Shipping to Canada.

[Ebbed]

So after a lot of grief the last time i ordered some stuff from the states i decided the next time i ordered anything i was going to find a more cost effective way of transporting it across the border. with most big Currier company's charging brokerage fees I was wondering how my fellow Canadians go about shipping there expensive American paintball stuff (lets face it its an American sport) across the border without getting royally screwed?

[michbich]

Usps

[smilestyler]

ditto

[Ratzo]

I've had US postal.
But since I live in Niagara the last item I got I just had it shipped to the UPS store on Military RD. and picked it up when it arrived and took the opertunity to get some gas and groceries while I was across so it wasn't just a pick up run.

[DiRTyBuNNy]

Shipping to Canada is a pain in the behind and way more than it should be...but hey...people ask..and for those that don't laugh at me thinking I'm making a profit off of shipping because of the cost are glad they've found someone who will gladly ship anywhere.

--DB

[Reiner]

USPS. No question.

[Sundown]

Yep, never had any problems with USPS.. a part from it being a little long some times.
And yes, it is a bit more expensive. But it depends from where they ship. Someone shipping from Boston to Ottawa, Ontario would not pay much more than if he would be shipping to California.

:cheers:

[Xceolite]

USPS definatly. If the shipper is willing to de-value the product, that also helps for duties. I also use creative desriptions like high pressure regulator (which it is) to describe a marker to avoid using the words paintball.
It's Canada post that takes forever to deliver it once it's crossed the border. Sitting at a depot for two days of "sorting'".

[Dend78]

but if the shipper sends it as a gift i think that removes most if not all duties :ninja:

[Sundown]

With USPS, I never got duty fees.
I usually ask the shipper to indicate Used Sports Equipement (which is true) and it works fine.

[Lohman446]

but if the shipper sends it as a gift i think that removes most if not all duties :ninja:

So if the shipper lies to a federal agency (in writing) the buyer can save a few dollars?

I'm sorry, this is one of those pet peeve things of mine. I did not make the Canadian governments tax laws, I am not going to commit a crime to help someone evade them. Especially over a few dollars.

[smilestyler]

So if the shipper lies to a federal agency (in writing) the buyer can save a few dollars?

I'm sorry, this is one of those pet peeve things of mine. I did not make the Canadian governments tax laws, I am not going to commit a crime to help someone evade them. Especially over a few dollars.

I don't know what the waybills look like in the US but in Canada your options are 1) Gift 2) Sample and 3) document. I don't know what everyone else puts, but the only clear answer to me is gift.

[ezcreation]

So if the shipper lies to a federal agency (in writing) the buyer can save a few dollars?

I'm sorry, this is one of those pet peeve things of mine. I did not make the Canadian governments tax laws, I am not going to commit a crime to help someone evade them. Especially over a few dollars.

I think you are going on the extreme on that one. Declaring that you are shipping sporting goods is not a lie.
I would understand that you want to put the real value for insurance purpose, meaning the receiver will pay duties but by saying it is a GIFT or USED you are not breaking any law or lieing.

I usually ask shipped to mark it as USED/MADE IN USA/GIFT/SPORTING GOODS
I dont see any crime here.

[Lohman446]

I think you are going on the extreme on that one. Declaring that you are shipping sporting goods is not a lie.
I would understand that you want to put the real value for insurance purpose, meaning the receiver will pay duties but by saying it is a GIFT or USED you are not breaking any law or lieing.

I usually ask shipped to mark it as USED/MADE IN USA/GIFT/SPORTING GOODS
I dont see any crime here.


Saying it is used = accurate and no problem

Saying it is a gift when it isn't = fraud. How do you possibly consider it not lieing?

[Sundown]

I don't know what the waybills look like in the US but in Canada your options are 1) Gift 2) Sample and 3) document. I don't know what everyone else puts, but the only clear answer to me is gift.

You are absolutely right on this.
And the lady at my post office told me to alwasy write it as a gift. Because sample and document does not make sense :)

[ezcreation]

Saying it is used = accurate and no problem

Saying it is a gift when it isn't = fraud. How do you possibly consider it not lieing?

wow this world must be insane then if that is a lie... :)
Worse case you dont mark it as a gift

To me you ship a weapon and mark it as an ice-cream then it s a lie (a melting one), to ship drugs and mark it as candies is a lie, but shipping a sporting good and adding it is a gift is technically adding a dimension extra as it could or could not be a gift but come on...If that is the worse our world has to face then we are fine...

That said we are still looking for weapons of massive destruction...Now that was a real lie ;)

[Lohman446]

wow this world must be insane then if that is a lie... :)
Worse case you dont mark it as a gift

To me you ship a weapon and mark it as an ice-cream then it s a lie (a melting one), to ship drugs and mark it as candies is a lie, but shipping a sporting good and adding it is a gift is technically adding a dimension extra as it could or could not be a gift but come on...If that is the worse our world has to face then we are fine...

That said we are still looking for weapons of massive destruction...Now that was a real lie ;)


I'm all for calling it sporting goods, and used.

The gift part confuses me. What do you consider a gift? I mean... umm, if they paid for it its not a gift... What do you mean could or could not be? There is no ambiguity to hide in. They paid for it, it is very clearly NOT a gift.

/Keep in mind its been years since shipping to Canada, and the last form I filled in you had to write in what it was

[Reiner]

I've had many shipments to Canada using USPS and have never been charged duty. Applicable taxes and brokerage fees, yes. With USPS, the "brokerage fee" is only $5 or $8. Taxes (PST and GST) always have to be paid, regardless of who you send it with. If you send it as a "gift" with no value, then you may not have to pay taxes, but you are also committing fraud, which if you should happen to be caught, can be much more severe.

[WARHEAD]

So after a lot of grief the last time i ordered some stuff from the states i decided the next time i ordered anything i was going to find a more cost effective way of transporting it across the border. with most big Currier company's charging brokerage fees I was wondering how my fellow Canadians go about shipping there expensive American paintball stuff (lets face it its an American sport) across the border without getting royally screwed?


Like they have said above, ship with USPS.

I was just sent a replacement part from Q-Loader under warranty, it was a part from one of their $30 mounting kits. UPS was asking for $42 in brokerage fees.... I refused, called them, and they said sorry we'll ship USPS.

Yesterday, my J&J Edge Elite kit arrived, straight from J&J, shipped USPS, and I didn't have to do anything except sign to pick it up. The value of this kit is something like $150 Canadian, much more than what a warrantied replacement part is worth (probably something like $5, and can even be claimed to have no value as it is a replacement part)

Generally, USPS costs a little more than UPS etc. but I am personally never charged any extra other than occasionally taxes. When buying used stuff (which if you're a canadian gettiing mag stuff like me, you are) there shouldn't be ANY extra charges, because it's all private, and as far as anyone in the "system" is concerned, the package was not an indication of any financial exchange, so long as it is not a used product being sold by a business on a business account.