Unexpected Customs Bill
 

So I thought everything was going quite well since I have been in Canada and today I got a lovely letter form UPS for $202

On leaving home I decided to send a couple of extra parcels as goods to follow. UPS called once I was in Canada and asked if I could forward the stamped paperwork. This was done and then the goods were delivered on the 20th June.

All is well.

Then today I got landed with the bill. I called UPS but they state that its a Canada customs issue and that they had to charge. All the paperwork I have is stamped and the prices on the UPS invoice match the values I gave on the goods declaration / Commercial Invoice.

Has anyone had any experience of this or know about how I can get it resolved?

Thanks.

:confused:

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

This is typical UPS. UPS usually charge the same as the value of the items shipped and call it brokerage charges:thumbdown:

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

Is it GST?

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No it's actual duty on the goods I declared. Going to have to call customs tomorrow. UPS say they just do what they are told.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

No good calling them. Fill in the form from customs for a refund and submit your paperwork. You won't get back any brokerage charges from UPS though, only they duty, if not duty was due. UPS brkerage charges are way higher than FedEx, so you may want to look at how much is duty and how much is other charges.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

I'd be interested to learn on what authority UPS can deliver something to your house, and then send you a bill for charges they incurred without your approval, and expect you to pay up.

The only time this has ever happened to me, the FedEx driver wouldnt let me sign for the stuff until I'd paid the amount- $70 ish in customs duty. In those circumstances, we had no option but to pay (IIRC it was receiving birthday presents from family for my 3yr old daughter).

However, in the OP's situation, he already has the stuff. I'd tell UPS to whistle for it if it was me. But I'm an awkward bugger...:D

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

i had a friend living in the states (boston) i was in uk

he told me about a good deal on a sony camera at the time so i looked it up on the internet on best buys website

i bought the camera and got it delivered to his house in boston with him then to post it on to me..

bout a week after he posted it i got a thing in threw the door from royal mail sayin i had to go to the GPO to collect a package

when i landed the post office charged me like 180 quid in customs fees for the camera

if i had of known that i would have got the camera in town cheaper in tesco or somewere

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

Are these your 'personal belongings'?

If yes, its just a matter of requesting UPS to revise/amend the entry with customs. Keep in mind, UPS may likely charge another brokerage fee to reclaim your money.

They may have charged you duty under the assumption it is a commercial transaction. On your invoice/packing slip, did you note "PERSONAL EFFECTS, NOT FOR RESALE, VALUE FOR CUSTOMS PURPOSES ONLY". Doing this would have changed the H.S Harmonized codes to one lump sum H.S for personal effects (non dutiable) instead of individual H.S codes for each item (with variable rates of duty) on your list.

Also the UPS invoice would likely include HST at the full 13% (Ontario, would vary by province) if UPS had reason to believe you were purchasing it for personal consumption (which they would because they likely only saw your personal name on the invoice and not a company name. Any inbound 'commercial imports' are only billed the 5% GST, the importer then bills 13% to their client and difference goes to the government at tax time.

The other persons comment is very true, review the UPS invoice to confirm the breakdown of the charges before issuing new instructions.

The brokerage fee itself may seem high, but a lot of paperwork goes into one time entries. Strangely, UPS overseas air shipments usually include the destination brokerage (meaning you may have paid the brokerage within your original freight cost at origin), its the UPS moves from USA to Canada where the brokerage amounts get out of control.

Good luck, let me know if you have any questions.

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You give them permission when it is shipped and you accept the goods. It happens often with imports. Couriers are fulfilling a legal requirement, they have no option but pay the tax and duties on your behalf. If one wants to be sure there will be none, don't accept the goods until you find out.

If you don't pay it, you likely won't hear from them again, nor will they deliver any packages to you in the future. There are only so many couriers you can do this with, before you run out of shipping options.

If the courier makes an error you can legitimately dispute the bill or claim a refund, if one can demonstrate the error was on the part of the courier.

When I buy camera kit out of the US, I pre pay taxes, duty and shipping, a lot cheaper than buying on delivery as there are no brokerage fees and lower shipping fees.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

Read this link re the courier programme and casual refund claim procedure.
One half of me sympathizes with people who use the couriers like UPS and Fedex etc especially when they get those bills for payment and the courier informs them thats its Customs fault and they are only doing their job.
The other half of me is laughing my ass off as people dont do their research or enquiries before doing their internet shopping frenzies and then are shocked when they are legally asked for payment of any applicable duties and taxes on items they bought and are being imported.

