mackiain Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 So my $248.00 Hookah/Shisha order got searched by customs coming over the border to Canada. There was 1550 grams of Tobacco and three pipes. The total duty cost....$103.00. I hate life.But overall still worth it because now I have alot of shisha to smoke, and this duty bill will get split between three people.I got owned though. Stupid Canadian Tobacco Taxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Switch Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 what kind of pipes and shisha did you get? that is a lot to get for that amount of money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoolinspoon Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Try not to order so much at once. Smaller packages have a better chance to slip pass customs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahwahoo2006 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 If you search the forum, I know there was a member who managed to successfully challenge Canadian customs on the duty for shisha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackiain Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 I got...Mya QTMya Nou NouMya Mini *Free with order3 250 Gram tubs - Starbuzz (750g)12 Sample pack of Al Waha 50g each (600g)4 Romman 50g Samples that came with the two pipes (200 g each)Total = 1550g and three pipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackiain Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 QUOTE (spoolinspoon @ Feb 20 2008, 03:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Try not to order so much at once. Smaller packages have a better chance to slip pass customs.I know, the thing is the shipping is so ridiculous its almost not worth it to order small. My Mya Gyro order that was 220 made it through customs no trouble at all. I guess I just got screwed on this one, and can't expect to win them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackiain Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 QUOTE (ahwahoo2006 @ Feb 20 2008, 03:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>If you search the forum, I know there was a member who managed to successfully challenge Canadian customs on the duty for shisha.Do you remember who it was? I can't find anything..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfaltous Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 (edited) gaia.plateau, he's out of Sask... he says he called up customs and challenged it...I'm sure if you make enough of a fuss they'll give you a break... but quite frankly you didn't get hit that hard on the shipment at all. If you were being charged the full amount for "manufactured tobacco" then you'd have been paying closer to $400 on the duties (not including taxes, brokerage fees, base fees, inspection fees, etc). How did they ship it? UPS? USPS? A lot of that cost is likely coming from a brokerage fee, plus a base duty, plus provincial/federal tax, plus inspection fees, and then a very small duty on the goods... in which case even if you challenge it and win, you'll get maybe $5 to $10 back.For future orders, what you have to do is in the comments box of the order ask them to do three things: 1) not mention tobacco, suggest they use "flavored molasses" or "japanese incense" or some crap, those always work; 2) ask them to label it as a gift, this gives you an additional $60 break on the declared amount before they tax you on it; and 3) ask them to put a reduced amount on the package value. Anything above $40 will automatically be charged taxes and duties, it goes up to $100 with the "gift" trick. Usually they won't actually bother with it unless it exceeds $200 based on my past experiences, but don't count on this.With H-S, MNH, and TDP they'll all do those things for you without question. My typical order from any of those places is about the same amount as your order and I have never had any extra charges on them. Edited February 20, 2008 by jfaltous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackiain Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 (edited) QUOTE (jfaltous @ Feb 20 2008, 05:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>gaia.plateau, he's out of Sask... he says he called up customs and challenged it...I'm sure if you make enough of a fuss they'll give you a break... but quite frankly you didn't get hit that hard on the shipment at all. If you were being charged the full amount for "manufactured tobacco" then you'd have been paying closer to $400 on the duties (not including taxes, brokerage fees, base fees, inspection fees, etc). How did they ship it? UPS? USPS? A lot of that cost is likely coming from a brokerage fee, plus a base duty, plus provincial/federal tax, plus inspection fees, and then a very small duty on the goods... in which case even if you challenge it and win, you'll get maybe $5 to $10 back.For future orders, what you have to do is in the comments box of the order ask them to do three things: 1) not mention tobacco, suggest they use "flavored molasses" or "japanese incense" or some crap, those always work; 2) ask them to label it as a gift, this gives you an additional $60 break on the declared amount before they tax you on it; and 3) ask them to put a reduced amount on the package value. Anything above $40 will automatically be charged taxes and duties, it goes up to $100 with the "gift" trick. Usually they won't actually bother with it unless it exceeds $200 based on my past experiences, but don't count on this.With H-S, MNH, and TDP they'll all do those things for you without question. My typical order from any of those places is about the same amount as your order and I have never had any extra charges on them.I did ask them to label the shisha as something other than tobacco, and nothing was listed at more than 40 dollars. The pipes were listed at 40 and the tobacco actually alot less. Like I say its not a big deal I am still happy with what I got. But thanks for sharing your experience and advice. Much appreciated.PS: It was shipped USPS, I was told not to go with UPS. Edited February 20, 2008 by mackiain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfaltous Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Its not $40 allowance on each item, its on the total package 3 pipes @ $40 + tobacco = well over $40 limit.With USPS shipments to Canada there are international laws protecting packages... meaning if you stick to the under $100 rule then unless they have any reason for suspicion they won't open/inspect your package. UPS, FedEx and DHL always take the exact opposite approach, and check almost everything, because that way they can make more money by charging brokerage fees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackiain Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 QUOTE (jfaltous @ Feb 20 2008, 06:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Its not $40 allowance on each item, its on the total package 3 pipes @ $40 + tobacco = well over $40 limit.With USPS shipments to Canada there are international laws protecting packages... meaning if you stick to the under $100 rule then unless they have any reason for suspicion they won't open/inspect your package. UPS, FedEx and DHL always take the exact opposite approach, and check almost everything, because that way they can make more money by charging brokerage fees.Thanks alot, this is valuable information. My previous order which was 220ish did not get checked. But this one did. So I can really consider myself lucky... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfaltous Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Yeah, I've had some orders up near $200 that snuck past, but like I said don't count on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackiain Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 QUOTE (jfaltous @ Feb 20 2008, 06:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yeah, I've had some orders up near $200 that snuck past, but like I said don't count on it Yessir, well now I know. I really should have done my research, but I am too impulsive for that sort of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erufiku Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 103? There was someone from my city who got charged way over 600$ in duties & taxes.Seriously someone who wants to earn a few bucks should act as an intermediary between US/Canada Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaia.plateau Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Appeal it, it should be completely waived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Devils Playground Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 We have found the best way to ship is from a person not a business mark it a gift and keep the total low.This seems to work fine for everything we have ever shipped. We have doe large orders to JF in Canada and no complaints yet. So I guess we can say we have customs Teflon on. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldog_916 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Have them send your stuff in separate boxes? I wonder if that might work. Charge everything one at a time but charge you shipping one time. It may be a little more to ship but avoiding the duty would be worth it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackiain Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Ya well I dont think I will make anymore huge orders, just smaller ones. I don't want to even screw around with duty anymore. I'll just get a friend to send me some as a gift from the UK if he can find a cheap way to ship it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shotcaller88 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 they gotta pay for that free health care somehow =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackiain Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 QUOTE (shotcaller88 @ Feb 20 2008, 10:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>they gotta pay for that free health care somehow =)Free health care, ya right, you pay with time. Takes between 2-8 hours to get in anywhere. And we have no doctors thanks to Privated American Healthcare where you can practice and make sick cash, compared to a set wage here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaia.plateau Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 (edited) QUOTE (mackiain @ Feb 21 2008, 02:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (shotcaller88 @ Feb 20 2008, 10:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>they gotta pay for that free health care somehow =)Free health care, ya right, you pay with time. Takes between 2-8 hours to get in anywhere. And we have no doctors thanks to Privated American Healthcare where you can practice and make sick cash, compared to a set wage here.Maybe it's just a Thunder Bay problem? I haven't waited more much than 15 or 20 minutes in years... I have a few dozen friends in Toronto/Guelph and they've never had problems, as far as I know.Christ, the other day I went to the emergency room with what was essentially a sore throat. 30 minute wait, and there were ambulances bringing in people with heart attacks and stab wounds and shit while I was sitting there. Edited February 21, 2008 by gaia.plateau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balthazar Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 In Norway tobacco is taxed 0,34$ per gram. So if i buy 500g of shisha and it gets detected I'll have to pay 174,26$. Also, for every imported package with a value of more than 37,47$ you have to pay 25% of the total value before you get the package. So let's say I were to import 1 kilo of Tangiers Melon Blend from HC.1 kilo of the tobacco: 64,75$Value taxes: 16,18 $Tobacco taxes: 348,53$Total cost: 429,26$That's a lot of money for some hookah-fun. Luckily a lot of stores offer to have the tobacco sent back if it's detected. And on my last order from HC they labeled the hookah as "Decorative Vase" and the tobacco as "fruit molasses". Also, it was sent labeled as gifts, and the prices were fake. Neither got taxed (although I'm a bit supriced about them not detecting the tobacco, I thought "fruit molasses" would definately ring some bells) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s_smith001 Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I just checked my tracking number and saw this...Status: Into Foreign CustomsYour item is being processed by customs in CANADA. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later.does that sound like the impending doom of astronomical duty fees/taxes??i sure hope not... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HookahDude831 Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 poor bastards!!! I love canada but I sure am glad I live in the USA when it comes to shisha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jahookah Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 s_smith, it depends on the size of the order.I've found generally orders < $50 you should be ok... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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