Hey Jim, where's my tank?

[JACKHAMMER01]

29, THAT is not topic for conversation on an online forum! To discuss that, and how to prevent it from happening, you should give me a call, or send me a PM.

[fredintoon]

VINDICATOR VINDICATED

Hi Jim,
I got home this afternoon to find my beautiful black-primed Standard tank had been dropped off by the postman this very morning. Thanks for sending it. Thanks to all that had concerns that I might not have. A minor quibble, Jim; next time you ship anything over the Canadian border fer chrissake DON'T write the item's full replacement cost on the label. I had to pay those Customs Bastards $45 to get my own tank off them.

[29desertniteyes]

Jim that was pretty bad that $45 had to be paid on the tank.

Looking forward to bike week!!!!!!! I really want to see those bikes you are putting together. Can you give me the exact location where you will be?? Address if you have that, that way I can look it up and know exactly where to go.

SEMPER FI

[JACKHAMMER01]

Fred, if you send me an invoice through PayPal, we will reimburse you the $45, or we can send you a check for the amount. That should not have happened, and I apologize that it did.

If you send the invoice through PayPal, send it to warlok6969@yahoo.com

[fredintoon]

Finessing through customs

Hi Jim,
don't send money. It's not you, it's the customs Nazis. The Bastards billed my son for his own Canadian - bought riding gear when he had his GF mail it home to him from Australia because it was beyond the airline luggage limit. A snivelling letter got him a full refund so I will try writing one of those.
A note to ANYONE shipping a part to Canada. The customs declaration should always read "Used motorcycle part", with the value set at a believably low figure rather than full value. It also helps (if you are a business) if the sender name is (for instance) "Jim Horton" rather than "Vindicator Cycles inc." On a related note, don't send via UPS. UPS charges a Canadian recipient a $30 "brokerage fee" on every US-originated package.

[xsilerating]

I agree! UPS loves to screw us here with their 'brokerage fees' charged by 'their own brokers'!

Personally, I've requested that items purchased in the US - from sellers who normally ship by UPS - be shipped via USPS. Even though USPS rates are higher, you still save a considerable amount over UPS charges when UPS' exorbitant 'brokerage fees' are added to their total cost.

And, as for customs dec forms, follow what the 'toon has suggested. Always write in 'Used' or 'Vintage Used' Motorcycle parts. Also, if you think it will/can be believed, send it as a 'gift'. Heck, if it's for me, send it as a 'gift' anyway... I like the price a lot better

[Geezer]

When I ship product to Canada I list the value to as low as I think I can get the average person to believe it's worth.

Rather than say new motorcycle rectifier/regulator unit, I just say voltage regulator, painted black. I list the value at $12.50 and so far all of them have gotten through untaxed.

However there is a new problem I've been seeing over the past year and that is the Canadian customs will sometimes let stuff sit for up to a month and not send it on. I use priority mail flat rate envelopes where ever possible and there is no tracking on these. So far no one has blamed me for the delay (knock on press board.)

I once picked up a seat cover for one of our northern members and sent it up. I wrote a bogus note about how I was giving this thing to a family member and I guess they bought it. A new 100 buck seat cover sailed through customs untaxed...

Geezer

[xsilerating]

It's usually pretty easy to get stuff through. Anything that's less than $25.00 there's generally no problem... gifts are, for the most part, exempt as are antiques, computer parts, etc.

I've ordered quite a few things lately (not all motorcycle related) ranging in price from $0.99 to $75.00 and, all of it has made it through without any customs fees or taxes. And, 95% has been 'correctly' labeled (i.e. actual cost & accurate description).
On the other hand, it probably makes up for all the times I've been nailed .

[Geezer]

have you had any problems with customs holding up your shipments?

Most of the items I ship to Canada are small and I list the value as $7.50 but they are often showing up 3 weeks late but have not been opened by customs.

Geezer

[Ken Talbot]

I've brought in a fair number of things, and I think Canada Customs has only ever opened one parcel. A couple of years back they closed one or more large receiving/clearing centres, and that has added a lot of delay to incoming shipments. It seems USPS is very good about getting US orders to the border, and Canada Post is good at delivering once Canada Customs get tired of having stuff sit around their warehouses.

[Geezer]

It sounds like you nailed the problem.

For no good reason, customs is sitting on stuff and not sending it on in a timely manor.

Geezer

[fredintoon]

But a reason, nonetheless - - -

"For no good reason, customs is sitting on stuff "
Hi Geezer,
thing is they are Government employees in a monopoly position plus they don't give a sh1t for anything except putting in pensionable time. Plus a dash of low-grade malevolence. I reckon everything going trans-border, no matter if it's from Washington State to BC or from Maine to Nova Scotia, gets sent to Winnipeg to sit for two weeks in a warehouse before it even gets looked at.

[xsilerating]

Originally posted by Geezer
have you had any problems with customs holding up your shipments?

Most of the items I ship to Canada are small and I list the value as $7.50 but they are often showing up 3 weeks late but have not been opened by customs.

Geezer

Haven't had any problems lately, though around Christmas last year, 3 out of 4 items were opened/inspected/held/played with/enjoyed, etc., by the 'greed police' (Canada Customs) and held for - you guessed it - 3 weeks (guess it takes that long for your package to make it back to the front after being sent to the back of the line following its initial receipt by Customs). I must admit, though, I haven't had any problems prior to or since that period. (Maybe they were trying to get suggestions for Christmas presents for themselves or loved ones .)