Whistles and Canada Customs

Stef · Post by **Stef** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 7:59 am

Ouch!

I just got two Dixons for the Whistleshop delivered here to Fredericton, NB. For 38$ US worth of whistles it cost me 15$ US shipping and when I picked them up another 18$ CAN went to Canada customs for "two end-blown flutes". Anyone know a good source for whistles in Canada?

Cheers,

Stef.

garycrosby · Post by **garycrosby** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 9:50 am

Stef, I think if you check your invoices you will see that you did not pay $18 to Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA). I think what you paid was a brokerage fee to the shipping company.

For Canada custom's tariff rates on musical instruments see http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/customs/gene ... ap92ne.pdf

Specifically, the tariff rate for foreign-made fifes, flutes, piccolos, and recorders is 0%; the rate for other wind instruments is 6%. There is no CCRA tariff category for pennywhistles but they are, correctly, included in the first category by describing them as "end-blown flutes" on the custom's declaration form -- if you declare them as "whistles" CCRA will assume they are athletic whistles (you know, the kind coaches use) and they have a tariff. If the products are made in the USA they are tariff-free under NAFTA. Regardless of the tariff you always have to pay GST and PST.

I am guessing that you shipped UPS ground? UPS does NOT include the brokerage fee in its stated rate for ground shipping. Based on the value of the package it adds an outrageous brokerage fee on top of the stated shipping rate. It ends up being very costly. This has been discussed at great length in a thread a few months ago.

My suggestion is to ship via US Postal Service (USPS). When the package enters Canada, Canada Post will clear it through CCRA and deliver it to you. You pay Canada Post a reasonable $5 brokerage fee (plus any CCRA tariffs and GST/PST that they pay on your behalf). The USPS/Canada Post shipping (with brohkerage fee)turns out to be much less than the UPS ground rate -- contrary to popular opinion the service from Canada Post is actually very good.

Alas, I do not know a decent whistle shop in Canada.

Jeferson · Post by **Jeferson** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 11:14 am

Stef, Gary has summed it up perfectly. I'll just add this one suggestion for those who live close to the border...if you rent a PO Box down at the closest American border town (in my case, Sumas, Washington) you can have the whistles sent USPS to there. Postage is a bit cheaper, and when you pick up your mail to bring across the border and are asked about what you've got, I find that my standard reply, "Just a couple of whistles," leads to a quick wave good-bye. Technically, I budget for the expected taxes, but in many instances they can be avoided.

That is, IF you live close to the border.

Jef
PS, last year I ordered 30(!) Sweetones from Thom Larson in this manner and the dude asked to see the receipt. When I showed him and told him they were for my students, he smiled and sent me on my way.

On second thought, he may have winced...

E = Fb · Post by **E = Fb** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 11:33 am

As a Canadian citizen I'd like to vent a little at the Canada customs people.

Phooee! There, I feel better.

If any fellow Canadians want to receive whistles without all the fuss, you can have them sent to a relative or friend in the US, who can then ship them to you as gifts.

I'd be happy to act as an intermediary in this way, once or twice anyway. The problem is you'd have to trust me not to steal them. I'd be trusting you to reimburse me for shipping costs, which would not be high. I recently shipped one (plastic Dixon high D) to New Zealand for $2.75 US (about $4 Cdn.)

Tom

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 11:48 am

With my shipping experience, the customs don't really care if it's a flute or whistle or sex toy, they actually look at the **insurance** amount and tax you based on that amount. In my experience, packages worth less than 90$US are usuallt not taxed, but this might only have been "luck" and it's not an official amount. Anyway that's in Quebec, maybe customs of other provinces have different rules.

garycrosby · Post by **garycrosby** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 12:09 pm

On 2002-09-26 13:48, Azalin wrote:
With my shipping experience, the customs don't really care if it's a flute or whistle or sex toy, they actually look at the **insurance** amount and tax you based on that amount. In my experience, packages worth less than 90$US are usuallt not taxed, but this might only have been "luck" and it's not an official amount. Anyway that's in Quebec, maybe customs of other provinces have different rules.

Actually they do care because the customs tariffs is a percentage of the value of the product. The actual percentage is determined by the type of product. Having said that, I have never had a package opened by CCRA to see if what was declare on the label was actually what was inside the box.

