, since they don’t screw you for brokerage…
I agree, though, it’s nice to order from Canadian companies whenever you can to avoid these issues… And Purolator or Canada Post are both fast and relatively cheap. Ultimately most US companies have no idea about, and don’t care about the details for shipping to Canada – The onus is on the customer.
Unfortunately there are alot of US distributors for electronic or mechanical parts with no Canadian equivalents that I know of for small orders. 