Import fees question UPDATE

[vader318-migration]

Where are you shipping to? US to Canada? I'm honestly not sure. I just know that customs is very strict on declaring value and they have a lot of power including the right to confiscate your property if they find you intentionally neglecting to declare value. I was told this the last time I picked books up from Michigan.

 

I buy comics from the us and have it shipped to Canada and anything that's valuable I get charged with import fee

 

If you don't like the laws of your country, move. (thumbs u

 

Easier said than done.

[uchiha101]

Most places near the border are parcel stores where people pick up their parcels. You can Google that in your area if you are close by.

 

This is the most reasonable option. BUy a PO Box accross the border, and go there to pick up and mail packages whenever you need to. Of course, this also takes time and money, and there may be size limitations depending on how big your packages are and how often you get them. Do some real math and see if that's worth it, because it takes GAS money and PO Box money and/or possibly currency translation fees to do this too and a bunch of time depending on where you live to do this too.

 

The other option is to include the import fees into your budget/cost model, and evaluate if its really worth it for you to be dealing comics at this point in your life given your circumstances, whether or not it is really viable, or if you need more business and comics experience and/or education first.

 

http://about.usps.com/forms/ps1093.pdf

 

Not going to work. If you open a PO Box in the United States you need TWO forms of valid ID. If you use your passport as one of them then you leave an easy paper trail for the Canadian government to audit you if need be.

 

sneaky I'll keep that in mind

[Jordysnordy]

 

This is the most reasonable option. BUy a PO Box accross the border, and go there to pick up and mail packages whenever you need to. Of course, this also takes time and money, and there may be size limitations depending on how big your packages are and how often you get them. Do some real math and see if that's worth it, because it takes GAS money and PO Box money and/or possibly currency translation fees to do this too and a bunch of time depending on where you live to do this too..

 

Are you not still liable for import duties when you bring the goods across the border ?

 

OF COURSE YOU ARE!! (Unless you don't declare the books when you cross the border back into Canada).

You are allowed to bring back X amount of goods duty free AFTER 48 hours so unless you stay 48+ hours you will have to pay the duty and taxes - which are NOT "import fees".

It's just part of life. It's the same for anything you ship into Canada.

Anything you don't declare, you run the risk of getting caught and then you run the risk of big fine or even having the books confiscated.

[uchiha101]

I (knock on wood) buy somewhat regularly from the US and very rarely do I get a customs/import fee...Luck of the draw?

 

I’d say so, Ty – time ago it was very uncommon in Italy too that packages were always checked at the customs – they just sampled a few, but now that the government needs money it’s the opposite (just rarely they pass, almost always they are stopped and you pay the fees).

 

Same thing in France : ten years ago I did not pay any custom taxes, now, I must pay them every time...

Some dealers declare lesser value and you can save a little but not all of them.

 

man that sucks

[jimjum12]

One thing I learned recently through first hand experience about value...... when attempting to file an insurance claim with USPS..... they were requiring receipts to prove what I paid for the item, and NOT what I sold it and insured for. I suppose they don't wish to insure your profit.... despite what level of insurance you may have paid for. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[vader318-migration]

One thing I learned recently through first hand experience about value...... when attempting to file an insurance claim with USPS..... they were requiring receipts to prove what I paid for the item, and NOT what I sold it and insured for. I suppose they don't wish to insure your profit.... despite what level of insurance you may have paid for. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

Which why I would never use their insurance coverage. Facts are that if I insured a blank white envelope for $10,000 and paid for the insurance, I should get full reimbursement for the insured value regardless if I paid a penny for it. That's how confident the PO should feel about their claims process to know the envelope was actually lost and that there was no foul play.