UPS is a RIPoff

We bought a floor lamp online a few weeks ago from a US based site. It was $79 plus $29 for shipping. Not bad for a floor lamp, especially since we haven't seen anything we've liked here in Toronto. Well anything that's somewhat reasonably priced.

The package arrived today with a C.O.D. of $42.55. Apparently UPS charges an arm and a leg for Customs Brokerage Fees. I was slightly pissed, to say the least. I let the UPS guy know, and fully agreed, even going so far as to say that all the guys he works with never use UPS when buying from Ebay or anything.

I also called the online company to find out what the story was and spoke with a very nice, sympathetic woman. She said that they get calls like this from their Canadian customers all the time. She also advised that I could have chosen USPS instead at the time of ordering. I told her that the reason I didn't was that their page made it seem like UPS was the only choice for Canada, since it was the only selection with reference to it. She apologized and said that she's asked the web developer to change that numerous times.

In the end it's not entirely their fault that UPS likes to rape people, but I wish they'd have made the options clearer. I had no choice but to pay it, but lesson learned.

Never use UPS for anything.