International Business Rules

[Kretz]

I live just a few miles from the Canada- US border. I have often ordered items not available (or cheaper than) here in Canada from US companies, Amazon eBay etc etc...

I have my order shipped to Sumas Wa. & then either drive or walk across the border (at the designated entry/ exit point) collect my item/s & return. I declare items to Canada Customs who then charge me any applicable import duties taxes etc. I also pay any invoice by Credit Card so there is no chance that the supplier won't get paid.

This avoids paying often outrageous international shipping charges, (shipping within US is often free), customs broker fees etc etc

I recently contacted a well known after market rifle stock manufacturer as their terms indicate that:

Orders with a FOREIGN BILL TO ADDRESS & DOMESTIC SHIP TO ADDRESS will NOT be processed!

So I e-mailed to ask if this applied to Canadian Customers, & YES it does!

So, I'd have to pay international shipping fees, PLUS customs duties & taxes (no objections!) but also possible customs brokerage fees (which I do object to)

By the way before anyone says it, this has nothing to do with export restrictions as I did ask & was told that the rifle stocks are not restricted & are therefore not subject to Gov'r export restrictions from the US.

In addition we currently have a Canada Postal Workers dispute ongoing & we're told that there is now a HUGE backlog & that packages currently in the system from foreign addresses may not be delivered until Feb. or even March 2019!

So I wrote back to the company & said sorry but your inflexible attitude just lost you a $200 order. I suspect they really won't care.

Color me frustrated.

 

Edited November 28, 2018 by Kretz

[slowrollwv]

Just wondering. What gun do you need a stock for?

[Kretz]

Thinking of getting a Remington 783 in 223. was just thinking about putting a nicer stock on it. The rifle would be quite usable with the regular supplied stock... but you know what it's like when you see something & think "that looks amazing!"

[RandyR]

A couple of thoughts here.

 

Many companies only ship to the bill-to address.

 

The company you wanted to buy from -may- be under a court order or other US gov't agency agreement not to ship to anyone ordering with a foreign address/US delivery after being involved in some kind of potential legal action involving selling arms/arms-related items to a sanctioned illegal buyer. So you may be caught up in a -ANY- agreement the company has agreed to, to avoid litigation.

[RedRider]

This is not uncommon. In other instances I've seen (Rocky Mountain ATV) it has to do with their agreement with a Canadian distributor.

 

RR

[Kretz]

This is not uncommon. In other instances I've seen (Rocky Mountain ATV) it has to do with their agreement with a Canadian distributor.

 

RR

 

Not sure that's the case here as they would ship directly to me in Canada, but then there's all the add on costs that wouldn't apply if I bring stuff across the border/ customs in person, plus there's this Postal labor action to contend with. Order now & get delivery in Feb or March!

It appears that it's only foreign orders that they won't send to a different address, I guess domestic orders are OK shipping to different ship/ bill addresses.

Other foreign orders are capped at $100 but not Canadian ones. The company says Canadian orders can be up to $500 with no Gov't permissions required.

Ah Well! As my old Mom used to say worse things happen at sea! LOL

Edited November 29, 2018 by Kretz

[Sailor]

I think it might have something to do with firearms. I travel quite a bit and for many years have never been checked at the border. Recently a multi millionaire land developer bought the property next to our local rod and gun club. It has been a part of the community for 102 years and this guy has set out to destroy it so he can build a development next door. My wife and I both joined to support the club. I bought a couple guns to take part in events. Now whenever I go through the border I always get checked as does my wife. The RCMP notified customs so we are on their list.

Several times I have bought motorcycle parts by mail order from J&P in the states. They always arrived at my door within a week with no extra charges or problems.

It might also be the policy of the company you are dealing with. I have heard of American companies refusing to ship to, or accept orders from Canada.

[Kretz]

I think it might have something to do with firearms. I travel quite a bit and for many years have never been checked at the border. Recently a multi millionaire land developer bought the property next to our local rod and gun club. It has been a part of the community for 102 years and this guy has set out to destroy it so he can build a development next door. My wife and I both joined to support the club. I bought a couple guns to take part in events. Now whenever I go through the border I always get checked as does my wife. The RCMP notified customs so we are on their list.

Several times I have bought motorcycle parts by mail order from J&P in the states. They always arrived at my door within a week with no extra charges or problems.

