Is custom charges mandatory for venders

[sarmstro123123]

Is custom pre pay mandatory for venders now.SO expensive.I seldom purchase now from Canada

[pierrelebel]

Prepayment of taxes (GST/HST) for shipments from some eBay sellers located in the USA and the UK only applies to sellers using eBay's Global Shipping Program (GSP).

Many American sellers still ship directly to Canadian buyers without using the program.  You need to check each listing carefully.

However, keep in mind that when sellers ship to you directly through the mail system you are still responsible for taxes and Canada Post brokerage fee of $9.95 at time of delivery or pick up at the post office  if Canada Customs levies taxes on the parcel.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/postal-postale/duty-droits-eng.html

[love2shoppe4me]

It's not mandatory, thank heavens. But like Pierre said if the seller is using the program you are subject to using that avenue. BUT and I love this but, if you ask the seller if they would ship directly without using the plan, many will agree if they want to make a definite sale with you.  Make sure to ask before you bid, just to make sure you are both in agreement. I rarely get charged customs or brokerage fees, when shipped directly. If I do, I gladly pay, but why pay every time if not asked.

Example.. I bought a pair of earrings $25 cdn and I still got charged for customs 8.67 cdn.. (as per my paypal bill states) when purchased through the gsp. If it was shipped directly, customs would not have charged me anything because it was under $50.

[reallynicestamps]

goldtreasures-- You are wrong in principle, although correct about the outcome.

The limit for postal imports is $20 CDN (about $16.00 USD). Anything above that is technically subject to duty and more usually sales taxes.

However CBSA generally ignores non-bulky items valued under about $100CDN. Never count on it, but usually they won't bother to process when they would likely be collecting less than the labour cost of collecting.

But for couriers like GSP/PitneyBowes, UPS, FedEx, etc. the $20 is what they have to go by.

And many couriers charge a 'customs brokerage fee' of $25 or more, with the GSP/PB being lower at around $5s.

Canada Post at $10 is also pretty reasonable.

[love2shoppe4me]

Well it used to be $50. But nevertheless, I would much rather having to pay a Canadian random fee, if asked, than a Pitney Bowes US fee as a constant.

[reallynicestamps]

No. It has never been that high for postal imports.

The $20 maximum has been in place since 1984.

The cross-border driver could bring in more and nowadays that shopper can bring in $200. But not postal imports.

[mcrlmn]

If I can get it in an envelope.. I just mail it.

[mater721]

"BUT and I love this but, if you ask the seller if they would ship directly without using the plan, many will agree if they want to make a definite sale with you.  Make sure to ask before you bid, just to make sure you are both in agreement."

I could be wrong but... in order to by-pass the GSP, the seller has to actually change the shipping options in the listing. Don't bid/BIN unless the options are changed.

[sarmstro123123]

Thanks for all the replies I have asked venders to post to me directly but they seem to think they have no choice or can't be bothered.

I just don't purchase any more Between the exchange and this added pre custom fee it just isn't worth it.I just find the idea of pre collecting custom fees on items seldom charged custom fees offensive,

[mater721]

"I just find the idea of pre collecting custom fees on items seldom charged custom fees offensive,"

For the most part this is true. 90% of the GSP listings just don't make sense $$-wise unless you are desperate for the item.

I actually won a GSP listing recently, and the costs were very reasonable.  Does not happen often, but ya never know.

[maggiebvintage2010]

"mater721" - I thought that as well, but recently had a different buying experience.  I found a GSP listing that interested me.  I asked the seller if they would change the listing to non-GSP, stating I wanted a quantity of 2, shipped by USPS.  They agreed, and quoted me a total cost with USPS shipping.  I indicated my agreement, then instead of changing the listing, the seller sent me an offer, although the listing was fixed price without a Best Offer option.  The offer was the total cost quoted with free shipping.  I received a warning from eBay that the offer was more than the listing price.  Because the offer process always states that Best Offers do not include shipping, I realized that I could end up paying more if the seller did not follow through.  However, even with the GSP the total cost was favourable.  I accepted the offer, everything went exactly as planned, and I received the goods sent with tracking by USPS.  Happy ending, but I don't quite understand how the seller was able to use Best Offer as a way around the GSP in the listing.

Anyone have any ideas about how this was done?  If this is possible for any fixed price listing, it could be a easy option to offer to US sellers who don't want to bother changing their listings to opt out of the GSP.

[pjcdn2005]

I hadn't thought of that.  I don't know if U.S. sellers receive this all the time but once in a while when I receive a question from a potential buyer, there is a link there for me to send them an offer. I imagine that's what your seller used. That should have issued an automatic invoice and I've heard that once a new invoice is issued, the transaction is no longer a gsp transaction.