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FaxCap
join:2002-05-25
Surrey, BC

1 recommendation

FaxCap

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Happened again....$400 item no tax or duties.

Just came through the border a half hour ago. Had a $400+ item bought on eBay. Guard
asked where I lived....asked how long I was down (35 minutes) and asked what I was
bringing back and the value. Told her the value...hands me back my passport and says
have a great day. No GST, PST or duty. Gotta love it.

FaxCap

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

In early August, ordered a pair of shoes and had them delivered to a place in Niagara falls. Wore my WORST worn out shoes down, picked up the new ones, put them on and threw the old ones away.

All I declared was a couple of bottles of Roundup (the real shit). CBA officer was leary, asked me to open my windows.. but in the end.. let me go.

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

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to FaxCap
said by FaxCap:

Just came through the border a half hour ago. Had a $400+ item bought on eBay. Guard
asked where I lived....asked how long I was down (35 minutes) and asked what I was
bringing back and the value. Told her the value...hands me back my passport and says
have a great day. No GST, PST or duty. Gotta love it.

They're far more inclined to do that if you're a local than if you had to drive two hours to get to the border.
analog andy
join:2005-01-03
Surrey, BC

analog andy to FaxCap

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to FaxCap
Ordered some vitamins for making raw cat food which came to about $60 DHL wanted $27 in handling/duties lol.

A few years back I ordered a wire loom to put in a bigger alt into my Bronco. It was mostly US made (hand made) with some small Chinese parts. It came to about $80 when UPS came they wanted $46 in handling/duties onto of the $80 for a few feet of wire. I was like WTF? Told buddy to pound sand and didn't accept the package.

When the company called me they said they will take the item back and charge me for the return. I said fine np. Then asked them if they could send it USPS, they said we don't use USPS and wont do it. I said cool keep the rest of the money and I'll never buy anything from you again. Then went to MOPAC and got a 200+ amp alt for $170 that fit right in.

Funny thing is I've ordered stuff from China/Hong Kong it gets here in 5 days and only had minimal charges from Canada Post like $5-10 Max.

Oh ordered some lug nuts from Summit and Fedex wants $15 from me for $25 lug nuts.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

That happened to me when my sister was having her first child.
She was freaking out about plastic bottles, so i sourced some in the US.

I verified there was no duty on them (worked in the business at the time) and had them sent.

They wanted nearly 50% of the cost of goods to "handle and pay the GST" for me. It what they called a low value shipment, which is one line on a B3 (customs form) and they don't have to pay the govt till the 24th of the following calendar month.

SEND IT BACK, called the "store" explained what was going on , they took the bottles back and I ate the shipping.
btech805
join:2013-08-01
Canada

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This happened to me when I picked up an android stb for my tv a few months back. Gotta love it when it does happen. I wasn't so lucky a few weeks ago when I came back with nearly $2k in purchases though

However I remember the government is worried this will happen more often with the border guards currently without a collective agreement and unable to strike, there's been talk of them using this ploy as a bargaining tactic. This was a few months ago, they may have signed a contract by now

Hydraglass
Premium Member
join:2002-05-08

1 recommendation

Hydraglass to elwoodblues

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to elwoodblues
said by elwoodblues:

In early August, ordered a pair of shoes and had them delivered to a place in Niagara falls. Wore my WORST worn out shoes down, picked up the new ones, put them on and threw the old ones away.

All I declared was a couple of bottles of Roundup (the real shit). CBA officer was leary, asked me to open my windows.. but in the end.. let me go.

I had the strangest experience this summer with a quick trip into Ogdensburg. I drive by the bridge every single morning on my way to work. The wifey asks if I can pick up some anti-mold paint for the basement that they have at Lowes in the US but don't have in the Kingston store, I needed new headlight bulbs for my car (had one HB/DRL out, thought I'd buy all 4 at the cheaper US prices), and I needed a few other kitchen and workshop related things (new toaster, some sandpaper, a filter for the shop vac) -- grand total for everything was $125.