It might also be the policy of the company you are dealing with. I have heard of American companies refusing to ship to, or accept orders from Canada.

 

Thanks but, That's not the case in this instance. They DO accept orders from & ship to Canada.

It's absolutely nothing to do with firearms & nothing to do with shipping to Canada.

The company has informed me that there is absolutely NO problem with shipping directly to Canada & there are also NO US export restrictions (or paperwork) below $500. Countries other than Canada that value is only $100.

The problem is having items shipped to anywhere other than the billing address BUT ONLY on Foreign orders!

As for the RCMP & customs thing, I & many friends cross the border & have never been singled out for checks other than the usual border crossing queries.

I'm also well aware of the problems On SSI with their Rod & Gun Club. It's a shame, but afaik an agreement has been reached between the club & the "neighbour" on that score & the club is operating with some restrictions on shooting times & noise.

I too have ordered stuff from other US suppliers & had no problems whatsoever.

I'm not looking for any answers here, there are none, the company just has that peculiar policy, It was just me having a moan & a gripe!

[Sailor]

I do find it rather odd that for many years I never got checked but since joining the Rod and Gun I have been singled out every time. Each time the first thing they ask about are guns.

Saltspring Rod And Gun......There is no agreement with the neighbors. The multimillionaire developer, who brags about his ties to Asian money, has been suing the club for over three years now. He is backing two other neighbours in lawsuits. We estimate he has spent about $ 1,000,000.00 on lawsuits. One idiot judge decided we can not make any noise louder than a conversation. He based this on regulations in other countries where they must use silencers. Silencers are illegal in Canada. This millionaires step son is a deputy director of the Ministry of the Environment in BC. The MoE has insisted on an overwhelming number of tests, all of which are very expensive and have proved there is no pollution leaving the property. This has cost the club an incredible amount of money. The MoE has banned any movement of soil and a judge has ordered us to build berms to redirect the noise. The latest threat is that if the developer manages to shut us down then the MoE can sue the board of directors and all their heirs and relatives going back 100 years. We are a small club with about 80-100 members. We have a lot of community support but that does not help financially. We have gone from being debt free to being deep in debt and at the end of our rope. We are currently allowed to shoot trap 4 hour per week and may use the indoor range since it is soundproofed.

[Kretz]

I do find it rather odd that for many years I never got checked but since joining the Rod and Gun I have been singled out every time. Each time the first thing they ask about are guns.

Saltspring Rod And Gun......There is no agreement with the neighbors. The multimillionaire developer, who brags about his ties to Asian money, has been suing the club for over three years now. He is backing two other neighbours in lawsuits. We estimate he has spent about $ 1,000,000.00 on lawsuits. One idiot judge decided we can not make any noise louder than a conversation. He based this on regulations in other countries where they must use silencers. Silencers are illegal in Canada. This millionaires step son is a deputy director of the Ministry of the Environment in BC. The MoE has insisted on an overwhelming number of tests, all of which are very expensive and have proved there is no pollution leaving the property. This has cost the club an incredible amount of money. The MoE has banned any movement of soil and a judge has ordered us to build berms to redirect the noise. The latest threat is that if the developer manages to shut us down then the MoE can sue the board of directors and all their heirs and relatives going back 100 years. We are a small club with about 80-100 members. We have a lot of community support but that does not help financially. We have gone from being debt free to being deep in debt and at the end of our rope. We are currently allowed to shoot trap 4 hour per week and may use the indoor range since it is soundproofed.

 

Most people at the border are asked "How long have you been away? Where did you go? Any purchases?" "Any Firearms, Ammunition?", "Any Alcohol or Tobacco?" they are the standard things they ask most folks. I don't think you have been singled out particularly. Unless of course you just look suspicious LOL

Re the club: My bad, I understood from the website last time I looked that the Gun club problems had been sorted & that agreements had been reached. Sadly it looks like our justice system fubars again! So sorry to hear that! Anyone who expects nothing louder than conversation noise at a gun club is just but if it's left to our PM there won't be any gun clubs left at all in Canada.

Has anyone thought of launching a Go Fund Me Page?

