Import charges 37%

[whitebanker05]

I don't get it anymore. The item (291031263436) price is $99.99, and the import charge is $37. For what?  I wouldn't pay it as taxes if I were to buy on Canadian Ebay, and if this is taxes (it's not, of course) then there is now such thing as $37 taxes.

What kind of services is this?

The seller has no clue war this is and how to get rid of it, I asked her. I don't want to buy because it's $37 for nothing, in addition to $20 to shipping charges which are justified. 

Recently I just started avoiding those listings with import charges.

I don't mind pay extra charges here at the post office, when they are justified. I don't want to pay for this "service" which makes no sense at all.

[pierrelebel]

The "import fee" on this item includes duty and sales tax(es) (GST/HST/PST) and Pitney-Bowes fees.

If purchased in Canada from a retailer, you would pay the same percentage of sales tax.  The duty payable at time of entry into Canada would be incorporated in the retail price.

[marnotom!]

I can play with numbers, too.

I'm in B.C.  If I buy an item from the U.S. that works out to be C$25 and the Canada Border Services Agency charges the taxes that I'm supposed to pay on it, that's another three bucks there:  5% GST, 7% PST.   (All "casual" imports with declared values of more than C$20 are subject to taxes and duties but CBSA doesn't always assess and charge 'em.)  On top of that, I'll have to pay Canada Post for collecting and remitting the taxes, and that's another C$9.95.  C$3 + C$9.95 = 12.95, over fifty percent of the item's declared value.

Food for thought.