eBay

theoldestfart · ‎12-17-2023

This is a prime example of why I am sticking to what little purchasing I do these days on eBay to Canadian sellers. I was watching an item in San Antonio Tx. The seller put out an offer for $20 USD for the item that was listed for $28 USD. I turned down the offer. The reason was that by the time the item crossed the US border the $27 shipping charge would mean the item was $63 CDN plus the $10 brokerage fee via Canada Post plus the 12% PST & GST charged on it. It is no longer cost-effective to buy from US sellers.

marnotom! · ‎12-17-2023

How do you know that the item wouldn't just get a "free pass" from Canada Border Services when it entered Canada? How do you know your item would get a "free pass" from CBSA if it went through as a direct-mailed shipment?

Anyway, it sounds as though our governments' plans to level the playing field and keep us shopping locally are being successful. I don't see this as being an eIS issue, quite frankly.

brettjet38 · ‎12-17-2023

"It is no longer cost-effective to buy from US sellers."

That is the whole point, buy local within your own country, that is what Western Goverments are doing...

fh991586 · ‎12-18-2023

Shipping charge are not stated on the custom form, only the declared value of the item. So it's not accurate to think you'll be dinged with brokerage fee on the total you paid.

It's worse in Europe, as there are no more gift or small value item provision: everything not a document is taxable, thus making it a lot less interesting to sell there. If you don't pay the fee in advance, the buyer might refuse to pay them at delivery...

theoldestfart · ‎12-18-2023

I certainly have never gotten a "free pass" from CBSA on any eIS items which was about 4 or 5 items. Direct mail item I would take my chances any day on direct mail shipments especially at this time of year and since these days I am buying a heck of a lot more items via AliExpress than I am via eBay. None of these were assessed as additional charges via CBSA via direct mail shipments.

I tried to purchase within Canada on eBay only to have one user never reply back to my Best Offer bid and another seller in Canada tried to do an off eBay deal.

marnotom! · ‎12-18-2023

@theoldestfart wrote:

I certainly have never gotten a "free pass" from CBSA on any eIS items which was about 4 or 5 items. Direct mail item I would take my chances any day on direct mail shipments especially at this time of year and since these days I am buying a heck of a lot more items via AliExpress than I am via eBay. None of these were assessed as additional charges via CBSA via direct mail shipments.

I've only made one eIS-forwarded purchase so far, but I got it without a tax charge as it looks as though the C$40 tax-free limit for couriered shipments was applied rather than the C$20 tax-free limit for mailed shipments. (Yes, Canada Post handled the item within Canada. The package had a "Delivered Duties [sic] Paid" sticker on it.)

Unless somebody handling my item goofed or things have changed, the item you're referring to in your original post would have gone through tax-free, too.

femmefan1946 · ‎12-18-2023

Under the CUSMA treaty of 2020 Canadians can import up to $150 value from the USA duty free,and $40 tax free.
So there should be no import fees on the purchase.

Canada Post's service charge is for collecting those import fees. No fees> no service charge.

The shipping charge is based in part on the seller's choice of shipping service, and in part on the eIS(discounted for bulk shipping) fee for shipment from Illinois to your doorstep in Canada.

Your total cost would be $47USD /$58.75.

theoldestfart · ‎12-18-2023

That $47 USD is what I paid a fellow Canuck in NWT for the same item up here. I did notice that one eIS seller in USA had enabled the feature that you paid the import fees upfront. I forget what the cost of that item was as I have looked at so many over the past couple of days.

marnotom! · ‎12-18-2023

@theoldestfart wrote:

I did notice that one eIS seller in USA had enabled the feature that you paid the import fees upfront.

Sellers don't enable that feature, eBay does. When eIS was first unleashed, the word from eBay was that at some point buyers would get the choice as to whether they wanted to pay duties and taxes at Checkout or on delivery, but so far it seems to be mostly the latter option with the Checkout option determined by the value of the item and its category as well as other criteria that escape me at the moment.

Anonymous · ‎02-02-2024

I agree with you Been on eBay since 2003 Costs to buy or sell on eBay is outrageous especially last few years On top of that I’ve just learned that the carrier they use now out of Glendale heights has a very very bad history So now items coming to Canada from US can take longer than ordering something on Ali express from China EBay protects sellers by wiping out any comments about their now third rate shipping partner I assume to make even more profit Typical American capitalism at its worst I used to purchase a lot over the years but last year or so not so much and once this latest purchase arrives if it does will certainly lu be my last I’ve already flushed PayPal and eBay will be following shortly Shameful the contempt they have for buyers who are not American

mrdutch1001 · ‎02-02-2024

Comments like this shows how little buyers know and/or understand about the different shipping processes around the world, but it's especially shameful how buyers have so little knowledge about those shipping processes between USA & Canada....

Blaming eBay for a mail sortation problem in Houston, Texas is ridiculous...