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#Post#: 22490--------------------------------------------------
Receiving a gift I have to pay for!
By: Pattycake Date: December 28, 2018, 3:47 pm
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A very dear young friend of mine, who lives across an
international border from me, has, for the second time, sent me
a gift that I have wound up having to pay duty and/or taxes on,
to the tune of $40+. The first time it happened, I did let him
know, and sent him the paperwork that I was given, as he was to
look into it. He thought he had been assured there wouldn't be
any charges. He was going to reimburse me, but never did, and I
didn't push it - like any good "auntie" would probably do!
Well, I just had a phone call from the courier, there are C.O.D.
charges (I am sure again that it's duties and taxes). I paid it
by credit card. (I don't have it as they are just on the way to
drop it off, so I can't even tell you what it is yet!)
What would you do? I can't afford to be paying duties and taxes
on something I probably don't need (The previous gift was nice,
but definitely not something I needed, or even really wanted,
and REALLY didn't want to pay $45 for!)
#Post#: 22497--------------------------------------------------
Re: Receiving a gift I have to pay for!
By: Dazi Date: December 28, 2018, 5:09 pm
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Can you refuse the package and have it returned to the sender?
#Post#: 22499--------------------------------------------------
Re: Receiving a gift I have to pay for!
By: Amara Date: December 28, 2018, 5:15 pm
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Would he be open to a wish list from you? Could you select
stores in your country and list what items you'd love to have.
(I know many do not like such lists, but they are a godsend to
me. I gave my sister and brother a list of about 15 items that I
knew were within their general price range and told them I
needed or wanted everything on that list so they were going to
surprise me regardless of what they selected. And I was! They
each only gave me one thing, and I bought those items. No
surprise for them but they loved them--and to me, that is what a
gift should be about.) If he pays by Visa then the transaction
should be pretty easy and you can avoid the charge. Just be
honest and open with him; if he's a lovely person he will
probably be mortified that he forgot, and I suspect that's what
happened.
#Post#: 22508--------------------------------------------------
Re: Receiving a gift I have to pay for!
By: Raintree Date: December 28, 2018, 6:17 pm
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I'd probably say something along the lines of, "It's so sweet of
you to send me a gift, and I really love it, but just so you
know, there are significant taxes and duties on parcels from
across the border. I hate to say this but perhaps if you want to
send me gifts in the future, we can work out an alternate way,
such as having it sent from a store local to me, or the (insert
your country's) Amazon site?"
I had the same thing happen to me when something was sent to me
to Canada from the U.S. I was shocked to have to pay $45 to pick
it up! Right on top of another unexpected expense so I was
rather unhappy about it, not at the sender, but at the
situation. I also didn't want to say anything to the sender. I
thought there was no duty on gifts, and the customs label had
marked that it was a gift, so I did try contesting it. There's a
form you can fill in if you think you've been wrongly charged.
Well I sent that in, and the rejection letter came back, saying
I needed to send in a card or letter from the sender stating
that it was a gift. I wasn't about to pursue that, but wow, why
bother having a customs label filled in by the sender, if they
don't look at it or believe what it says?
(Turns out I also was not QUITE correct - gifts are duty free
only within a certain limit. But still).
#Post#: 22527--------------------------------------------------
Re: Receiving a gift I have to pay for!
By: Pattycake Date: December 28, 2018, 8:42 pm
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I could refuse the package, but... it just doesn't feel right to
do that. Wish lists would work but... he likes to shop at the
antique places and get me cool vintage stuff. And, to be honest,
I am not a wish list person - I really don't need or want
anything, but that may be a way to go and I will keep it in mind
for the future. I know he will be mortified, and doubly so that
he forgot about paying me back for the first time. I am in
Canada, and he's in the U.S., and yes, there is a limit for
gifts with no duty and tax, so he has obviously gone over that
again, which really I don't want him to do, but he's young,
single, and can be free with his spending money! I think you're
right, I will have to have a chat with him, after I find out
what the duty/tax free limit is. I will let you know later what
he sent!
#Post#: 22549--------------------------------------------------
Re: Receiving a gift I have to pay for!
