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 Replies: 33 / Views: 31,560 |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
598 Posts |
I prefer having an accurate Customs form... you can read why in the link I provided above(edit>>> on previous page). The only thing I like the seller to make not completely clear is the description... for instance "numismatic piece" is preferred as opposed to "solid gold coin"... keeps honest people honest and my air compressor humming!  Edited by IBGolden
02/08/2010 10:41 pm
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Valued Member
Canada
464 Posts |
Quote:When/IF the HST passes into law for Ontario, the exemptions will be all be out the window for us!  The law was passed in December 2009, and will come into force on July 1st.  If you want to buy big ticket items, do it before then. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
650 Posts |
The duty issue is a no brainer the gst/pst issue is a different matter. Just like when you go to the coin store your pst is applied, I have never been charged duty but I have been charged gst and or pst on higher value items.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2408 Posts |
IBGolden Quote:
... what if your item were to become lost? Sure, low value stuff mails just fine, but more expensive items sometime require piece of mind. That was my point. It all comes down to insurance. But it is debatable whether you should be paying duty on a penny YOU value way above and beyond its nominal value - or just because your community thinks it is rare or because it has a mint error. As collectors, our perception of value is skewed so badly that we forget the real initial cost - which was generally at face value. Aside from NCLT or other exotic coins, in my mind, there is no justification for undue tariffs at any borders because the value is what we - THE COLLECTORS - made of it. I think it is morally correct to declare "collector item" - because it is. When I just sold a coin to someone else then, guess what, it magically became worthless to me... (hint). I never lie. But I gladly distort the truth. Again, the real problem is when you need to insure the coin. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1051 Posts |
As far as I know, you can't insure collector coins in the mail. Would that change things a little bit? Every decent seller I've ever dealt with sent items in a non-descript looking regular envelope. For higher value items, either express or private, both with low declared value. It's not about being deceptive, it's about keeping your mail from disappearing.
You've got to be out of your mind to declare "coins, bullion" or anything similar on a label. You might as well send birthday cards with a sticker that says "Handle with care, this envelope contains cash".
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2408 Posts |
Express Mail International ($6.35 per $2000 insurance) and registered mail for expensive items - absolutely. I would never mail expensive items w/o insurance. This is insane. Insurance saved my butt on a couple occasions.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1082 Posts |
First of all, there is no discretion used in diverting packages to customs. The diversion itself is done by Post Office workers, who do it totally arbitrarily, if it comes from out of the country and it looks like it's merchandise of some sort.
Canada Post gets to collect a $5 fee on every package they do this to ("processing fee"), so there is incentive enough to make it continue.
The assessment is ALWAYS appealable, and if it results in a situation where the adjusted amount of money collected is less than $5, you'll probably get it all back because it wasn't worth the effort (or your wasted time) in the first place. I routinely appeal these as a matter of course and only ever had two cases where I still had to pay the GST portion only.
The best thing to do is to make it look less like merchandise so this won't happen. The best way to do this is to ship the coin/coins in a regular envelope in 2x2's between cardboard by Registered mail, which will make it traceable as well as keep it out of the regular mail stream. Registration clerks don't have time to bother with wondering whether there is anything dutiable in an envelope, because all of their time is taken up with logging in/logging out the piece of mail concerned.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1352 Posts |
I have never had a problem with entering an item description as "Numismatic Item" as opposed to "Silver Coin" or some other red flag. Entering "numismatic item" is still a true statement. I draw the line at entering a false value. Here are the U.S. postal regs for customs forms. http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc1_008.htm#ep732534I would point out that on either form, the sender must certify the accuracy of the information entered. The 2976-A form has additional language in the instructions that says "A false or misleading declaration may lead to a fine or seizure of the item and additional penalties." I have noticed that lately the USPS has taken to entering the sender/receiver/item info into a computerized database. I don't know if they intend to use that info for enforcement purposes, or not. Regardless of the customs and tax laws of the receiving country, it seems to me that entering false information on a U.S. customs forms is a violation of U.S. law by the sender. If a foreign customs service or postal service ever decides to backtrack to the USPS on a fraudulant customs form, the U.S. sender will not be hard to find. http://www.victoriancent.com2011 & 2025 Fred Bowman Award Winner, 2020 J. Douglas Ferguson Award Winner, & 2022 Paul Fiocca Award Winner. Life Member of RCNA.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1248 Posts |
hello, question: if you buy these coins directly from the RCM, does one pay taxes? if so which taxes? |
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
636 Posts |
Absolutley you pay tax from the mint but for bullion only PST
Well, I got an email back from the seller with his apologies.
