Import fees?

sokioku
Community Member

I had recently bought a steelbook for the 2012 movie and to my surprise when paying there was a $12 import fee. Not only was it not in the description of the item listing but the seller was unaware of any import fees. The seller had checked their invoice and it wasn't there, however when I was paying it was.

 

Is this some sort of new eBay policy when buying from the USA? I'm very unhappy with eBay for this. This discourages me from buying from the USA since I'm unable to tell what auctions have import fees and which ones do not.

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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

Agree with sajibraj, I have been shopping on ebay for over 10 years and only items of approx $50 or more get charged customs/duties anything below that should never be charged an additional fee. Ebay is just gouging non US buyers by doing this. I'm in the same boat as some of the comments on here I will be closing my account if ebay does not rethink this BS.
Message 41 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

Does not matter who it goes to it is a complete rip off to Non US buyers plain and simple.
Message 42 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

I have been buying from the US and the UK for years, both through ebay and other web stores. I have NEVER EVER had to pay import fees into Canada unless something was shipped FedEx, and frankly I think those extra fees went straight into FedEx's pocket, so I never use FedEx anymore.  The Global Shipping system is a joke.  Service is no better, the costs are just higher and I refuse to buy from sellers who use that system.

Message 43 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

I just got charged import fees on an item that has no duty or customs on it so as soon as I get it I will be closing my account. I would tell all Canadians to do the same.
Message 44 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

I agree this is crazy,  Will not in future buy when these shipping cost are applied.  Priority also should mean fast but it does not.

Message 45 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

After you won ebay,

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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

annawebz
Community Member

I have just had the pleasure of finding out about the import charges the hard way.  Purchased 5 items from various sellers and 2 charged me import charges making my total amount $70.00 more than expected.  The sellers were not aware of these charges and I called Ebay only to speak to a robot telling me that there should always be import charges to Canada.  Why have I been shopping on Ebay for years with many sellers and never been charged, answer was their new shipping method offered to some sellers.  Why do they not announce this on their site to make us poor Canadians aware of this before we check out. 

 

Sellers using this service are going to lose sales and hopefully Ebay will wake up and use a service that is more acceptable to us Canadians.  I will not be shopping on Ebay again.  We are the US biggest trading partner? |Thank Ebay for this stupid move....

Message 47 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

Yes when did these stupid import charges come into play? i jsut noticed them recently and it will really limit my buying on here anymore. Some items the import charges were over half the cost of the item plus shipping! that is robbery. sorry ebay this is bad business!

Message 48 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

 

It's bad enough we have US Ebay sellers charging shipping rates higher than the item being purchased, YET other US vendors are very reasonable. If these sellers do not want Canadian business please jusy say so, don;t insult out intellligence by outrageous shipping charges. We are not fools to pay $38 shipping on a $10 item.

 

This import trash is simply that, trash, another money grab and nothing more. Many US sellers do not incorporate import charges, so is this a chosen rule for some and not others? Automotive parts seem to be the worst for import charges I have found.

Message 49 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

suj7
Community Member

definitely this new charge is detering me from shopping.  I only look for sellers that do not have mandatory fees.  I gather someone is making a good cut on this new process.

Message 50 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

It's not $20; it's $50 or more.
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

I believe the Global Shipping Program is a disaster for the seller as well as the buyer and it is a mystery to me why Ebay agreed to this deal with Pitney Bowes. Why do we Canadian want to pay custom fees to Ebay or Pitney Bowes? Yes they claim the money is being remitted to the Canadian Government - but is it? What about the extra handling fees which now Canada Post collects? Does this mean Canada Post is reduced to deliveries only from now on while Pitney Bowes collects the handling fees?

 

I recently ordered a doll from a USA seller and she agreed to take the GSP off for my transaction. As it turned out the extra GSP fees would have amounted to $33 while I paid only $27 (including $9 handling fee) in duty at the door. I prefer to take my chances with the Canadian customs and postal service any time.

