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Going back to basics, Canada charges duty on imports valued over $20 Cdn (~$15US) .
Sales taxes are also charged, even it the item is duty free (eg items manufactured* in a NAFTA signatory country).
The shipper is allowed to charge a service fee** to wrangle the item through the border.
But.
CBSA realizes that $20 is a risible amount, so they tend to ignore any small, low value package they are assessing directly. Most of those are coming in through the postal system.
As a result many Canadians don't realize that duty (and sales taxes) are due on the items they purchase.
But.
When the assessment is handled by a courier, like UPS or eBay's Global Shipping Program, they have to obey the law.
And the importer/buyer has to pay the duty (and sales tax) and the shipper's fee.
So that's the background.
1. Probably not. The seller has no idea what is and is not dutiable.
And in any case much of the cost of importing is not duty, but sales taxes. It is up to the buyer to know whether the item can be imported and whether it is dutiable (and taxable).
GSP shipping will have this note on the Search "Customs services and international tracking provided"
and this on the listing " International Priority Shipping to Canada via the Global Shipping Program "
and this on the Shipping page of the listing "See import charges at checkout "
The fuzziness is necessary because while duty is fixed, sales taxes vary by province and eBay/GSP doesn't know where you live until you buy.
2. Not exactly. The GSP is the one that gets added at checkout, before payment. If you don't pay the transaction ends***.
But if the seller is not using the GSP, you still may be charged the import fees even if shipped by post (duty if any, sales tax, and a $9.95 service fee to Canada Post).
Couriers like UPS have much higher service fees, starting a $25 and rising with the value of the imported item.
The carrier will charge you these fees on the doorstep and won't hand over your purchase until they are paid.
See?
*not purchased, manufactured
**various names, included "customs brokerage"
*** Well, not exactly. Depending on the point you stop before paying, you may have to ask the seller**** to Cancel the purchase. If he won't, he can file an Unpaid Item Dispute to get his fees back.
**** You have only one hour after purchase, to the second, to cancel the purchase yourself.
Going back to basics, Canada charges duty on imports valued over $20 Cdn (~$15US) .
Sales taxes are also charged, even it the item is duty free (eg items manufactured* in a NAFTA signatory country).
The shipper is allowed to charge a service fee** to wrangle the item through the border.
But.
CBSA realizes that $20 is a risible amount, so they tend to ignore any small, low value package they are assessing directly. Most of those are coming in through the postal system.
As a result many Canadians don't realize that duty (and sales taxes) are due on the items they purchase.
But.
When the assessment is handled by a courier, like UPS or eBay's Global Shipping Program, they have to obey the law.
And the importer/buyer has to pay the duty (and sales tax) and the shipper's fee.
So that's the background.
1. Probably not. The seller has no idea what is and is not dutiable.
And in any case much of the cost of importing is not duty, but sales taxes. It is up to the buyer to know whether the item can be imported and whether it is dutiable (and taxable).
GSP shipping will have this note on the Search "Customs services and international tracking provided"
and this on the listing " International Priority Shipping to Canada via the Global Shipping Program "
and this on the Shipping page of the listing "See import charges at checkout "
The fuzziness is necessary because while duty is fixed, sales taxes vary by province and eBay/GSP doesn't know where you live until you buy.
2. Not exactly. The GSP is the one that gets added at checkout, before payment. If you don't pay the transaction ends***.
But if the seller is not using the GSP, you still may be charged the import fees even if shipped by post (duty if any, sales tax, and a $9.95 service fee to Canada Post).
Couriers like UPS have much higher service fees, starting a $25 and rising with the value of the imported item.
The carrier will charge you these fees on the doorstep and won't hand over your purchase until they are paid.
See?
*not purchased, manufactured
**various names, included "customs brokerage"
*** Well, not exactly. Depending on the point you stop before paying, you may have to ask the seller**** to Cancel the purchase. If he won't, he can file an Unpaid Item Dispute to get his fees back.
**** You have only one hour after purchase, to the second, to cancel the purchase yourself.
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