Paying duty on items shipped into Canada?

I could use a little help with your experiences with the duty and fees that get charged on stuff purchased from USA and shipped into Canada.

In theory, there's a de minimimis duty cutoff on items into Canada via courier (mail, UPS, etc) of $150. So below that amount, only GST/PST should be charged, not the extra 18% duty on my particular item. But I've had customers get dinged for duty on amounts less than that via USPS/Canada Post shipping. UPS hits people with crazy fees, so I avoid that. FedEx is generally a train wreck, so I avoid that, too.

What have you all found in terms of getting charged with duty? Any tips for avoiding fees that you shouldn't be charged?

Thanks!

Justin

I use Jenson a fair bit and they use UPS, but all taxes are collected in advance so you know what you are paying before you give them your money. 

When I have used Canada Post/DHL/UPS/FEDEX I typically get charged just GST/PST + a brokerage fee. It's quite rare that I have paid any duties on bike stuff I ordered from the US or UK [the two places I order from].

USPS/Canada post is the best option when available, but they have size limitations and some companies will only use a courier service. On frames from the UK I typically have to use DHL. Going by memory I have paid something like $18-$25CAD for that service and it's not much of a concern on a frame that costs $1K+.

Customs transactions can be somewhat random. I've had $1K of carbon rims from China show up on my door with no customs review/payment at all. I've had other small packages get held up charged when they typically go through. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about it and I just accept that's part of the process if I want something from outside Canada. I figure the times I win offset the times I lose.

My understanding is that for bike parts, there is no duty. No PST in BC. there should only be a GST payable. Exceptions are complete bikes and wheel sets. Maybe other things too? Some couriers companies charge a $50 brokerage fee on top of charging duty and taxes that should not be charged. Not sure who pockets all those fees. I always try and buy local or from a Canadian on line shop. If it’s not available from those sources then I’ll chose postal service for delivery. More often than not I get the package with no taxes or other charges payable. Once Canada Post (or CBSA) over taxed me on something and I got a refund later. 

I ordered some MTX brake pads from Utah last month. Tracking the shipment was comical. Sandy Utah to LA. LA to Seattle and a week and a half later. Seattle back to LA. Then back to Seattle. Then to Canada. Package misdirected and finally showed up in my mailbox almost a month after I placed the order. No charges.