Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Other Diversions › After Hours Lounge › Shipping item to Canada from the U.S.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Shipping item to Canada from the U.S.

post #1 of 7
12/21/07 at 4:29am
Thread Starter 
I may be shipping a used guitar to Canada from the U.S (ebay transaction). I'm trying to determine what Custom's documents I'd need. I've done some research on the 'net, but most of the info seems geared toward manufacturers doing business in Canada. Anyone shipped anything recently?
Reply
post #2 of 7
12/21/07 at 8:47am

Re: Shipping item to Canada from the U.S.

I shipped some used auto parts (turbo kit) to Canada last year, and was a real ordeal. I hope you didn't offer "free shipping" as you may sell at a loss.

You need to enclose an itemized list of stuff which shouldn't be tough for a guitar - plus case - plus ?? For a turbo kit with 60 small parts it was a pain. If you PM me your email I can send a "debugged" invoice boilerplate for you to copy. You also need a customs declaration, which via USPS is PS Form 2976-A, "US Postal Service Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note CP72".

The recipient in Canada is the fall guy. He's going to have hassles with incoming Canadian customs. Canadian customs may impound the guitar for months while they determine whether you are lying about the declared value. This happens more frequently with private shippers e.g. FedEx or UPS than with the national mails, so using the mail may be the best way to go.

Is there no way you could hand-deliver it to the purchaser? A lot of Canadians living near the border get US post office boxes to avoid customs in their own country. So much for the benefits of NAFTA.
Reply
post #3 of 7
12/21/07 at 9:42am

Re: Shipping item to Canada from the U.S.

I send tons of stuff to the US and from our side its super easy. Just go to the post office and they'll give you a simple form that you enter your address, the shipping address and a list of the contents with a declared value. It takes all of 2 minutes tops to fill and and you're done. I obviously can't speak for what's required at a USPS office but I can't imagine its all that different.

Do not use UPS how ever as UPS screws us over backwards on their brokerage fee's for items that are imported into the country where as USPS and Fedex are significantly cheaper. I've never had a pacel held for more then a few days and I've imported a lot of gear over the years.
Reply
post #4 of 7
12/21/07 at 11:42am

Re: Shipping item to Canada from the U.S.

I will tell you this: shipping electronics to Canada is the WORST. I've had items get held in customs for virtual week upon week until they are happy with declarations on everything involved. It is the largest PITA, and there are some guidelines (like labels that must be on a box, labels that can't be on a box, etc.) that just make it a nightmare. I've had an easier time shipping PCs to Australia then Canada, but that's just me.
Reply
post #5 of 7
12/21/07 at 6:08pm

Re: Shipping item to Canada from the U.S.

Craig: You did not mention how you want to ship it. I've sent some stuff to Canada and other countries as a result of ebay auctions and use only the postal service. If you go with USPS, a proper filled out customs form is all you need. This link should give you all you ever needed to know: https://webapps.usps.com/customsforms/#

As was stated above, the potential recipient may have it worse.
Reply
post #6 of 7
12/21/07 at 6:38pm

Re: Shipping item to Canada from the U.S.

Quote:
A lot of Canadians living near the border get US post office boxes to avoid customs in their own country. So much for the benefits of NAFTA.
For me this isn't so much to avoid customs as it is to take the brokerage out of the equation.

Shipping a guitar to Canada is not a big deal, just go to the UPS/Fedex site and get the declaration form, make sure to have 3 copies of the invoice for brokerage. It's a bit more convoluted if you are shipping to a company, but individuals shouldn't have problems if the invoice is present. The easiest thing to do would be to get your buyer to call customs and ask them what they need, which shouldn't be more than invoices and the correct form (ie a Certificate of Origin) depending on whether it is a low or high value shipment, and where the instrument is manufactured. They can also get the proper classification number which will streamline things. I would include a copy of the auction page as well to back up your value declaration.

I can see electronics having issues, since they are likely manufactured outside of North America, and are therefore not part of NAFTA.
Reply
post #7 of 7
12/27/07 at 8:13am

Re: Shipping item to Canada from the U.S.

> Just go to the post office and they'll give you a simple form that you enter your address, the shipping address and a list of the contents with a declared value. It takes all of 2 minutes tops to fill and and you're done. I obviously can't speak for what's required at a USPS office but I can't imagine its all that different.

It's the same process at a US post office. If the item is below a certain weight (such as a letter), there's no customs paperwork. I just let the clerk determine which forms are necessary; that's their job.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: After Hours Lounge
Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Other Diversions › After Hours Lounge › Shipping item to Canada from the U.S.