betamaxIt's not $800. That might be the amount which can be imported into the US.
The $800.00 limit info was given to me by one of the customs officers at the Canadian border, when I was returning from the States.
As for the HST fees, that was also from Border Services, a couple of months ago which included a mention that model railroad stuff (up to a limit which I don't recall) was not subject to duty, either.
Wayne
It's not $800. That might be the amount which can be imported into the US.
As per the CBSA:
Under CUSMA, Canada has agreed to maintain a de minimis threshold of at least CAD$150.00 for customs duties, and CAD$40.00 for taxes, at the time or point of importation of goods shipped by courier from the United States or Mexico. There are otherwise no changes to Canada’s existing de minimis framework. Accordingly, postal shipments from the U.S. or Mexico, as well as any courier or postal shipments from any other country, will continue to have a customs duty and tax remission threshold value of up to CAD$20.00. Please note that the new thresholds will apply as of the date the CUSMA enters into force and, for greater clarity, time of importation means the time of release.
Customs Notice 20-18 - Implementation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) De Minimis Thresholds with Respect to Customs Duties and Taxes for Courier Imports (cbsa-asfc.gc.ca)
Yeah...to clarify, hobby items, under $800.00, brought into Canada are not dutiable, nor are they subject to HST. Hobby items sent to Canada are not dutiable either, but they are subject to HST, which is 13% of their value.
doctorwayne If I'm buying model railroad stuff from the States, I usually have it sent to a friend in Ohio. Pre-covid, I also travelled to various locales in the States to buy stuff in-person, too. Bringing it back into Canada cost nothing, as long as the total worth was under $800.00. Model train stuff is not subject to duty when re-entering Canada. That includes items mailed to Canada, but such items are subject to HST (Harmonised Sales Tax). Wayne
If I'm buying model railroad stuff from the States, I usually have it sent to a friend in Ohio.
Pre-covid, I also travelled to various locales in the States to buy stuff in-person, too.
Bringing it back into Canada cost nothing, as long as the total worth was under $800.00. Model train stuff is not subject to duty when re-entering Canada.
That includes items mailed to Canada, but such items are subject to HST (Harmonised Sales Tax).
Attuvian1Does that mean that the revenue service hums a tune when they collect
Ya, it's the Government singing for its supper!
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
doctorwayne . . . but such items are subject to HST (Harmonised Sales Tax). Wayne
. . . but such items are subject to HST (Harmonised Sales Tax).
Engi1487 Good to see a fellow Canadian discussing this as well. I live about 15 to 20 minutes away from the border, so I get whatever is the most inexpseive shipping to the package recieving place I pick up my order from, go to the broder and declear the toal of my items, and pay the tax inside.
Good to see a fellow Canadian discussing this as well. I live about 15 to 20 minutes away from the border, so I get whatever is the most inexpseive shipping to the package recieving place I pick up my order from, go to the broder and declear the toal of my items, and pay the tax inside.
We have a mailbox service we use in Blaine, Washington.
I am in Canada as well. I live about 15 to 20 minutes away from the border, so I get whatever is the most inexpseive shipping to the package recieving place I pick up my order from, go to the broder and declear the toal of my items, and pay the tax inside. Either that or I pay the extra $50 and above shipping to my address in Canada, and have the delievry person hand me the invoice to pay the duty charge. I am not sure which to stick with.
OvermodThe thing that can put 'teeth' in a small-claims judgment is that (at least in some states) it can be enforced the same as any other civil judgment: you can secure the services of a sheriff or other public official, show up at the now-debtor's property, and start seizing property to satisfy the amount. Usually the combination of public shame and loss of assets at fair-market depreciated value gets the payment uncorked ASAP.
It is the same here, if the debtor doesn't pay, you take it to the next step and fill out some forms and drop them at the courthouse. Depending on what your time is worth, determines whether it is worth it. I can make more doing other things than what the court would allow for compensation for time spent.
I have signed on to two class action lawsuits in my time involving stock fraud, I got my money back after 3 or 4 years with interest. But all I had to do was sign on.
rrebellWow, didn't relize small claims was different up north. Here you pay a fee and can sue for it back as part of your claim. You better have your ducks in a row for court but ussually the judge dose not delay their judgement unless something goes realy south.
Small Claims court here is pretty much the same, however, going to court to get $800.00 from a guy named Bob that didn't pay for the tires you sold him is a little different than dealing with a multinational corporation. UPS would be defending a huge part of its revenue stream and would show up with an Army of the best lawyers in the business. It would be like putting your 6-year-old son's hockey team up against an NHL team.
