Paying for import duties/fees for a parcel going from Canada to the USA

[nest-n-egg]

So I'm in Canada, and planning to list a bunch of items, which I'm sure the majority of buyers will come from the US. I know that when I order items from the US, ebay.com has the global shipping program, where the import fees are automatically calculated and paid for by the buyer. But in Canada we don't have the global shipping program available. I called Canada post and they said I can't pay for the import duties for the receiver, and they will have to be responsible for paying it. This may cause some problems, especially for noobie buyers that will get upset at having to pay import fees, regardless if I list it in my item despriction in bold letters. And will earn negative feedback for something I can't control.

Is there any way or courier, that will let me pay for the import fees, for parcels going to the US, instead of the customer having to pay for it? The items i'm going to list are collectables, in which a bunch of them are valued over $100, so for sure there will be import fees for the customer to pay. How do you (Canadian sellers) set up shipping to the US in regards to import duties?

[yuzuha]

There are no import duties or customs fees for anything under $800 that is shipped into the US, so as long as the items you're listing are less than that, you won't even need to worry about it.

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

You don't pay the buyer's Customs fees -- those are the responsibility of the recipient. If you happen to sell an item valued over $800, the recipient will be asked to come to the PO and pay any duty or excise tax that may be due.

At present, products manufactured within North America do not incur duty. U. S. residents do not pay excise tax for any package valued under $800.

If you feel that newbie buyers are not aware of Customs fees, just place the standard eBay statement in your listing -- that buyers are responsible for import fees, if any.

Bottom line: Don't worry about something that may not be applicable. However, do avoid using UPS, FedEx or other private couriers -- they charge a brokerage fee that is separate from U. S. Customs fees. Stick with Canada Post.

~~C~~

[fashunu4eeuh]

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@nest-n-egg wrote:

 "... This may cause some problems, especially for noobie buyers that will get upset at having to pay import fees, regardless if I list it in my item despriction in bold letters. And will earn negative feedback for something I can't control..."

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Don't fret about negative feedback, don't fear it. While the feedback system has its place, it is losing its authority of yesteryear. Negative and neutral scores no longer affect your seller metrics. Fewer people are leaving it, fewer are consulting it. The main value in FB for a seller is in the buyer's Feedback Left for Others. This can sometimes give a hint as to what kind of person your trading partner is. Also important is the Follow-up comment to a less than stellar review. It gives you a chance to deal professionally and unemotionally with your future buyers. People reading your comments will get an idea of what kind of seller you are. But beyond these two things, feedback no longer has as prominent a place at ebay's table. 

For customs duty, put a little blurb in your description as ebay advises all international sellers to use. This is sufficient. And buyers are not allowed to give poor scores on feedback based on customs fees, just to let you know. From ebay's Help pages:

"Generally, buyers pay additional costs such as duties, taxes, and customs clearance fees. To avoid problems, make sure that your listing clearly states this. You can cut and paste this directly into your listing:

International Buyers – Please Note: 

Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.

Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying."

https://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/international-shipping-rules.html

Good luck to you as you begin your venture,

[rolenboy01]

There isn't much you can do to avoid people who are ignorant of the law or refuse to read unfortunately, I don't think you are gonna wanna pay the custom fees on items over $800 doesn't sound profitable and they aren't your responsibility anyway as has already been said.

[siayan]

Because the GSP company ships a large lot of items together it is considered one item so customs fees are charged on every item. If you are shipping one item to the US and it is under the tax limit no customs would be charged. 

This is one of the downfalls of the GSP program that buyers complain about. As a seller if the buyer doesn't want to pay this that is their option. Better to know that before the sale rather then after.