Shipping to Canada

Thanks - that is the way I will go I think, unfortunately if it is shipped when they say it will be Christmas, and the lines at the border…

The expected shipping date you mention—is that the estimate in you account page? That is the date they expect to send you the Golden Ticket email asking for the address to send you your laser.

It will still be up to 6 weeks after that email before UPS is given your machine to deliver it.

Also, you will receive 3 packages. One should be received earlier in the 6 week window, and is the starter proofgrade pack that ships from Tennessee. The other two ship from California, but sometimes arrive on different days.

That is my shipping notification date - so it looks like I won’t be in a Christmas lineup at the border. Perhaps in a lineup at the border in February…
Golden ticket email? - wait, is this a reference to Charlie and the Chocolate factory? I hope they have a chocolate in the box.

Thanks for this - I wasn’t aware there is a 3 part shipping, - wonder if I can ship the simple packages to the house and the laser to the Shipping drop point.

Ups tends to charge brokerage on personal items. Business they often waive as its usually part of the account and you give them repeat business. Don’t know why.

UPS will try to charge brokerage fees, but you can always tell them you wish to “self broker”. Even if they show up at your Canadian address with a US package. At that point they need to send you the customs paperwork so that you can complete the brokerage on your own.

The mistake a lot of people make is they sign the terminal when UPS shows up, or they agree to settle an account via the web page to “ensure there are no delays in shipment” (and bill you for Brokerage).

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I’m in BC and had mine shipped to the US. Posted my experience here:

It went swimmingly.

I also uh, fudged customs and claimed that the large unmarked box I was transporting was a vinyl cutter that I had purchased on Cyber Monday with a value below the allowed declarable and was sent through without so much as a second glance… That’s at your own risk obviously.

Sounds like a good experience, I think that is the prudent way to go, and really most of us live near the US somewhere, I have to take the ferry to the mainland so mine will be a day long activity, but my sister is in White Rock and makes great banana bread, so it won’t be a total loss!
Thanks for your post!

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wow, you took a chance there with the border. I haven’t always declared everything I brought in, but keep in mind that they know when you went into the USA. so if you only go for a few hours and they assume you went shopping, in fact you told them so, the likelihood that they would ask to see the invoice is very very high. at least here in Quebec…

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I picked mine up in Blaine.
Security Mail Blaine Wa.
250 H St.

Super easy to set up an account and have it shipped there. Only paid the tax. Bring your receipt and a copy of the manual (help the Customs guys figure out what you’re talking about)

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Thanks for the shipping drop point note, I will contact them.

However I got ahead of myself, I got a note saying it will ship on the 15th - then a few days later - moved to the 20th - then 2 days later to the 26th. I am now officially afraid to check my ship date.

I’m a patient guy and I run a global educational toy business, but seriously there is little worse than this constant slippage in promised dates. They know or they don’t - and in business if you don’t know then say it - and if it is going to be late tell me the correct date. I would never promise my clients product and then say, oh I really meant 3 weeks from that date - or is it 6 weeks, they’d stop doing business with me! (of course once we have the GF we will stop doing business with them I suppose).

Anyway, I am now ready to ship (to the USA! - hint hint in case staff is following this) and have a plan, now I just have to stop checking…

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I see where you’re coming from. And it is very frustrating. And it’s worth complaining about. But in my interpretation they’ve always said they don’t know. The email notification date on the account page is just an estimate, just as it’s titled: Estimated Shipping Notification Date. I’ve never seen them use the word ‘promise’ or ‘guarantee’ when it comes to when one will get their GF. Waiting for the GF allows us to practice our Zen, an equanimity one begins to embrace by the decision to look no longer at one’s estimated notification date.

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I just picked mine up across the BC border at Metaline Falls in Washington State, I declared the value and paid about $400 CAD in taxes - was less than I was expecting and once glowforge started working was more than I was expecting. So happy to have this beast up and running

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My shipping date has now been moved to September. I’m in Calgary. Seriously considering having it shipped to Montana and going to pick it up. What I don’t understand is how we as customers can get it across the border legally if Glowforge can’t ship them to us. I’m getting no answers from customer service … just going around and around in circles.

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Glowforge can’t really answer that kind of question - it could potentially place them in a bit of a legal bind. What they can say is we can ship it to any address in the US.

The answer to how is that there are gadzillions of products in the world, the vast majority of which are perfectly legal to import into Canada. The customs person can’t be expected to know which ones should be kept out beyond the expected ones (illegal substances, certain ag products, etc…), plus no one wants an irate Canadian yelling at them how they bought this in the US and I can’t take it home??? So it really benefits no one to learn the minuitiae of not yet approved electronic devices. Far better to ask what it is, collect the duty and wish them a nice day.

The main downside to importing it yourself is that if you ever need it serviced (under warranty) you have to drive it back to the US or pay for shipping yourself. IIRC, however, some warranty items you may have to pay for shipping anyway and from what I understand it may be cheaper to make the drive to the US.

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Ah ha! Ok so the answer is that bringing is across is not technically legal because it doesn’t have the certification blah blah blah. My concern is that the date is just going to keep being pushed out and out and then one day I’ll get a “we’re very sorry but we were unable to obtain Canadian certification so we will not be sending you a unit.” Meanwhile they’ve had a significant chunk of my money for nearly 3 years. Uggg. Seems like I’ll have to choose between the inconvenience and cost of driving to pick it up and maybe having to transport it again if there are warranty issues or waiting for another year or more to MAYBE get one.

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The other thing, if Health Canada were to ultimately decide “no, we are allergic to lasers” it would get confiscated at a border. If it were not delivered we could get a refund having never received it but if you do collect it in the US and bring it over you risk running the chance it be confiscated and not refunded.

I nearly picked it up in the US but if it’s broken the “make it right” policy means you have to drive back to return it. So check it on the US side at the holding or at a hotel close. If it breaks when you’re back home you have to drive back to the US to send it back and drive to the US for the replacement…

So the Glowforge doesn’t actually ship to Canada then…? Everyone here has gone across the border to get it and paid the taxes on it? Has anyone in Canada had it shipped via UPS to their actual address, and if so, what was that cost? Just weighing my options for when my email eventually arrives…

All reported Canadian receipts we’re via delivery to the border & a pickup. GF has not announced that they’ve overcome the regulatory hurdles yet that are required to ship for delivery in Canada.

I haven’t read of anyone doing this, but I have read plenty of posts about UPS and Canada and not one was positive. The general opinion is that it UPS wants a small fortune to ship a small box of feathers across the border.

Maybe I’m not interpreting this correctly, but if you’re in Canada and you get the email it will have already shipped - too late to change your mind. You need to contact glowforge and have your address changed to the US. At that point they will ship your glowforge to your US address and after that it is up to you. I haven’t paid attention to the import duties paid, but if you have it shipped to an address in the state of Washington you’ll pay their sales tax. Ship it to any other state and you’ll not be charged sales tax. I believe you can file forms with the state of Washington to have the sales tax refunded to you.

@caribis2, @jamesdhatch - I haven’t gotten my email yet, just anticipating one later in the fall. I am closest to Washington, and will probably have them ship it there.