The Judge would order it moved to a higher court and then what?
My job with the Feds saw me on the stand in court many a time as I would often be involved in the transportation of evidence on a national level and international criminal prosecutions for the foreign affairs dept. It was mostly chain of signature stuff, but also provided details of how deceased individuals were repatriated from abroad when they died under suspicious circumstances.
I did testify at a lawsuit brought by the Feds against a company once. The feds showed up with three top lawyers, the defendant showed up on his own in blue jeans and a sweatshirt. The Feds buried him in five minutes flat on my testimony alone. I had gone to the Crown Prosecutors' office and rehearsed what I was to say on the stand a couple of times, it was like I was getting ready to be in a play.
rrebellWow, didn't relize small claims was different up north. Here you pay a fee and can sue for it back as part of your claim. You better have your ducks in a row for court but ussually the judge does not delay their judgment unless something goes really south.
rrebell BATMAN rrebell I'm sure they must have small claims courts in Canada How much is your time worth, this would be a never-ending battle with a huge company like UPS. Going through a regulator would be the starting point and a whole lot of education on the matter at hand would be required so the judge in the small claims court would not throw you out and tell you to come back better prepared. I have gone to court a few times and the time spent was not worth the time required to pursue the matter from a dollar standpoint. The only reason I did it was to put the brakes on repeat offenders by having lots of red flags attached to their names when they lose the case. Sometimes you just lick your wounds, take it as a lesson and move on. Caveat Emptor. Crandell, I am curious as to what you save by ordering things through a U.S. retailer. I have ordered things from the U.S. a handful of times and generally found it was not worth it for the slight if any saving after the smoke has cleared. PWRS, Central Hobbies, and Britannia Hobbies have all brought things in for me that they did not stock. Right away I am not paying shipping. There is a small hobby shop and an R/C shop I go to for things as well that have ordered in things for me that they would not normally stock and they have given me a discount to boot. Wow, didn't relize small claims was different up north. Here you pay a fee and can sue for it back as part of your claim. You better have your ducks in a row for court but ussually the judge dose not delay their judgement unless something goes realy south.
BATMAN rrebell I'm sure they must have small claims courts in Canada How much is your time worth, this would be a never-ending battle with a huge company like UPS. Going through a regulator would be the starting point and a whole lot of education on the matter at hand would be required so the judge in the small claims court would not throw you out and tell you to come back better prepared. I have gone to court a few times and the time spent was not worth the time required to pursue the matter from a dollar standpoint. The only reason I did it was to put the brakes on repeat offenders by having lots of red flags attached to their names when they lose the case. Sometimes you just lick your wounds, take it as a lesson and move on. Caveat Emptor. Crandell, I am curious as to what you save by ordering things through a U.S. retailer. I have ordered things from the U.S. a handful of times and generally found it was not worth it for the slight if any saving after the smoke has cleared. PWRS, Central Hobbies, and Britannia Hobbies have all brought things in for me that they did not stock. Right away I am not paying shipping. There is a small hobby shop and an R/C shop I go to for things as well that have ordered in things for me that they would not normally stock and they have given me a discount to boot.
rrebell I'm sure they must have small claims courts in Canada
How much is your time worth, this would be a never-ending battle with a huge company like UPS. Going through a regulator would be the starting point and a whole lot of education on the matter at hand would be required so the judge in the small claims court would not throw you out and tell you to come back better prepared.
I have gone to court a few times and the time spent was not worth the time required to pursue the matter from a dollar standpoint. The only reason I did it was to put the brakes on repeat offenders by having lots of red flags attached to their names when they lose the case.
Sometimes you just lick your wounds, take it as a lesson and move on. Caveat Emptor.
Crandell, I am curious as to what you save by ordering things through a U.S. retailer. I have ordered things from the U.S. a handful of times and generally found it was not worth it for the slight if any saving after the smoke has cleared.
PWRS, Central Hobbies, and Britannia Hobbies have all brought things in for me that they did not stock. Right away I am not paying shipping. There is a small hobby shop and an R/C shop I go to for things as well that have ordered in things for me that they would not normally stock and they have given me a discount to boot.
Wow, didn't relize small claims was different up north. Here you pay a fee and can sue for it back as part of your claim. You better have your ducks in a row for court but ussually the judge dose not delay their judgement unless something goes realy south.
Simon
While I don't have a big roster of them, I have always been a fan of streamlined steam power.
The Blue Goose is one of the best examples in my opinion.
The B&O had long abandoned any streamlined steam in th era I model, The C&O still had a few of their L-1's in service, and I would like to get one at some point.
