Canadian Shipping and Importing Experiences

[TheMGR]

Originally Posted by GP Legend

Well, shit. I just ordered the Gravity Falls bluray from them last week. I'm still waiting for it, but now I'm afraid I will get screwed by customs.

Gravity Falls is one of the two items I ordered, so....yeah

[spawningblue]

Originally Posted by TheMGR

Just got a notice from CP that I have to pay $30.00 CAD to collect a $71.00 CAD order from Shout Factory that was shipped from the USA; seems like even after launching a new storefront that lists items in CAD and charges your CC in CAD as far as I know, Shout Factory is once again Back On Their Bull Shit.

Obviously I've emailed Shout for clarification about how this happened (I assume they vastly inflated the customs declaration amount); this should be a fun and worthwhile exchange of ideas.

I had to pay this as well. It's because they put the value as $99.99 US for Gravity Falls even though I only paid $50. I have sent them an e-mail as three of my discs were also scratched.

[Deadend45]

Shout has a history of putting the full MSRP on the package value. Canadian customs is not 'screwing over' anybody.

[TheMGR]

And I'm about to have a history of never ordering from Shout again.

[Animatic33]

I'm continuing my historical trend of not ordering from Shout directly.

[Hitman Horton]

Originally Posted by GP Legend

Well, shit. I just ordered the Gravity Falls bluray from them last week. I'm still waiting for it, but now I'm afraid I will get screwed by customs.

How are you getting screwed? I just got 7 cds and I didn't have to pay anything but I wes ready to because I knew it was a possibility.

[Deadend45]

Originally Posted by TheMGR

And I'm about to have a history of never ordering from Shout again.

Oh do not worry. Just as this was posted about Shout 2 years or so ago, a year or more from now posters here will make the same mistake.

Heck, most here cannot be bothered to even read posts older then a day.

And their chances of getting reimbursed will be exceedingly small.

[J.P. Samson]

Originally Posted by TheMGR

Just got a notice from CP that I have to pay $30.00 CAD to collect a $71.00 CAD order from Shout Factory that was shipped from the USA...

Obviously I've emailed Shout for clarification about how this happened (I assume they vastly inflated the customs declaration amount)...

I've never had to try this before myself, but there is supposedly a process whereby you can make a request to the CBSA to reassess the customs charges: Importing by Mail or Courier - Disputing Duty and Taxes. You'd have to complete a mail-in form, providing a copy of your purchase receipt from Shout.

In theory, all you should be paying is a $10 Canada Post customs processing fee, and then HST on the value (i.e. what you paid, converted to Canadian dollars) of your order.

JP

[GP Legend]

Originally Posted by Hitman Horton

How are you getting screwed? I just got 7 cds and I didn't have to pay anything but I wes ready to because I knew it was a possibility.

Dude, read what I was replying to. You obviously weren't paying attention.

[SmittysGelato]

Reading this thread reminds me why I rarely import anything. The exchange rate and taxes alone already guarantee that you will be paying a ridiculous amount, but then there's the added delight of import fees!

[Deadend45]

Originally Posted by SmittysGelato

Reading this thread reminds me why I rarely import anything. The exchange rate and taxes alone already guarantee that you will be paying a ridiculous amount, but then there's the added delight of import fees!

For Boutique titles in the past that was true when Canadian pricing was more competitive and paying taxes is unlikely if you keep what you order well under $100.

But you have to do your homework. Not surprisingly all complaints about importing is by persons who did not bother researching ordering from wherever they ordered from or not following the golden rules.

[TheMGR]

I think I observed all the necessary rules when I ordered from Shout: I kept the dollar amount of the order low (at least low enough where it should have been unlikely to get me into trouble assuming they declared the value accurately) and I followed up with an email to Shout explicitly asking them not to overvalue the shipment.

But, they seem to have done just that, and this is why I got hit with an invoice.

Anyway I know that this can happen, I accept that importing comes with some risk of taxes/fees etc but it doesn't mean I have to be happy about it when the reason it happened is because the shipper declared a value that was twice as much as the actual price of the goods sold.

I import stuff on a semi-regular basis and almost never have any trouble except in the rare couple of instances that I took a risk and ordered more than I should have, and when the shippers over-declared the value (Shout has done this before, and Umbrella in Australia also did that to me once). Otherwise, I generally have no problems importing small/medium orders like this one.

[Hitman Horton]

Originally Posted by GP Legend

Dude, read what I was replying to. You obviously weren't paying attention.

I did read it and my question remains the same.

[Deadend45]

Originally Posted by TheMGR

when the shippers over-declared the value (Shout has done this before

You violated the golden rules 'Know Thy Seller' and 'Do Not Expect Seller to Ever Change'. There is no excuse for repeating a blunder from a retailer known for doing that.

[Templeton Peck]

Originally Posted by J.P. Samson

I've never had to try this before myself, but there is supposedly a process whereby you can make a request to the CBSA to reassess the customs charges: Importing by Mail or Courier - Disputing Duty and Taxes. You'd have to complete a mail-in form, providing a copy of your purchase receipt from Shout.

In theory, all you should be paying is a $10 Canada Post customs processing fee, and then HST on the value (i.e. what you paid, converted to Canadian dollars) of your order.

JP

I had to do this last year with Movie Zyng when a software bug (their words) caused an incorrect value to be declared. The value was declared at over $900 Canadian and Canada Post wanted $118 from me (more than I paid for the movies).

I took the risk and paid the fee and picked up my order. I then mailed in the form along with the invoice with the actual amount I paid (which was funny because they actually included an invoice with the correct amounts with the order). It took quite a while, but they mailed me cheque with a refund for the majority of the amount I paid.

My order likely would have slipped through without having anything to pay, but the incorrect declaration cost me. I'm just glad I got the refund though.

The system is antiquated having to mail the form in, but I believe they are finally trying to digitize the system which would make the process so much easier and faster.

[GP Legend]

Originally Posted by Hitman Horton

I did read it and my question remains the same.

No, you didn't, or else you'd know we weren't complaining about customs themselves, but Shout Factory overvaluing items.

[GP Legend]

Originally Posted by Deadend45

You violated the golden rules 'Know Thy Seller' and 'Do Not Expect Seller to Ever Change'. There is no excuse for repeating a blunder from a retailer known for doing that.

Get over yourself. Not everyone lives on these forums 24/7.

[Deadend45]

^I rest my case. Cannot be bother to abide by the golden rules is the only reason for the blunders complained about.

Expect more easily avoid blunders to be complained about in the future.

[TheCapn]

Originally Posted by Deadend45

^I rest my case. Cannot be bother to abide by the golden rules is the only reason for the blunders complained about.

Expect more easily avoid blunders to be complained about in the future.

Does it get lonely, way up there on that high horse of yours lol?

[Hitman Horton]

Originally Posted by GP Legend

No, you didn't, or else you'd know we weren't complaining about customs themselves, but Shout Factory overvaluing items.

Exactly. So...if your issue is with Shout Factory, how is customs going to "screw" you.

Answer: They aren't. If your package is charged, they will use the value claimed by Shout Factory. That's their job. If you wish to say you are being "screwed" it has nothing to do with customs. That's been my point. Your anger is misdirected.