Customs rules do not vary provincially because CCRA is a federal agency rather than a provincial one. Officially packages with a value of less than $40 are exempt from tariffs but it does seem that packages of somewhat higher value are simply "waved through". But, some CCRA offices seem to be more lax than others which may explain Azalin's good fortune. In Saskatoon (where I live) the CCRA office has charged me tarrifs and taxes on every package I have received from the US with a value even one cent higher than $40 but, oddly enough, I have never been charged tariffs or taxes on packages from the UK. Go figure ...

Stef · Post by **Stef** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 1:24 pm

I didn't ship via UPS. I used ground mail (US and Canada post) The girl at the counter specifically told me I was paying customs, but I didn't check the slip (To busy ripping open the package to play the whistles). Maybe I can get my money back! Might be nice to afford food this week

Thanks,

Stef.

Paul Reid · Post by **Paul Reid** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 1:33 pm

Okay, so who's gonna step up to the task of opening a store in Canada that stocks good whistles. I have a great name for it already - somebody just take it and run. It could be called Maple Quay!

PR

garycrosby · Post by **garycrosby** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 1:57 pm

On 2002-09-26 15:24, Stef wrote:
I didn't ship via UPS. I used ground mail (US and Canada post) The girl at the counter specifically told me I was paying customs, but I didn't check the slip (To busy ripping open the package to play the whistles). Maybe I can get my money back! Might be nice to afford food this week

Hmmm, lets do the math. Lets assume that $38 US = $60 CDN. Lets also assume they charged you 6% customs tariff even though they shouln't have.

15% PST & GST (on $60 + $5 CDN) = $9.75
6% customs tariff (on $60 CDN) = $3.60
Canada Post (brokerage fee) = $5
--------------------------------------
Total (you pay) = $18.35 CDN

Oh (sheepishly grinning), $18 looks about right then doesn't it? It should be itemized on your paperwork.

whamlyn · Post by **whamlyn** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 4:55 pm

There's a music shop here in St. John's, O'Brien's Music, that has a reasonable selection of whistles. On my last stop there (about two days ago) they had various susuatos, generations (all keys I think), feadog, O'Grady, and a couple others I can't recall at the moment.

They have a website with their contact info, http://www.obriens.nf.ca I've bought just about every piece of music-related stuff I own there and Roy and Gord are two great people to deal with. Might be a way to save a little cross-border grief!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: whamlyn on 2002-09-26 18:57 ]</font>

one-tin-soldier · Post by **one-tin-soldier** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 6:44 pm

Stef, if they are shipped as gifts, most often there is no charges. Also, consider ordering from Ireland instead of the US. I got my Dixons from Shannaquay and paid no taxes etc. on them. I have ordered lots from the US and have had many surprises like the one you had. I have also had to pay more in charges than what the item was worth because someone put on it what they 'thought' it was worth, not what I actually paid and I had to pay charges on the amount they declared it was worth on the package. Aboslutely DO NOT get anything shipped to you by UPS ground, that is the worst! Always get USPS and have the item marked as a gift if you can. Otherwise, try Ireland. I have not found a good whistle shop in Canada yet, sure wish I could though!! With the money I have spent in Canada Customs charges this year alone, I could have bought myself a Copeland!!

Cheryl

Moonlight · Post by **Moonlight** » Thu Sep 26, 2002 9:16 pm

Good idea Paul. I nominate you..hehe...catchy name too. I'll be your first customer. ( First customer gets a free whistle right?)
Moonlight

Rab · Post by **Rab** » Fri Sep 27, 2002 5:21 am

Hi Stef,
I had a similar experience last year when living in Ottawa. Bit of a rip-off !!
I'm now back living in Belfast, N. Ireland and whistles are plentiful.
Enjoy your whistles and make sure you get your monies worth !

dkehoe · Post by **dkehoe** » Fri Sep 27, 2002 6:17 am

This is a bit OT, but I once had a Canadian border guard make me play something when I was crossing the border. I played Egan's Polka. I guess he wanted me to prove I was going to a session.

selkie · Post by **selkie** » Fri Sep 27, 2002 7:09 pm

http://www.angelfire.com/music2/WestCoa ... index.html

They do some lovely whistles. Check out the reviews and save the customs. However the Dizon's are very very nice.