A Picture Of My Import Duty From Alberta/Canada

[shikano53]

I know there are a lot of threads on the topic of import costs on tobacco but I wanted to share today's experience on an order that the postal worker brought to my door. I was so shocked I asked if I could take a picture of the Canadian import duty form and he let me. He was most sympathetic because he chews and he told me he once tried to order a few tins of 'chew', but returned them when he saw the duty. I purchased 2 50gr tins of Bengal Slices, 1 100gr tin of London Blend 1000, 2 50 gr tins of Erik Stockkebye, 4th generation 1882, and six packages of B.J. Long tapered pipe cleaners.
The postal employee said, "this is the most expensive duty form I have ever seen."
The duty bill I took a picture of today was $807.05. Over the past Covid19 shut downs etc. all of my tobacco orders made it under the radar. Anyway, this one got tagged by Canadian Customs. And no Pat, you don't go to jail if you get tagged, you don't get fined, you don't go to the electric chair, mostly the poor Postal worker bringing you the bad news shakes his head sadly and is sympathetic. Over $500.00 of this is Alberta tax. An online cigar store whom I was debating placing an order with; sent me a chart of the duty cost breakdown by province. Alberta was the most expensive, and BC was the second.
I didn't keep it. And before you rant at me for endangering all PEOPLE who order out of Canada and other global locations let me say that my email to the online provider was, "I am sorry I had to return this to you but the duty was overwhelmingly prohibitive." I do not want my money back. I accept my financial loss and if there are any restocking fees or cost incurred by you, the retailer I will pay them. Please do not stop shipping tobacco to Canada. I realize and accept the risk involved.
Lessons learned...again. Keep my orders small.
Here it is:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

. I accept my financial loss and if there are any restocking fees or cost incurred by you, the retailer I will pay them. Please do not stop shipping tobacco to Canada.

That right there, wins you my respect. Hats off to you.

 

[olkofri]

That, right there, is legalised robbery. I'da returned it too. Heck, I returned 3 50 g tins over a duty total of ~$120.

 

[Casual]

This is why I am endeavouring to have enough tobacco to never order any again. It’s just going to get worse.

 

[Stompthroat]

Governments are assholes.

 

[alaskanpiper]

GADZOOKS!!!!! Eff that.

 

[gervais]

That's insane my friend. Sorry to hear that you got hit that hard

 

[mso489]

Puzzling that the national and local gov's would bother to charge such high customs, which would seem to ban the products, except for a few very rich people who say, sure sure, I'll write you a check. Are there any locally grown pipe tobaccos that are moderately priced? Hydroponic, greenhouse? Why bother to go through the charade -- unless most of the pipe tobacco makes it through with low or no customs?

 

[elvishrunes]

Wow, that takes the cake…. And I’m an Ontarian and thought Alberta was the land of low taxes…lol. I’ve been told to only order 4 tins (200g) or you’ll get hit. I was hit once though on one 50g tin, 16$, so some luck is involved.

 

[shikano53]

Yeah, I have no idea how the government works or why sometimes I think it's random or maybe the guy/gal who looked at was having a bad day. Who knows.
I wish I had the ability to cellar up but I can't, at least not getting hit like that.
Actually Elvis, that 200gr believe is a myth. I checked with Canada Customs and there is no such law saying 200gr is allowable so be careful.
I guess a few tins here and few tins there.
Maybe now they've flagged me and will watch for any incoming. I have no idea.
Oh well, I'll keep on keeping on.
When I emailed the folks at Smoking Pipes they were kind enough to refund my money minus a 10% restocking fee.
I though that was very considerate of them.

 

[vink]

That’s crazy, even for Canada. Most I got hit here in Quebec was 900$ and that was for a box of 50 Cubans. Since they are really hard to get up here at a good price I took the hit. But for 300gr of baccy that’s crazy! Most I got hit was like 100$ for 24 oz or something like that. Where are you ordering from?

 

[shikano53]

Smoking Pipes . com

 

[Humblepipe]

I've been buying bulk for P&C and blending my own tobacco. Seeing this motivates me to keep going in that direction.

 

[vink]

Smoking Pipes . com

I would recommend you try an order with 4noggins...

