Need Help!! Customs Charge for Poster

willbarclay

Hey All

Need some advice...

Myself and 2 other members here made a 3 way trade. Im getting the Cracker Jack Wrigley poster.
I had to contact UPS to correct some info for my mailing address and they also just informed me that the sender put a value of $360 on this poster, and that I will have to pay $100+ when they deliver it either today, or Monday.

Is this nuts??

Any thoughts, or ideas to avoid this?

Much appreciated

WIll

100 Pacer

willbarclay said:

Hey All

Need some advice...

Myself and 2 other members here made a 3 way trade. Im getting the Cracker Jack Wrigley poster.
I had to contact UPS to correct some info for my mailing address and they also just informed me that the sender put a value of $360 on this poster, and that I will have to pay $100+ when they deliver it either today, or Monday.

Is this nuts??

Any thoughts, or ideas to avoid this?

Much appreciated

WIll

You can reject the shipment and UPS will ship the poster back to the sender, who can then send it via USPS and declare the poster as a Gift with a value of $10.00 and Canada Post will deliver the poster to you free of any customs charges/duties.

MT132914

don't put a value on it, but then if it gets damaged you are screwed.
I bought a poster a few months ago and got hit $20 when Canada Post delivered it, $10 customs and $10 processing fee. Heard of a few others getting charged customs too. Can't see why you would have $100 as taxes are 13%, unless UPS tack on a nice little chunck for themselves.

MayDay10

yeah. I sent (you) the poster via UPS and declared the value at $35 what retail was, and I believe you sent the vinyl at its original value as well. Nobody got decked. May be a little risky w/o insurance value, but whatever.

but yeah, reject it. Sucks to wait, but $100+ sucks more

BeerBaron

The basic rule with Canada Customs is that anything with a declared value of > $60 (even if it is a gift) is subject to customs charges. Those charges are the HST (13%), which in your case would be just over $50 (first you convert the $360 US to CAD and then take 13% of that). The remaining $50 is a "brokerage fee" that UPS is charging you to "do the customs paperwork and clearance for you" which is total BS, but there's no avoiding that (Fedex does it too).

The issue you have is that the sender wants to protect himself if the poster gets damaged in transit by having it insured for the fair value (replacement value) of the poster. That unfortunately puts you in the the predicament that you are in.

willbarclay

thanks for all the info guys. I guess I will have to reject, and start over.

I didnt pay a dime for this poster, it was a trade so I should not have to pay customs

I have been after this cracker jack for a while now, and this is the shit I get. LOL

willbarclay

thanks Beer Baron

thats a great Simpsons Episode

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willbarclay said:

thanks for all the info guys. I guess I will have to reject, and start over.

I didnt pay a dime for this poster, it was a trade so I should not have to pay customs

I have been after this cracker jack for a while now, and this is the shit I get. LOL

Don't forget that the customs charge is based on the declared value, not necessarily what you paid for it.

pdalowsky

Will, surely if you print the page from Ebeans and prove the value of the poster was misdeclared the bill will be reduced?

willbarclay

you think??

When I spoke with UPS I did say that the value was incorrect, as $360 is what people on ebay are selling it for.
I told them its more like $190 and they said its in the same value bracket as $360. So either way, its $100 fees.

BeerBaron

pdalowsky said:

Will, surely if you print the page from Ebeans and prove the value of the poster was misdeclared the bill will be reduced?

I think you can go through that process to save yourself the HST, but the brokerage fee is for their brokerage services, so I doubt you could have that part of the fee reversed as they've already had to clear the print through customs.

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Are these just fees for posters entering into Canada, or is it because it was international UPS or FedEx? I got two pretty expensive posters from a member in Canada, and didn't have ANY extra fess when it was delivered to me in the states.

100 Pacer

pdalowsky said:

Will, surely if you print the page from Ebeans and prove the value of the poster was misdeclared the bill will be reduced?

Unless it's a bill of sale/invoice or Paypal receipt to support your claim, it's difficult to make your case otherwise with Customs.

I remember a few years back I received a poster from the States declared as $10.00 but for whatever reason the Canada Customs agent dinged the package as $100.00 declared value. Even after submitting the carbon copy of the USPS customs declaration form to the Canada Customs rep as evidence I was questioned, as if somehow I "misrepresented" the original customs declaration. At the end I received a refund of the customs duty I paid but was refused a refund for the service fee on the customs charge that never should have been processed in the 1st place.

100 Pacer

front spacer said:

Are these just fees for posters entering into Canada, or is it because it was international UPS or FedEx? I got two pretty expensive posters from a member in Canada, and didn't have ANY extra fess when it was delivered to me in the states.

US Customs might take a more lax approach; however, Canada Customs agents are beaten over the head to inspect every single parcel/package entering this country and in addition to searching for contraband the agents look for declared values subject to import duties/charges. It's a significant source of revenue after all.

BeerBaron

front spacer said:

Are these just fees for posters entering into Canada, or is it because it was international UPS or FedEx? I got two pretty expensive posters from a member in Canada, and didn't have ANY extra fess when it was delivered to me in the states.

This is just for goods coming IN TO Canada. US customs is much more lenient on shipments of goods in to the US.

100 Pacer

BeerBaron said:

front spacer said:

Are these just fees for posters entering into Canada, or is it because it was international UPS or FedEx? I got two pretty expensive posters from a member in Canada, and didn't have ANY extra fess when it was delivered to me in the states.

