Tag: Indie

I was asked to submit a blog entry for the Southern Writers Magazine. I was quite pleased and was allowed to submit what I liked provided it helped writers. So I picked a subject dear to my heart: editing. If you click the cool button on this post it will take you to my entry.

In other news, I successfully completed the NaNoWriMo with a couple of days to spare. Here’s a fun story: I was so happy to have completed the challenge I decided to purchase their “I am a Winner” t-shirt, to celebrate. It cost $16 USD. I hesitated then said “why not?”. I then went to my cart and found out the shipping was a whopping $16 USD. “Wait a moment,” I said. I scratched my head and thought maybe it isn’t worth it. “Hogwash! It totally is!” I answered and smashed the check out button.

Fast forward a little over a week later. I get a notice from Canada Post saying I have to pick up a package at the nearest outlet. I head over and I find out I am being charged $12.77 CAD for a handling fee. No duty, but taxes, and they added a $9.99 CAD handling fee. “What!?” I exclaimed to the poor girl behind the counter. She shrugged and happily ran my card.

Back home, I went to the Canadian Border Services Agency website and found out that any small packages that require hands-on inspection get charged a $9.99 handling fee – EXCEPT when no duty AND/OR taxes is charged. I was charged $2.76 CAD in taxes, so CBSA added $10 more bucks. Cause, why not? I feel robbed, truly. My $16 USD t-shirt cost me around $45 CAD. Woah is me. And it’s really a cheap t-shirt. Dammit!

I hate the border stuff. I was once charged $20 CAD by a company that arbitrarily scoops up packages at the border and delivers it to you. Cough. DHL. Cough. I hate those guys. They grab your package and hold it hostage until you pay up. This is not a duty. This is ON TOP of the shipping and handling you already paid the company that shipped it to you. It’s a scam, all supported by CBSA. Grrr. If I buy a dozen of my novels to sell I then have to add that increase.

I wonder how their business model works?

“Hey, our quarterly revenues aren’t as high as last quarter,” says corporate exec #1.

Corporate exec #2 looks up from his rare wagyu steak, which he has just covered in ketchup. “No, really?”

“Yeah. Dammit. Call the border, tell them to scoop up, I dunno, say another thousand parcels? That should work out to a new Mercedes! Bahahaha!”

“Bahahaha! Make it two thousand!”

They laugh for an hour and then head home in their BMWs.

That’s how I see it going down….