Order from the Us to Canada

Originally Posted by likeitaloud

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Man seriously Canada is a mess, you can't order anything unless you want it's incredibly overpriced (on top of how overpriced are high quality brands in US) and you can't buy it here since it's not for sale...

But... but... we have drugs!

I just try to do my shopping in the US.

Originally Posted by likeitaloud

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Just curious do they actually open your parcels on the border? Why not claim shirts at 4$ each? It's not like they are fashion experts there.

CBSA will occasionally open a package to verify the contents. They are the government, after all. And they are surprisingly deft when it comes to valuation for customs purposes.

Originally Posted by Mildly Consumptive

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CBSA will occasionally open a package to verify the contents. They are the government, after all. And they are surprisingly deft when it comes to valuation for customs purposes.

Even so tell me that people checking parcels there know how much different clothes are worth. Maybe they can differentiate Nike from Walmart brands but not much else.

I've ordered a ton of stuff on B&S and I just get the seller to label it as a $50 or under gift. Works like a charm almost every time. I've only had a package opened once and I think I got charged around $15.

They also seem to just forget to charge you duty from time to time. I bought a $400 sport coat, clearly marked as such on the customs form, and didn't have to pay duty for it.

Worst that can happen is they open it and you have to pay duty

Originally Posted by likeitaloud

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Even so tell me that people checking parcels there know how much different clothes are worth. Maybe they can differentiate Nike from Walmart brands but not much else.

Well, CBSA has access to the internet as well. So, if you order a bunch of shirts from a web-site, and the name of the company is on the customs declaration, as it must be, then the government can just go on the internet and find how much the shirts actually cost. And then charge you accordingly.

CBSA doesn't catch everything, but they catch a fair amount. It's kinda their job. Like, at a minimum, they visually inspect each piece of mail coming into the country.

Originally Posted by Mildly Consumptive

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Well, CBSA has access to the internet as well. So, if you order a bunch of shirts from a web-site, and the name of the company is on the customs declaration, as it must be, then the government can just go on the internet and find how much the shirts actually cost. And then charge you accordingly.

CBSA doesn't catch everything, but they catch a fair amount. It's kinda their job. Like, at a minimum, they visually inspect each piece of mail coming into the country.

So when you guys order from B&S you never pay duties? You either ask to label as gift or put in a minimum worth as they can't check that?

It is hit and miss if they bother to charge. About 90% of my orders from the US and UK have come duty and tax free when coming through the mail.

If the carrier is UPS then you are guaranteed to get dinged. Plus UPS charges a brokerage fee of about $35 on top of it all.

The only two times I got charged was on a order from Plal.com and thankfully they marked the value at $45US as opposed to the real $400 USD for some C&Js so it all worked out. The other time was a Peacoat from Sterling Wear and it came UPS so I got charged PST, GST and brokerage (no duty as it was made in USA so duty free as per NAFTA).

Got some shirts from the UK recently, no duty no tax and the insurance label clearly stated value of 100 Pounds. So again, it is hit and miss if the CBSA guys bother.

If the value is under $150 CDN it is not worth it to them as the transaction costs of pushing all that paper through the bloated government exceeds the value collected.

Originally Posted by likeitaloud

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So when you guys order from B&S you never pay duties? You either ask to label as gift or put in a minimum worth as they can't check that?

I've never asked someone to make a false report on a customs declaration, but some stuff arrived with low numbers, some stuff arrived with the proper value and were not charged duty or taxes, and some stuff arrived and was charged duty and taxes. You pays your money and you takes your chances.

Originally Posted by Mildly Consumptive

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I've never asked someone to make a false report on a customs declaration, but some stuff arrived with low numbers, some stuff arrived with the proper value and were not charged duty or taxes, and some stuff arrived and was charged duty and taxes. You pays your money and you takes your chances.

Still no answer to my question, why not mark everything extremely cheap since it's person to person deal they can never check and most won't know the real value anyway.

Originally Posted by likeitaloud

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They won't agree to do it. If they get caught it's a seriously crime, and who knows maybe your job is to check these companies.


Twice now I have ordered $100 orders from groominglounge.com and they have marked the package as samples /no value. They were the ones who suggested doing this (they told me to add a note on the order form suggesting it) after I had emailed them asking them whether there is anything they can do to help me with customs fees.

I always ask for my packages to be listed as a gift <$50 most people agree and i don't pay duty that way.

Originally Posted by likeitaloud

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You either ask to label as gift or put in a minimum worth as they can't check that?

Never, we're all honest, law abiding, tax paying citizens.

Originally Posted by likeitaloud

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Still no answer to my question, why not mark everything extremely cheap since it's person to person deal they can never check and most won't know the real value anyway.

Most businesses won't do this. Individuals (ebay, B&S, etc) often will. Customs will on occasion turn back parcels that in their opinion are not accurately declared.

Question to SF members who sell on ebay: is it true that there's a feature that allows you to report buyers who ask you to declare items sold as gifts and/or lower value?

Well I did end up ordering and they labeled it under 50$ so I didnt pay anything besides the shipping cost.

Yay