It’s not very often that we get orders from our friends in the north. We generally ship using UPS, and due to the customs brokerage fees that apply when shipping to Canada, many prospective customers find it too expensive to order. Even ordering the minimum number of mugs can result in a fee upwards of fifty Canadian dollars in addition to the normal shipping rates. However, one customer recently found a way to avoid the costs, and we wanted to share that story with you just in case you’re reading this in Canada and have always wanted to offer your very own handmade stoneware mugs at your bed & breakfast, inn or restaurant.
Lynn Ferguson and Michael McClacherty, owners of the Bee & Thistle Guest House in Vancouver, used a shipping address in Washington. Well, we were curious so that we thought we’d ask them how they did that exactly. It turns out that it’s very easy to do, and it can save customers lots of money.
“We were amazed how easy it is to have a U.S. address,” Lynn says. “There are several mailbox places in Blaine, for example, that are right across the border from us.” Lynn told us that the service she uses only charges them $10 annually to receive their parcels along with a minimal fee if they receive a large package.
“When they receive something for us, they immediately email us, and they are quite willing to hold it until we can get down there to pick it up,” she says. Both Lynn & Michael first heard about us and met us earlier this year at an industry conference in Portland, Oregon. Lynn says that she met several other bed & breakfast owners who were already loyal customers.
“One woman mentioned that she has numerous guests who collect them in different colors each year they visit,” she says.