There are plans for a kit bash or two for the ATLANTIC CENTRAL, but they are not complete at this time.
Glad the Blue Goose is a nice model, sorry about the unreasonable cost of getting it across the boarder.
In my opinion, it is an embarrassment to both countries that this kind of commerce is treated this way.
Sheldon
Brent, I corrected my post above with the mis-attribution. Sorry 'bout dat.
Well, here is the item. Safely delivered, front skyline vent corrected for colour (BLI ships these locomotives with the vents painted the same colour as the boiler and skyline, but photos clearly show something more like what I produced).
It runs well, and is truly impressive in terms of build and quality. I'd rank it right up there with my Sunset Selkirk 2-10-4, believe it or not.
As a Canadian, the early 2000s was a true Golden Age when it came to online purchasing of model railroading stuff. The Canadian dollar was strong, postage costs were reasonable, and there were more private vendors on Ebay than now. Today, I find myself buying more things at our LHS and from other Canadian vendors, either through their Website or through Ebay. Postage costs from the US has gone through the roof... And UPS charges even more!
I have been lucky in that I send my orders from US suppliers to my friend just south of me in Minnesota and pick them up when I visit to save the hasstle and expense of shipping to Manitoba.
I agree that UPS is a disreputable firm and even within the US is slower and more expensive than USPS in my experience.
I did have a brass loco sent direct to me from Florida in 2020 and with USPS there weren't any brokerage fees. I paid the GST on line and the loco was delivered to my door.
I agree with Brent about Central Hobbies and have purchased from them before. I just phoned. Great service. When PK2 was sold by Lifelike they had some great deals. Paid $114 for a CN 0-8-0.
CN Charlie
Maybe because of my heavy acquisition and use of American varieties of steam locomotives, I have never gone to any of those places, Brent. It might be worth a look, or would have been, but like you, I am nearing the acme of my hobby and will have to begin to cull at some point. I am hoping for Rapido to make the CPR H1-b, but I am firmly resolved that even if it is declined for production, I now have my last locomotive. I don't need any more cars.
Come to think of it, I did wander into Central Hobbies on E12th back in 2008 or so, but I found the place to be old 'n cold, poorly lit, and the prices of items on the shelves were not very appealing. I have done a lot better at train shows in recent years.
(Edited to correct name of person to whom I replied. Sorry, Brent. )
rrebellI'm sure they must have small claims courts in Canada
Factory Direct Hobbies responded and said they'd pin my account with USPS as the default, but I have to be doubly sure it is selected each and every time I order from them. Not sure what I'm to make of that 'arrangement', but, I guess that's something. I have ceased dealing with trainworld for this very reason. So far, I have had excellent service from both Walthers direct and from M.B. Klein's. Also, of course, Tony's Train Exchange, Litchfield Station, and common others.
I sincerely appreciate the feedback and commiseration from all who have offered their considered replies. Thank-you.
-Crandell
I'm sure they must have small claims courts in Canada, thats the bway you sue them. We have a school system near us who thought they could get away with things, many parents sued them in small claims court, many won small amounts but after the 5th case the school ststem gave up because they had to show up to each case and 30 more were in the que.
Thanks, Ed. It worked.
If they wanted this mujch money frfo me I eould reusr the shipment.
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
"Government Fees" sounds like a misleading term, just like the "CRTC Fee" the cell phone companies padded the bill with. The CRTC does not regulate cell phones...
At the most the invoice should show their brokerage fee, any duties assessed and owed (which would be zero for model trains...) plus the amount of HST or PST and GST owing.
UPS et al is treating you as a commercial entity importing tens of thousands of dollars every month, when you are a private individual importing items for personal use. If you were a large importer, you would hire your own broker or do it in house...
They seem to overcharge on "government fees", based on what I have read on the CBSA Website (they have a calculator online).
I'm not a lawyer, but this is my guess: Since you must pay UPS, that makes you a client. So if you are being overcharged, you could sue UPS. But who wants to sue a major company for a few hundred dollars? Nobody, which is why they are getting away with it.
Complaining to CBSA is a good idea, but they are not responsible. I would let the seller know though (Factory Direct Hobbies). This is bad for their business.
Like others, I avoid UPS like the plague. I can't imagine them surviving in the long-term with such bad business practices.
selector I don't see a way to activate that feature or to get rid of it.
No guarantee, but you could try to highlight all the text again, then click the "Format" drop down menu and at the bottom is "clear formatting". Then click the "Update Reply" button.
Good Luck, Ed