This program does not make sense, it will hurt the seller who uses it and the buyer outside the USA will get screwed.

On a positive note - this program should be beneficial to the Canadian Sellers because the European buyers may discover buying from Canada is cheaper than buying from the USA.

I wonder whether Ebay has considered that? 

Message 52 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

I recently won a cd for $1.00. The seller when contacted stated it would cost $7.75 to ship it to Toronto which I thought was fair, he lives in Rochester. When the invoice came it was a whopping $17.45! I contacted him and he tried to send me a seller made invoice but was blocked! I transferred the agreed upon amount to his account then he couldn't print the stamps so he refunded my payment and we gave up. I haven't and won't pay $17.45 to ship a $1.00 cd. I have now set up my search to show only Canadian sellers for dvs and for cds I'll buy from here or Europe where the average rate is still about $7.75. This Global system is a scam and cash grab.
Message 53 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

eBay's excuse about this "Import Duties" fee is not true, if it was then Customs Canada would be getting taxes from this and they are not seeing one cent as far as I have been able to find out. This seems to me that this Global Shipping Program is a corporate cash grab plain and simple. eBay use to be a good place to purchase hard to find items but they are slowly making themselves no different than buying retail except retail sites are more open about their costs. I have been making more purchases on other sights lately because it is cheaper and If I have to buy something from eBay it is only from a seller who does not participate in this Global Theft Program. Would it be wrong to add a comment in on feedback that the sellers were chosen because they are not part of this program?
Message 54 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

What bothers me about this, is that import fees also seem applicable on USED items UNDER $150...which makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

A complete cash grab 100%.

I am furious.

Message 55 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

We make Dodge caravans here in Canada and it costs $7000 more to buy them here than it does in the States. Dealers in the States will not sell a new vehicle to a Canadian. But they will sell a used vehicle, so forget buying new. New prices are a rip-off wherever you go, and so is this cross- border shipping.
Message 56 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

Brutal - Ebay doesn't appreciate our business in Canada I guess. Some other company will come along and fill the void then it is bye bye ebay. They are not the first and won't be the last to under estimate their customer base.
I wonder if it is legal to collect and not submit these supposed customs fees? Smells like UPS. It's quite dishonest really
Message 57 of 59
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

I live in Canada and refuse to buy from US sellers that only offer shipping through GSP. I have noted that when I do searches (uses my Cdn postal) I get one shipping price on the list and though when I view a particular item detail where GSP is involved the shipping may increase another $3 to $5+. Ebay has been contacted about this matter, but this so call "quirk" has not changed thought it was supposed to be investigated. Then there is a chance that import fees (????!!!) may be charged to be determined on final purchase price. Most sellers don't see what buyers are getting dinged for these charges so can not understand the buyer's concerns in regards to GSP. Previous to the introduction of GSP I seldom paid import or custom fees on most of my purchases since they were not eligible but now GSP still wants to collect them. Where are these import/custom fees going but to a corporation's bank account. This type of "shipping" benefit would only be feasible if some one was making a profit off it. If I am seriously interested in an item and the seller is using GSP I send a message stating my views. EBay makes seems to make it very difficult for a seller to by-pass GSP or at least sellers tell me that. Any one know what the US seller's views are this? My purchase along with those of family and friends from US Ebay sellers has declined seriously over the last year mainly due to two factors, GSP and the US increase postal rate. Would it not make sense with the decline in the US economy for EBay to want to increase rather than hinder US sellers sales? Seems not. Strange also that now its cheaper to over items overseas than from "next door" and even within Canada since those postal rates are a joke too.
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Re: bid on a set of action figures that cost $207 CAD NAFTA i...

Please post your Global Shipping Program questions here: Global Shipping Program Questions

 

And your Global Shipping Program comments here: Global Shipping Program Comments

 

This topic will now be locked.

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