Warning to Canadians

[RjG]

This is the only forum that I'm allowed to make a new post in, so maybe somebody can move it somewhere more appropriate.

I ordered a "BLING" from Wayne (heaven gifts)

It arrived today (shipped EMS)

The COLLECT INVOICE on it from Canada customs says:

$35, value for duty: (CAN$) $50
TAX 12.5% $6.25
Excise Tax $34.00
GST $4.51
PST Classification 2402200010 CIGARETTES $74.00 !
Handling fee $8.00

total import charge: $126.76

WTF.

 

[RjG]

Just so there's no confusion, $126.76 is what I had to pay Canada customs in taxes and duties to pick up my package.

 

[dc2k08]

bummer, he really should have known better.

 

[CanVapour]

Woah! I have ordered twice from china and have had no problems with customs, one order was 20 starter kits. They classified your package as cigarettes?? I dont think that right.

 

[RjG]

bummer, he really should have known better.

who should have known better?

 

[MagusSteele]

Its hard to Fight that but you could, it is NOT a shipment of Cigarettes.
Even if it has Nicotine on the Invoice, it is Not a tobacco product.

And i think he ment Wayne should have known better.

 

[RjG]

Wayne labeled it as "toy gift box" for some reason (I didn't ask him to).

Customs opened it and reclassified it upon inspection...

 

[MagusSteele]

Yea, see, Wayne did right, but Customs didnt know what to do with it my guess, so they classified it the only way they knew, as Cigarettes. Its still BS

 

[dc2k08]

he should have said it was an inhaler or something like that. perhaps they got mad when they read the "toy gift box" spiel. but also, you just got unlucky.

 

[eyecrave]

That's nuts and i hope the same won't happen to me as i just ordered a SD from trog and would not be too happy to pay that much on top of what i already paid. If you rejected the package would you still have to pay and how would you fight that?

 

[RjG]

That's nuts and i hope the same won't happen to me as i just ordered a SD from trog and would not be too happy to pay that much on top of what i already paid. If you rejected the package would you still have to pay and how would you fight that?

No, you don't have to pay if you reject the package. But the sender doesn't get it back either. So you're still throwing away your money. Can't win.

 

[gizmo]

Thats bad news RjG.
Glad I saw this..was going to order a Bling from Heaven_gifts after my DSE901B comes from puresmoker,may have to message Wayne about the description first.

 

[trog100]

That's nuts and i hope the same won't happen to me as i just ordered a SD from trog and would not be too happy to pay that much on top of what i already paid. If you rejected the package would you still have to pay and how would you fight that?

customs is pot luck i think... they know what it says on the package can be inaccurate... they dont have the manpower to open every package and it wouldnt make economic sense if they did..

so its open one in xxxxx packages i would guess.. they must have some kind of system.. different countries have different systems..

i am only using reasoning based on my own experience.. i am trying to get feedback from S/D customers..

if they check an e cig package like a bling.. they are likely to think a tobacco product and hit it hard with tobacco tax.. to the uninitiated it looks like one.. so would an e pipe.. do would any e-cg to be honest..

most people dont get hit.. the odd one does..

my views are simple.. they are more likely to hit larger more expensive looking packages... if they are gonna take the trouble to open a package they want a cost effective return on it..

we ship our product in a simple brown jiffy bag... its labeled electrical parts... each part is separately bubble wrapped.. to the uninitiated thats exactly what it looks like.. a bag full of electrical parts.. which is also a loose description of what it is...

we dont think its the kind of package customs will go for.. but we dont know for sure..

if we lose too many S/D in transit we will have to have a rethink on overseas shipping.. we have shipped to ten different countries so far.. as yet it seems okay..

trog

 

[Bertrand]

The ruyan e-cigar looks like a cigar. The other things look like either a screwdriver (the screwdriver) a cheap imitation cigarette (most everything else) or a pen with its nib broken off (everything else.) I can see why they would think the thing that looks like a cigar is a cigar.

 

[Frankie]

If this problem gets more frequent, then you might be forced to pay a bit more shipping fees and order batteries, atomisers and juice separately. I cannot imagine the officer classifying a pair of lithium batteries as cigarettes.

If this happened in my country, I would file a formal appeal against the decision. Costs nothing and you might even win

In any case try this:

Toll-free (information): 1-800-461-9999 (for calls within Canada)

Disagreements, reviews and appeals

 

[RjG]

The ruyan e-cigar looks like a cigar. The other things look like either a screwdriver (the screwdriver) a cheap imitation cigarette (most everything else) or a pen with its nib broken off (everything else.) I can see why they would think the thing that looks like a cigar is a cigar.

It wasn't the e-cigar, it's a bling, and it doesn't look like a cigar at all.

I emailed Wayne and mentioned he should write "FAKE Cigar" on the next one, it might have better luck going through.

 

[trog100]

i have shipped in more chinese packages than i can shake a stick at.. hundreds.. only one hit by customs.. a 400 dollar e pipe package.. they hit me with 200 dollars duty plus commission and handling fees..

i complained and they said sorry and hit me with a $120 dollar fee... for some reasom express shipped packages get looked at more closely than simple air mail parcel.. in the UK at least the cheap way is the better way..

against all logical reasoning the cheap way is also the quickest way.. $25 dollar express from DX will take three days longer than free DX.. go figure..

pot luck.. it dosnt seem to matter what it says on the package in the slightest.. most simply come straight thru without any real check.. the odd one for whatever unknown reason gets looked at..

pot look.. there is no rhyme nor reason to how its handled in the UK..

Italy is supposed to be the worse place.. some sellers will not ship there.. and wayne (HG) makes it very very clear they have no control over a countries customs practises.. it quite clearly places the onus on the buyer to find out.. its buyer beware..

in fact all buying from china should be treated as buyer beware.. its how i see it.. the cheap price makes the risk worthwhile.. at least to me it does..

mostly its gone okay for me...

trog

 

[minx41]

Trog you have mail

 

[TropicalBob]

Same complaints from Canadians on the snus forum. Charges like $400 for a $40 order of snus from Sweden. And mislabeling is not really an option -- that will lead to inspection of every product from a shipper. 'tis just the beginning of a "you can't get these" campaign. Can't ban? Jack costs through the roof! Same end result.

 

[eyecrave]

$400 tax on a $40 item is ridiculous. How do they calculate the costs?