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June 2016
Posts: 34
Location: British Columbia | Hi, I"m just wondering about customs/import charges for used guitars coming up over the border. If it's Used do they still want to charge GST? If it's Made in the USA I think there won't be import charges, either. Any Canadians that have input please chime in 
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August 2002
Posts: 636
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA | Hi, ThatGirl,
Mike S., from Ottawa, ON., CANADA here again. I worked in a music store at one time, so all I know is: REVENUE CANADA, and CANADA CUSTOMS, and /or, now CANADA BORDER SECURITY SERVICES will charge you for EVERYTHING, new or used, that you you ship to the USA, and vice-versa. You also pay the shipping fees to whatever company/service you use to ship the guitar. How do like CANADA POST now, eh? Then there is insurance on the shipping, and last, but not least, your provincial sales tax, (it's 17% here in the province of ONTARIO, BTW,), all nicely added up when the guitar of your dreams finally comes to your door. Hopefully, it's in one piece, but stranger things have happened. Be prepared for sticker shock, my dear lady. The low value of our CANADIAN DOLLAR does NOT help with these kind of transactions, either, but I'm just thinkin' out loud on that one. Since I don't have a car, I'm trying to sell any/all my used gear locally, here in the Ottawa Valley, through KIJIJI CLASSIFIEDS- but only in the Ottawa/Gatineau Region. Somebody from Halifax, Nova Scotia, actually contacted me about my 1990 Ovation Elite, which is still for sale, but he obviously didn't read the dislclaimer on the site? Can you spell S-C-A-M/ F-R-A-U-D? To quote an old police TV show," Be careful out there." Don't get deflated again. Don't give up, either.
Mike S.
Ottawa, ON. CANADA
Edited by Mike S. 2016-06-18 5:14 PM
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Posts: 1852
Location: When?? | Hi Mike. Good to see you.
I was wondering.. if you have family in the USA and you exchange gifts with them for birthday or Christmas or whatever.. how does that work in terms of tax and tariff if you purchase them in a store and take them to UPS or FedEx to ship? Is it the same as with the private sales and shipment of a guitar or other personal items? And what about items that are transported across the border in a private vehicle. I mean, they surely don't pull you over and tax you on a suitcase full of clothes and a toothbrush, or tax you coming back home because you took your guitar on vacation with you to the USA.. or do they?? So where is the line drawn on that it terms of personally-owned items carried by yourself in a car... or even on a commercial flight? I don't know if you have ever encountered these scenarios, but I am certainly curious for future reference. It could get kinda iffy, I'm sure. |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | as a vendor.... I will never declare something as a gift....I need to be able to ship it is my business and livelihood.
however and whatever you do to get something over the border with low fees is really none of my business but I do take offense to people asking me to lower a declared value
if I can't insure it for the right number and it gets lost stolen or broken I can eat the whole transaction |
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February 2016
Posts: 1852
Location: When?? | Yep, I agree with Al. If it's a business transaction you have to go full legit or the numbers won't add up on several fronts.. not to mention your reputation and livelihood being at stake. I get the same thing in my biz, except in reverse. I occasionally get customers who want a dummy invoice to be HIGHER than it the actual bill really is to claim the cash difference on their insurance. I tell them that it's illegal just to ask me that, let alone to actually do it.. and that usually puts the brakes on their idea (lol.. like they're the first ones to ever think of doing it). But for a country to slap a tax and fees on someone's own personal property crossing the border or on a shipped personal gift.. I would think there is some kind of declaration you could make to save on that.. and probably a registry that makes sure the same people don't do it too often. I've never had to ship anything to/from Canada.. so I am still curious as to how it works on personal items and how they would ever know the difference if it was really something that had been purchased instead of already-owned. As well, it would think that if Marlo (That Girl.. sorry) were to try to dodge it on a $500 guitar, it would probably be more hassle than worth, and as Al said, could easily compromise the insurance value if something goes wrong. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | If you live really close to the US border, you can ship it to pickup center.
I know of an OFC'r that I shipped packages to North Dakota where he picked them up and carries them over the border himself.
Just a possible plan...
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June 2016
Posts: 34
Location: British Columbia | Hi, this is good info, thanks. Because I think it will be immense fun I'm going to call Canada Customs and speak with them. I've dealt with them at the border a few times...sometimes you just sail on through and it's easy-peasy. Other times it's atrocious and I've felt absolutely robbed.
