Buyer diden't tell me of fee from DHL

[kicr8854]

So I ordered an item  from the US that cost 150CAD,  I am new to Ebay and this is probably my first time ordering from the US from Canada, The seller used DHL and the shipping was 10$ next thing I know I get a email from DHL saying I need to pay 36$CAD to receive my item. My question, is this a normal thing that Canada buyers have to pay when ordering from the US and is this something that the seller is supposed to pay.

[snoopwiz]

Most likely was a brokerage fee, quite common from any courier US to Canada. Some/many U.S sellers are not aware and my guess is some/man don't really care. Always best to buy from sellers using USPS. In some/most cases, avoid the U.S. sellers using the GSP  (even though some/many of them were opted into that program "without their knowledge")  

[marnotom!]

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@kicr8854 wrote:

So I ordered an item  from the US that cost 150CAD,  I am new to Ebay and this is probably my first time ordering from the US from Canada, The seller used DHL and the shipping was 10$ next thing I know I get a email from DHL saying I need to pay 36$CAD to receive my item. My question, is this a normal thing that Canada buyers have to pay when ordering from the US and is this something that the seller is supposed to pay.

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Perfectly normal.  "Casual imports" such as yours are subject to HST/GST/PST (depending on your province) and duty (if applicable) based on the declared value of the item.  The carrier would also levy a fee or fees for processing the item through customs and collecting or advancing the taxes and duty owing.

Since I don't know what province you're in or where your item was made, I can't make a final call on the breakdown of the charges in your case, but I'd say a $36 charge on a $150 item is not unreasonable, and as importer it is yours to pay.  (You don't make Canadian Tire pay the taxes owing on an item you buy from them, after all.)

[recped]

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@kicr8854 wrote:

So I ordered an item  from the US that cost 150CAD,  I am new to Ebay and this is probably my first time ordering from the US from Canada, The seller used DHL and the shipping was 10$ next thing I know I get a email from DHL saying I need to pay 36$CAD to receive my item. My question, is this a normal thing that Canada buyers have to pay when ordering from the US and is this something that the seller is supposed to pay.

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Don't know the size/weight of the item but $10 is very cheap shipping from the US to Canada. 13% HST (Ontario) on CA$150 is $19.50 plus a handling fee (Canada Post would hit you up for $10).

Overall $$50 for shipping and taxes on a $150 item is not bad at all.

[reallynicestamps]

A) Sellers who are comfortable shipping internationally will use USPS First Class International Parcel, which gives them a fairly low price for a Confirmed Delivery shipment.

B) Sellers who are comfortable shipping internationally may decide to use a courier, like DHL.

C) Sellers who are nervous of international shipping will use eBay's freight forwarding program the Global Shipping Program that gets so much hate from Canadian buyers.

Here's why.

Import fees are made up of duty, sales taxes, and the carrier's service fee/customs brokerage fee.

Until later this month, Canadians have had a tiny duty-free allowance, only $20Cdn($15US).  If our purchase is less than that, there are no import fees.

In July 2020, as part of the new NAFTA, that duty -free allowance rises to $140.

• But, because someone thought it would not confuse anybody, we still owe sales taxes if the value of the import is over $60.

Now.

I mentioned NAFTA, and you thought but R+FREE TRADE. Why is there any duty at all?

Well, we have Free Trade with the USA and Mexico under NAFTA, but only on things manufactured there. Not bought there. Made.

Now.

Even if there is no duty, sales taxes are still applicable.

And.

The carrier is still entitled to charge their fee for wrangling your parcel across the border.  (But they usually don't if there is nothing to collect for duty and tax.)

Now.

You've had stuff mailed to you and never paid duty.

Yeah.

CBSA is a well paid group ofpublic servants who figured out that the taxpayer would be paying more for them to process any import valued under $100 than could possibly be collected, so they decided not to.  They've publicized that more than 95% of low value mailed imports are not assessed at all.

But.

Carriers are private profit making companies and they are not allowed to ignore the law.

Which as mentioned above, has been $20 since the 1980s.

They charge "competitive" rates for their services. Usually that's about $25 or more, depending on the value of the imported item.

Canada Post charges $9.95.  The GSP charges ~$5.

So.

One of the reasons the GSP gets so much hate, is that buyers who have only purchased with postal shipping and thus had their imports ignored by CBSA, are suddenly paying all those import fees (duty, Sales Taxes, and service charge) plus the shipping charge for the seller to ship to the GSP plant in Erlanger KY.

They are shocked and dismayed.

There are other reasons to despise the GSP, but the cost of their service is not one of them.