posted on May 18, 2002 07:37:55 AM
I sold a Lot of 3 VHS wrestling tapes to
a bidder in Canada. I filled out the
customs form just as I've done for 9 years
of on-line selling, using the actual amount
paid, and marking the item as a Gift (yes,
I know, I will burn in hell for it, probably...)
Anyway, the Lot sold for $15.00 (with Buy
It Now), and some idiot at the Canadian
customs agency read that as $151.00 and
the woman actually paid the $40.44 Canadian
they charged her and had the idea that I
should cover that. LOL! She even sent me
a scan of the package, which included the
form I filled out and the form the Canadian
Revenue Agency added with the value in
Canadian dollars ($235.83) and the tax
she paid.
I told her to take it up with them, as it
wasn't my fault that they can't read (although
I did stress that I was sorry she was
having a problem). Don't they use deicmal
points in Canada? I pointed out that if
it wasn't a deciaml point and, as they
claimed, a one then the value should have
been $15,100 USD... Amazing!
Z
---
"Cannot say. Saying, I would know. Do not
know, so cannot say". -- Zathras (Babylon 5)
posted on May 18, 2002 08:41:01 AM
next time leave out that two zeros,it serves no purpose.
one year merrill lynch there was a hiccup with its computer system ,customers receive their statements and were in ecstasy!!
it turned out that the decimal point was moved two positions to the right,so 100.00 became 10,000.00.some called to ask if there was a mistake,some called to thank their brokers,some did not bother to call,one guy went out and bot a new car,one guy bot a new car for himself and a mink coat for his wife!!
I had exactly the same thing happen to me, only "someone" changed $50.00 to $500.00. I refused to accept the item, it was returned to the seller, and I asked the seller to resend it but make sure to idicate the value like this:
$50---- (leaving no space for someone to add a zero)
I covered him for the additional postage.
I never did find out if this was some postal yahoo screwing around, or some customs idiot trying to help the government solve the national debt problem.
Best advice ... don't accept the package if the declared value is not correct. That would include values that have been inflated by the seller (for a get-rick-quick-get-the-insurance scam, or because the seller thinks the item is worth more than you paid for it), and values that include shipping and handling charges.
Best to let your bidder know that if they send a copy of the end of auction page showing the bid price to customs that they will refund the over charge.
I had one of my buyers go thru this due to a mistake on their customs guys not reading the custom form right, too much of a hurry.
posted on May 18, 2002 10:37:38 AM
Do Canadians get charged the tax if it is marked as a gift? I don't mark things as gift, but if they get charged, what does it matter?
posted on May 18, 2002 11:59:11 AM
i believe anything declared as under 15 (or 12) is tax free.
but customs can examine the item and assign a different value and use it to compute the duty tax.
posted on May 18, 2002 05:27:21 PM
I am in Canada and buy lots from the US.
I *think* if it is under $10 and a gift it is tax free.
Canada Post charges a $5 handling fee and 7% GST. UPS, Fedex, Purolator etc. charge HUGE unnecessary fees, because they can. If you can avoid shipping to canada with them do it at all costs, your buyer will thank you.
Shipping air also saves TONS of fees for the buyer. CanadaPost still charges their $5 + 7% tax, but the BIG shipping companies charge much more reasonable fees like $10 + 7% tax.
It seems all these companies have different rates they charge depending on the mood. I have bought the identical item twice from the US. 1st didn't get charged at all, second time I had to pay like $20... *hmmmm*
posted on May 18, 2002 05:42:10 PM
Gotta watch those zeroes. My very first negative feedback was over this kind of thing.
I sent an item that sold for TWO LOUSY DOLLARS to Japan. I filled in the blank for value as $2.00 and sure enough, they charged the buyer tax for a $200.00 item. I don't know what the guy ended up paying, but he definitely wasn't happy.
After all was explained, he became a regular international customer and has bought from me many times since!
But I absolutely WILL NOT write GIFT on a customs form.
Another reply from a Canadian. Besides unclear customs declaration I have ran into a few other problems.
1- People declaring the store value of the item. The declared value should be the Ebay selling price, NO more. Including a printout of the auction is a good idea in case the package is opened.
