Shipping Woes

Why o why is it a pain to get things shipped from the States?

My boots arrived today......with an extra 25$ fee. Apparently I owe customs money. I have ordered from Torrid before and I have never had to pay customs. I was nervous the first time I ordered from them two years ago because of the shipping fee and because they say that some countries may add an extra customs fee, but I took the chance. The package arrived and there was no extra fee. I then placed a large order with them early this year and got this HUGE box (seriously I could fit at least 2 kids in it) but no extra fee to pay. Well this time I now have to pay. So in total these boots cost 49$, shipping was 41ish and now customs is 25. I have paid more in shipping than I have on the damn boots.

Now I don't mind paying customs or border taxes or whatever but if I am paying all of that why the hell am I still paying out of the nose to Torrid. I have ordered clothes from another site and it cost 8$ to ship to Canada from the States, once the clothes arrived I then paid 25ish$ in fees from the border. That is fine, but to pay almost 70$ in shipping for one item?? Really? I would expect it to have come from Australia!

I can't be mad at Torrid for this customs fee because they don't keep track of who charges what at the border but I am still mad at them for their shipping prices, and now I don't think I will ever order from them again. I would like to place more orders with them but I can't justify the insane prices they charge to ship something to Canada. Even if I had the money I would not spend it on that.

When I ordered two items from Old Navy (yes a smaller package than boots are) I paid close to 40 in shipping but I knew that there would be no extra or surprise charges once it arrived at my door. Why? Because they so nicely say below the total that the price you are paying for shipping includes all the border fees. Awesome! At least I know that in the close to 40$ in shipping some of it is paying for the border what nots. I have NO CLUE what the 40$ I paid to Torrid actually paid for. I heard it is cheap to ship things within the states.........maybe my boots traveled in a limo up the border???? If someone could correct me and tell me what is involved I would be grateful. But Torrid did not give me a break down of the shipping fee on my receipt. Or you could direct me to the info on the site?

Anyways, I did not have cash on me to pay for the surprise fee when the mail man came so I have to wait till tomorrow night (because the pharmacy, the unclaimed boxes go to, take forever to organize mail). These boots better be worth all of this.