General rule if its over $20 Cad not inc shipping for the item and you purchased the item from outside Canada then legally CBSA and the couriers can collect.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/courier/menu-eng.html

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

How so? If I receive something from family back home (eg/ gifts for my daughters birthday), how am I giving anyone permission for anything?

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

By accepting the package and signing for it. Read the terms and conditions before you accept the package. When you sign for it, you are accepting the package along with the terms and conditions. If you don't accept the terms and conditions, don't accept the package.

Your friends or family can also send it where taxes and duty are billed to them, all depends how they fill in the shipping documents.

Many couriers won't leave it without payment as they have been stung so many times before.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

That's a cop out and you know it.

Which terms and conditions am I supposed to read? You usually get to sign in a little box on a handheld PDA.

But I've had stuff left at the door with no signature. I've signed for stuff addressed to my wife and vice versa- you sign to say you've received it. If there are terms and conditions attached, especially where you're assuming liability to pay taxes for someone else (is that even legal?:confused:), they need to make that clear.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

C'mon bud. Read the fine print on the waybill you signed at origin. Your being a wee bit naive and ignorant of the process, moving things internationally means dealing with businesses (money making entities, they are not your friends) and customs. Customs have more power than the police or even the wife. You've learned your lesson the hard way, next time you'll ask more questions (possibly on this forum), use a freight forwarder instead of a courier, the paperwork will be done right, and have a little more money in your pocket. No worries, you are not alone in your experience.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

I'm sorry, I think you must have completely ignored most of what I said, or you've quoted me by accident.

Nowhere have I said anything about using couriers, freight forwarders or moving anything internationally. My point was about receiving stuff from family- birthday presents etc.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

I've often had to pay import duty on items received, and frequently a month or so after getting the goods. Part of living in Canada.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

But the stuff was goods to follow was it not. Surely you shouldn't pay duty on those items?
If the op sent a copy of his document to UPS it sounds like they have processed the import wrong which wouldn't surprise me. Tell them to stick their bill and get them to sort it. There's definitely no brokerage fee's or ancillary fee's on there too?

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No you wouldnt pay on those items but if they werent declared as GTF and entered as such on the UPS consist sheet then how would they know.
I agree UPS messed up the declaration.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

Hmm I read through some interesting comments here.

UPS say they had to charge and that I need to take the issue up with customs.

So this is ok by me as I can get a refund.
The UPS brokerage fee was actually only $10 then $49 for what they call additional tariff lines. I'm not too sure if this is a UPS charge or a customs charge.

The following day I called customs and they said they would have already been paid by UPS as the goods had been delivered and that I should submit a refund.

The thing which annoys me is that we received a call from UPS asking to send my casual goods accounting document as I had written "GOODS TO FOLLOW, PERSONAL EFFECTS" all over the commercial invoice. We emailed the documents and UPS emailed back saying the goods would now be released.

We were heading out to Newfoundland the next day and UPS said verbally they could deliver the following week. However when we returned the neighbor came round saying he had two parcels for me and took them inside the previous week as they were dumped on the door step and it looked like rain.

So these goods have never actually been signed for either.

I am going to write to UPS so I can slow down paying them. Even if I have to pay them and claim from customs I will drag my feet. When they reply to this I may well write back asking them to provide me with a proof of delivery.

I'm not too sure how they will be able to do that. Especially when we were out of province.

Thanks for all the responses.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

Context indeed, I thought you were the person who initiated the post and tied your comments into their scenario, which makes more sense. If it's a gift from a family member I can see your concern, it then falls on that family member to ensure they've prepared the documents correctly and warn you in advance (if necessary). Always nice to receive those gifts face to face but thats not always the case eh. My Grandma, bless her, still mail's cash because everyone in the world in a trustworthy law abiding citizen/employee, lol.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

You'll only get the duty back. Brokerage, terminal and other fees are not refunded when you claim, so looks like you'll not get the $59 you refer to refunded. Even GTF would attract brokerage and other tariff items anyway to clear through customs, so you'll end up no worse off once you get the duty back and any sales tax back.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

The $49 for additional tariff lines is an ancillary charge by UPS its not Duty. You only get 5 tariff lines included with UPS before they start charging extra (A tariff line is just kind off courier jargon for the harmonized tariff codes, if you send lots of different items in different import categories then UPS use lots of tariff lines and charge around $4.50 a line)
http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shi...?WT.svl=SubNav

If this $49 and the $10 brokerage is all the bill is for then your issue is with UPS and not customs. I dont think you should have been charged the $10 brokerage since with worldwide UPS brokerage is included.

