posted on July 30, 2004 08:54:27 AM
Just sold to Canada - $20.00 items and I have already had to recalculate 3 times or so. 10 emails from the buyer???
She wants it insured and wants me to say it's a gift because it's going to cost about $10.00 extra to ship so that it can be insured?
Can't I get in trouble for saying it's a gift? What the heck do I tell her
posted on July 30, 2004 08:59:48 AM
As far as gifts, it really is bad with Canadians. It's unfortunate they have to pay tax and duty on packages, but Candians should be used to it! I send about 20 packages a week to Canada, so I deal with them a lot. What I have done to reduce this problem is that in my end of auction notice, it states quite clearly that I will not lie on the customs form, that I work from a small post office where they know I have a business, and if I have to sign my name to a form, it will not be a lie. Since then, the request to reduce the value and to make it a gift has decreased from about 50% of transactions to maybe 5% - Those 5% I simply do not email back if the question is to make this a gift. After 7 years and many Canadian sales, I have NEVER received a negative or even a neutral for not marking an item as a gift.
Friends don't let Friends say stupid things like Friends don't let friends vote Republican!
posted on July 30, 2004 09:25:37 AM
Any and all taxes is the buyers problem, not yours. Why in the world they want insurance on a small dollar amount is beyond me.
I just fill in the selling price on the customs form, in this case $20.00 no more no less.
Its a crap shoot for out of country buyers as a lot of mail does enter without any problems but sometimes they do get stuck for duty or taxes.Bottom line is that they should be aware of that to start with.
From what I have seen on postal websites it seems to make no differance if its marked "gift" or not. It all goes by dollar amount[value]
I will never mark anything as a gift as it is a sale. If they ask I just do not bother to answer on that point.
posted on July 30, 2004 09:33:53 AM
I often wonder if some day a "mark it as a gift" customer is going to successfully file a dispute to reclaim the monies he paid.
After all, you did state it was a gift when you shipped it.
posted on July 30, 2004 11:56:08 AM
Our postal clerk is telling all of us sellers to mark all the Canadian items as "gift." I usually don't. Occasionally I will do so if the clerk insists on it. Weird, huh.
posted on July 30, 2004 12:48:28 PM
Be careful HOW you ship to Canada. I would recommend using only USPS. You can be hit with some sort of 'broker' fees, for getting it across the border. Maybe someone more up to speed on this issue will elucidate for you.
posted on July 30, 2004 03:22:20 PM
"Why would a $20 item cost $10 less to insure as a gift, than a $20 item that is not a gift?"
Gift or not doesn't matter in the shipping cost - she was saying if she was going to have to pay all the extra money just to insure it - could I list it as a gift? It cost more to ship to Canada w/insurance because of the way you must ship!! You can't ship air mail (which is cheaper) if you want to insure.
trai
I'm with you - why pay $15.00 to ship a $20.00 item when it could ship for $3.00 air mail no insure. If it were to break, she's just going to get reimbursed $20.00 as they won't refund her shipping??? Could be why I have gotten about 20 emails now -2 before she even won??
Anyway, thanks all, I'm going to go ahead and ship it UPS for $10 with insurance and hope that's the end of it!
Sold a lamp for $600 last night - 2 emails - I'm paid, it's packed and ready to go out tomorrow. Ain't life grand!!!
posted on July 30, 2004 05:20:19 PM
Here is what every U.S. seller should do for shipping to Canada, trust me it's easy, don't be afraid of us:
1. Sell to Canadians
2. Charge the appropriate extra shipping cost
3. Do not list 'gift' on the customs form, check off merchandise or other
4. List the exact value you sold the item for on the customs form, it it is $20.23 then list that -- (I once had a $10 item that someone decided to list value of $80 and wow did I get dinged by Customs in Canada) and if at all possible, include a print-out of the auction page with your shipment -- Canada Customs opens thousands of packages every day & inspects them & if they have doubts about the value it could hold up the delivery for weeks & really inconvenience the bidder (which could result in bad vibes for everyone), I just had a $5.00 video from an eBay seller opened before I got it -- if the auction page amount matches your info on the customs form, usually no problems
5. Ship only USPS if at all possible; Jackswebb is right, we hate UPS and rightfully so, they use a private broker that charges an exorbitantly high 'handling fee' just for processing the item across the border, which takes them about a millisecond due to the volume they handle
posted on July 30, 2004 05:35:45 PM
upriver
I don't mind selling to Canada and never have but this is turning into a full day job for a $20.00
What is this broker fee and is it a percent of the total or something? If it's a dollar or so, I'll just pay it at this point. Guess I'll call it a learning experience and put something in my TOS about no insurance for International and no marking gifts for item.
[ edited by ladyjewels2000 on Jul 30, 2004 05:37 PM ]
posted on July 30, 2004 05:41:38 PM
That brokers fee has been the subject of many threads in the past. From what I understand, it can run from $10.00 to $75.00. I'm not sure if anyone has ever figured out what criteria they use to arrive at it. Maybe upriver can enlighten us.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
The broker fee is definitely the buyer's responsibility, not yours. As I recall just the handling is around $8.00 Canadian, plus we often get dinged on our GST tax which is 7% of the value.
You should not be worrying about this, and frankly, the Canadian bidder shouldn't have asked you to in the first place.
posted on July 31, 2004 04:33:38 AM
OH! please please DO NOT send it UPS guaranteed to be stung with a broker fee of more then item and shipping combined.
USPS is the best method.
Depending on what she bought she may not have to pay extra in taxes. It is not so much what she paid for it is more what she bought!
There is no need to lie on your declaration but keep it to one word i.e. PLATE NOT collector plate
Also I have noticed on the new forms there is only a choice of GIFT or SAMPLE so I think they maybe some changes in effect.
posted on July 31, 2004 06:59:26 AM
I have a clickable link to my about me page where I have my Canadian and International guarantee. Here is a summary. I spell out everything. I do not lie on customs forms. I ship Air letter post. I cannot guarantee delivery because I cannot insure your package. Then I say if you can abide by these terms then please bid.
I also send a eBay EOA notice with the package so that the customs can see exactly what they bought and paid for it.
So far I have had no problems and have been doing this for over a year and I have quite a few Canadian and International buyers.
posted on July 31, 2004 07:46:13 AM
I usually simply quote from the back of the customs form that I have to fill out: "A false or misleading declaration may lead to a fine or to seizure of item." and go on to say that because I include a packing slip which will clearly identify the item as merchandise, not a gift, they could very well have their item seized and subject me to fines. They usually drop the subject after that.
On the other hand, if I know my merchandise was manufactured in North America I do place that on the customs forms. It does help because of the free trade agreement.
posted on July 31, 2004 07:53:31 AM
shippers either engage outside customs brokers or their own inhouse brokers to take your shipments to customs and back.
These brokers are located close to the customs offices which are usually close to the airports or docks or free trade zone areas.
Now these brokers have to fill out forms for your shipments and then have someone physically take them to the customs office where the customs officers will inspect them and then release them.Then they have to bring these packages back to the shipper warehouse for further journey.
USPS charges 5.00 dollars ,DHL charges 5.00 as well,UPS charges more,i dont know FED EXP,i think it is more than 5.00.
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
