Canada Post, This Was Too Much!

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assaad

Can't Leave
Apr 4, 2011
340
2
I don't post on this forum often though I've been a member for a while. But I had to post this. Last time I listened to the Pipes Magazine podcast Brian was talking about churchwarden pipes. I decided to get one. I traded a few estate pipes for a Ropp Balzac from Smoking pipes and all it costed was the shipping. Then, when I went to get the package I was told I had to pay $33 for customs. I asked what it was for and was told it was for tobacco. I didn't order tobacco and upon opening the package and showing her the contents I told her since there is indeed no chewing tobacco in here and the customs charge is for chewing tobacco I am taking my pipes (one was a rejected estate that I still quite like) and not paying any fees. I took them and left.

 

assaad

Can't Leave
Apr 4, 2011
340
2
Yes, they were mistaken in letting me grab the package. But, as Redglow pointed out, I was sure I was legally entitled to the contents of the package and the girl was probably stunned that I actually opened it. I'm sure any consequences of such an absurd situation could be cleared up with a clear conversation.

 

ben88

Lifer
Jun 5, 2015
1,323
544
Quebec
In all honesty, I wouldn't be so sure. We are dealing with federales (CP & CBSA) here. I am a pessimist, so I'd say lawyer up.

But then again, wtf would I know :D

 

paulfg

Lifer
Feb 21, 2016
1,565
2,929
Corfu Greece
I bought a pipe off of RiffRaff a while ago,He made the mistake of putting "used tobacco pipe" on the customs declaration,it got as far as USPS distribution centre and was returned to him as cannot ship tobacco to destination country.

He relabled it "used briar pipe" and it was resent no problem.
this is what we are dealing with folks

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
A very lucky encounter. The officials always have the upper hand whether they are right or wrong. Great credit to you for the spine and knowledge to see your own rights. And frankly, considerable credit to the clerk for knowing you were correct and not getting contentious being corrected. Unfortunately many people have their intellects shut off and their ire at full speed.

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
Technically Canada Post was probably owed $10 for the usual brokerage fees, but it is ridiculous. Ever since my first incident a few years ago I’ve bought a bunch of pipes from the U.K. or EU without hassle. It seems only the customs workers on the U.S. border are mishandling products.

 
Jul 28, 2016
7,564
36,059
Finland-Scandinavia-EU
when and if I'm sending something to the U.S I use to use a description like Estate Pipes,or collectible items,and if tobacco in question,then I'd go like 'tobacco sampler 25gr/1 oz-Gift value $ 5, all aforementioned package content descriptions correspond the truth if you think about it,

 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
I bought a pipe off of RiffRaff a while ago,He made the mistake of putting "used tobacco pipe" on the customs declaration

This is what I was thinking of, hence my previous question. I think SPC and other dealers should take notice. I'm not suggesting circumventing the law and lie on the declaration, but avoiding custom officials penchant for nonsense and use TRUTHFUL descriptions (i.e. 'briar pipe') that avoid the 'keywords' "smoking" and "tobacco".
This concerns me, because I am looking into buying a pipe from SPC, and I don't wanna have to deal with similar ridiculousness. I might not be that lucky with the beefy clerk here and I don't want to be an ass to the nice lady that delivers to my door; but the heck I'm paying the Canadian Bull Shit Agency for stuff that's not in the parcel.
Also, ripping open the package to demonstrate, grabbing the stuff, and walking away might not be the end of the story. They have a record of the duty form and can still come knocking at your door with a collection request or a summons.

 

assaad

Can't Leave
Apr 4, 2011
340
2
I do believe the truth is always the best route to take and I take pride in being an honest and caring citizen, but the current war on tobacco is such that we are automatically labelled as "smokers" and, therefore, "wrong" in any regard. The anti tobacco faction has an arrogance that suggests they have complete tautological truths on their side. Ordering from Smoking Pipes has never been easy because it's right there in their name!
Anyhow, I payed to ship my pipes south and they payed to ship them to me so as far as I can tell everyone should be payed and happy. If I did order tobacco I would have obeyed the law and payed the customs fees, ordering from Smoking Pipes I would have budgeted for taxes. I would happily defend my stance before a judge.
I used to think all this stock piling of tobacco that is going on was a bit ridiculous. Now I feel ridiculously out of date! Stock your cupboards and PRAY FOR CANADA!

 

redglow

Lifer
Jan 7, 2019
1,822
4,043
Michigan
Good call assaad. Stock up your cupboards and Pray for everyone. These socialist/communists are trying to take over everywhere.

 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
Unfortunately, they've killed retail too. I'd love to buy at my local tobacconist more, but not only is the tobacco there grossly overpriced due to punitive taxation, but his pipes selection is very limited too. When asked about bringing in more Savinellis, he said that with Canada being such a small piping market, most manufacturers don't want to bother, especially if they have to meet onerous and ridiculous legislation.
The ridiculousness doesn't stop with tobacco, though. Last year the cBSa decided to arbitrarily interpret the law on forbidden items and started confiscating all kinds of knives that according to THEM met the rather vague definitions of forbidden weapons. It seems I'm gonna be having a dickens of a time importing a leather knife (which, being fixed blade and not even remotely spring-loaded is not even remotely a forbidden item) from Europe or the US, since many sellers just appear to have decided to avoid any kind of potential issue and stopped shipping here.
I don't have a problem with laws, but I have a big problem with agencies having and applying their own particular interpretations of said laws, in order to extort us.

 
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