This is just for goods coming IN TO Canada. US customs is much more lenient on shipments of goods in to the US.

We should have also stated that all courier companies are making a killing on the brokerage services they provide to clear said packages entering Canada, so a package shipped from the States into Canada with FedEx or UPS will have already been declared by said courier to Canada Customs before it even arrives in Canada and those couriers remit customs charges/duty electronically to Canada Customs. After a Canadian receives the package, an invoice is mailed to cover the customs charges payable back to the courier.

Edge34

I just got dinged last week for my PJ20 Billboard $125 customs fees. Sucked. Looked into it and really not much I could do. The seller insured it and I was stuck.

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Edge34 said:

I just got dinged last week for my PJ20 Billboard $125 customs fees. Sucked. Looked into it and really not much I could do. The seller insured it and I was stuck.

Are you in Canada, too?

willbarclay

Looks like I will just bite the bullet on this one.

Thanks everyone for your ideas and help.

texasistheSTEVEN

And I thought I got stiffed everytime I got something from tenclub and had to pay £18 customs charges.
There is a lesson in this for everyone. DONT LIVE IN CANADA.hah.

Sorry to hear this Will. Hope it works out

MayDay10

Do you ever travel to the US?

Would be worth it to send things to a friend and grab them when you are around.

I have a friend who does business in Toronto and he is always getting packages for buddies of his to hold until next time they come to Buffalo for a shopping spree.

willbarclay

haha, I wish, but no, I dont have any connections in the US.
I could get a mail box at the closest town across the boarder, but I dont think its worth my time really.
I never have any real issues ... until today.

demetrios

NEVER use personal UPS when shipping from USA to Canada, or Canada to USA. No matter if you check mark "gift" on the custom form, once it passes the border, UPS want's money at the door.

The many dozens of poster artists I buy from who live in the USA use USPS to ship their prints to Canada. Pretty much 80% of them put promo on the custom forum or 10 dollars as the value of the print. A few of them put the full value of the print. I've asked if they could just put gift on the custom forums, but they couldn't do to it do to filing taxes.

Whenever I see "Customs services and international tracking provided" on eBay, I don't bother bidding on it. It's BS!! If you could could ask the seller if he/she could change their sell.

I pretty much ship to my friends in the USA via Canada Post via Expedite. Always put 100 insurance on it and check mark "gift", always. Even when the prints are more then 100 bucks, don't put the original value on the white custom forum cause your friend in the USA will pay at the door. And that's not what I want to happen.

Also NEVER use FedEx shipping items to Canada. These past few months now, it looks like they have decided not to ask for money at the door or when you pick it up @ their depot. What they do is sent you a letter in the mail that you have to pay for the custom charge. Few friends locally had the same problem. Recently I had the same problem with the Given To Fly PJ Glassbaby candle from Seattle and the signed Phoenix '13 print from SIT. You would think the FedEx dude who knocked at your door to sign for the item would want the money, but nope. They will give you a smile at the door now. Day's later they fuck you with a bill .

willbarclay

Nice eh ...

:-q

scurtis

Hey Will...

I never use UPS. When I trade or buy I ask them to use USPS. I had a similar problem with a record I bought for $40. The dude declared the value at $120, I paid $40 in fees.

UPS will charge a fee to carry it across the border for you, you pay regardless. If you go USPS our customs people may or may not charge a tariff on it. I think in my experience, I have paid one tariff so far.

I have never done this, but I think you can get the parcel cleared through customs yourself and not pay the fee. Not sure of the process I think I remember Zod talking about it, but then he I think lives near a border, I don't, not sure if you do.

I have never used UPS again after the $40 fee on a $40 record.

willbarclay

Hey Steve

I hear ya. I think the guy sending it didnt know, and obviously I didnt either. Will remember this for next time for sure.

My wife just told me the package came, and she paid the $101 charge.

Thanks

High Fidelity 2000

willbarclay said:

thanks Beer Baron

thats a great Simpsons Episode

"$40 for a beer?! This better be the best beer in the world. (drinks beer) You got lucky."

willbarclay

hahahaha ... YES!! )

100 Pacer

demetrios said:

The many dozens of poster artists I buy from who live in the USA use USPS to ship their prints to Canada. Pretty much 80% of them put promo on the custom forum or 10 dollars as the value of the print. A few of them put the full value of the print. I've asked if they could just put gift on the custom forums, but they couldn't do to it do to filing taxes.

It's only a matter of time before poster artists cease to undervalue shipments. All it would take is a few bad apples trying to take advantage and the artist/s would be out the cash along with the poster. It goes without saying that undervaluing is also considered mail fraud, and eventually the artist/s will receive a friendly reminder from USPS reminding them that any parcels undervalued are subject to seizure and/or penalty.

When I purchased the Vitalogy Jack Daniels promo set I was fortunate enough to be dealing with a top notch seller, who went above and beyond. She took it upon herself to hire out the packaging to a company that specialized in shipping high-value items in the mail. While she and I agreed on a $20 value declaration, the shipping firm recommended declaring the contents as alcohol (which in fact it was) as opposed to "promo" or some other vague description. We agreed: had Canada Customs intercepted undeclared alcohol they would have been within their right to seize it. What I didn't know is that this province's liquor control board imposes a 140% tariff on imported alcohol and I was dinged for a little over $100 on that $20 declaration, with the seller graciously offering to even split the $100 charge with me. I was more than satisfied at the end.