Canadian Customs

[Goaliebot]

If it comes in via US/Canada Post, you should only have to pay tax (13% hst in Ontario) + $9.95 collection fee. Anything over and something went wrong (likely not identified as "toys" through inspector error and thus hit with customs).

Declared value of $0-$50 should almost never get hit, $50-$100 is luck of the draw, over $100 will pretty much always get hit.

Being marked "gift" will almost never help.

If FedEx or UPS, it's a crapshoot because some couriers tack on huge "brokerage fees".

[PrimeBane]

I clearly haven't been hit in ages... last time it happened the brokerage from from CP was $7.

I'll rent my horseshoe to others at a reasonable rate

[Oberon Prime]

Originally Posted by Pascal

I've never seen any "gift" option when ordering from BBTS. Where is it?

Apologies if this did get a useful answer but it seemed that the ones you got referred to where it used to be and the fact that it wasn't there anymore.

Currently if you click Change under Account Settings at the bottom you'll see an option for Customs Declaration.

I have this set as "Yes" and for my last two orders both arrived marked as Gift but showing the value and neither time was a charged any fees.

For those interested in specifics the orders were $54.01 and $101.96 before shipping. So both were over the $50, with the second being over $100 though just barely.

I have a much larger order coming my way at $280.82 before shipping but I won't know for a couple more weeks whether I'm to be dinged on that one.

[Paradigm-Shift Prime]

Originally Posted by Goaliebot

If it comes in via US/Canada Post, you should only have to pay tax (13% hst in Ontario) + $9.95 collection fee. Anything over and something went wrong (likely not identified as "toys" through inspector error and thus hit with customs).

Declared value of $0-$50 should almost never get hit, $50-$100 is luck of the draw, over $100 will pretty much always get hit.

Being marked "gift" will almost never help.

If FedEx or UPS, it's a crapshoot because some couriers tack on huge "brokerage fees".

This.

If its through USPS, there is no such thing as 'brokerage' fees. Tax and a duty charge can be applied, but that's it.

Brokerage fees only exist in the case of UPS/FedEx, etc (private couriers), and when applied (almost always when over a certain value declared), regularly are in the 25-60% of value range, with no clear account of how the fee is arrived at, but if you don't pay, you don't get your package.

Once in 2007 I got hit with a $75 brokerage fee from UPS for a $100 value item (sealed G1 Kickback). I made the eBay seller reimburse me for it, because their auction clearly said they shipped with USPS, but then they sent it with UPS (a new seller). That raises a message to our US friends, don't mess around with the identification and execution of which shipment method one uses.

[thaneofcremona]

Originally Posted by brr-icy

alright, where's the horseshoe? i'm at 100% getting hit

This right here.
Im with you every single time I order anything from BBTS I get dinged for the customs.

Cheers

[Shockwave 75]

Just got my last two packages; one from BBTS, and one from a seller on Amazon.ca from China.

No fees paid.

[joeyjoejoe]

Originally Posted by Paradigm-Shift Prime

This.

If its through USPS, there is no such thing as 'brokerage' fees. Tax and a duty charge can be applied, but that's it.

Brokerage fees only exist in the case of UPS/FedEx, etc (private couriers), and when applied (almost always when over a certain value declared), regularly are in the 25-60% of value range, with no clear account of how the fee is arrived at, but if you don't pay, you don't get your package.

Once in 2007 I got hit with a $75 brokerage fee from UPS for a $100 value item (sealed G1 Kickback). I made the eBay seller reimburse me for it, because their auction clearly said they shipped with USPS, but then they sent it with UPS (a new seller). That raises a message to our US friends, don't mess around with the identification and execution of which shipment method one uses.

Not quite. It's not just called a "handling fee" instead of a "brokerage fee".

USPS will ship to CSBA. From CSBA, Canada Post will ship from there to you. If taxes/duty are assessed, then Canada Post will charge a $9.95 handling fee. If no taxes/duty are assessed then there's no handling fee.

[Pascal]

Originally Posted by oberonprime

Apologies if this did get a useful answer but it seemed that the ones you got referred to where it used to be and the fact that it wasn't there anymore.

Currently if you click Change under Account Settings at the bottom you'll see an option for Customs Declaration.

I have this set as "Yes" and for my last two orders both arrived marked as Gift but showing the value and neither time was a charged any fees.

For those interested in specifics the orders were $54.01 and $101.96 before shipping. So both were over the $50, with the second being over $100 though just barely.

I have a much larger order coming my way at $280.82 before shipping but I won't know for a couple more weeks whether I'm to be dinged on that one.

Current setting is "YES" yet I always get hit whenever the order is over $50.