It made sense to use Ebay 2 years ago before they got in on all the import fees and taxes.
Not exactly.
The duty-free maximum for Canada is $20CDN(about $16USD). In addition to applicable duty, there will be Sales Tax and the shipper is allowed to charge a service fee.
The public servants at the Canadian Border Services Agency have an informal policy of ignoring low value and small imports on the very sensible basis that it can cost more to assess low value items than they could possibly collect.
Now.
This informal policy is applied to postal imports.
But not to couriers.
If your shoes had been shipped by UPS the duty and Sales Tax plus a service fee of ~$25 would be charged on your doorstep before the carrier would hand them over.
With the GSP, you pay these costs, described as 'import fees' before the seller even ships the shoes out.
+ 18.00 shipping.
That was to get the shoes, bulky and heavy, to the GSP shipping centre in Erlanger KY.
They added another $70.00 US to my order.
They in this case would be the Global Shipping Program /Pitney Bowes?
Assuming Gucci makes those shoes in Italy (or China) there would be duty of 8% or $18, there would be 15% sales tax of $35 or so and a $5 service fee.
There is some error in there, probably because I did a quick and dirty search for duty rates.
Or the difference might be because the seller did not use GSP but instead shipped by courier. The high service fees of couriers would account for the difference.
Actually since the $70 seems to have been unexpected, I am wondering if the GSP is not at fault?
First because you would have seen the total (including import fees) before you paid.
Second because the numbers don't work out. (Which may be my error, of course.)
If your seller shipped by USPS /Canada Post, such a high value/bulky parcel is almost certainly going to be assessed for duty and Sales Tax and CPO charges $10 service fee.
If he shipped by courier, the $70 would have been charged on your doorstep.
Making the GSP the cheapest importer.
Who da thunk it?
