Did you know that if you mail your personal belonging from US to Canada, then you are required to clear them with the Canadian customs yourself?
I didn’t know, and no one told me.
Turns out, when you buy stuff from US and you get it shipped to Canada, you theoretically need to pay (1) a brokerage fee – somebody will come to the customs and clear that stuff for you, and (2) GSP (government sales tax) and PST (provincial sales tax) on these goods.
If, however, the goods belong to you, and you are just shipping them from your home in US to your new home in Canada, you don’t have to pay any money. But, indirectly, you will anyways.
After spending half an hour on the phone with the UPS people, I found out that the reason my packages are a week late on delivery is because I need to go to Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) location and fill out some forms that would in tern clear my package with customs, and allow them to proceed with shipping. I don’t quite see how UPS couldn’t notify me. Actually, they were supposed to, but somebody just forgot to make a call. One little mistake of an agent has caused me time, and now also money that I will spend when trying to reach that CBSA place
My suggestion: if you ever have to ship your belonging to a different country, ask UPS or whichever mail carrier you are using to clearly outline all the steps and procedures. If you can, also call their customer service and have them double check.
As for me, as much as I find UPS a convenience, I will think twice next time I need to ship goods.