 

I had a similar experience in the UK. A developer bought a rural farm property, close to mine, converted the buildings/ barns etc into multiple living accommodations, the people who later bought these properties then tried to launch lawsuits because............ Sheep in the fields around them were bleating & spoiling their enjoyment of the countryside!!! FFS There really are too many stupid people in this world!

Thankfully in the UK Judges told them the farms & the sheep were there before you bought the property... Suck it up Princess!

[djh3]

I had a fellow online racer that lived in Quebec. For a while there he had several months he had a birthday and I would send him "gifts" Similar problem with tariffs etc. So would ship to my place and I would forward.

[Graywulf]

Most people at the border are asked "How long have you been away? Where did you go? Any purchases?" "Any Firearms, Ammunition?", "Any Alcohol or Tobacco?" they are the standard things they ask most folks. I don't think you have been singled out particularly. Unless of course you just look suspicious LOL

Re the club: My bad, I understood from the website last time I looked that the Gun club problems had been sorted & that agreements had been reached. Sadly it looks like our justice system fubars again! So sorry to hear that! Anyone who expects nothing louder than conversation noise at a gun club is just but if it's left to our PM there won't be any gun clubs left at all in Canada.

Has anyone thought of launching a Go Fund Me Page?

 

I had a similar experience in the UK. A developer bought a rural farm property, close to mine, converted the buildings/ barns etc into multiple living accommodations, the people who later bought these properties then tried to launch lawsuits because............ Sheep in the fields around them were bleating & spoiling their enjoyment of the countryside!!! FFS There really are too many stupid people in this world!

Thankfully in the UK Judges told them the farms & the sheep were there before you bought the property... Suck it up Princess!

 

Yeh,

gotta love the world that's being created. We had/have an instance here in NZ {Auckland} where a venue called Western Springs was sued by neighbours to prevent excess noise etc, and they won. Beauty is? Their houses have been build around the venue over several years. The 'Springs used to be well away from residential properties. The 'here first' situation didn't mean a thing.

Here in Wellington? I work in the Rail industry, and all of a sudden one of the local urban lines had complaints about 'whistle and wheel noise' from residents. {The line has only been there a hundred years}. The operating company has had to 'quieten' the loud horn by around 50%, and spent/still spending large sums on reducing 'wheel squeal'. The whole idea of a 'LOUD horn' is to MAKE people aware of an approaching train.

[Sailor]

There are a number of ferries serving our gulf islands. Federal safety regulations mandate they give three blasts on the horn when backing out of the dock. They must also sound the fog horn when in deep fog which sometimes happen in the fall. Due to complaints from people who have recently built houses near the terminals they are instructed not to sound the horn. A violation of federal law. The captains usually sound the horn anyway.

[Kretz]

There are a number of ferries serving our gulf islands. Federal safety regulations mandate they give three blasts on the horn when backing out of the dock. They must also sound the fog horn when in deep fog which sometimes happen in the fall. Due to complaints from people who have recently built houses near the terminals they are instructed not to sound the horn. A violation of federal law. The captains usually sound the horn anyway.

 

Instructed by whom?

I would think that International Maritime (not just Canadian Federal) shipping safety rules overrule any whining locals. Imagine if a collision ensued due to not warning another vessel what your intentions are. Oh Boy would the Captain/ Pilot be in trouble!

We have lots of trains here in the Lower mainland there horns can be heard literally miles way day & night. My noise complaint though are vehicles with backup beepers, I can understand it on an industrial site or on big trucks. Recently we had a tractor digger working in the completely EMPTY field behind our place. Beep, Beep Beep, Beep Beep, on & off all f'ing day! Every time he put the damn thing in reverse! I've now heard them on some domestic caravan type vehicles.

The guy that came up with that thing should have one permanently inserted somewhere painful!

We really are turning into a world of idiots.

[Sailor]

BCFC has had many exemptions from safety regulations.

With 700 managers for 4000 employees you would think the could find someone who has a clue.......nope

Eg Contract was coming up so a team of managers decided they would come over and run the ferry. It takes the engineers 20 minutes to fire up the engines. Two hours later we were still waiting. They finally gave up.

A manager decided to come over and show us how to load the ship. It took him all of 5 minutes to screw it up so badly it took us over two hours to get things straitened out.

A manager decided that since the year round average load on one ferry was 27 cars ( it was making a profit at that) he would replace the 65 car ferry with a 27 car ferry. He could not grasp the concept of "average load".

