Online Shopping to Start Sucking for Canadians

**Brad to the Bone** · 10-01-2014

Just got back from the Post Office where I had to pay about $13.50 in import fees for a $25 T-shirt. Assuming this had to be an error I did some digging and saw that, sure enough, the tax-exempt limit for goods shipped from outside Canada (previously about $100) has now been lowered to $20. From http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/po...oits-eng.html:

The item’s value in Canadian dollars

Under the provisions of the Postal Imports Remission Order, if someone mails you an item worth CAN$20 or less, you don’t have to pay duty or taxes on the item. If the item is worth more than CAN$20, you must pay the applicable duty, the GST or HST, and any PST on the item’s full value.

Handling costs

To process goods imported as mail that are subject to duty and/or tax, Canada Post charges the recipient CAN$9.95. If the item is duty-free and tax exempt, no amount is charged.

Now I have no problem with paying the sales tax and duty, but that $10 flat fee is a killer, and hence the $13.50 rather than $3.50 I had to pay today. This will reduce my online shopping activity quite significantly.

**3LockBox** · 10-02-2014

Oh man, did I misinterpret this thread title...

**Progatron** · 10-02-2014

Well, you were right. I just got home to find a delivery notice (I ordered two 'hoodies' from an online shirt vendor in California). They shipped by air mail on Sept. 18th, and it is now Oct. 2nd.

$24.32 owing.

And just for fun, they've listed Monday (6th.) as the day I can pick up my parcel. The post office is down the street from me. Some reason why they can't manage to have it there tomorrow (Friday) instead? Gee, thanks Canada Post, for hammering one more BIG nail into the coffin of online shopping (a favourite pastime of mine).

Fortunately, most CD vendors I deal with list 'gift' on the customs sticker, or a very low value. Anyone who doesn't has unfortunately seen the last dollars from me, as I am not paying the already outlandish U.S. shipping rate to Canada, as well as ten or twenty bucks more to Canada Post. That's more than the cost of the CDs inside the package. Ridiculous.

**Don Arnold** · 10-02-2014

Originally Posted by Progatron

I just got home to find a delivery notice and it is now Oct. 2nd......And just for fun, they've listed Monday (6th.) as the day I can pick up my parcel.

Progatron, I've had similar instances with Canada Post (well, not 4 days!), and I have typically found that the package is available at the named Post Office sooner. If you swing by there tomorrow I bet your shirts will be waiting for you! (if I'm wrong, keep in mind....gentlemen's bet only

).

**Progatron** · 10-02-2014

Originally Posted by Don Arnold

Progatron, I've had similar instances with Canada Post (well, not 4 days!), and I have typically found that the package is available at the named Post Office sooner. If you swing by there tomorrow I bet your shirts will be waiting for you! (if I'm wrong, keep in mind....gentlemen's bet only

).

I may give it a shot since I'm not going into work until the afternoon. But perhaps the post offices in B.C. operate better than the Ontario ones.

**Don Arnold** · 10-02-2014

This does certainly add in$ult to injury for us Canadians ordering from sellers in the USA. That shipping increase last year (or earlier this year - don't recall exactly when it took affect) was a killer, with average shipping rates from USA to Canada on a single cd going from the $3-$4 mark to between $8 and $10. This latest customs related increase simply stomps on the corpse.

For example, if we order a single cd from our favourite (favorite) stateside vendor that costs $21.00, we'll pay:

$21.00 - cd
$9.00 - ave shipping cost
$10.00 - customs brokerage fee from Canada Post
$2.50 - federal & provincial tax (prov rates vary)

$42.50 = total cost for our $21 cd.

Are we getting any sympathy out there? (queue Charlie Brown) Anyone listening to me? Anyone?

**JKL2000** · 10-03-2014

Is the reason for all these charges to try to get people to shop within Canada?

And so, you guys don't get these packages delivered to your home? You have to go pick them u p if there are any charges due?

This whole thing DOES suck! I feel sorry for you.

**Don Arnold** · 10-03-2014

Originally Posted by JKL2000

And so, you guys don't get these packages delivered to your home? You have to go pick them u p if there are any charges due?

Basically, yes. As I understand things, if a package coming from the States has a customs declaration on it, then it will most likely get flagged and checked for amounts. Then, if it exceeds the specified threshold, they will redirect the package to the nearest post office location, and send you a pick-up notice with the required payment owing. I'm not sure when the latest changes took affect, but I received a package of discs from Chicago two weeks ago with a customs label on it and the amount of $50 or so clearly written. I ended up receiving the box directly, no problem. I have found this before as well, so that makes me assume the flagging/checking system is hit and miss.

Originally Posted by JKL2000

This whole thing DOES suck! I feel sorry for you.

Thank you JKL2000. That makes us feel a whole lot better!

**Progatron** · 10-03-2014

Originally Posted by JKL2000

And so, you guys don't get these packages delivered to your home? You have to go pick them u p if there are any charges due?

They are delivered, but if you're not home to pay the charges due, the package is redirected to the post office for pickup. And of course, I'm rarely home when the mail is delivered, as I'm at work!

**adap2it** · 10-03-2014

Originally Posted by JKL2000

Is the reason for all these charges to try to get people to shop within Canada?

And so, you guys don't get these packages delivered to your home? You have to go pick them u p if there are any charges due?

This whole thing DOES suck! I feel sorry for you.

Hey Jake! How did Henry like Progday? I don't buy anything on line, I guess I'm not just old, I'm old fashioned...my CD's...I download only. The Can$ is $.88US, makes no sense to me to buy on line with all the add-ons.