Canada import fees
I bought used DDR5-RAM from a Canadian seller the other day. The purchase was for $690 USD including taxes. The seller shipped the item 2 days before.
Now I get an email from UPS saying I owe them ~$1500 USD in import duties and I'm to pay it upon delivery of the item - about 4-5 days from now.
What just happened here ? Did seller misrepresent value of item causing duties to be higher ? Because no duty on used items under $800 USD ?
Naturally, I do not want to accept the item. What are my options ?
11 comments
bpar7653
OP10 months agojust a quick update, I called the helpful folks at UPS Customer desk. they confirmed that seller declared the value correctly and it was the fees as assessed by the Customs. They said they have brokerage department who can dispute the charges with Customs and can do it on my behalf if I authorize them and then I did. Further, they said there are many packages at the moment which have the issue and there might be delays. Also they suggested that I either accept the package by telling that I will make Web pay later or let the item go their UPS hold while the dispute ticket is resolved.
rseuqinh
·10 months agoCan you @bpar7653 explain this again?
bpar7653
OP10 months agoYeah, so I supposed to make payment to the driver if things were ok. I need not make payment and try telling driver that I could make a web payment. He has the discretion to either make delivery or hold the package at a location. But, in essence I don’t have to pay UPS until they settle dispute with the Customs on the fees and give me an updated invoice
kathiec
·10 months agoJust make sure that in all of this it never shows you refused delivery of the package. Once that happens you lose your coverage under eBay's Money Back Guarantee.
toomuchstuffagain35
·10 months agoI may be completely wrong, but I thought I saw something about ebay not holding buyers to that policy while all this was being sorted out?
kathiec
·10 months agoI haven't seen that. And unless it's in an official statement from eBay I wouldn't rely on it.
shado-x
·10 months agoCheaper if you fly to Canada to pick them up, and then get the $800 duty-free as a US Citizen accompanying the sticks entering back. Hope you can get airline lounge access. Yes, these tariffs are ridiculous. And the USPS charges over $5.00 for a 0.04oz package US cross-country. $5.00 is for a pound, not 0.04oz. Commercial Rates have to be renegotiated, holiday surcharges have to be sued in court. Something has to give. Happy Days!
bpar7653
OP10 months agothank you @lisa5768 . From your experience, does $1500 import fee on a $700 item seems incorrect unless Seller filled in forms incorrectly ?
lisa5768
·10 months ago@bpar7653
Very hard to say, duties and tariffs can be large. Plus UPS adds brokerage fees on top. I have not purchased anything from over seas since this whole thing began so I don't have a reference point personally.
Since you received a message from UPS regarding the fee you can try to contact them and ask for a fee breakdown so you know exactly what is being charged.
As @kensgiftshop said above, if you refuse the package, even for high fees, you will likely not be refunded since refusing a package voids your money back guarantee and sellers do not have to refund.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?id=4210&st=3&pos=1&query=eBay%20Money%20Back%20Guarantee%20policy&intent=money%20back%20gua&lucenceai=lucenceai&docId=HELP1238
lisa5768
·10 months ago@bpar7653
There are no longer duty free imports into the US. de minimis (the exemption of low cost items) was eliminated on August 29th, for all shipments imported into the U.S. regardless of origin country or shipment value. All packages are now subject to duties and tariff charges.
Here is the UPS page about it.
https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/international-tools-resources/understanding-customs
kensgiftshop
·10 months ago