By: Aleko Date: December 29, 2018, 5:05 am
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I Googled 'Canada customs duty antiques' and it looks as though
Canadian customs authorities define anything (other than
alcoholic drinks) more than 50 years old as an antique and thus
duty-free. But obviously they need to be told that's what it is
- if the label just says "[Object], value US€100", they're just
going to charge duty on goods worth US€100.
If you think it is likely to be something of that nature, you
could contact him and ask if it is, and if so can he send you
details so you can challenge the duty? This would alert him to
the whole issue without implying any blame.
#Post#: 22554--------------------------------------------------
Re: Receiving a gift I have to pay for!
By: Pattycake Date: December 29, 2018, 9:18 am
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[quote author=Aleko link=topic=905.msg22549#msg22549
date=1546081558]
I Googled 'Canada customs duty antiques' and it looks as though
Canadian customs authorities define anything (other than
alcoholic drinks) more than 50 years old as an antique and thus
duty-free. But obviously they need to be told that's what it is
- if the label just says "[Object], value US€100", they're just
going to charge duty on goods worth US€100.
If you think it is likely to be something of that nature, you
could contact him and ask if it is, and if so can he send you
details so you can challenge the duty? This would alert him to
the whole issue without implying any blame.
[/quote]
Thank you! I did not know antiques were duty free! That's too
bad as I probably could have challenged the first one a couple
years ago. I will have to wait and see what this one is to see
if that's possible.
#Post#: 22562--------------------------------------------------
Re: Receiving a gift I have to pay for!
By: Chez Miriam Date: December 29, 2018, 9:48 am
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[quote author=Pattycake link=topic=905.msg22554#msg22554
date=1546096703]
[quote author=Aleko link=topic=905.msg22549#msg22549
date=1546081558]
I Googled 'Canada customs duty antiques' and it looks as though
Canadian customs authorities define anything (other than
alcoholic drinks) more than 50 years old as an antique and thus
duty-free. But obviously they need to be told that's what it is
- if the label just says "[Object], value US€100", they're just
going to charge duty on goods worth US€100.
If you think it is likely to be something of that nature, you
could contact him and ask if it is, and if so can he send you
details so you can challenge the duty? This would alert him to
the whole issue without implying any blame.
[/quote]
Thank you! I did not know antiques were duty free! That's too
bad as I probably could have challenged the first one a couple
years ago. I will have to wait and see what this one is to see
if that's possible.
[/quote]
That's definitely worth doing this time, and as Aleko says a
really good way of reminding him of the problem without seeming
to apportion blame.
Fingers crossed for you that you can get the duty refunded,
Pattycake.
#Post#: 22587--------------------------------------------------
Re: Receiving a gift I have to pay for!
By: Aleko Date: December 29, 2018, 12:41 pm
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[quote][quote]I Googled 'Canada customs duty antiques' and it
looks as though Canadian customs authorities define anything
(other than alcoholic drinks) more than 50 years old as an
antique and thus duty-free. But obviously they need to be told
that's what it is - if the label just says "[Object], value
US€100", they're just going to charge duty on goods worth
US€100.
If you think it is likely to be something of that nature, you
could contact him and ask if it is, and if so can he send you
details so you can challenge the duty? This would alert him to
the whole issue without implying any blame.
[/quote]
Thank you! I did not know antiques were duty free! That's too
bad as I probably could have challenged the first one a couple
years ago. I will have to wait and see what this one is to see
if that's possible.[/quote]
Fingers crossed for you getting it back this time! But if that's
the kind of thing he tends to send you, he needs to get himself
clued up about what to put on the package; there may be a
specific exemption code he needs to quote and a format of
description that's required in order for it to be routinely
cleared by the right department.
#Post#: 22777--------------------------------------------------
Re: Receiving a gift I have to pay for!
By: Pattycake Date: December 31, 2018, 4:12 pm
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Well, I picked up the box the other day, and I have talked to my
friend, and I believe it's UPS's fault! He DID tell them it was
a gift, but nowhere on the parcel or in the paperwork is that
indicated. It all shows like he's the seller and I am the buyer,
and it's brokerage fees, not duties or taxes. So I think UPS is
to blame. I am going to send my friend the paperwork, and he
will see if he can get them to refund it. Anyway, it's really
cool! It IS an antique, a hand mixer with a big measuring cup
and a smaller measuring cup.
[attachimg=1]
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