Disclaimer - I do not work for Big L although I did work for some of their predecessor companies way back in the day circa 1975 to 1985.
Greg: What do you mean by the phrase "they collect their commission in bulk"?
Brokerage is collected for each transaction based on several factors including the type of transaction(entry), the work involved and the value of the shipment.
All entries, prior to release, up to 250 invoice lines must be submitted by being typed into Customs system. This takes time. I have no idea what internal procedures Big L uses today and I have heard many times that they take longer to get entries submitted.
I will suggest to you that their high volumes might be a factor but that is only speculation on my part. I doubt they hire "idiots" and doubt that they "don't care" but that is as far as I will go in their defence.
Best of the Season!
Another thing, as I was talking to another EO member last night about this issue, there are a few brokers who have idiots manning the phones, Livingston is one such place. Remember that they don't care, their commission is collected in bulk and they can afford to make people sit.
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