Bluefin

Hi all,
We've just had a couple of shipping companies over and have put the scare in me. Elite shipping have given a excellent quote of £2100 to ship from Kent to Edmonton but we'll pack everthing onto the container.

The other companies I've had over have said the PBO (Packed By Owner) will cause havock over at customs since they'll see it's PBO and will go through every box and I'll incur horrendous charges.

Has anyone had experience of this or is this scaremongering?

Atlantic Xpat

No personal experience very much scaremongering IMHO.

Dave n Ailsa

Did the companies tell you what the charges would be for? Surely customs can't charge you for doing a job they get paid to do anyway?

I will hopefully be in a similar situation to you soon, so it's an interesting question.

Dave.

Atlantic Xpat

Irrespective of whether you back a shipment yourself or pay someone to do it, customs can if so minded unpack a shipment completely and inspect. They won't charge you for this but your shipper will charge you for unpacking and repacking the container. This could include transportation costs from port to Customs facility. Similarly if the Canadian authorities decide that you container needs to be fumigated, all fees associated with this will be charged to you.

There is nothing - other than ensuring everything is clean (especially vehicles and tools) and that your paperwork is absolutely in order - that you can do about it. The decision whether to inspect a container is often down to the whims of the customs officers on the day.

Dave n Ailsa

I wonder what the percentage is, of containers being checked at the port.

Presumably they have a list of containers with numbers and names. Nothing on the outside is going to make an official decide one over another, unless they do it by colour, lol.

So that would leave it down to luck, or, reading up on the owner of the container's contents.

But what would they have? Name and address?, and of course that all important "Packed by owner" comment.

I reckon they are probably too busy following up tips and suspicions to be worried about Mr and Mrs Jones's worldly possesions.

I think I will be trying to fill a container with half household items, and a car full of tools. Will make for an interesting logistical excercise.

MarkG

I believe that's exactly it: aside from the obvious like people smuggling illegal items, they're looking for things like dirty outdoor hardware, etc which might bring infections into Canada. So you'll either be checked at random, or because you happened to put 'filthy tent that we used to use to camp in the farm down the road until they got foot and mouth' on your list .

I guess if there's any suspicion they're more likely to trust a list of contents produced by the shipping company than by the owner, though my shipping list from the company who packed it bore only a vague resemblance to the contents anyway!

Cdnshaz

We too are packing at least half of the things ourselves, they tried the scare technique with us too, saying that insurance wouldn't cover PBO and that we were more likely to get searched blah blah blah...we said tough, we are not paying you any more money and if you won't insure us we will find someone who will....now as we spoke up to their bluff..we have insurance on all the items even the PBO..and if customs wants to check to see if my grand daughters crib and highchair is clean, let them. I believe it is hit and miss and if they search the container then so be it.

Dave n Ailsa

Do you have to itemise EVERYTHING you pack, or can you generalise? Like "box of pots, box of crockery, box of garden tools etc etc.

Or do you even need to make a list at all?

Bluefin

Dave the charges are for customs doing the check of the boxes x-rays etc and it's charges per hour. PSS said this could come to $1500-1800 CAD but depends on the quantity they are searching.

As Atlantic Xpat mentions, and I confirmed with Elite shipping, as long as you use your common sense on packing, follow customs guidelines, and the inventory is precise (Boxes are labelled and contents itemised (generally contents will do i.e. don't have to name every DVD in a box of DVD's just DVD's will do) then I think from what gather things will OK.

Dave n Ailsa

Thanks Bluefin.

Seems a bit unfair all the same. So, basically we should factor into the price of shipping, the possibility that this could happen, and if it doesn't, then woohoo, we can eat out for a few months

Cdnshaz

WE just put clothing, or wall photos, glasses....
we generalized and put replacement value as well

Bluefin

No harm factoring that in but (what Elite have said) if your inventory of the boxes is precise and doesn't contravene the customs guidlines then is all is good. I'm still researching at the moment , any new info I'll post up.

But if anyone has had experience of PBO and customs love to hear about it.

Atlantic Xpat

I sent 20 boxes via a freight forwarder that were very definately packed by owner. (But not a full container load). I had no problems with customs clearance or inspection. However, I say again, whether your container gets pulled for inspection is often random chance. It is a low risk but it's worth being prepared for the slight chance of extra cost.

MarkG

If you do a search here I'm sure I remember a couple of people having containers searched because they were shipping potentially contaminated items (outdoor gear, etc) and a couple purely at random. I think they said they were charged a few hundred dollars for the privilege.