I understand the gst charge but I thought that Bull**** NAFTA gave a few benefits and one being USA made products not having a tariff slapped on it? |
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June 2016
Posts: 34
Location: British Columbia | And yes, excellent points re if I were to use my PO Box (that I do have in WA); made my trip down and picked up my used guitar -- and also went on a camping trip & before coming home -- how do they address that? One could have purchased it at a garage sale, thrift store, back alley...how would they deal with it then? Maybe jail? |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I would just say that I took the guitar with me.
They don't inventory your belongings as you leave Canada do they?
Just take it out of the box!
Then flatten the box. If asked, say that you just found a box to ship a guitar.
Explain that guitar boxes are a valuable commodity. 
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Posts: 887
Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | Don't even take the box. Just recycle it down there. Absolutely no way whatsoever for them to know that you didn't have it when you crossed into the USA. Music is the universal language and should be free not subject to international exigencies! |
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Posts: 34
Location: British Columbia | Hey Mike,
So what was the potential scam with a buyer from NS contacting you?
I ask because I live in a small town so pretty much any classified postings I reply to I write: I"m from Location but will drive to (e.g.) Vancouver .... Mind you, I often write: I'll pay cash and no haggling (if I'm really keen on the posted item). |
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Posts: 636
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA | Hi, ThatGirl,
The person that contacted me sent me an e-mail regarding shipping my guitar to Halifax, Nova Scotia! I'm physically challenged. I don't drive. I'm on a limited income. I calculated the shipping charges to Halifax, and it amounted to half again the selling price of my guitar. Yes, I could be unethical, and jack the price up to cover my costs, but I'm NOT going to do that, because I have no guarantee that once the guitar leaves my hands it will end up in "Halifax", or wherever unscathed, so the buyer could then probably sue me for damages on his end of the transaction? Na-ah. N,n,n,n,O! I'm stupid, but I'm not dumb. The discaimer/ warnings on the Kijiji Classifeds Canada website says, "To avoid fraud, always meet the seller locally, and in person, and pay cash for the item. Kijiji does not pay for shipping and/or insurance claims." I waited a week, and the guy who e-mailed me from "Halifax", never contacted me again about my guitar. Ooops. I'm still hoping for a local deal on a 1993 Collectors for sale here in Ottawa, but I have to move my 1990 Elite, and maybe some other music gear? to finally get it. I also need a new A/C unit more I need another guitar, but GAS is very hard to cure once you get that, too! Don't give up on getting what you want.
Mike S.
Ottawa, ON. CANADA |
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Posts: 34
Location: British Columbia | I never thought about that aspect; the claiming of no-show or whatever. It's too bad there are so many crooks out there.
By the way, I did my legwork and confirmed that it's a 6% tariff for importing USA-made guitars (new or used, doesn't matter) in to BC, Canada, along with the 5% GST.
From personal experience highly suggest to never use UPS because they have a load of other import/duties charge they could tack on to your bill. Mind you, I"ve never had instruments shipped -- maybe they do a stellar job....?
Canada Post is, in my opinion, quite expensive .... particularly compared side to side to United States Postal Service.
Have a great weekend!
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Posts: 636
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA | Hi, That Girl,
CANADA POST is very expensive, and yes, you guessed it...going on strike? WHAT, AGAIN ....? No, not just yet, eh? The postal union called for a 30 day truce for all talks between management and labor, today here in Ottawa, so everybody could, "cool off", so to speak. I hope you do take a nice vacation, and don't ship your guitar out, and/or bring a used one across the border until this mess is over. My aunt used to work for Canada Post, as rural postmistress, at one time. She NEVER joined the union. I ordered a set of guitar strings from the USA, about 10 days ago. They won't be here until who knows when? Only in CANADA.
Mike S.
Ottawa, ON., CANADA. |
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Posts: 1445
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | As far as smaller items coming through the post office from the USA, make sure the shipper marks "Used _____" on the slip. There will never be any import taxes or HST charged if you do this.
I am not sure if this would work for guitars, haven't shipped any through the mail in a long time but it probably would work for them as well.
Wayne |
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August 2002
Posts: 636
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA | Hi, Wayne,
Thanks for the new information. The strings I ordered are from DR Strings, and (are) supposed to be a new set to replace another one, that I purchased some time ago;- which apparently had somehow rusted in their,"new", packaging at the time?, c. 2013-14. I'm not sure how long they were actually on the store shelf before I purchased them, but a spokesperson from DR I contacted said they are suing the company that used this particular packaging process, because all the other DR products from this era did the same thing!? DR Strings no longer uses this company, and /or their packaging process for their current string lines. so we shall see what happens when the time comes. "Rust Never Sleeps", eh?
Mike S.
Ottawa, ON. CANADA |
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Canada Customs on Used gear -- your experience?
