How come there are import charges listed?

[scarlet_hill]

How come I am told to pay import charges? There is no import charges or duty on a magazine being shipped from the USA to Canada. Yet I get charged $9.75 extra. This is just a cash grab. I asked the seller if he could mail the magazine USPS 1st class and he said yes with a $9.75 savings to me in postage. After saying he would and then me bidding on the item I still had to pay the extra $9.75. This is a rip off. I will never bid on anything that had any mention of duty charges again. If I bid on an item that requires duty to be paid, I will pay it at the Canadian duty office not though some third party person. For all I know this is a scam.

Should I give the seller a negative feedback?

(I have already emailed him to ask about the extra postage.) With no reply.

Regards  George

[pierrelebel]

"There is no import charges or duty on a magazine being shipped from the USA to Canada."

While there is no duty on magazines coming from the USA into Canada, they are subject to sales tax according to the official Government of Canada webpage:

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

Why give negative feedback to the seller?  The charges were shown on the listing page and you made the decision to purchase the item despite the charges..

[mater721]

Did the seller, through communication before you bid/bought the magazine, discuss other options?

Or was this after you won the auction and noticed the charges?

[reallynicestamps]

If I bid on an item that requires duty to be paid, I will pay it at the Canadian duty office

Seriously?

You'll find the closest Canadian Border Services Agency office, drive there, do all the paperwork, pay the duty, and then drive to the PO outlet where the parcel is waiting present your receipt and pick up the item which has been waiting for you, rather than pay Canada Post's $9.95 service fee for doing it for you?

The Global Shipping Program also does this for you. You pay on purchase, and their service fee is about $5, half that of Canada Post. And the item is delivered to your door. No driving necessary.

[reallynicestamps]

Sorry, no duty. Provincial and federal sales taxes.

These vary from 5% to 17% depending on province.

[scarlet_hill]

I asked the seller if he could mail the item by USPS, to save me the $9.75. The seller told me that he would ship the item by USPS for $11.00. That is the only reason I bid on the item.

[scarlet_hill]

The seller said he would ship the item by USPS for $11.00. this was before I bid on the item. And was the reason I bid on it. Or I would have past. (Not bid.)

[scarlet_hill]

There is no duty on magazines. I have had 35 records and at least 30 fruit jars mail to me from the USA and never paid duty. The cost has been $11.00- $15.00 shipping depending on the size of the jar. Shipped by USPS

[pierrelebel]

As stated in post #2, there is no duty but sales tax (GST/HST) applies.  See link to Government of Canada web page in post #2.

[maximus7001]

I really don't know why anyone in their right mind would defend this flawed shipping program.

[pierrelebel]

"would defend this flawed shipping program."

Nobody does.

However, for the sake of thousands of readers of this thread, it is important to have accurate information.

[mater721]

Did you wait for a revised invoice (that has USPS and not GSP) before paying?

Not sure what your options are if you just paid the original invoice.

I have a similar situation currently, but have not bid on the item yet. I'm really reluctant to bid on an item without knowing what my shipping charges will be.

[00nevermind00]

---

@mater721 wrote:

I have a similar situation currently, but have not bid on the item yet. I'm really reluctant to bid on an item without knowing what my shipping charges will be.

---

Is it a one-of-a-kind item that you absolutely cannot live without? If not, why not pass on the item and message the seller to let him/her know why you won't be bidding/buying.

Lately I find that I can live without a lot of one-of-a-kind items which I used to think of as must-haves. I spend my money locally instead of helping the US economy and PB's bottom line.

[mater721]

"If not, why not pass on the item and message the seller to let him/her know why you won't be bidding/buying."

Have already been in contact with seller. Seems to be having issues getting the International Options changed from GSP to USPS (quel surprise).  So I likely will pass - it's not a must-have - priced reasonably though.

Seller indicated would send USPS instead (like OP situation).  However, as i don't know actual cost, I likely won't bid. I only bid when I know the final cost.

[scarlet_hill]

Thank you. It is just a rip off.

[scarlet_hill]

I waited for a revised invoice, but it never came. I bid just before the auction ended. I took him at his word. He told me it would be $11.00 mailed though USPS. I email and asked for a revised invoice and never heard back.

[scarlet_hill]

The by line says:

"Customs service and international tracking provided"

The fine print says:

"These fees are in addition to any customs duties and taxes imposed by the country tax and customs officials"

So if Canada custom decides that I have to pay these fees I will be forced to pay them again. I like it the old way, the item was sent and if you owed duty or taxes you paid it ONCE at the customs office in Canada not to a third party.

I receive 2 magazine subscriptions that come from the USA. Both are mailed to my door no taxes no duty and no hassle though the USPS

[pierrelebel]

Where do you see "The fine print says: "These fees are in addition to any customs duties and taxes imposed by the country tax and customs officials"?

The whole point of the program is that no import charges are applied at time of receipt since they are prepaid.

As far as subscriptions are concerned, I subscribe to several American magazines and all of them do include GST/HST in the price of the subscription when offering subcriptions to a Canadian address.

Time:  In Canada: 1 Year ALL ACCESS: 52 issues for $46 CAD; 1 Year Print Only: $36 CAD; all plus GST, HST, and QST as applicable.

Business Week: Local taxes, if applicable, will be added to your order.

Fortune Magazine: In Canada, the rate is 20 issues for $26.34 CAD, plus GST, HST, and QST as applicable.

Etc... etc...

[pierrelebel]

You wrote: "The by line says: "Customs service and international tracking provided".  The fine print says: These fees are in addition to any customs duties and taxes imposed by the country tax and customs officials"

It took me a few minutes but I did find exactly where that quote comes from:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/buy/shipping-globally.html

"Import charges include certain fees, such as export classification, importation risk premium, and variance fees, which are assessed by the global shipping provider as part of the services provided by the Global Shipping Program. These fees are in addition to any customs duties and taxes imposed by country tax and customs officials. "

And that is exactly what it says: the "import charges" (shown in the listing) do include fees payable to Pitney Bowes in addition to taxes (and duty if applicable"

More specifically:

"When you purchase an item through the Global Shipping Program:

• You pay any applicable import charges upfront. There are no additional charges at delivery."

[scarlet_hill]

Thank you for your comments. My whole point is that if the item is mailed through USPS there is no extra fee. It comes to my door regular post. I took the seller at his word when he said he would ship by USPS for $11.00. All my communication with the seller were done before I bid on the item or I would not have bid. As far as feedback, the seller has a 100% feedback rating. I can give him a negative, neutral or positive feedback. It would bother me if I received a negative feedback so I will not be giving him a negative feedback. I will abstain from submitting any feedback for this person. I have seen negative feedback for far less of a problem.

I will never bid on any "Customer service and international tracking item again. I still believe that the old way was best. Send the item by USPS and if it has duty or whatever fees I will pay them here in Canada. That way Canada Customs can decide yes or no. The system now says you automatically pay whether it is warranted or not.