eBay

klodner · ‎09-18-2013

Hi there

Sellers if you charge an import charge I as a Canadian will not buy from you. When you consider that the shipping cost plus the import charge often are more than the item itself it really makes no sense to do business. Its a ripoff. For as long as I have been an ebay member I have never once paid an import charge. ....6 years. Do yourself a favour and opt out of this scam.

nudibranch4569 · ‎09-18-2013

you should post this on ebay.com.

reallynicestamps · ‎09-18-2013

That's your choice of course, and I have negotiated a couple of times on small inexpensive but taxable items. My sellers responded well to polite explanations.

You should be aware that this problem is part and parcel of the longrunning anger at UPS and other couriers who charged the appropriate and legal taxes and duty on imports over $20 plus a whopping "customs brokerage fee" of $20 or more.

Pitney Bowes, does the same but there fee starts even lower than the $10 Canada Post charges. Both PB and CP will charge the appropriate tax and duty.

But

Canada Post is very lax about actually inspecting and charging these fees, taxes and duties. If they were charging their fee for every imported parcel valued over $20, their income would rise considerably. But I suppose they think this would be offset in higher labour costs. Who knows?

The GSP is not advantageous for the buyer if the value is under $100. If it is higher than that, the GSP is actually cheaper than the cost of using USPS /CAnada Post, should your parcel be the one pulled off the line for duty, tax and service fee.

gsrhobbiescanada · ‎09-18-2013

Not to mention that it takes longer to get your parcel when the seller has to ship to KY then PB ships to you. Also PB has a sepparate transaction from the original sale. For someone who has a bank account linked to PayPal and limited to a number of transactions per month, this extra step in shipping is not desirable for those Canadians much at all. But what does PB care.

marnotom! · ‎09-18-2013

@reallynicestamps wrote:

The GSP is not advantageous for the buyer if the value is under $100. If it is higher than that, the GSP is actually cheaper than the cost of using USPS /CAnada Post, should your parcel be the one pulled off the line for duty, tax and service fee.

How did you come up with the $100 figure, Stamps?

I've just compared two completed listings for a seller selling the same $36.00 book, one with the GSP (290955700817) and one using the postal system (290959236934).

Import charges to me in B.C. are listed as $5.36, which would make the total of shipping and import charges $20.35. This is less than the First Class International shipping charge, and only 36 cents more if a Priority flat-rate envelope is used instead of First Class International...with no taxes charged by Canada Border Services.

femmefan1946 · ‎09-19-2013

I was channeling pierrelebel who uses that as a cutoff. Being numerically challenged, I am willing to go along with the maths of a retired accountant.

darkstormdiy · ‎09-20-2013

I've been noticing the same thing with people using the Global Shipping Program - there was an item I really wanted, so I contacted the seller about it, who had no idea there was an import charge being added to her listings! (So she was willing to ship without using the GSP). Most of the time though, I won't be bothered to ask the seller.

i*m-still-here · ‎09-20-2013

@femmefan1946 wrote:
I was channeling pierrelebel who uses that as a cutoff. Being numerically challenged, I am willing to go along with the maths of a retired accountant.

Pierre has posted many times that they collect taxes in Belleville, where he lives, for all or most items over $20.

Belleville seems to be the exception, but I'd like to know which math skills led to the $100 figure as the cut off where the Government starts to collect taxes.

I'm thinking that someone just thought $100 would make sense and so he decided to use that number for the sake of convenience.

Unless there is some empirical data to support that contention it's easily challenged.

My experience, for example, is much different.

ut.babe · ‎09-20-2013

Just thought I'd point out that it isn't Canada Post that decides or not to collect these charges.

Don't t hink I've ever seen anyone actually fix that misconception.

Canada Border Services Agency makes that decision when items come into Canada through the postal service at whatever crossing they are coming into the country at.

CBSA will decide whether or not to attach the invoice and then pass it to Canada Post to deliver and collect (which is when they charge their fee for doing so) or they simply pass it on to Canada Post to go ahead and deliver without any tax etc invoice.

Canada Post does not make the decision.

For a breakdown of the process :

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

marnotom! · ‎09-20-2013

@ut.babe wrote:
Just thought I'd point out that it isn't Canada Post that decides or not to collect these charges.

Don't t hink I've ever seen anyone actually fix that misconception.

I've tried once or twice. 😉

ut.babe · ‎09-20-2013

I hear ya marnotom. Guess I missed those ones lol. Figured someone had to have but I just never saw it... all you read is Canada Post being lax about it and all. I'm betting Canada Post would love to add the job to their duties!

Thanks for the poke! 😉

pierrelebel · ‎09-23-2013

Good morning femme

Actually, that $50 comes from eBay (not me).

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/shipping/globalshippingprogram/update_faqs.html

Who should use the Global Shipping Program?

The Global Shipping Program is a great solution to streamline your operations if you’re currently selling internationally, your items have an average selling price of $50 or more, and you’re shipping parcels. It’s also the perfect way to get started selling globally regardless of the average selling price of your items.

I think that is part of the problem. Many American sellers use GSP when they should not.

Personally, I view $100 (instead of the $50 suggested by eBay) as a guideline, not a number written in stone. Each listing must be viewed and calculated individually.

marnotom! · ‎09-23-2013

I've found GSP-listed items selling for less than $50 where PB's share of the Import Charges is less than C$9.95, the processing fee for postal imports.

Of course, many would likely point out that these items wouldn't likely taxed in the first place. I guess that's why Pierre uses a $100 threshold.

pierrelebel · ‎09-23-2013

"many would likely point out that these items wouldn't likely taxed in the first place. I guess that's why Pierre uses a $100 threshold."

That is correct. It is a guideline - and a guideline only - taking into account the possibility GST or HST (5% to 15% depending on province) will not be charged if shipped by mail and received through Canada Post.

Personallty, I have seen many parcels valued over $20 come in without tax being charged and I have seen many properly charged. I frankly have a difficult time giving credibility to posters claiming to have received thousands of parcels valued over $20 and never paying tax and CP handling fee at time of receiving. It may be possible but... I am too old to believe in the Easter Bunny.

pierrelebel · ‎09-23-2013

I should add that many buyers/importers are duly registered with GST/HST and do not care about the tax being charged as they get 100% of it back from the government as Input Tax Credits.

The possibility of not paying GST/HST at time of importation is only of some value to individuals who are not GST/HST registered.

2011limey1 · ‎09-23-2013

Hi Pierre,

GSP - Posts about it every day. I'm thinking that you must have posted about it on ebay.com to sellers that aren't aware that they're enrolled in it or don't know WHAT they're enrolled in? Am I right?

Thanks