Do you buy from CRC?

Posted by: RAHrider

Anyone here ever buy from Merlin cycles? Wondering about shipping and duties on a bike?

Bought some stuff like five years ago, I believe it was shipped Royal Mail/Canada Post and same dealio as CRC/German sites, $10 brokerage fee + GST. I believe full bikes have 13% duty plus GST (but not PST? Not sure on imported bikes).

Posted by: RAHrider

Anyone here ever buy from Merlin cycles? Wondering about shipping and duties on a bike?

Got a Magura brake set late last year from them. Great price and they shipped PakTrack which is Royal Mail and Canada post. Shipping was about 2 weeks but that was just before Christmas. I paid the expected taxes. I would use them again if they have what I need but they don’t have the best selection  

Bike will incur duty and they may ship DHL for a larger item like a complete bike.

Posted by: Poz

Posted by: RAHrider

Anyone here ever buy from Merlin cycles? Wondering about shipping and duties on a bike?

Got a Magura brake set late last year from them. Great price and they shipped PakTrack which is Royal Mail and Canada post. Shipping was about 2 weeks but that was just before Christmas. I paid the expected taxes. I would use them again if they have what I need but they don’t have the best selection  

Bike will incur duty and they may ship DHL for a larger item like a complete bike.

I just got some drop bars and grip tape from CRC, DHL wanted $100 for tax/customs/processing fee, I self cleared customs at the CBSA on main st., $12 in GST. So it's worth taking the time to self clear (it's easy), if you plan on importing a high cost item.

Posted by: rnayel

Posted by: Poz

Posted by: RAHrider

Anyone here ever buy from Merlin cycles? Wondering about shipping and duties on a bike?

Got a Magura brake set late last year from them. Great price and they shipped PakTrack which is Royal Mail and Canada post. Shipping was about 2 weeks but that was just before Christmas. I paid the expected taxes. I would use them again if they have what I need but they don’t have the best selection  

Bike will incur duty and they may ship DHL for a larger item like a complete bike.

I just got some drop bars and grip tape from CRC, DHL wanted $100 for tax/customs/processing fee, I self cleared customs at the CBSA on main st., $12 in GST. So it's worth taking the time to self clear (it's easy), if you plan on importing a high cost item.

Can you explain how you did this? The brokerage fees can be insane!

So, if I order something and it's shipped by FedEx and they ask me for $150 tax, duties etc, can I go somewhere and just pay the taxes and duties myself rather than paying them a brokerage fee to do it?

Posted by: RAHrider

Posted by: rnayel

Posted by: Poz

Posted by: RAHrider

Anyone here ever buy from Merlin cycles? Wondering about shipping and duties on a bike?

Got a Magura brake set late last year from them. Great price and they shipped PakTrack which is Royal Mail and Canada post. Shipping was about 2 weeks but that was just before Christmas. I paid the expected taxes. I would use them again if they have what I need but they don’t have the best selection

Bike will incur duty and they may ship DHL for a larger item like a complete bike.

I just got some drop bars and grip tape from CRC, DHL wanted $100 for tax/customs/processing fee, I self cleared customs at the CBSA on main st., $12 in GST. So it's worth taking the time to self clear (it's easy), if you plan on importing a high cost item.

Can you explain how you did this? The brokerage fees can be insane!

So, if I order something and it's shipped by FedEx and they ask me for $150 tax, duties etc, can I go somewhere and just pay the taxes and duties myself rather than paying them a brokerage fee to do it?

Yes.

As soon as you receive the carrier's customs charge, you contact the carrier and tell them that you want to self-clear customs and settle your own taxes. Easiest is to call the 1-800 number and ask for contact info for the duties/brokerage office.

The self-clearance process can only be initiated after the package has arrived in Canada. The carrier will send you something called a commercial invoice (shipper is required to provide the carrier this document, it's a summary of the order with the tariff codes) with a clearance slip (from the carrier). You take the commercial invoice and clearance slip along with a printed copy of your confirmation email/invoice to your nearest CBSA/Canada Customs office. The two that I know of in Vancouver are at Main St. & Terminal and at the airport.

You give the clerk at the front desk your ID and paperwork and tell them that you want to process the clearance for an online order for personal use.