It's about 10 minutes out of my way to run into Ogdensburg (plus any border wait but that's usually short early on a Tuesday AM) - so I let work know I'd be an hour or so late coming in. I pop into the US (no problem, told the guard I'd be in the US for about 45 minutes for some shopping) - hit the stores, get everything on my list, and come back over the bridge. Should have known it would be a hassle as there was 0 cars at the crossing - they were in no hurry.

Hand him my documents.
Q1: How long have you been in the US?
Me: About an hour
Q2: Total value of the stuff you are returning with?
Me: $125 - I have the receipts here (sitting on the passenger seat - all the stuff I bought was sitting on the back seat, nothing in the hatch back).
Q3: Are you bringing back any packages or parcels sent to you in the US?
Me: No - just the stuff I purchased today
Q4: You're telling me you went all the way into the US for $125 in stuff?
Me: The wife wanted paint I couldn't buy at our Lowes in Kingston. I work in Morrisburg and drive by every day. Just thought I'd pop over to get a few things - that's it.
Q5: So when I search your car I'll find no parcels or packages?
Me: No - just what's in here and on these receipts.
Q6: Your watch looks awful nice did you just buy that in the US (It's a fossil the wife got me from airmiles back in June - not worth more than $150)
Me: No I've had this for 2 months (show him the watch tan I have)
Q7: I don't want you to get in trouble - so just tell me about the packages and parcels in the car?
Me: Nothing - just the stuff I bought in the US that's on these receipts (I roll the back window down and point)
Q8: Hmmm... so you're sure when I search your car I won't find anything else?
Me: Nope - just the stuff I purchased on these receipts
Q9: So there's no guns, no pepper spray, no mace, no hidden or concealed weapons, no parcels, and no contraband in your vehicle then?
Me: Nope - just myself and the few things I purchased today.
Q10: So it's ok if I look in the back?
Me: Sure - go ahead..
Him : Never mind.. go ahead... here's your stuff (hands me my passport) - have a good day.

Never - in 40 years - have I had to sit through that many repeated questions about packages and parcels.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

T
said by Hydraglass:

Never - in 40 years - have I had to sit through that many repeated questions about packages and parcels.

Too much time on his hands

FaxCap
join:2002-05-25
Surrey, BC

FaxCap to Gone

Member

to Gone
said by Gone:

said by FaxCap:

Just came through the border a half hour ago. Had a $400+ item bought on eBay. Guard
asked where I lived....asked how long I was down (35 minutes) and asked what I was
bringing back and the value. Told her the value...hands me back my passport and says
have a great day. No GST, PST or duty. Gotta love it.

They're far more inclined to do that if you're a local than if you had to drive two hours to get to the border.

That's good to know as I live a stone's throw from the border.

The only time I have had to go in and pay PST/GST in the last 10 years was
when I bought an antique German wall clock. But it was over $1,000 and was
totally prepared to pay the taxes. I had actually figured them in when I was bidding on it.

FaxCap

Jethro86
join:2005-05-27
Winchester, ON

Jethro86 to Hydraglass

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to Hydraglass
Morrisburg, eh? I'm an Iroquios boy originally but all the way up in Winchester now. Interesting commute from Kingston everyday?

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo to Hydraglass

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to Hydraglass
You just look guilty
PX Eliezer1
Premium Member
join:2013-03-10
Zubrowka USA

PX Eliezer1 to Hydraglass

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to Hydraglass
said by Hydraglass:

Never - in 40 years - have I had to sit through that many repeated questions about packages and parcels.

Canadians picking up shipments in Ogdensburg, New York is big business....!

»shippingtoogdensburg.com/
»www.ogdensburg-parcel-pa ··· dex.html
»www.kinek.com/shipping-t ··· e-border

You were probably the only guy NOT doing it!

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

I do it through Niagara Falls,its Gones fault for telling me about it.

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone

Premium Member

Oddly enough, I haven't ordered anything to the US in over a year.

Hydraglass
Premium Member
join:2002-05-08

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said by Jethro86:

Morrisburg, eh? I'm an Iroquios boy originally but all the way up in Winchester now. Interesting commute from Kingston everyday?

