How do duties work?

[Digitalwave]

I am buying a camera lens from someone in Canada, and here at school I live in an on campus apartment, which means my mail comes into the central mail room. When I get a package they leave a slip in my box and I pick it up at the mail room.

I am pretty sure I am going to have to pay duties on the lens, but how is it going to work? I am having it shipped via Xpresspost which has delivery confirmation/tracking numbers.

Will they drop the lens off at my mail room, and then I will have to pay the duty to the mail room? Or will they not even deliver it and I will have to pick it up somewhere else?

TIA.

[Ryan Stewart]

I got a bill for my shit from europe with the stuff. I didnt have to pay it on delivery. Id think it just depends on the delivery company.

[Digitalwave]

A bill huh? What stops you from paying that bill since you already have the goods then? I'd pay it but that seems strange. How did you pay the bill, online, over the phone?

[Ryan Stewart]

I didnt because it stated right on the bill of lading that the agreement was that duties were the responsibility of the shipper. This was when I was dealing with that company from Norway or whatever that just dropped off the face of the map. I ended up getting all my shit for free.

Nikis place I think. In restrospect it sounds like some sort of soft-core am-porn website.

[CGDoig]

When i get stuff through UPS i have to pay at the door. Or if it gets delivered to my Post Office i have to pay when i pick it up. The only difference is if its at the Post Office i can choose when to pick it up and pay. I think the duties are cheap from Can to US. Its only 5 bucks for most of the stuff that gets shipped here. We pay PST and GST on top of that up here too.

[herragge]

If you can, have the guy declare it under $50 OR declare it as a gift and brokerage and duties fees will not be applicable. If it is a business they don't like doing that and sometimes they can catch you but its very unlikely.

Usually, if you do expedited or a faster service, the shipping company such as fedex or ups will take care of charges initially for you so it can proceed through the border faster. However a lovely letter will later be addressed to you for you to pay those charges and usually the % is higher than what the shipping company actually paid so they make some $$$.

Avoid using UPS to Canada at all costs. They levy huge charges and rape you through the ass.

NAFTA means shit.

Mike

[Digitalwave]

Is Xpresspost considered the post office? Do they hand it over to the USPS when it hits the states or what?

EDIT: I told the guy to declare it as a gift and he said he will try. But its a fairly expensive lens, does that mean I waive my rights to insurance?

[Spencer]

"does that mean I waive my rights to insurance"

I think so!

-Spencer

[Justin B]

I dont think so, maybe though. I bought some stuff before and it was declared as a gift but still insured. The only difference is that its a gift, why couldnt insurance be held on it anyway, it can still have a declared value.

[Jordan]

I've never had to pay duties on stuff I've ordered from Canada.. I think its only them who have to pay duties on items being shipped to them.

[808BMW]

I work at a delivery company, and if there are any charges at all, we contact the consignee and arrange for COD. If nobody is available, it's held at our baseyard until someone arranges payment and where to drop it off, etc.

[herragge]

Is Xpresspost considered the post office? Do they hand it over to the USPS when it hits the states or what?

EDIT: I told the guy to declare it as a gift and he said he will try. But its a fairly expensive lens, does that mean I waive my rights to insurance?

Xpresspost is from Canada post; similar to USA's USPS. I'm not sure how it works if it trades hands in the US. I know for a fact that if someone is sending sometime by USPS to me from the US, USPS is stamped all over the package but I believe the Canada post guys deliver it.

Declaring it as a gift will only void any charges and taxes, he still has to declare a correct value for the lens and has the option of declaring it as a gift on top of that. This should not wave any insurance unless one of you say that it actually wasn't a gift or somoething.

Mike