hi everybody!

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just wanted to point out that BBTS currently has TFCon Exclusive Nightbird on preorder for 29.99 each while TFSource has the same item In Stock for a much higher price of 125.00... what gives?

TFSource sucks?

Actually, it's a terrible figure and I don't recommend buying it. I have the Arcee version and all it does is fall apart. I guess all it needs is a little superglue but the fact remains that it's a poorly-designed and -made figure. So BBTS might have been just trying to get rid of them on clearance, and the number of orders inexplicably was higher than their stock, thus the preorder. That's my theory, anyway.

^^I agree. Not a good figure. I was tempted for a couple of seconds and then I picked up my Arcee and realized, I'd rather spend the money on something worth the money.

so I just received another package from BBTS and got hit with a whopping 8.50 for "handling fee". that really hurts...

I've been buying a lot from Japan lately. Mostly through AmiAmi. Have never paid a single customs fee, since shopping with them from June 2010. I've had items arrived with $50 to $300 valued on the box. Yesterday I had an item arrive from HLJ, and got smacked with a $35 custom fee. It seems I have luck with AmiAmi. I know others who have been charged customs here, locally, who ordered with AmiAmi. Weird.

I think it depends on the shipping service. Amiami ships from Japan using EMS, which in my experience never charge import/custom duty. When I buy from HLJ I usually use Fedex (because it's often a bit cheaper than EMS), I get dinged custom duty by Fedex when they deliver. Either case it's still cheaper to buy from Amiami and HLJ for Japanese toys. Amiami's selling prices are usually 26% off and cheaper than HLJ's average 20% off, but Amiami's stocks are selling fast and they are sold-out/back-ordered on many items. HLJ have more products in stock and they have big sales from time to time.

I don't want to buy from BBTS because they ship with UPS.

The item I just got from HLJ was shipped by EMS. I've had a high rate of custom charges by them over the last couple years. Usually when I get HLJ to ship by SAL, I don't get charged customs at all.

I never use Fedex or UPS because I always get hit with customs fees. The rare chances I buy from BBTS, it's always through USPS. I find that if the package is worth $40-50 there is a pretty good chance of not getting charged customs fees. For me, when buying from the States, it's always through USPS.

I use a similar mentality when buying from Amiami, Hobby Search, or HLJ, in that $50ish by SAL and $50> by EMS. Generally works out 99% of the time, customs free. I also take the size of the package into consideration when choosing a shipping method, sometimes.

Wow, bad luck venksta getting hit with customs using EMS on your last HLJ order. I got him by customs once years ago when buying from HLJ or HS when I didn't have my system in place, never had probs with Amiami.

It highly depends on value and package of the toys I am buying. When I was buying high ticket and big box items like Prefect Grade and Master Grade Gundam kits from HLJ, I have few choices but use Fedex.

If I am buying relatively small and cheap things, then SAL will do just fine.

Um what? Smacked by an $8.50 handling fee? You're joking right? I would be happy if that's all I had to pay lol...unless it's BBTS themselves charging it. If that's the case, then yeah, that sucks.

You normally get charged customs regardless of the shipping method if the item is over $100 value. If you shipped a higher-value package and didn't get charged, then you lucked out. Although for certain express services, the fees may be included in the cost.

BBTS is fine if you use USPS, but there's a maximum value of $400 before they automatically upgrade it to UPS. You will likely still get charged by Canada Customs through USPS, but it's just a fact of life, and nowhere near as bad as if you shipped by UPS.

Never use UPS or Fedex. Not only do you get charged by Customs, but they charge their own Brokerage fees which are a complete ripoff. I'm talking a total of $60 fees on a $100 item. Ridiculous. I boycott all the couriers because of that and only use postal services.