Then you stand in line and wait for a customs agent. The agent goes through the paperwork, and drafts you a duties invoice. At this point they will ask you what it is, it's beneficial to have looked up the tariff codes that you think apply (available in a huge PDF on the CBSA's website) as they may ask (only asked once in the 3 times I've done it).

You take the duties invoice for payment at the cashier, then the agent stamps your clearance slip which you scan and email back to the carrier. Usually the package is released for delivery the day after the carrier receives the stamped form.

When I did it last week, I was done in under 10 minutes since the office was empty at 10AM on a Thursday.

Let me know if you want more details.

@rnayel I never had to do this procedure before, but I just got a shock back from DVO USA (sent in for warranty/service) and FEDEX delivered the package without any paperwork/invoice. Then today, a month later, I receive a Fedex invoice for 70$! I bought some gloves (25$) but the rest was shipping fees, parts to fix the shock and labor. From what I've read, only the gloves would incur a customs fee.

Do you know if self-clearing the package at CBSF office works even if Fedex already sent me an invoice? (I have received my shock a month ago and they didn't ask me anything!) Thanks!

Posted by: martin

@rnayel I never had to do this procedure before, but I just got a shock back from DVO USA (sent in for warranty/service) and FEDEX delivered the package without any paperwork/invoice. Then today, a month later, I receive a Fedex invoice for 70$! I bought some gloves (25$) but the rest was shipping fees, parts to fix the shock and labor. From what I've read, only the gloves would incur a customs fee.

Do you know if self-clearing the package at CBSF office works even if Fedex already sent me an invoice? (I have received my shock a month ago and they didn't ask me anything!) Thanks!

no, but you can contact them and tell them that your intention was to self declare the package. Then you ask them to reduce or cancel the FedEx processing fee.

I was caught by the same thing recently, with the invoice coming a month after the delivery. They charged PST on bike parts which are exempt in BC. They couldn't cancel the taxes as they'd already remitted them on my behalf to the CBSA but they could cancel their $50 processing fee, which they did.

Posted by: rnayel

no, but you can contact them and tell them that your intention was to self declare the package. Then you ask them to reduce or cancel the FedEx processing fee.

I was caught by the same thing recently, with the invoice coming a month after the delivery. They charged PST on bike parts which are exempt in BC. They couldn't cancel the taxes as they'd already remitted them on my behalf to the CBSA but they could cancel their $50 processing fee, which they did.

You can request a refund from the CBSA for the PST.

I owed FedEx collections a few hundred years ago.  I just never paid. Zero repercussion

Posted by: rnayel

Posted by: martin

@rnayel I never had to do this procedure before, but I just got a shock back from DVO USA (sent in for warranty/service) and FEDEX delivered the package without any paperwork/invoice. Then today, a month later, I receive a Fedex invoice for 70$! I bought some gloves (25$) but the rest was shipping fees, parts to fix the shock and labor. From what I've read, only the gloves would incur a customs fee.

Do you know if self-clearing the package at CBSF office works even if Fedex already sent me an invoice? (I have received my shock a month ago and they didn't ask me anything!) Thanks!

no, but you can contact them and tell them that your intention was to self declare the package. Then you ask them to reduce or cancel the FedEx processing fee.

I was caught by the same thing recently, with the invoice coming a month after the delivery. They charged PST on bike parts which are exempt in BC. They couldn't cancel the taxes as they'd already remitted them on my behalf to the CBSA but they could cancel their $50 processing fee, which they did.

Thanks, that's good to know! I called FedEx this morning and they told me to send them an email to contest the fees. The CBSA told me I could send the paperwork afterwards to get the taxes refunded, but at this point it's going to be too much time and I'll just try to get FedEx to cancel their processing fees.

bike24.de order placed Aug 21 (Fri night, after beer as is customary when ordering parts), shipped Aug 23, arrived Sept 1. $315CAD no duties/customs fees at all this time. Tires, pump and jersey.

I was just assessed $650 tax and duty for the Raaw Jibb Frame I have inbound, which is well over 20%. Has to be wrong. This was via Canada post so its all cbsa and not fees.

Should be gst + 5% tariff code for bike frames I think. Will see when I get the bill I guess, thanks for the info on customs centers, nice to know there's somewhere to go.

I had a large $700 order from b-c.de a couple of weeks ago and it sailed right through without a charge.

Posted by: ReductiMat

I had a large $700 order from b-c.de a couple of weeks ago and it sailed right through without a charge.

Bruh?