Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

I'm looking to buy a dress from eBay in the US. The dress has been made in the US and costs around $125CAD plus shipping. I assumed that under NAFTA I wouldn't need to pay any import duties however the seller is asking around $30 in import duties :sneaky: Are they trying to pull a fast one?!?

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

Are they asking for import duties or import fees?

For import, there are handling fees, security fees, brokerage and sales tax. Some items that don't fall under NAFTA also have duty.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

The term used is 'import charges', and they seem quite high - one option was over $40 on something with a list price around $140 and $20 shipping.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

I'd say so. Dresses at that price (or clothes in general) aren't made in the US any more.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

Ebaying in Canada is a nightmare. I used to use it a lot in the UK, but a combination of import charges, postal charges and a week canadian dollar make it almost pointless to use ebay here.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

If the dress is made in the USA there will be no duties but its still subject to GST and PST/HST where applicable. Depending on how it is shipped there may also be brokerage fees UPS Fedex or a handling fee Canada Post.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

I find that anything from the US gets taxed

Anything from China always only costs 10-15 bucks, even tho I paid more, and don't get taxed

For the record I buy tonnes of sh*t off a Ebay

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

I bought a used VCR from ebay recently for $250, and they charged about $15 in import fees (I guess that's GST + a couple of bucks for the customs agent?). So $40 for a $125 dress seems excessive.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

Depends entirely on who the carrier is. Often the handling fee is around $10, plus security fees and sometimes brokerage. Fedex charge less than most. Sales tax is dependent on the supplier and the destination province. Some items get GST only, some HST, some GST & PST. If the country of manufacture is not the US, but the seller is in the US, there could be duty added. The paperwork has to be correct to come in under NAFTA.

Goods coming in from the US have federal tax and provincial added, often those coming from overseas have GST only.

We import plastic from Australia, the right commodity code is no duty, a similar code one broker tried to use has a 20% duty, plus tax and brokerage.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

That was through ebay's special service where they collect import duties up front, so you know how much it will cost and don't get a staggeringly huge bill when it arrives. I presumed this case was the same, as I can't see any other reason for them to be collecting import duties.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

you only seem to get charged duty when the sender uses a courier company. When ever ive selected normal post option ive not been done for duty. Have bought items in the UK and from the US, and not been charged.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

That's been my experience, nothing I ever order that comes via Canada Post has ever been charged anything, delivered like anything else would be.

UPS and the like have always had fees, so now won't order anything if the shipper wont use the postal service.

I have more or less stopped ordering things online in general, not worth ordering off US sites with the lower dollar and higher shipping, and well the Canadian based places just suck.

I have only used ebay once in the last 10 years....but the order was not a high value, shipping of 4 dollars was more then the actual products value...lol

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

Choose a seller who uses USPS (for items from the USA), Royal Mail (for items from the UK) or the equivalent national postal services from other countries, who link with CanadaPost and I would suggest that you are very unlikely to pay any duties or handling charges, unless your parcel comes from 'a country that is connected with drugs trafficking' etc...

I have yet to have any CanadaPost parcels intercepted and have duties or fees charged. That's over 30 parcels in 15 months. I guess it depends on which incoming Mail Centre your parcels come through, but it certainly seems to be the case for Vancouver. It wasn't just small things either - one parcel was a car part sent from the USA that was 4 feet long in a large box with a customs form and commercial invoice attached for over $300...the box clearly said 'Made in Korea' (well it was for a Hyundai!) so wasn't USA-made etc.

I just got dinged for $42 handling fees by FedEx for two parcels from the UK, because the retailer decided to send them by FedEx to save THEM some money, rather than the Royal Mail Airmail Small Packets service that they advertised and that I had selected and paid for.

That was resolved by a couple of firm emails and they (the retailer) have now refunded the $42 that I was charged, costing them more than the amount they saved by changing the delivery carrier.

UPS, FedEx and others use handling fees as a profit stream.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

Kinhell what are CBSA doing at the Vancouver Mail Centre :lol:
Bonus for you and a loss for the Federal Govt who might need that few dollars to give to your province in transfer payment monies or to fund federal services that you may require later on in life:sneaky:

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

Looking for Anomalies (they must be popular for import - they are always looking for them :lol:), steroids, drugs and false passports hidden in carved out things, judging by what they show on Border Security!!

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

We only ever pay FedEx a $7 handling fee to do the import. UPS is another story.

But then as couriers are a business, profit is what it is about. Every business is looking to add profit and find new ways to make a buck. When a coffee company can get away with $5-6 for a hot drink that takes no more than a few minutes to make, that to me is profiteering!

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

There are many import charges, duty is one and applies according to the tariff code if any duty is charged. Not all import fees are duty. There are handling fees, security fees, terminal charges when coming by air, brokerage fees, GST, PST, HST.

When shipped parcel post out of the UK, most will get picked up for import fees, Canada Post charge $10, small packet seems to be random, however if picked up, still a $10 fee from CP. All the errors on import we get are when Canada Post are involved and CBSA do the import assessment. I have lost track of how many time we have to apply for refunds for PST incorrectly applied or the wrong commodity code used and duty improperly applied.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

Same experience with items sent by Canada Post. Most of my orders are small and not valuable, but I have ordered a couple times a few items in the 100 range, and still nothing.

According to tracking they come via Vancouver each time as well.

It was so much easier when living in the US and ordering stuff, US Customs have almost no interest in collecting duty on anything, I've come back from trips well over by exemption and they never bat an eye, only concerned with criminal activity these days down there.

Like when crossing by land, going into the US its very basic, and they never ask if we are bringing anything into the US. Coming back into Canada, what did you buy, how much, do you have alcohol cigs and so on. Feels like a money grab more then anything else. Luckily in BC they don't seem to actually collect if your upfront and honest and don't have booze and cigs.

I haven't had anything sent by Fedex for years, but it was 20 something the last time I did.

Only UPS delivery I have had was from Amazon.com and they include all the duty and fees in their total and its much more reasonable then what UPS normally charges and of course nothing due at delivery, and Amazon even refunded some money because the actual amount was less then the estimated amount.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

If the truth be known the vast majority of CBSA officers would rather not collect duties and taxes on personal use shipments however we are legislated to legally collect these fees on behalf of both the Federal and Provincial Govts.
So imagine yourself in my job you can either turn a blind eye to collecting these taxes and if found in violation by a supervisor of being negligent in the discharge of your duties and faced with disciplinary action which could result in a bollocking or if unlucky termination of your job.
Sure we have a limited amount of discretion but where do you draw the line. What is acceptable on a busy long weekend is not acceptable on a regular Wednesday afternoon.
Some you win some you lose.
Would you put your job at risk for the sake of saving a person you don't know $20, $40 on some legally owed taxes.
How often do CRA give you a break on your income tax returns. Will they reduce your total declared income to give you a break.

Re: Import Duty when buying from eBay
 

I find crossing late at night helps. They don't seem too keen on doing it late night, but the only purchase I have brought back that wasn't within an exemption was the puppy, just some questions about how we found her, how much we paid, if we paid the asking price in the ad, and we were sent on our way.

I would always be prepared to pay any taxes and duties due and certainly not going to get upset at an officer for doing it.

Really the only thing that annoys me at the border is complete uncalled for rudeness, doesn't happen often along the BC/WA border, but in ON, I about wanted to turn around and go back to NY.

I am not one who will cross and buy something not within an exemption and then cry that I have no money to pay for the taxes, if asked, I am prepared to pay the taxes no issue.

I do find the UPS/Fedex fees to be excessive though, but its not related to the gov't.