Anyone in Canada... just have a question...

euphoria18

As most know i live in Canada. Now... i have had such unreal probs with customs. Everything from waiting almost 2 months for a package because they are "holding" it, to know what has happened. One day... i mailed out 11 packages... all to the US. Because i filled out the declaration form on each one very similar... they want me to "prove the value" of the package... so they returned all 11 of the packages... with a $12 "handling and GST" bill.
Does anyone else have probs like this... or... is it just me because i send so many out at a time?

Undertaker

I have had my problems with customs as well..
not that they returned packages, but that they charge me to recieve them.. it all depends on how ppl send the packages (fill in the customs form correctly)
btw.. I'm from Europe

Vincecarder

Yes I have had tons of problems with Canada customs. I think they are just money hungry. They have let some packages slip that have been marked way too high and meanwhile they stop some at $40-50 range and tax me. Why should I have to pay these guys handling fees? For them to look at the package and either open it or stamp it, it costs you handling fees. I mean how easy is that job. Hmmm, let me look at this package...oh I handled it....$12 please. Customs officials are vultures.

One case I remember was this woman customs official. She thought she was smart and had a price guide handy with her. The package was from Hawaii (the worst place to get packages from, everything get's stopped). I had a 99-00 Upper Deck century mark Jason Williams jersey card. It had some crazy book value price on it ($300 at the time) and this is what the customs offfical wanted to peg the value of the card at and for me to pay taxes. I told her listen.....just because the price guide says that doesn't mean it's worth anything near that. Could be worth $1000 and the guide wouldn't know. I explained to her 5 times that the card was part of a trade and no cash was given therefore I should not pay taxes. She charged me $23 for handling fees and I forgot the value she put on the card. I just wish I was a customs for a day so I could charge her $1000 in taxes so she could feel the crap some of us have to go through. Don't even get me started on the guy I made a trade with who wrote the value of the package as $1500!!!! My god that cause so many problems and I had to pay taxes (took 3 months to get my money back). Freaking customs.......I'd like to stamp their heads with an "Idiot" stamp

Undertaker

<<I'd like to stamp their heads with an "Idiot" stamp >>


hehe I hear ya

Belfan

I don't live in Canada, but I do send a whole lot of cards there, being a primarily hockey dealer. To my knowledge I haven't had problems with anything I sent out, maybe the buyer, or other party just never told me about there trouble. When buying stuff from Canada, I've never had trouble at all. Maybe the US is just more lax in little things like collecting taxes on hockey cards (how petty). They should be ashamed of themselves if they are gouging you guys like that.

Chris did you have trouble with the package I sent you?

milbroco

Hello everyone. Hope I can help some of you - if I remember my situation accurately. About 9 to 12 months ago, I sent an ebay lot of T206's to a winning bidder in Canada. When I went to ship them, the U.S. Post Office told me I could insure the package and check off the box that said "gift" on the slip I filled out. He explained that this should eliminate any taxes the receiptant would be liable for since it was not a monetary transaction (even though it was). Next time you complete a trade, have the person shipping to Canada check off the box "gift" or whatever it says and do NOT claim any type of monetary exchange. This may help with customs and taxes and I sure hope it does help.
Best of luck,
Bob.

euphoria18

Hey Belfan,
no i never had probs with yours. To receive... i havent had probs with about 80% of them. I dont know why they are being *sses about sending now. I have to redo 11 packages... and spend more money on stamps...lol... which in the end will cost around $50 because i am gonna send some express post.
How freaking stupid...lol.

Hey belfan.. ready for another trade...lol.

euphoria18

Actually mil... you have been misinformed. I have argued with both customs and the post office about that. Customs will tax anything with a value on it. If the package is worth more than $30 canadian... they will tax it even if the gift box is checked off. If it comes out to under $30 canadian.. they arent supposed to tax it if it is a gift... but they do...lol.
Spent many hours arguing and fighting with them.

milbroco

euphoria18 - I guess I was misinformed. WOW - I really feel bad for you guys with that customs situation.