He offered to refund the 11 bucks to me, but I didn't have the heart to do it.Ive calmed down since getting that package yesterday and my beef really is with the Canadian provincial government and especially the federal government for charging the GST when if they opened it, it would have been exempt as bullion.
and............the seller was in total agreement (and as per my suggestion of what other U.S sellers have done) , that going forward that he would use the wording Numismatic Samples on the documentation and put the value exactly equal to the face value on the coins.
He will not put the invoice in the package.
How many times does the government want you to pay tax on something for god sakes.
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Valued Member
Canada
464 Posts |
Quote:
How many times does the government want you to pay tax on something for god sakes. I was thinking about an answer, but I think it would be better illustrated by this icon:  Who knows what fantastic taxation schemes are being conjured at this very minute! Edited by gawd0wns
02/09/2010 6:31 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2408 Posts |
I never fill out a customs form for standard envelop weighing less than 16 oz. In several hundred transactions I've NEVER had any issues. I drop them in a regular USPS mailbox and go. That's for low cost items ... when I am willing to lose if the buyer claims he did not receive the coin(s). I refund the buyer no questions asked. It happens - trust me. But for me, the real problem starts when: 1.[ ebay] buyers win multiple auctions and I have to combine coins - or if I need to ship a slab in a care mail envelop or if I ship a small box. Then I am required to fill out a customs form. 2. The coin is worth more than my comfort level. I need some kind of tracking and insurance. In this case, I am required to fill out a customs form (FedEx, UPS or USPS - all the same) because - guess what - I have to declare it's value for insurance purposes. And it's in the system... And BTW, selling to Canada during this past Holiday season was a true nightmare. All my buyers who had their winnings go through customs took well over 3 weeks. I even had a 2-day International take 15 days through customs! Because I don't do this for a living, I am reluctant to sell to Canada even if this means making a little bit less money. The difference isn't worth the hassle. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1248 Posts |
Canada Border Services are not doing anyone a favor... and they do NOT care.... Period!!! BUT, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong or misleading when someone declares a shipment of a coin or coins with a very low value. example: I send a 1948 silver dollar to someone in the USA. if I do make a declaration then it will be as a gift and for $ 5, as it simply a 1 dollar legal tender. NO invoice is ever included. It is the truth and valued at 400% over its Value. I had a expensive gold coin held up at Canada Customs. had to go to their office, ONLY 100 miles away... just to have it handed to me after they looked at it. the seller was peed off because he only got about 60% of its value and wanted more. So he declared the full value thinking I had to pay at the border. as far as insurance is concerned, and as much as I dislike it, but Paypal is still in the Forefront. Postal insurance or courier insurance runs out at $500 for USA/Canada and is NOT available for coins overseas UNLESS it is private insurance with your home or business!! Insurance is still a big rip-off at ebay. when you inquire with the seller about his insurance, many either ignore it or block you from bidding. if you pay for insurance, you are entitled to see a copy of the policy BEFORE you agree to it. |
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New Member
Canada
40 Posts |
dollar1948, nice to see you've moved on... 11$ is not worth getting angry over. Not the sellers problem, looks like he was just doing what he thought was right. Good on him to offer compensation... SEE EVERYONE... COMMUNICATION WORKS!! Blame the postal service... what ever happened to free trade?
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1082 Posts |
The way they handle things is no different in the stamp collecting world. As some of you may know, a lot of stamps were formerly sold "on approval", similar to the way Littleton Coins used to operate. A shipment of several different articles were sent in one envelope. Usually a value was placed on the Customs form, which was the value of the whole shipment.
Note, though, that none of these were yet owned by the addressee, because he couldn't very well buy them until he saw them, and no money changed hands.
Several of these envelopes of approvals were then diverted to Customs, based on the value amount on the Customs form, where they generated bills for duty and taxes and the $5 Canada Post handling fee. These bills were then sent to the addressee, and they had to pay duty on items that they didn't even own! If they even wanted the chance to SEE them, they had to pay the bill first!
Naturally this policy led to the end of stamps and coins on approval in Canada. I remember even having a "discussion" with Customs about this topic (they were located in the same building as the Post Office when I was working for the latter during the time this policy came into effect, and yes, I was affected by it too), and the upshot was that Customs didn't care -- all they wanted was their money, and it wasn't up to them to come up with a policy exemption, it was up to individual collectors to get the policy changed themselves by whatever way they could.
Needless to say, the big loser was the foreign dealer, whose merchandise suddenly was unsaleable.
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Replies: 33 / Views: 31,560 |
First Page
Posted 02/08/2010 11:15 pm
