Duty and Tax Invoice From Fed Ex,Canada to USA

[Pixl]

I received a AZ miniMe from Toronto several weeks ago as a contest prize/gift. Today Fed Ex sends me a bill for $22 usd claiming duty and taxes. What the hell? I've bought many things over the years from Canada and never got hit with this. Has anyone else had to pay this, is it a new thing of some sort? Or is someone trying to scam me?

 

[turbosat]

I can't cite the law but I believe it is something due to Canadian law, hopefully one of our northern members can enlighten us. I think I've read of this before.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I never heard of that. Its always the Canadians who bitch that they have to pay Duty and Tax.

 

[updatelee]

Look at the return address. It's clearly not from Canada. You got scammed from the retailer not FedEx

UDL

 

[FaT Air]

A few years ago, UPS tried to charge me $75 bucks for $125 worth of computer parts I ordered from a Canadian outfit. "The Bill' arrived ~6 weeks after the package. Called and asked what for. Customs clearing house (In-house) charges is what she said. I told her "Nice scam". I think after about 45 minutes with the lady, she settled for around $20. Have a nice day.
Ancillary Clearance Service Fees Assessed on Import Shipments (Fedex site)
Oh, I request snail mail if at all possible now. And most times if that's not an option, I look elsewhere.
All shipments from China, to this address, via USPS have never had any surcharges, duty's, or Customs charges demanded.

 

[Pixl]

Look at the return address. It's clearly not from Canada. You got scammed from the retailer not FedEx

UDL

Well this is strange. I looked at the envelope it came in, not a Fed Ex envelope, but rather plain white with a Manistee Michigan return address, a city about 50 miles from here.
The remittance envelope is to an address in Pittsburgh Pa.

 

[DJdish]

I can tell you my experience when buying goods from US, Canada, or China, if I order my shipment via postal service, I can import goods of up to $300 USD free of customs/duty tax, but whenever I bought via Fedex, UPS, DHL, then I was screwed, the free duty threshold with independent carriers is only $50 USD,
In my location (outside the US) it doesnt´make a difference if the goods are marked as gift or merchandise.

I checked the law and the application of law was correct.

I learned soon to use only postal service when buying from abroad.

 

[RT-Cat]

All shipments from China, to this address, via USPS have never had any surcharges, duty's, or Customs charges demanded.

A few years ago when DHL was trying to compete with UPS and FedEx for non business delivery, my CCTV PTZ camera came from China without any "extra" bill at a later date.
As FatAir stated above: Same here, no extra charge with China Post.
.
RT

 

[jorgek]

Most of us here in Canada have learned the hard way as well. DO NOT use courrier service when ordering from USA. Use postal service instead. The brokerage and customs fees are a big money maker for them.

 

[kittyhas1000legs]

Pixl,

If you'd like, I can paypal you the $22 plus the cost to ship it to CT

 

[Cham]

Most of us here in Canada have learned the hard way as well. DO NOT use courrier service when ordering from USA. Use postal service instead. The brokerage and customs fees are a big money maker for them.

As Jorgek says.
Especially UPS, I believe in the US they are a functional company with reasonable pricing & services. It's amazing how they turn into babbling idiots when dealing with them up here. CP and USPS, and I am sure their Mexican equivalent, seem to be able to handle cross border shipping so much more efficiently. Even local UPS p/u and delivery is a real pain, I have to drive all the way to the international airport in Winnipeg to pick up parcels that were sent from within Canada... That can be a 130mi round trip... and that is after 2 weeks of waiting. They have no idea what an "address" is, or how to deliver a package to one. Quite incredible actually.

I am lucky I live very close to the US/Canada border so shipping is quite convenient, and crossing the border is really not an issue.