An Expensive Learning!!!

[spracks919]

Hi everyone just thought that I would share an Expensive Learning in the Realm of Shipping Books out for Signatures.

So first off I live in the Great White North where shipping Letter mail is expensive enough, little own an Insured 20lb Box full of Comics to the US to be signed by your Favorite Artist / Creator.

When I shipped the box of Books out for Signatures I went through Fed Ex and Insured the books for the Full Amount of $4000 CDN.

Turns out anything over $2500 requires you to provide the Receivers EIN# (tax identification#, Social Security#) in order to clear US Customs. So sure enough my Next Day Shipping was being delayed until this could be provided. I tired to Explain to Fed Ex that these books were not Sold to the End Receiver, they were just being sent out for Signatures and being returned to me once done. That didn't work, the only way for these books to Clear Customs was for the Receiver to provide their EIN#.

I contacted the Sig Facilitator (Receiver) and Explained the Situation. They said in all their time doing this, they have never been asked for their EIN# before & nor were they going to provide to FedEx.

So now I'm stuck with a $300+ Shipping Bill for next Day Shipping that didn't happen, along with the return shipping costs & missing out on a Signing.

I just want to be Clear that I am in no way bashing on anyone, just sharing my Experience with everyone here to hopefully prevent this happening you.

$2500 is the Magic # for Canadians shipping books to the States no matter the reason.

I never knew & learned the Hard Way, which is usually the Expensive way.

[revat]

Hi everyone just thought that I would share an Expensive Learning in the Realm of Shipping Books out for Signatures.

So first off I live in the Great White North where shipping Letter mail is expensive enough, little own an Insured 20lb Box full of Comics to the US to be signed by your Favorite Artist / Creator.

When I shipped the box of Books out for Signatures I went through Fed Ex and Insured the books for the Full Amount of $4000 CDN.

Turns out anything over $2500 requires you to provide the Receivers EIN# (tax identification#, Social Security#) in order to clear US Customs. So sure enough my Next Day Shipping was being delayed until this could be provided. I tired to Explain to Fed Ex that these books were not Sold to the End Receiver, they were just being sent out for Signatures and being returned to me once done. That didn't work, the only way for these books to Clear Customs was for the Receiver to provide their EIN#.

I contacted the Sig Facilitator (Receiver) and Explained the Situation. They said in all their time doing this, they have never been asked for their EIN# before & nor were they going to provide to FedEx.

So now I'm stuck with a $300+ Shipping Bill for next Day Shipping that didn't happen, along with the return shipping costs & missing out on a Signing.

I just want to be Clear that I am in no way bashing on anyone, just sharing my Experience with everyone here to hopefully prevent this happening you.

$2500 is the Magic # for Canadians shipping books to the States no matter the reason.

I never knew & learned the Hard Way, which is usually the Expensive way.

 

this sucks, I'm very sorry this happened to you. Hopefully others can learn from this. On the other hand, congrats on having $4000 worth of books worth signing!

 

Hopefully all your fees were Canadian and you didn't get lit up on exchange rates.

 

The lesson as always: Drive across the border to do your comic business (but not the same week as comic cons).

[MetalPSI]

I'm flying across a day before a comic con. Will I be ok?

[revat]

I've always thought airport customs seems to be more lenient on this type of thing than border patrol.

[bababooey]

I've always thought airport customs seems to be more lenient on this type of thing than border patrol.

Air providers are generally using their own bond on most goods arriving, there's some additional liability but the nature of their business demands it and you're usually dealing with Customs personnel who are dedicated to those "carrier owned" operations.

That's not to say there isn't still a requirement for an ultimate consignee identification EIN/IRS/SSN - the key used to be the bond, now with pre-advice/pre-clearance blank fields create problems.

 

The key aspect to this story for others is that anyone providing a service on a more informal basis but bringing in items from overseas customers (ie-a presser/CGC submitter) would be faced with the same sort of requirements on any formal importation (over $2500) when providing a service for someone else's goods.

If you don't want FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc..etc.. to gain access to your data, you can choose a broker and get a formal relationship established but in some instances those air moves to Memphis, Louisville etc.. will still be cheaper through whatever brokerage included air solution the carrier is providing.

 

edit - here's the 5106 form & a link to the regulation that created the OP's problem.

[RCheli]

Why wouldn't a business want to give up their EIN number? It's not super secret or anything.

[bababooey]

Why wouldn't a business want to give up their EIN number? It's not super secret or anything.

I would imagine it's because most sig facilitators don't have employees and haven't registered voluntarily to get a number for import/export that they are comfortable disclosing. (ie-not SSN)

 

[FN-2199]

Border Patrol are in the mountains at night.

 

Customs Officers work at the land port, sea port, and air port....and they don't care about a package of comics, this was FedEx.

[shadroch]

Why wouldn't a business want to give up their EIN number? It's not super secret or anything.

I would imagine it's because most sig facilitators don't have employees and haven't registered voluntarily to get a number for import/export that they are comfortable disclosing. (ie-not SSN)

 

 

I'd let your fellow Canadians know who this guy is, so they don't waste their money doing the same thing. It sounds like the guy is running a fly by night business. At least you got your books back.

[NYComics]

Nope not a fly by night business.

 

We are the sig facilitator being mentioned in this thread.

[BlowUpTheMoon]

[NYComics]

One other factor that I will add is that overnight shipping could have easily been avoided as we have been advertising our signing for months and can be flexible with our deadline had we been contacted ahead of time.

 

Sorry to hear you are out $300....

[HighRadArt]

Why wouldn't a business want to give up their EIN number? It's not super secret or anything.

 

This was my first thought as well.

[gregreece]

Why wouldn't a business want to give up their EIN number? It's not super secret or anything.

 

This was my first thought as well.

 

Because they will be hammered with fees if they do. This exact scenario played out several years ago. After the shipper swore there wouldn't be in fees but promised to pay any fees if there were, I relented. You guessed it, 4 years later and I'm still out the duty/import charges (or whatever legalese name they came up with for the fees). No good deed goes unpunished.

[bababooey]

Why wouldn't a business want to give up their EIN number? It's not super secret or anything.

 

This was my first thought as well.

 

Because they will be hammered with fees if they do. This exact scenario played out several years ago. After the shipper swore there wouldn't be in fees but promised to pay any fees if there were, I relented. You guessed it, 4 years later and I'm still out the duty/import charges (or whatever legalese name they came up with for the fees). No good deed goes unpunished.

 

Not the same scenario.

 

You were doing a good deed, importing & covering costs for a customer and they didn't hold up their end of the bargain by reimbursing you.

 

The OP's problem related to him assuming all responsibility and costs but having the US consignee refuse to provide data to the broker that CBP requires when importing anything valued over $2500 USD.

 

I can understand why people might want to hesitate or think twice when it comes to numbers that are considered private but providing this information is necessary. So if you're in the US and want international customers who send you items over that value to have a good experience, figure out how you plan to deal with the requirement in the future (ie-get a broker, apply for an EIN for import etc..)

 

This FedEx explanation sums up the requirement pretty well.

 

NYComics - 1 bababooey - 0