4 days a week - I work from home one day a week. 260km round trip every day. Good thing I like my job. They are good to me though - if it snows or the roads are rough up that way I always have a text waiting for me by 7am from the boss that says "work from home today the roads are bad" -- that takes the pressure off and I don't try doing anything ridiculous when unneeded. Winter and early spring make the best drives - no construction and light traffic. Summer is awful with holiday drivers who don't do the 401 every single day and drive like they are in Montreal or Toronto when they aren't... and fall... is paving season. In the last 4 years of the drive they have paved 3/4 of the highway between here and there between September and November each year.

It's funny about crossing the border and all the questions though -- I've popped over to buy things about 10 times in the last 4 years, usually it's for more expensive things - a portable a/c for the cottage that was $200 instead of $400, a boat trailer for a boat I had delivered to the cottage that was $1200 instead of $2000... all those things were fine - some I paid $ for at the crossing, others they waved me on, but for this $125 trip the guy had NO interest in collecting HST on that (just not worth it for the $20) but he was so sure I had packages that I wasn't declaring... I almost said to him "I wish I'd picked up a parcel so I could tell you I did!" but I thought I better not get too smart with him - that could go poorly for me.
zod5000
join:2003-10-21
Victoria, BC

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I sort of did that with some booze. The limit is 1.14 litres which kind of sucks because Scotch usually comes in 700ml or 750ml bottles. Usually I try and push it to two bottles each. Had 3 people in the car and we had two bottles each. Then I was at Costco and they had Macallan 12 on for $53 a bottle. You can't buy it in Canada anymore, and when they did, it was close to $100 bottle here. I figure I'll buy a few, worst case scenario the price doubles because I have to pay duty.

Drive through the border... How much did you spend down there. About $600 between the 3 of us. Bring back any food. Some Cheese. Any alcohol? 9 750ml bottles of Scotch between the 3 of us.

Do you know what the limit is? Around two bottles? No it's 1.14 litres. You know you brought to much? Yes sir. We figured we were allowed to bring 2 bottles each and I was going to pay duty on the last 3 I bought. You know that could triple the price? Yes sir it was a good deal. The duty line up is over an hour long. I'm not going to make you wait in the lineup, just know your limits for next time.

He seemed agitated at me and sort of scolded me but still didn't want to send me to the duty lineup. I was pretty stoked getting all that Scotch over duty free

I thought it was good move to increase the $ amount you can take over before being taxed, but the alcohol limit seems really low. 1.14 litres. Not even a bottle and half for spirits.

I guess it bugs some border security agents. They basically know they don't have the manpower to make everyone pay duty. So people tend to try and push the limits, especially when it's something that has a low limit.

I was surprised to find out that cheesy/butter has a limit of $20 (even though the weight can be up to 20kg). I never see border security enforce that one.
PX Eliezer1
Premium Member
join:2013-03-10
Zubrowka USA

PX Eliezer1

Premium Member

said by zod5000:

I sort of did that with some booze. The limit is 1.14 litres which kind of sucks because Scotch usually comes in 700ml or 750ml bottles.

Here's an explanation of where the 1.14 liters comes from.
»forums.egullet.org/topic ··· bottles/

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

It's a 40 pounder (40oz)
zod5000
join:2003-10-21
Victoria, BC

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I understood that 40oz=1.14 litres, I don't understand why the limit is so low. Why not make it 2.28 litres.

Then you could bring back 3 bottles Scotch, or 2 duty free bottles (who have less selection but bottles designed for duty limits).

I guess the government wants their booze tax, but 1.14 litres always seemed really low to me. Especially when you can bring $800 worth of almost anything else back (after the same 48 hours)

Last Parade
join:2002-10-07
Port Colborne, ON

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I've been experiencing a lot of leniency lately. Not 30 minutes ago I crossed over at Whirlpool to US Address in Niagara (Town), NY and shot up to Lewiston since the WB Whirlpool is closed, declared my $200 furnace motor at the NEXUS lane and nothing.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

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Because the make a killing on the "sin taxes" on booze. Allowing you to bring back 3 or 4 bottles deprives them of a few bucks