Educating the general population on online buying and policies

[petitecroissant550]

I really wonder why a lot of buyers who choose to purchase items internationally are so misinformed or ignorant to their Country's import laws - namely Canadians. I see so many topics about a "poor innocent buyer" *cough* who buys something internationally, item arrives at the door and is asked to pay import charges - then throws pitch forks and knives at the sellers and merchants who make shopping even a possible thing. 

In some cases there are authentic mistakes, such as over declaration by the few etc. - but there's just way too many ignorant buyers who don't seem to understand that you are supposed to be paying these import charges (taxes, duties) on the majority of purchases. Do they go to their local grocery store and kick the cashier in the head because there's sales tax on the goods they buy?

I really think a few courses on Canadian import law, and buying online should be mandatory in high schools across all of Canada. 

There also seems to be much ignorance in that people don't read policies or user agreements. Thousands of these forum threads across the internet would not be there had people read the policies prior to agreeing to use the services.

What are your thoughts? Should education be updated to include these things since the internet is now more ever popular than before?

[pierrelebel]

"I really think a few courses on Canadian import law, and buying online should be mandatory in high schools across all of Canada."

At first sight, it makes sense.

The course would teach teenagers that

1) when they purchase an item in most stores in Canada, they will pay consumption tax(es) HST/GST/PST (5% to 15% depending on province) on most taxable items (exceptions for basic groceries, prescriptions, etc...)

2) when they purchase an item online from outside Canada, they will pay consumption tax(es) HST/GST/PST on most taxable items with a value exceeding Cdn$ 20 and a handling fee to Canada Post ($9.95) or the courier delivering the parcel (fees vary). That is based on the laws of the land:

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

So far so good.

3) the teenager will then learn that a much larger exemption applies (hundreds of dollars) if you cross the border, buy the stuff in the USA and bring the goods back with you.

That sound easy enough.

Here comes the problem: the Government of Canada - through Canada Customs - decides to ignore the rules more often than not and does not access tax(es) on goods coming by mail, even if valued at much more than $20.  If the buyer purchases from some large online retailers (LL Bean for example) the tax(es) will be calculated at time of buying and prepaid at the time.  If the buyer gets the item shipped by courier or forwarder (UPS, Fed-Ex. DHL, Pitney-Bowes, etc...) the tax(es) will be calculated and paid prior to or at time of delivery.  However, if coming by mail, odds are the Canadian government will let it go tax free.

What lesson did the teenager learn?

This raises the last question: is this what we want to teach our kids at school?

[petitecroissant550]

The person learned business ethics, laws and have a sense of morality.

I understand where you are coming from, however take into consideration that in reality international purchases are at large. Even if the boarder agency doesn't ding most mail, it gives the newer and even the current generation a sense of being informed. I personally would love to know that children are taught to not be ignorant, but rather to practice self education. Not just laws, but to learn that - there are many things about online activities (especially buying) that you didn't know before hand that could drastically affect your entire life.

Big example is facebook, theres privacy settings and user policies that people fail to read due to ignorance. If we educated people on policies of all sorts, we'd most likely drop a huge percentage of the repeat problems people have with these services.