2- People including the shipping amount in the declared value. again this is a no-no. The official policy is that taxes will be charged on the item and not shipping but if it is included, customs will not take the time to figure that out. One of the reason I got from a seller for including it is for reason of insurance. Well the rules on postal insurance is that it will cover the item but NOT postage.
3- The official tax free limit on a package is $20 CANADIAN which is barely $12 US right now. This is regardless if it is a gift or not.
Anyway you Americans consider yourself lucky since your import taxes are a lot looser than ours. In 3 years on Ebay I never received a e-mail indicating that taxes were too high and 95% of my sales are in the U.S.
posted on May 22, 2002 12:32:38 PM
Thank you all for your notes...a few replies:
Again, she sent a scan of the box (my original
USPS form, and the Canadian form) and nobody
changed anything. The dolt who charged her
just thought my decimal point was a one (1),
which is ridiculous, but what can you do.
She already accepted my explanation and
position, and has left me positive feedback
(and I followed with same).
On bank deposits I sometimes write $10--,
but I think on customes forms I might just
write the amount out beneath the numbers
(ie, $10.00, and then Ten Dollars under it).
I always mark exact amount paid.
I mark Gift because over the last 9 years so
many people asked, I just started doing it.
I was going to suggest they print out the
auction, but since I marked it as Gift...
Do we have such fees in the US? I can say
that I've only bought from someone in Canada
once, and I was not charged a penny in tax.
Z
---
"Cannot say. Saying, I would know. Do not
know, so cannot say". -- Zathras (Babylon 5)
[ edited by zathras11 on May 22, 2002 12:33 PM ]
During the past 10 years, I figure I have paid around $200.00 in taxes on stuff coming across the border. Three years ago I had to had some surgery and spent 10 days in the hospital. If I was a US citizen, I could have saved $200.00 on taxes and paid $15,000.00 for my surgery.
posted on May 24, 2002 08:53:47 AM
$15,000 Canadian, hmm, that is about $9000 - Must have had a splinter removed or something like that, that is about all that much would cover.
Universal health care works great for the small stuff, but when there is a major problem, it is amazing that people who can afford it from all over the world come to the US instead of wait up to several years to get the problem "taken care of"
I have a great health care plan here, surgery is covered 100% - Life threatening stuff is done right away, not 6 months down the line like in England, where I just heard that was the average wait for someone with a heart condition!
I was in Canada a few weeks ago, and paid about 15% sales tax - Considering I don't pay any sales tax where I live. That adds up quite quickly. I would say the laugh is on you, but I actually do feel sorry for the taxes that Canadians pay. I think about the 8% GST, or worse the 17.5% VAT in the UK, and am quite glad I live where I live.
posted on May 24, 2002 08:56:52 AM
This is from the US Postal Service.
http://ircalc.usps.gov/Observations/Canada.htm
8. Goods valued under 20 Canadian dollars are duty and excise tax exempt. Goods over 20 Canadian dollars will be subject to the applicable duties and excise taxes. Gift shipments received by mail that are valued under 60 Canadian dollars are duty and excise tax exempt.
9. For all casual and commercial items valued under 1,200 Canadian dollars, Canada Post will collect the assessed duties and excise taxes and a handling fee of 5 Canadian dollars from the addressee. For EMS items, the handling fee is 8 Canadian dollars. All commercial mail items over 1,200 Canadian dollars will be held by Canada Customs and Excise until proper invoice and accounting documentation is provided by the addressee.
posted on May 24, 2002 09:26:37 AM
ahc3 ... I was referring to US bucks as that's what most people seem better able to relate to. In fact, the bill probably would have been considerably higher. It's around $1K per day just for the bed and nursing. Surgery and medications are extra.
It was substantially more that a sliver but not immediately life threatening. I spent around 6 hours in the OR so you can add up the costs there.
I have been working in the health care system for almost 25 years and I have several certificates etc. in health care management. Your comment about the long waits is true for some things, but *never* for a life threatening issue. Unfortunately, those who are told to wait get better press than those who receive immediate and first class care (which is most of us).
Your vision of the Canadian Health Care system is simply another old wives tale that isn't factual ... sorry
