Canada shipping question

[robertk]

How’s this for off topic?

Suppose I sell an item to someone in Canada (I’m in the US). The item probably has a sales tax or VAT or whatever it is. Now suppose the recipient is in the hospital and unable to respond when the Canada postal service says they have a package. What will happen to the package? Does it hang around and wait some number of days? Or do they send it back? Or something else?

(This isn’t just hypothetical, it is actually a situation that is presently happening to a family member and she’s worried about what happens to the package.)

 

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[Marino13]

Is there someone else that can accept it, or pick it up? Are you talking post office or fed ex?

 

[robertk]

Is there someone else that can accept it, or pick it up? Are you talking post office or fed ex?

It’s post office, not FedEx. And the only person that we know of who could pick it up has basically said they’re staying at the hospital 24/7 until they’re sure the person is safe (and I don’t blame them for that in the slightest — I would be the same). But we have no idea how long that might be.

 

[Marino13]

Ask the post office you're making from. They will know.

 

[Marino13]

Ask the post office you're making from. They will know.

Mailing from

 

[robertk]

Ask the post office you're making from. They will know.

I’m sure that’s the next step. But in my experience, the postal service is pretty clueless about their own operations, much less those of another country. But we’ll ask.

 

[pepperj]

How’s this for off topic?

Suppose I sell an item to someone in Canada (I’m in the US). The item probably has a sales tax or VAT or whatever it is. Now suppose the recipient is in the hospital and unable to respond when the Canada postal service says they have a package. What will happen to the package? Does it hang around and wait some number of days? Or do they send it back? Or something else?

(This isn’t just hypothetical, it is actually a situation that is presently happening to a family member and she’s worried about what happens to the package.)

At the post office you probably will have to declare a value of the parcel.
Under a certain amount it will just get through as it's not a big ticket item.
Though if the item was marked personal gift no value they wouldn't be putting the duties on it.
Marked $300 then it would be $60+ in duties and taxes.
Then the recipient of the parcel has to go to the postal station and pick up and remit payment.
Hope this helps.
If you need anymore information I can call over to the post office and ask them.

 

[Bucket Lister]

Wasn't NAFTA supposed to get rid of all that 💩?

 

[robertk]

At the post office you probably will have to declare a value of the parcel.
Under a certain amount it will just get through as it's not a big ticket item.
Though if the item was marked personal gift no value they wouldn't be putting the duties on it.
Marked $300 then it would be $60+ in duties and taxes.

I don't know what the value was, but I do know it wasn't a gift. Probably a few hundred dollars.

Then the recipient of the parcel has to go to the postal station and pick up and remit payment.

That's the part we're worried about. We got a call from a member of the recipient's family informing us that the was in the hospital and not doing well, and this particular family member said they could care less about the incoming parcel and was not going to do anything about it. I'm guessing the postal service will eventually send it back?

If you need anymore information I can call over to the post office and ask them.

I appreciate that, but don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll go to the post office here today and see what (if anything) they can tell us about it. (I say "we" -- I'm just peripherally involved, but I got pulled into it because I'm the problem solver. My gut reaction is just wait and either the person will get out of the hospital and go get it, or they won't and it'll be returned. But my gut reaction isn't enough to satisfy the family member. They're a bit more high strung than I am.)

 

[robertk]

Well predictably, the post office here was no help, but did say it would probably come back if not picked up.

And also predictably, the person either got out of the hospital or got someone else to go get it, because it was picked up today and is in the hands of the recipient.

As is often the case with this particular family member, lots of drama over nothing. Sorry for the digression.

Now to go see if my metal detector is charged up....

 

[ArfieBoy]

No need to apologize. We all have questions in this hobby, and it never hurts to ask. Good chance somebody has an answer!