ordering equipment from usa to canada

[xhao]

Hi, have any Canadians on this board bought equipment from the US? If so, what percentage is the customs duty when you had it shipped?

Thank you

[Fencergrl]

Try and get it shipped via the post/mail. They have the cheapest customs clearance... they charge $5 handling. From there.... you just pay the taxes at the door/ at the post office.

With a courier (especially UPS) you'll pay through the nose to have them clear it through customs (I've had them quote prices close to the value of the goods).

As for duties... I don't think I've ever been charged duties, just taxes.

[Purple Fencer]

Just make sure whoever you buy from is clearly informed of your preferred shipping method...otherwise thery may go with their usual one (FedEx Ground for me)

[glowstix]

i've ordered from LP USA and didn't have to pay anything extra. if the vendors ship with UPS, they'll get you as FG says.

[Fencergrl]

If you are close to a port of entry (like an International airport) you can clear it through customs yourself, for nothing more than a little effort and time. UPS won't call you unless you are a business... you can make up a business name and use your phone number if you want. The point is they don't call if the package is addressed to a person.

If you order frequently from the US and are close to a border crossing, then it might make sense to have a US mailbox or have it sent to a friend near the border. If the items are less than $100 (or sometimes even $200) most customs agents will just wave you through and you don't even pay taxes. If you do... it only takes a few minutes. Make sure you have your receipts!

In this case.... you want to make sure that the items are addressed to an individual (and not a company). You want to be able to claim this as personal, since commercial processing takes much, much, much longer and you never get waved through.

See why it's just easier to have it sent by mail??? Well worth the $5 they charge to process it and it gets delivered to your door.

[jgnfld]

Hi, have any Canadians on this board bought equipment from the US? If so, what percentage is the customs duty when you had it shipped?

Thank you

I use fencing.net most often, zivkovic sometimes. Even though it's slower, use mail if at all possible. Of all the orders I've had over the past several years I have gotten clipped for customs only once on that route--a big box from Zivkovic with a saber mask in it. If you use UPS, beware: UPS always charges all duties AND UPS often charges a significant "brokerage fee" on top of customs. STAY AWAY FROM UPS FOR THAT REASON unless they've changed that policy recently. FedEx at least clears it own packages so there's no such extra fee.

I have found that both Craig and Branimir have been just fine with sending small things like points, tips, springs, wires, and the like by first class padded envelope which drastically lowers rates for such items and you never get hit with customs when shipped that way.