Customs - Ouch!

[Beowoulf]

Just got a delivery of tobacco from Cup O' Joes - 8 oz of Queen Anne's Revenge and 8 oz of Mac Baren 7 Seas Black. The cost was $69. This box was stopped at Canadian Customs to the tune of $210 including taxes and fees. This is the first time I have dealt with Customs. Other packages have just sailed right through. Kinda takes way from the pleasure of the bowl I am smoking right now.

 

[olkofri]

I'da sent it back.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Some will make it through, some won't. Amortize the duty fees for this one across all the purchases, it won't be so bad.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

:::sigh::: even though I warned ya... and others blew smoke up your ass... I knew you would be back with this very post.
You were warned, and you did it anyway, and now your doing the inevitable whining.

They also tried to charge us over $200 for seven flakes. I am not surprised, but I bet you are surprised that I was right.

In the past I have also posted that to openly discuss trying to dodge paying customs on the very first hit on a Google search is foolish. Sure, sure, sure... just keep on yelling this out in the open loudly. Ha ha... is this a Canadian thing?

 

[simong]

Had a feeling they’d be watching you.
Hard Cheese! If it makes you feel any better, it happens to a lot of us.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Look on the bright side. At roughly $20 per oz you can join the tobacco snob club. Welcome bro.

 

[Deano]

What if you refuse the package? Is that an option?

 

[canucklehead]

I don't see what the problem is, it would have cost $450+ to buy it here, you still saved money.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

What if you refuse the package? Is that an option?

He can refuse it to just let it be destroyed. The vendor is then contacted to see if they want it back, by paying the customs fee, but they won't. And, if he disputes this to the vendor, trying to get his money back, they will ban him from further purchases and possibly screw things up for other Canadians. But, that depends on the vendor also.

I mean, a decade of watching these types of threads... you pick up a few things.

 

[warren]

I'm surprised when smokers get surprised with government fees. Especially those that post openly, defying the computers simply searching, ever searching, for certain keywords (tobacco, blends, smoking, and, violence or anything gun related), quickly IDing the poster and notifying the interested agency. The internet is a "hunting ground" of various government agencies, a fertile hunting ground. And, there are those pesky customs agents, some of whom are very alert.

Governments are good at so few things. Getting their moneys is one of them they are great at.

 

[olkofri]

What if you refuse the package? Is that an option?

Yes.

There are three options, actually:

1. To fill out the Return to CBSA field (you can see it on the pic there) and give the parcel back to the postman to be sent back to the CB$A for a reassessment, and hope they lower the duty fee when it, days to weeks later, comes back to you.
2. To reject paying the fees, which will eventually send the parcel back to the seller, who will be charged postage fees when he gets it back (maybe this will teach him to be so candid, LOL).
3. To accept it and get legally ravished by The System.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I just see some bored guy who's only job is to put that customs fee on tobacco having a slow day, and hitting google... "pipe tobacco, taxes, Canada shipping" and BINGO, the first link is the first link on anything Googled looking for pipe information, this one.

 

[canucklehead]

Look on the bright side. At roughly $20 per oz you can join the tobacco snob club. Welcome bro.

It was $28/oz for Sutliff bulks at my local B&Ms 5 years ago and we've had at least one tax increase since then.

We're all snobs up here I guess, but no where near as snobby as you guys on the bottom of the planet with your fancy $120 tins, those things must be awesome.

 

[olkofri]

I just see some bored guy who's only job is to put that customs fee on tobacco having a slow day, and hitting google... "pipe tobacco, taxes, Canada shipping" and BINGO, the first link is the first link on anything Googled looking for pipe information, this one.

A realistic picture.

Agents may be forum members too. I get suspicious when I see someone from "Canada" whose first post, or who has been a "member" for years and who has barely any posts—most of which are about duties, mind ye—post on the forums enquiring about ways around duties.

 

[olkofri]

It was $28/oz for Sutliff bulks at my local B&Ms 5 years ago and we've had at least one tax increase since then.

We're all snobs up here I guess, but no where near as snobby as you guys on the bottom of the planet with your fancy $120 tins, those things must be awesome.

Heh! Don't give Clown Socks any ideas; considering that he's already rasing taxes on alcohol and gas come April...

 

[Deano]

Havnt been on social media such as FB for over 5 years but always wondered about some of the posts l saw talking about revolution etc. I figured it was mostly talking/posting big but also thought how they were being careless.

 

[canucklehead]

Heh! Don't give Clown Socks any ideas; considering that he's already rasing taxes on alcohol and gas come April...

Oh man don't even get me started, or this will be an IBTL meme thread in no time...

 

[olkofri]

Havnt been on social media such as FB for over 5 years but always wondered about some of the posts l saw talking about revolution etc. I figured it was mostly talking/posting big but also thought how they were being careless.

Some are. Careless, I mean. Others are quite likely shills.

Hell, if I were unfortunate enough to work for the C B$ A I'd join forums and ask about "understanding retailers" in the hopes that either I'll get a reply on the open forum or some compassionate smoker will bite into sending me a PM with the sources. Then, days later, the sources get warning letters from the agency.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'm surprised when smokers get surprised with government fees. Especially those that post openly, defying the computers simply searching, ever searching, for certain keywords (tobacco, blends, smoking, and, violence or anything gun related), quickly IDing the poster and notifying the interested agency. The internet is a "hunting ground" of various government agencies, a fertile hunting ground. And, there are those pesky customs agents, some of whom are very alert.

Governments are good at so few things. Getting their moneys is one of them they are great at.

You honestly think customs is monitoring pipe and cigar forums looking for people? Please. And what would they do with the name Beowolf? Customs has much bigger fish to fry than catching some people buying Cuban cigars or pipe tobacco. They missed several packages that had the retailers name on it and the product listed. They hit tobacco products randomly because they don't really care that much.

 

[Ahi Ka]

It was $28/oz for Sutliff bulks at my local B&Ms 5 years ago and we've had at least one tax increase since then.

We're all snobs up here I guess, but no where near as snobby as you guys on the bottom of the planet with your fancy $120 tins, those things must be awesome.

Fancy pouches bro. That’s where the swag is at.