Trump tarifs are here, apparently....

[burkhankhaldun]

So as a Canadian, I sold a big item worth 1800 CDN to an American (pool robot vacuum). UPS sent him a message that he would have to pay import fee of 400$ upon delivery. He reached out to UPS, and this is their reply. Any idea how I can help him out?
"The charges for this shipment are correct. Under the President’s Executive Order, goods made in Canada are subject to 25% duty on top of any other duty that may apply. The tariff number for the vacuum is duty free. However the shipment required 99030110 at 25% duty. If the shipper can provide a USMCA certificate, the Customs charges of $354.71 would no longer apply."

[cottagewoman]

What is the country of origin for the item? Did you provide full formal entry documentation for it?

[burkhankhaldun]

Looks like the maker is american. Are they making them in the USA? I don't know. And I have no idea what " full formal entry documentation" is so I did not

[cottagewoman]

Without a USMCA certificate, your buyer is SOL - the current exemption on Canadian tariffs only applies to goods that are USMCA certified.

[burkhankhaldun]

I have read somewhere else that only the maker and official reseller would have that? Is that only for "new" product or used as well?

[recped]

I am 99% sure that Beatbot products are made in China. I had to dig deep to find any info but did find an Amazon listing for it that states China as the country of origin.

As an "American" company the tip off was that they make zero claims about manufacturing in the USA.

The tariffs on goods made in Canada are on hold until April 2nd but the tariffs on goods made in China ARE in effect.

[intimewithmusic]

@recped  @burkhankhaldun 

Yes, China is what turned up for me as well. 

FYI: These items appear to have fairly powerful lithium batteries with them. The warantees appear not to be transferable.  Not sure as I have no experience with them.  Growing up in the motel business I did clean a lot of pools though. Having one of these probably would have ruined my girl watching chances as a teenage pool boy in a tourist resort! ;>}

From research;

About Beatbot
Beatbot specializes in the development of robotic pool cleaners within the consumer electronics sector. The company offers a range of cordless pool cleaning robots that provide maintenance solutions, including skimming, wall cleaning, and filtration, all controlled via a proprietary app. Its products cater to residential pool owners seeking automated and efficient pool care. It was founded in 2022 and is based in Suzhou, China.

Nov 14, 2024
One of them, Beatbot Tech, which was founded two years ago and has raised close to 500 million yuan (US$69.14 million), has captured 85 per cent of the high-end market for pool robots priced over US$1,400, according to 36Kr, a Chinese news and data website that tracks start-ups.

That has encouraged other start-ups to dive into the market.

From the listing:

Up to 11 Hours of Runtime – The powerful 13,400mAh battery provides up to 11 hours of surface cleaning and 5 hours of deep cleaning (floor & walls)—ideal for pools up to 3,875 sq. ft. in size.

🌐Smart App Control with Dual Connectivity – Stay connected via 5G/2.4G WiFi & Bluetooth. Monitor water temperature, customize cleaning modes, and receive OTA updates with a strong, long-range connection for ultimate convenience.

🛡️ 3-Year Full Replacement Warranty – Built to last with UV & heat-resistant automotive-grade IMR coating, this cleaner outperforms the industry with 15 certifications and 200+ quality tests. Enjoy full unit replacement—no repairs needed!

From Beatbot's Website;

What This Warranty Does NOT Cover
Items purchased from unauthorized resellers;

If this item isn't already in the VERO program it's certainly the type that usually turns up there. 

[recped]

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@intimewithmusic wrote:

If this item isn't already in the VERO program it's certainly the type that usually turns up there. 

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If a Vero takedown happened for a legitimate product (not a counterfeit or pirate) it would be abuse of the DMCA, one could file a counter notice and win!

That said, using stock images without permission would be a valid takedown under the DMCA.

Sales by non-authorized sellers is NOT infringement although there are many brands that will file false claims in order to protect their market from discounting by third-party sellers that are not authorized dealers.

In addition suggesting that the item carries a warranty would also be a valid reason for a takedown.

Of course none of this really matters as the issue the OP is having it strictly related to tariff matters.

[reallynicestamps]

Not your problem.

Tariffs are paid by the importer/buyer not the seller/exporter.

EBay gave sellers some boilerplate about this a decade or more ago, which I made part of my SYI template.

Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying

You can offer to refund him when the item is returned.

I would not be at all surprised if a great deal of that $400 is UPS  "customs brokerage fees" and unrelated to tariffs, duty or sales taxes.

[flipistics]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

Not your problem.

Tariffs are paid by the importer/buyer not the seller/exporter.

EBay gave sellers some boilerplate about this a decade or more ago, which I made part of my SYI template.

Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying

You can offer to refund him when the item is returned.

I would not be at all surprised if a great deal of that $400 is UPS  "customs brokerage fees" and unrelated to tariffs, duty or sales taxes.

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The buyer might have a case (if) the seller put the wrong country of origin in the listing. I have no idea what would happen in that situation, but an argument could certainly be made that the buyer may not have purchased the item otherwise.

[intimewithmusic]

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@recped wrote:

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@intimewithmusic wrote:

"If this item isn't already in the VERO program it's certainly the type that usually turns up there. 

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If a Vero takedown happened for a legitimate product (not a counterfeit or pirate) it would be abuse of the DMCA, one could file a counter notice and win!

That said, using stock images without permission would be a valid takedown under the DMCA.

Sales by non-authorized sellers is NOT infringement although there are many brands that will file false claims in order to protect their market from discounting by third-party sellers that are not authorized dealers.

In addition suggesting that the item carries a warranty would also be a valid reason for a takedown.

Of course none of this really matters as the issue the OP is having it strictly related to tariff matters."

I understand the general question is tariff related. I would like to know the answer for the OP. I wish I had it. this is a tricky time at the border. Given this is a very interesting question , a very unique product and the OP's title key words will attract interest the FYI "door" should be open. thanks to the OP for posting as this is very timely. Some other reader may run into a similar situation.

I've done a ton of research on VEROs due to my wide variety of categories.  I've only heard of one person getting results from appealling a VERO. It was with a small domestic seller and the maker relented on letting her sell her remaining used clothing items.  I personally lost an appeal to an electronics manufacturer ()Harmon Industries aka Harmon Kardon/JBL) who said the item I was selling was counterfiet. The company themselves gifted me the item when they were trying to obtain my store's business at a trade show in Los Angeles.  I didn't have a receipt because they gave it to me.  Decades later the same company that gave it to me said it was counterfiet! I lost. Generally makers particularily foreign ones do not respond or if they do it's a letter from their lawyer who may even book a hearing in the United States expecting you to attend. Search VERO on YouTube for examples. 

"Sales by non-authorized sellers is NOT infringement although there are many brands that will file false claims in order to protect their market from discounting by third-party sellers that are not authorized dealers."

As far as non authorized sellers selling items as "Brand New" using stock photos and stock feature listings including warantees we both know is a slippery slope. In most cases you can sell it but it depends on the platform. I wouldn't sell it on Amazon unless I was ungated. On eBay it's fine (in most cases and there is no VERO) unless the description is not accurate. I think other readers should be aware of that. 

During the 20 years owning a music store I signed annual contracts with a few manufacturers (20-30 pages ea) to guarantee both the retail prices and to prevent dealers from drop shipping .  Those companies didn't hesitate to file suit against non authorized resellers or even authorized sellers who get caught drop shipping. Of course that was brick & mortar and prior to online selling. You have the right to resell your items but not to infringe copyrite or to sell as  INAD.  

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         Let's be clear. If an item is sold we want to make it stay sold. 

[cottagewoman]

Let's also be clear that what is at issue here is a circumstance that neither the buyer or seller were aware could affect this transaction, from what I gather from the OPs responses to date.

The OP sold an item with a value greater than 800USD - this is in excess of de minimis value, which is temporarily still in place. This means that duties will be charged - most likely more than before Trump added all kinds of tariffs, but if the item CoO is China then a minimum of 25%, possibly more if the item category falls under section 301.

Duties of 400 sounds like there are fees being added on by UPS (OP states value was 1800CAD which would give ~250 duty if the rate is 25%).

Perhaps pre-Trump this may not have occured - but this really sounds like UPS followed rules to the T and I imagine in the current climate they don't let much slide anymore.

Regardless, the OP should have been aware of the value of the item triggering duties being charged - as well as the buyer. If the OP mostly sells under 800.00 items then I get this all can be a big surprise. I think we're all just so used to shipping to the US as being quite easy and uncomplicated. Unfortunately that is changing.

[intimewithmusic]

   You make good points although as the item sold on March 16 I can't agree no one was aware.   *, **See below.

Both the COO and an accurate tariff code should have been on the customs document.  With respect to UPS there is a big difference between buying a UPS label on eBay, from a 3rd party like Shippo or directly from your UPS account with UPS. I have not bought UPS labels from eBay. I suspect the purchase form is the same as an eBay label for Canada Post.  This sort of issue is less likely to happen if you buy your label direct from UPS or Shippo where information for the COO and the tariff codes are readily available and required.

My dad used to say, "I don't trust anyone except you and sometimes I worry about you." ;>}

  The answer to the seller's question "Any idea how I can help him out?" is going to differ from post to post. I'm curious to see if someone has circumvented this. Hopefully the OP will return to the conversation with the outcome. How he/she reacts to the buyer would be different with regards to a seller's customer service. In any event eBay clearly notified the buyer he/she would be liable for any border costs above the cost paid at check out.

*For the benefit of others  this is what I'm talking about;

International delivery
International shipping—items may be subject to customs processing depending on the item's customs value.
Sellers declare the item's customs value and must comply with customs declaration laws.
As the buyer, you should be aware of possible:
• Delays from customs inspection
• Import duties and taxes which buyers must pay
• Brokerage fees payable at the point of delivery
Your country's customs office can offer more details, or visit eBay's page on international trade.

As eBay handled the transaction and the buyer wants to review the duties paid for accuracy the solution is to direct the buyer to eBay Custmer Service. The seller should supply any forms, COO or tariff code only if it might make a difference to the outcome.  If the item has already cleared customs I don't see any more the seller should do other than cooperate. This is contigent on the seller using the shipping method and "ship to" address  on file as requested at checkout by the buyer.

**Current USA-China tariff situation: "On March 10, China imposed a 15% tariffs on American goods, including agricultural goods. Since February 2025, the Trump administration imposed a total of 20% tariffs on China, with the Chinese Government imposing 15% tariffs on the United States."

I expect individual shipments traversing a variety of border crossings may encounter differences in treatment due to the changes and inconsistencies.   I also expect scammers to come out of the woodwork and try to take advantage of the existing confusion and chaos by disputing additional fees after checkout,  finding faults in the listing details or diverting shipments to addresses other than the buyer's ship to on file to offset the extra customs charges.  My personal strategy is not to ship anything of signficant value to the US until the matter is stabilized.

My dad used to say, "I don't trust anyone except you and sometimes I worry about you." ;>}

[burkhankhaldun]

Thanks everyone for you interesting inputs.

Label was indeed bought on eBay.

At the end, I decided to split the amount with buyer. I know I did not have to do it, but he said he might return the object since it was getting out of his budget. Would I have to pay tarrif when  getting it back? So I played safe and took half the hit.

[recped]

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@burkhankhaldun wrote:

Thanks everyone for you interesting inputs.

Label was indeed bought on eBay.

At the end, I decided to split the amount with buyer. I know I did not have to do it, but he said he might return the object since it was getting out of his budget. Would I have to pay tarrif when  getting it back? So I played safe and took half the hit.

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Probably a wise plan, the protection eBay offers in this situation is limited, in theory if a buyer refuses to pay import duty/tax they loose Buyer Protection but there is a disclaimer relating to a seller providing "false" information on the customs declaration. I understand this was not intentional but if eBay decided against you the buyer would get a 100% refund, you would get stuck with the shipping charge, probably have to pay UPS a hefty fee for them to recover duties paid by them AND there could be issues on the return end (GST is nothing else).

Just an FYI, very few US buyers have ever had to deal with duties, first because of the US$800 exemption and second because shipments exceeding the free limit when sent via regular mail are rarely changed any duty si,ilar to what happens with postal shipment entering Canada (this has obviously changed under DJT). As UPS told the buyer, if the item was made in Canada it would have been smooth sailing even though it was over the free limit, UPS might have tacked on a modest handling fee to process but that might have been $50 or less.

[intimewithmusic]

Hi @burkhankhaldun
Thank you for the update. In one of my posts I said every seller will react differently depending on their level of customer service. This is a situation that is new to even the veterans. On top of that its hard to coach when only you have had a connection with your buyer. The buyer represents the other factor in deciding how to react.
In my opinion you shouldn't have had to forfeit so much of your hard earned profit. That being said I think you did the right thing. Its easy to see you are going above and beyond for your customer.
To be clear, when we sell something we should all do our best to make it "stay sold".
In this case that's exactly what you've done.
Thank you for updating us.
Bravo!
IT

[cottagewoman]

Well handled - we're oftentimes put in these situations and have to find a positon where we give some to make our customers happy. Just remember that over 800USD means duties are technically applied - I know a transborder shipper who deals with auction houses who has had CBP challenge the value of items when she brings them into the US as being higher than what the buyer paid at auction. Even with the auction invoice under 800 the items have been evaluated at over 800 and she has had to pay duties at the border for the item to make it in - basically a forced full entry. We can't forget that US CBP has the ultimate word and decision, and I think in our current times things are going to get stricter every day - and hey, sometimes you get an agent who slept badly and is going to take it out on someone!

[visual-sound]

My advice is to stop selling to the USA. 🙁

[38e_avenue]

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@visual-sound wrote:

My advice is to stop selling to the USA. 🙁

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An excellent suggestion: let us starve. Any other valuable advice to share?  

[intimewithmusic]

@38e_avenue Everyone has an approach and that is good. You've flashed this photo of USA tubes previously yet you choose to keep your store and your listings private in this forum which is fine. I think, that being said, those who choose to conceal their widgets from the forum will be misunderstood.

@visual-sound  has listings visible to this forum.  They've sold an average of 20 widgets per month . Understanding what they sell helps put their approach in perspective. @38e_avenue  you have repeated this photo of mailer tubes and none of us here on eBay Canada knows what is in them. 

@visual-sound  is visible and has a strategy.  They have taken a stand.  As you choose to keep your widgets invisible to the forum and not share them so we can have an idea where you're heart is (except for repeated postings of mailing tube photos) I'm not sure why you would ask for a vendor to share advice.

" An excellent suggestion: let us starve. Any other valuable advice to share? "  ?

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@38e_avenue wrote:

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@visual-sound wrote:

My advice is to stop selling to the USA. 🙁

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An excellent suggestion: let us starve. Any other valuable advice to share?  

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