I'll never buy from the US again...

[GnRNut]

It's not the seller's fault or even America's fault I guess... Canadian Customs and brokerage fees make me want to :tears: I bet I'm paying $200 in fees on a $500 item because of those sick grubbers :(

[Unican_Eric]

Yeah, Thats why I try to buy from Canada. Lots of deals in the states but after its all said and done we did'nt save a thing.

[merrylander]

The only way it works is if you have a fellow AK member just across the border from your location. So much for all the political bullshit about free trade, that only works for busnisses, not for the rest of us.

Rob

[GnRNut]

yeah... I mean shit, they're charging PST for god's sake PST! they never made the god damned sale... it's highway robbery.

[Markus111]

It's insanity. I'm in Detroit, and my brother is across the border. He bought a guitar from New York. Delivered to my house - $46. Delivered to his - $238. How crazy is that??????

Mark

[luvvinvinyl]

Been there, done that, brought back the T-shirt. (Literally!)

[rulerboyz]

Sorry to hear that GnRNut. I had a bad feeling that this was going to happen. The good news is that I'm sure you won't get bitten again like this.

Unican Eric, you ought to consider opening up a PO box in the States. I get all kinds of stuff shipped to Massena and enjoy the occasional deal from ebay. When you can work with customs directly and act as your own broker it can be pretty reasonable. I guess I'm a pretty bad Canadian since I buy most of my stuff over there. :D

[GnRNut]

?! how do you do that

[rulerboyz]

?! how do you do that


I live right next to the bridge to the US border, so I go over there on a regular basis.

[Manitoulin]

For high priced items, shipping to a US address and picking it up can help. I have used the UPS Store in Ogdensburg NY to do this.

If a seller sends you an item with an inflated price on the customs paper work (thinking he is doing you a favour) for insurance purposes, you will pay excess duties. You can appeal the fees by proving the actual fee paid.

Unless the item is very bulky, have it sent via USPS as opposed to UPS. Canada Post charges a $5 fee for brokerage, UPS charges at least $40. Even if the duties are $1, UPS will charge $40 minimum. That is robbery.

[OvenMaster]

Maybe things have changed since I lived in Canada in the 80's... I know the GST makes a difference, but I left before it went into effect.
I remember buying my very first CD player in the states, knowing full well that I would pay duty and taxes bringing it into Canada. CD players were so new at the time (1986) that they were still considered "phonographs" in the Canada Customs tariff manual!
I had a great conversation with the Customs official the day I brought it into the office. After showing him my receipt, converting it to Canadian funds, paying the duties and taxes, he asked me, "Now, tell me, how much did you actually save?" I did some quick mental math and said, "Between $150 and $200." His jaw dropped. I said, "Look. If I could buy it in Canada at that price, along with getting the 10-day no-questions-asked return policy, of COURSE I'd do it! But I can't. That $150 to $200 I saved is a whole paycheck for me."
He just quietly nodded, said he understood totally. And then we started on a convo about which player was best, what should he look for, etc.
Every. Single. Time. that I dealt with anyone at Canada Customs it was a pleasureable experience. Even paying the duties and taxes, I saved money. They knew it and I knew it.

From what I see you guys saying here, I'm gathering that things are a lot worse now, and I'm truly sorry to see it. I really wish you could have had my experiences with Customs. I never had a problem, ever.

Tom

[luvvinvinyl]

Only one time have I ever had a 'problem' dealing with a Border Agent, the actual person. My beef is with the policy that they are required to enforce. Even the one 'problem' was only somebody doing their job to the 'letter of the law'. Spend $25 in adminstative costs, to collect $7.50 in sales taxes. No "duty" anymore, just that damnable 15% in sales taxes, in Ontario.

[HIFICrazy]

Over a 4 years period, I have bought 250 to 300 items in States. Except for 4 items, all goods has been ship by USPS to Canada, and on all these items I have paid taxes and duty on 10 to 15 of them.
May be I was lucky because in these items there was some big boxes: Sewing machine, electric tools, computer scanner, amplifier, tuner, DVD player, speakers etc... All these items came to me at the winning price on Ebay plus the shipping. I also bought some clothes for my wife, toys for my son, Gamecube games, computers games, computer accessories, etc....etc.... I just receive yesterday a Creative Zen Vision M without paying taxes, duty or brokerage.
One thing I never do is to bid on something that is not shipped via USPS. If the seller refuse to ship by mail, I do not bid even if it is something that I was looking for long time
.

[Manitoulin]

There is no logic on when you pay duties, though.

I have had boxes with $100 sail through and paid on a $10 item.

[Axcel]

:thumbsdn: Rip off bought a $145 receiver from the USA and was charged $66 in duties and brokerage. a 30 year old receiver holy sh-t. Money grab:thumbsdn: