If you're having issues crossing the border, some new info.

[surplusdealdude]

Ever since the beginning of January, I've been sent into secondary inspection on the US side almost every trip. Most annoying is that they didn't even inspect, most of the time - they just called me in and said, "Okay, you can go".

I wondered why, but nobody would tell me, of course.

Yesterday, A new guard, very friendly and very chatty, explained it to me.

He said it's not me, it's not the vehicle, it's not even ebay, it's the non-broker clearance form. He says everybody that clears their own items is supposed to be sent into the warehouse for further clearance and inspection if necessary.

I don't know if this is the real reason, but it seems to fit the facts better than any other explanation I can come up with.

[jakeeangel]

I've heard that too. It's not just because of the form though, it's because of too many people abusing it and miscategorizing things or smuggling items, or wrong Tariff codes etc.

Do you have the annual sticker? In between cars we didn't have the sticker on the new one. Once we got it they did make us go in a few times but after that, nothing. Sometimes the CBP guy will come out and look at the packages, once he opened one of them but most of the time they hand back the passport and say 'have a nice day.'

I did have one guy say that he's supposed to send me in but he can just as easily look at the stuff here. His words.

MY interpretation based solely on observations and bits and pieces I've heard the border guards say is that they're looking at you as a person, your record, your history, any issues with you or your shipments or paperwork and then they judge from there. Do you lie? Do you do what you say you're going to do - go back to Canada when you said and not days later? etc

They also want to see what you're bringing in if it's a knockoff/counterfeit item. They've looked at some of our name brand toys and computer programs to make sure they're legit. Hey, good for them keep out the fake crap. I'm all for that.

[dipmicro]

Makes sense. I have noticed tightened security this year.

I go 2-3x per week and what confused them in my case was when I had dutiable items - would have $1000 total value, 99% of it on 7523 form, ~150 lines on commercial invoice out of which 1-2 would have duties in range $0.30 - $1.00. They always waived duties this low. Last 2-3 months I was sent in several times, mostly X-ray.

I removed dutiable items as there was very few in my sales and it seems to have improved considerably since they have been confused by a small dutiable value before. I also have the feeling day-shift (before 4:45pm) are more tolerant to self-clearance than afternoon shift but I may be wrong.

There is no eBay/PayPal on our paperwork, which is a spreadsheet (a table) with lines populated from our database. Each sale, even $0.10 one is a line and it's easy to correlate line on Commercial Invoice to the line on the customer invoice. 7523 form have 10-20 lines, one HTS code per line with a total at the bottom. A sheet in the commercial invoice spreadsheet is setup to summarize each code and column widths are set so it prints right inside pre-printed 7523 form.

I think having eBay/PayPal on your paperwork may be ticking them off as I had one guy pretty frustratingly ask "Is this eBay crap?" ...

[surplusdealdude]

"Is this eBay crap?"

Yeah, I've had that, too. At the Post Office as well.

I tell the border guys straight out that I'm delivering ebay parcels to the Post Office.

Nobody's drawn a gun on me for saying that yet, but I'm expecting it any day now.:-D


I haven't got the transponder yet - I've registered for an account, just trying to manage the funds for when I get that big plastic order in (whenever that is)

[jakeeangel]

For me, I've found that makes the difference. I've noticed it for years. Whenever I hear someone on hear complain about being hassled I just shrug. It rarely happens to me but for that short time it wasn't on the new car, they made us go in. It's not a big deal, I have nothing to hide it's just an observation.

I could be totally off base but I think it's because of the transponder and all the info you give them to get it.

I've never had anyone say eBay crap to me but when I tell them it's stuff I sold on eBay and it's X, Y, Z they usually share some story of a good or bad experience on eBay. I had one guy say the only person who screwed him over was a Canadian. LOL I laughed and said me too!! LOL Which was true. We have a good time and share some of our finds with them and they marvel at what people will pay for things.

[surplusdealdude]

It may also be differences in the policies of the various crossings.

I see a significant difference between Sarnia and Lewiston and Detroit is just frightening to cross at ( haven't done that for years).

They may have got a new manager at Lewiston that's cracking the whip on everybody.

It's not a major hassle to me at this time - usually only 10-15 minutes.

But I'm learning to take a book along to read.

[dipmicro]

Yesterday went through got waved in.

It may be transponder and lack of dutiable items. Once before, when I used to have 1-2 dutiable lines, an officer "adviced" to use a similar classification code that was not as accurate, but had no duty on it.

I have been threatened to be refused privilege of informal entries, but when you read the rules closely, it's officer responsibility to assign proper codes and fill the forms.

In 2009 I had to talk to port supervisor because I was getting suspiciously often pulled to secondary. When I asked if I am on the watch list - they declined to tell me, obviously, just like you. Supervisor is very nice gentleman and when I told him the reason I think I was on that list and name of the officer who gave me the trouble that time, he just placed a call and then all problems stopped.

I don't know why eBay has such a bad name and why officers are frustrated with it. There is tons of small businesses without eBay presence who have similar volumes as we do, but it's actually the eBay name that creates the aura of small and bothersome and dirty. No business get to become multimillion enterprise overnight and most of them need to go through this phase (unless heavyweight VC is involved). I wonder if $700/m to PayPal and $1500/m to eBay can maintain the sales volume and create better image by dis-association from eBay/PayPal, if this revenue is offered to real credit card processor and more respectable advertising venue.

[surplusdealdude]

Well, 4 years of posting on various boards gives me n idea why ebay sellers are wearing out their welcome.

It's not just the border - some banks don't like us, the Post Office is less than thrilled with ebay sellers ( including me) coming in at 15 minutes to close with 30 items at the counter, and so on.

We're just PITAs.:-D

The border isn't that big an issue for me - after driving for an hour and a half, it's nice to get out and walk around.

I've just learned to start earlier if time is critical.

[westernstargifts]

Well, 4 years of posting on various boards gives me n idea why ebay sellers are wearing out their welcome.

It's not just the border - some banks don't like us, the Post Office is less than thrilled with ebay sellers ( including me) coming in at 15 minutes to close with 30 items at the counter, and so on.

We're just PITAs.:-D

The border isn't that big an issue for me - after driving for an hour and a half, it's nice to get out and walk around.

I've just learned to start earlier if time is critical.

DH makes that "15 minute to close" trip every day. It has reached the point where, if he arrives early, they tell him it throws off their whole day because they know that when he arrives it is time to go home. 😄

[surplusdealdude]

:^O

[dipmicro]

Why to come last minute?

There is no reason to be a nuisance. LaSalle station on Niagara Blvd have drop-off box accessible 24/7. I was told that Endicia labeled parcels can all go in drop-off box - including international ones. Although they close earlier, staff picks the box by 7pm.

Btw. PO by Buffalo Airport is apparently fully open by midnight, but I never been there. Drop-off box worked for me even when I came at 8pm.

[westernstargifts]

They don't consider him to be a nuisance. They LIKE him, both at the Post Office and the postal outlet. He helps them put the labels on the packages, etc. That's the nice thing about living in a smaller city.

At both places, the mail HAS to be there by 5:00 p.m. to go out on the truck that day.

[surplusdealdude]

Why to come last minute?

That usually happens on a Saturday, when they close at 12:00.

By the time I drag my butt out of bed, go to the shop, put the postage labels on the boxes, pack the stuff that came in at the last minute, load the car and drive 80 miles, it's pushing noon.

I could go to Niagara, but Lewiston is closer and I can park right out front instead of dragging the parcels through the Niagara lobby.

And, with few exceptions, most of my stuff is 36" long and some is a foot and a half wide - I might be able to get it in the box, but they'd have a time getting it out.