Insane import costs in Canada (2 Viewers)

[doctorchips]

Hey PCFers,

I recently ran into this and maybe I haven't been subject to these fees recently, but get a load of this. I put in an order to Spinetti's and got it totally fine, shipped via FedEx.

Three weeks later I get a bill for clearance and customs fees that total over 1/3 the cost of the entire order.

Apparently there is a way to get around some of this by managing the documents yourself and going to the customs office.

Do any fellow Canadians have any idea on how to avoid some of these absolutely ridiculous fees?

102 dollars for clearance and taxes on a 223 dollar order.

Cheers,
DC

 

[joker80]

Don't have them ship by FedEx! Use USPS next time. Fedex charges insane brokerage fees. Same with UPS. Just use regular mail. 73 $ of your charge is fees by fedex and 29.01 is just the HST that is due . If Canada post charges a brokerage fee it is 10$ at most. And usually anything under 100 or so they don't bother. You can get around all fees if you live close to the border and have a box there. Then you can do the paperwork bringing a large item across. Also some US sellers will artificially reduce the value of the chips to avoid tax altogether

 

[doctorchips]

Don't have them ship by FedEx! Use USPS next time. Fedex charges insane brokerage fees. Same with UPS. Just use regular mail. 73 $ of your charge is fees by fedex and 29.01 is just the HST that is due . If Canada post charges a brokerage fee it is 10$ at most. And usually anything under 100 or so they don't bother. You can get around all fees if you live close to the border and have a box there. Then you can do the paperwork bringing a large item across. Also some US sellers will artificially reduce the value of the chips to avoid tax altogether

I didn't have any say on what service they used unfortunately

Seems like a big scam to me. Do you have any insight into what paperwork and what the process is for me to do this?

I've heard of 'self-clearing' items, but I've never tried it. But yea, I'm now contemplating what to do and if I should tell FedEx to pound sand for this bill or not, but considering there is HST I'm thinking I'll have to take the L and pay up.

 

[allforcharity]

Luckily I live fairly close to the border so I can get domestic shipping to a receiving service and then go pick up myself. Avoid all brokerage and administrative fees. Taxes always potentially payable based on declared value.

 

[ekricket]

It’s worse in the USA!!

 

[grantc54]

Don't have them ship by FedEx! Use USPS next time. Fedex charges insane brokerage fees. Same with UPS. Just use regular mail. 73 $ of your charge is fees by fedex and 29.01 is just the HST that is due . If Canada post charges a brokerage fee it is 10$ at most. And usually anything under 100 or so they don't bother. You can get around all fees if you live close to the border and have a box there. Then you can do the paperwork bringing a large item across. Also some US sellers will artificially reduce the value of the chips to avoid tax altogether

The above is the way. Avoid Fedex and UPS like the plague. Initial shipping may be cheaper BUT they will always charge tax and brokerage whereas USPS *may* charge tax and $10 (about 25% of the time or less for me).

I have never figured out a way around UPS and Fedex brokerage, always seems like a big hassle.

 

[doctorchips]

It’s worse in the USA!!

Apparently you have something called de minimis trade law, which means you don't have to pay tax or these fees on any items under 800 USD.

In Canada the same law is set to any item under 20 CAD lol.

It's the government who is lobbied by Canadian business organizations who say it would result in less business domestically. Which I think is a hilariously stupid position to take granted that Amazon, Best Buy and other large corporations operate here totally freely.

The idea that because something is prohibitively expensive to buy from a company based in the U.S. I would therefore shop domestically for the same item is really, really idiotic. The domestic market for many, many items is just non-existent.

 

[studog]

I have in the deep past read up on self-clearing Customs, but never tried it. Part of the equation is you have to live close enough to a Customs Office that appearing in person doesn't out-weigh the costs of the "usual" way.

@doctorchips If you give self-clearing a go, please let us know how it goes?

 

[timinater]

UPS is just as bad. I always prefer USPS for inbound to Canada. Canada Post is reasonable about any fees.

The $65+ tax has nothing to do with the government and is a service fee from FedEx for clearing for you. It's completely unreasonable.

 

[Cynamon]

This has been a common complaint in the board game community. Here’s a thread with info on how to self-clear packages.

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1609660/article/24655665#24655665

 

[studog]

This has been a common complaint in the board game community. Here’s a thread with info on how to self-clear packages.

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1609660/article/24655665#24655665

Right thread, wrong link. Here's the top of the thread; the self-clearing HowTo is the first post: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1609660/article/23263697#23263697

 

[Chiibipotato]

Use anything but FEDEX, UPS and DHL if possible. I have hit by fees so many times for stuff that only cost ~$100 CAD.

 

[mipevi]

In Finland nowadays we can just self-clear online, and that’s the default way unless the recipient requests for the delivery company to handle it. Then the package gets released and delivered. I do sometimes miss my early days of chipping, driving down to the customs office, the anticipation of waiting in line and then going over the package contents with an actual person while they figure out how much I need to pay… Enjoy the human connection while you still can!

 

[philhut]

Hey PCFers,

I recently ran into this and maybe I haven't been subject to these fees recently, but get a load of this. I put in an order to Spinetti's and got it totally fine, shipped via FedEx.

Three weeks later I get a bill for clearance and customs fees that total over 1/3 the cost of the entire order.

View attachment 1189024

Apparently there is a way to get around some of this by managing the documents yourself and going to the customs office.

Do any fellow Canadians have any idea on how to avoid some of these absolutely ridiculous fees?

102 dollars for clearance and taxes on a 223 dollar order.

Cheers,
DC

Never use FedEx unless you want a bill delivered approx 2wks go 30days after receiving your item. This bill will include any duties plus a $50+ service fee. USPS is generally the best service but much slower than fed ex. I have found with customs that items marked under $50 (49.99 or less generally do not get charged customs fees/taxes)......ask your sellers to value below $50 when shipping and you'll likely do fine....otherwise the gas fuel costs in Canada thanks to the fools that believe paying money to the govt will save the work have resulted in huge increases in the cost of everything in Canada.

 

[philhut]

Apparently you have something called de minimis trade law, which means you don't have to pay tax or these fees on any items under 800 USD.

In Canada the same law is set to any item under 20 CAD lol.

It's the government who is lobbied by Canadian business organizations who say it would result in less business domestically. Which I think is a hilariously stupid position to take granted that Amazon, Best Buy and other large corporations operate here totally freely.

The idea that because something is prohibitively expensive to buy from a company based in the U.S. I would therefore shop domestically for the same item is really, really idiotic. The domestic market for many, many items is just non-existent.

The cost of running a business is very high in Canada. Anticompetatively so, thus limiting imports through cost prevents us Canadian serfs from having nice things....its our governments way, Trudeau needs a new mansion, he only has 2 and a cottage now.

 

[doctorchips]

Never use FedEx unless you want a bill delivered approx 2wks go 30days after receiving your item. This bill will include any duties plus a $50+ service fee. USPS is generally the best service but much slower than fed ex. I have found with customs that items marked under $50 (49.99 or less generally do not get charged customs fees/taxes)......ask your sellers to value below $50 when shipping and you'll likely do fine....otherwise the gas fuel costs in Canada thanks to the fools that believe paying money to the govt will save the work have resulted in huge increases in the cost of everything in Canada.

Like I said, I didn't have any say in what shipping service was used. Thanks for your input though!