 

[North Pole piper]

I know there are a lot of threads on the topic of import costs on tobacco but I wanted to share today's experience on an order that the postal worker brought to my door. I was so shocked I asked if I could take a picture of the Canadian import duty form and he let me. He was most sympathetic because he chews and he told me he once tried to order a few tins of 'chew', but returned them when he saw the duty. I purchased 2 50gr tins of Bengal Slices, 1 100gr tin of London Blend 1000, 2 50 gr tins of Erik Stockkebye, 4th generation 1882, and six packages of B.J. Long tapered pipe cleaners.
The postal employee said, "this is the most expensive duty form I have ever seen."
The duty bill I took a picture of today was $807.05. Over the past Covid19 shut downs etc. all of my tobacco orders made it under the radar. Anyway, this one got tagged by Canadian Customs. And no Pat, you don't go to jail if you get tagged, you don't get fined, you don't go to the electric chair, mostly the poor Postal worker bringing you the bad news shakes his head sadly and is sympathetic. Over $500.00 of this is Alberta tax. An online cigar store whom I was debating placing an order with; sent me a chart of the duty cost breakdown by province. Alberta was the most expensive, and BC was the second.
I didn't keep it. And before you rant at me for endangering all PEOPLE who order out of Canada and other global locations let me say that my email to the online provider was, "I am sorry I had to return this to you but the duty was overwhelmingly prohibitive." I do not want my money back. I accept my financial loss and if there are any restocking fees or cost incurred by you, the retailer I will pay them. Please do not stop shipping tobacco to Canada. I realize and accept the risk involved.
Lessons learned...again. Keep my orders small.
Here it is:

Small and try to get shipping with no tracking. Most of the stuff that gets tracked has to be scanned because it’s tracked. Small packets with no tracking get thru most of the time. Because of the volume that comes in from the US, they generally don’t bother with smaller items if it doesn’t need to be scanned by hand for tracking it just goes thru. But the only sight that offers no tracking is smokingpipes.com

 

[olkofri]

that 200gr believe is a myth. I checked with Canada Customs and there is no such law saying 200gr is allowable so be careful.

The tax-free 200 g amount limit is for travellers returning to Canada from abroad, not from Canadians inside the country buying from abroad.

The "buy no more than 3-4 tins" rationale is based on anecdotal experience that usually, small parcels don't get the same scrutiny, heavy-handedness as large parcels. I recommend buying no more than 4 tins (200 g coincidentally) for that reason and, also, because if the parcel needs to go back there's not much to cry about.

I also recommend choosing the cheapest postage option, even if no tracking is provided. So, you just sit tight and hope your parcel will come through eventually.

Personally, I believe that large amounts get dinged regularly and hard because the officer thinks along the lines of: "this guy's buying so much so he must really want this and he'll pay whatever because he won't send it back", and "this is coming through express post/courier so this guy must really want this, ergo he'll pay whatever because he won't send it back".

 

[jpmcwjr]

I wonder if some of the online retailers might set up a subsidiary with a less flaggable name for international sales.....and more no tracking!

Sorry for your hit and need to return.

 

[Servant King]

Yeah, I have no idea how the government works or why sometimes I think it's random or maybe the guy/gal who looked at was having a bad day. Who knows.
I wish I had the ability to cellar up but I can't, at least not getting hit like that.
Actually Elvis, that 200gr believe is a myth. I checked with Canada Customs and there is no such law saying 200gr is allowable so be careful.
I guess a few tins here and few tins there.
Maybe now they've flagged me and will watch for any incoming. I have no idea.
Oh well, I'll keep on keeping on.
When I emailed the folks at Smoking Pipes they were kind enough to refund my money minus a 10% restocking fee.
I though that was very considerate of them.

Wait...Elvis is a myth?

Holy crap, I gotta lay down for a minute. You have no idea what I'm going through now due to this revelation. Your tax nightmare pales in comparison.

Thank you...thank you very much.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I wonder if some of the online retailers might set up a subsidiary with a less flaggable name for international sales.....and more no tracking!

Sorry for your hit and need to return.

Hmmmm, yeh…. I think that’s called… smuggling.

 

[shikano53]

lol thanks guys! I appreciate the info and the anecdotal comments help as well.
I do buy most of my tobacco from 4noggins but they were out of one of the tobaccos I wanted so I went with smoking pipes.
But, from now no tracking and small amounts.
Olkofri, dam fine advice.