Call them and go ape **** at them, especially as they seem to be trying to pass the buck and are messing you around. They will often write off brokerage etc if you make a right fuss.

Here's some reading which might help ,read through the comments and links too as it shows how some people have handled UPS brokerage bills

http://trueler.com/2010/11/24/self-c...brokerage-fee/
:)

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

How much effort is it worth for $10, the time on the phone is worth more than that.

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There's also the other $49 though and it's the principle of being ripped off. How many of them $10 do other people just pay because it's the easy option, bet it add's up to millions for UPS. Either way the op is going to have to call UPS to dispute the charges or to pay them :)

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

If using couriers like UPS or FedEx one can always tell them you will SELF CLEAR the shipment. This means driving to the UPS brokerage office where the goods are and picking up the tracking document along with any invoice sent.
You then drive to the nearest CBSA office (not the airport offices) and present those documents. You will pay any applicable duties and taxes but no brokerage fees. If no taxes applicable say on a GTF shipment then documentation is just stamped by Customs. You then drive back to the UPS warehouse and present the stamped documents and they give you your package.
Bearing in mind if you live in Calgary you may have to drive to Winnipeg to pick up those documents as Winnipeg handles most UPS shipments shipped from the US.
Of course UPS will tell you that you cant do this.
If you dont tell the courier you want to clear the goods yourself then they automatically clear the goods on your behalf hence the brokerage fees.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

All,

Sorry for hijacking this thread however I have a very specific question that I am hoping the experts on here can offer me some sounds advice on. Essentially, myself and my wife will be heading out to Canada on an IEC visa next month and we have a few personal items that we are planning on shipping over (extra clothes, household items etc).

So, long story short, I have called Transglobalexpress.co.uk and they have offered me a 'reasonable price' to send a few extra cases via air freight using their door2door service. They have stated the usual "we cannot comment on any potential customs taxes/duty etc that may apply when clearing customs in Canada." I have therefore printed out the customs docs and understand that if we clearly mark on the GTF list that these items are for personal use, will be exported out of Canada (if/when) we leave etc, then we should not incur any duty on these - can someone confirm that this is correct?

Also, I am concerned with the fact that they cannot advise me on what the brokerage fees may be for UPS to clear customs on our behalf and deliver the cases to an address in TO (they will be using UPS to ship the items) - does anyone know how to avoid this (I have tried telling them that we will self clear but they are saying that this isn't possible). They have said that I can instruct a different company to clear customs on our behalf - again, is this correct?

Lastly, if we have to pay the brokerage fee - any ideas on how I can find out an approx. cost so that we can budget for this extra expense accordingly?

Many thanks in advance.

LDN2TO

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

People coming over on IEC work permits or other work permits less than 36 months should have a list of GTF if they are shipping goods that dont arrive with them as per this memo.
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publicati...d2-1-1-eng.pdf
Although the memo doesnt mention GTF its only common sense that one is provided on 1st entry so when they arrive CBSA have been made aware of them and what they are and do they need examining.
As for sending them by courier that is something you need to talk to them about because as for Customs purposes there are no taxes on them providing they are for personal use and will be exported.
I believe on your IEC LOI there should be a U prefix followed by 9 numbers.
On the declaration form put personal effects IEC work permit number
U123456789.

Re: Unexpected Customs Bill
 

Much appreciated, FL!

My major concern is that the brokerage fees seem to be an unknown quantity - I have tried calling UPS and I cannot seem to get a definitive answer from them!

Really do not want to get hit with a bill that we have no way of budgeting for!

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Whats wrong with the Royal Mail/Canada Post route. Sure it might be slower but no brokerage fees to think about unless you are in a rush for those items.

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Is it possible to send two suitcases c. 25kg each by RM or CP?

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No idea Google is your friend ;)

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.....or not as the case may be........£150 for 1 case between 25 & 30 kg!!!:ohmy:

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What about checking the cases in as excess baggage? might work out cheaper. If you get good shipping rates from UPS or FedEx then I believe the brokerage charges could be waived or cost around $25 to $50 for the shipment.

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If the brokerage fees are in that region that wouldn't be too bad as excess baggage is £2.50 per kilo with Air Transat.