Global shipping custom and duties not refunded by eBay?

[loulou1993]

I live in Canada and was appalled at the high custom and duties and shipping that I have had to pay both with global shipping and without. My question involves 2 items that I have returned after paying these taxes. One was with global shipping and I was NOT refunded for the custom and duties part but $ 50.00! But told to go to my post office, eBay has nothing to do with it. The second item which I returned was not global shipping but had a shipping cost of $ 44.00 but once it got to my door I had to pay $ 100.00 Canadian in customs and duty. Do we get this money back once we returned the item? Anyone have this happen ...what was the procedure? 

Thank you!

[winepress780]

For Direct Items (not GSP)
There will be a CBSA Postal Import Form affixed to your package. If you need to dispute custom's charges or return the package, you need to fill out the reverse side of the form. I believe it is called the Customs Informal Adjustment Request Form B2G. You need to provide supporting documentation, like an invoice, etc... and explain your situation. Then mail that into the appropriate CBSA Casual Refund Centre based on your postal code. The process sounds complicated but it is quite simple. If your package is more than $2500 there might be a different procedure as it would no longer be a low value shipment.

For GSP Items
The CBSA cannot help you with that. This is something that is collected by Pitney Bowes when you bought the item as they are the ones that brokered in your package and collected their "import charges" upfront. These aren't actual CBSA duty/tax charges or what the CBSA would charge, these are fees that Pitney Bowes charged some of which they may have remitted to the CBSA. I don't know what the procedure is or if it is possible to get a refund from Pitney Bowes.

[aubreyclay56]

anytime i see global shipping pitney bows i keep on looking at other items there is no way i will pay extra money for something that is guaranteed to slow down my shipping time by at least a week,cost me extra high costs that canada post ussp and every courier you can name charges i dont understand why anyone would buy from a us seller that has global shipping,nothing but trouble,you read about it everyday,so why do canadians do it,it posted on the sellers price?painfull

[pjcdn2005]

For the global shipping item it depends on why you returned the item. Was their a problem with it?

If there is a problem with a gsp item, if you win the case you will get all of your money refunded but you do have to open a case to do that. If you returned because you didn't like it/changed mind etc, then that is considered a regular return and the gsp does not refund your import fees or international shipping fees in that situation.

[femmefan1946]

 One was with global shipping and I was NOT refunded for the custom and duties part but $ 50.00! But told to go to my post office, eBay has nothing to do with it.

The problem here is that technically you did not pay customs and sales taxes. Pitney Bowes charged you import fees for services rendered and used part of that money to pay duty and sales taxes as part of the service they charged you for.

However, when an item that was shipped under the GSP is returned through an eBay claim, if the buyer asks for a GSP specialist, the specialist often will refund the duty and tax and perhaps even the service fee.

The seller has nothing to do with this, even if the rest of the problem was his responsibility. (eg you ordered a blue sweater and got a red one).

The second item which I returned was not global shipping but had a shipping cost of $ 44.00 but once it got to my door I had to pay $ 100.00 Canadian in customs and duty. Do we get this money back once we returned the item? Anyone have this happen ...what was the procedure? 

This is the problem that the GSP is set up to avoid.

I'm guessing your seller used a courier  like UPS for delivery.

UPS seems cheaper than USPS to the seller, because she doesn't see what happens on your doorstep.

Your second item was charged  duty, sales tax (between 5% and 17% depending on province-- so not more than $10CDN) and customs brokerage fees ($25 and up). *

What was the item? That will allow us to see the category for duty.

What was the value of the item? Which province are you in? That will allow us to estimate how much of the $100CDN went for sales tax.

You should phone the CSDA number on the back of your receipt to discuss the amount you were charged. Be careful to use only one currency, it will be confusing enough if you stick to loonies without getting (apparently smaller) USD values involved.

*Under the GSP this amount shows before you click the second time agreeing to pay.  So if you decide it is too much, you can stop right there and the purchase does not take place.

[loulou1993]

Thank you! I didn't see you wrote back but that's exactly what I did. I found the info on the Customs Canada website under return item to sender. Thanks again!!