Author Topic: Duties involved in bringing a e-bike electric motor into Canada  (Read 1164 times)

how

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Duties involved in bringing a e-bike electric motor into Canada
« on: November 18, 2022, 08:09:22 AM »
I was just told that I owed an extra $98.00 in duty on top of the normal taxes and shipping costs through ups to bring a $350.00 Bolton e bike motor core from
California to British Columbia.
Am I just cheap or does that seem like a lot?
Any other Canadians had these percentages of duties levied when ordering from the USA?

Ddaybc

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Re: Duties involved in bringing a e-bike electric motor into Canada
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2022, 10:43:33 AM »
I live in BC and had a similar issue with UPS when I ordered a Gzilla bottle carrier. The price included shipping. It was expensive with the dollar conversion etc but I really liked the design so I ordered it.
When UPS contacted me about the increased shipping costs I refused to accept it. However they brought it to me anyway hoping, I think, that customers would take it anyhow. When it arrived the UPS driver said they "needed" additional money for shipping but I refused it. They didn't have any realistic explanation for the extra shipping fees especially considering shipping was already included at purchase.
I felt like they were trying to rip off their Canadian customers so I felt they could eat the cost of shipping it to me and then returning it.
If I have to buy anything else from the US I will stipulate NO UPS or else I won't buy it.

how

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Re: Duties involved in bringing a e-bike electric motor into Canada
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2022, 10:59:33 AM »
Hmmm.
I have also learnt that unless I pay any increased claims for more money needed while it is in transit, the drivers will usually just say that no one was home for the delivery and directly drop it off at the local post office with payment owed release forms. I guess this saves them time and allows for a quicker turn around time.

In this case, what they asked for while it was in transit, that they called "duties" turned out to actually be Brokers fees & taxes.

Under duty, there were no charges.

Ddaybc

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Re: Duties involved in bringing a e-bike electric motor into Canada
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2022, 11:22:50 AM »
Yes, that's what they tried to call it as well, brokers fees. No one else charges brokers fees, at least not in my experience.

Eric7

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Re: Duties involved in bringing a e-bike electric motor into Canada
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2022, 02:40:23 PM »
I used to do research and when I imported some stuff (like biological samples from a patient) I had to pay a broker fee. But I never paid a broker fee for anything like standard mass produced consumer machinery.  Yes, seems so unfair.

how

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Re: Duties involved in bringing a e-bike electric motor into Canada
« Reply #5 on: December 12, 2022, 09:16:06 PM »
Update.

I just received a bill today for an additional $57.30 in Brokerage charges for that same motor that UPS previously said would cost me $98.00 in brokerage fees before they could deliver it to me.
This notice warned me that this new payment was now due, and if they failed to receive that payment by mail by Dec 13/22, a 5% late payment penalty would be added to it.

Before complying, I called them up to see if this was a legitimate bill from them, and they confirmed that it was their address. When I asked them to check that amount through my tracking number, they found that it said that all fees on this delivery had already been paid before it was delivered.
They then said to just ignore this latest bill.

It made me wonder how often they ever returned brokerage overpayments.

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