Can't comment on PBK but my last order (May 2015) from Ribble shipped Royal Mail, delivered by Canada Post, involved no additional fees at delivery. In Canada, at least, there is no duty on "bike parts" and I haven't had to pay provincial sales tax on my orders which are always under $100 CAD. Your experience in the States may vary but I think that you also want to avoid getting orders shipped by private shippers- e.g. UPS, DHL, Fed Ex etc.