I could go on but to be fair the current management is moving away from building colossal white elephants they can't afford to run towards smaller, cheaper and more useful ferries.

[djh3]

Here in the states, I have been in auto racing of different sorts since as long as I can remember. I cant even begin to tell you how many local Saturday night short tracks have been lost to the same thing. Tracks build out where nobody is. Several years later the McMansions start moving in and around and ***** about noise. Da hey dummy they were there before what makes you think its gonna be any different.

[slowrollwv]

That was tried here at our local gun club, an Izaac Walton club. Guy bought the farm that bordered on the upper and back side of the club. When he got older he started to sell off the farm to be developed first the upper side and they built two houses with in 100 yards of the 200 yard rifle range. The new owners and the farmer tried to get the range shut down but the state and local government said no to their petitions as the club had been grand fathered in. We have a high berm on the upper side with pine trees and a 40 foot high berm for a back stop. I guess what helped our club the most is that the state, county and city police use our club on a regular bassis.

[baylensman]

Yeh,

gotta love the world that's being created. We had/have an instance here in NZ {Auckland} where a venue called Western Springs was sued by neighbours to prevent excess noise etc, and they won. Beauty is? Their houses have been build around the venue over several years. The 'Springs used to be well away from residential properties. The 'here first' situation didn't mean a thing.

Here in Wellington? I work in the Rail industry, and all of a sudden one of the local urban lines had complaints about 'whistle and wheel noise' from residents. {The line has only been there a hundred years}. The operating company has had to 'quieten' the loud horn by around 50%, and spent/still spending large sums on reducing 'wheel squeal'. The whole idea of a 'LOUD horn' is to MAKE people aware of an approaching train.

A great example is the local (Tampa) airport. it was originally built and laid out in swamp land far to the north and west of the city. over the past 30 years business (air freight and such) grew around it. leading to better roads, so now we get smaller business (dinners car repairs etc) Followed closely by cheap apartments and tract homes. Now we have bigger money moving in and tract homes and apartments being torn down for mcMansions. Now the hot polio wants the airport moved from "their" beautiful community!

 

Actually in my old home town we had a Blue club( girls and beer) open out in the sticks i mean 5 miles or so after the last streetlamp on a dusty two lane black top. Cows would wander the street. Well a while after the club opens a guy opens a convince store across from the pub. Made a fortune selling coffee breath mints and very expensive flowers! Well with in a year a gas station and a burger shack. developer buys a farmer out and drops in tract homes and all of sudden the nudie bar is ordinated out as being to close to a family community. with in a year of the pub closing so di the gas station and convince store.

 

rules is rules and are made by them that don't have to follow them.

[luvmy40]

Kretz,

 

I know you said you are not looking for a solution, but I'd be happy to middle man the transaction for you. It would add a few $ in paypal fees, but it would put the stock at your U.S. pick up point and eliminate the Canadian Post issues.

 

PM me if you want to pursue it.

[saddlebum]

Recently a multi millionaire land developer bought the property next to our local rod and gun club. It has been a part of the community for 102 years and this guy has set out to destroy it so he can build a development next door. My wife and I both joined to support the club. I bought a couple guns to take part in events. Now whenever I go through the border I always get checked as does my wife. The RCMP notified customs so we are on their list.

 

Saltspring Rod And Gun......There is no agreement with the neighbors. The multimillionaire developer, who brags about his ties to Asian money, has been suing the club for over three years now. He is backing two other neighbours in lawsuits. We estimate he has spent about $ 1,000,000.00 on lawsuits. One idiot judge decided we can not make any noise louder than a conversation. He based this on regulations in other countries where they must use silencers. Silencers are illegal in Canada. This millionaires step son is a deputy director of the Ministry of the Environment in BC. The MoE has insisted on an overwhelming number of tests, all of which are very expensive and have proved there is no pollution leaving the property. This has cost the club an incredible amount of money. The MoE has banned any movement of soil and a judge has ordered us to build berms to redirect the noise. The latest threat is that if the developer manages to shut us down then the MoE can sue the board of directors and all their heirs and relatives going back 100 years. We are a small club with about 80-100 members. We have a lot of community support but that does not help financially. We have gone from being debt free to being deep in debt and at the end of our rope. We are currently allowed to shoot trap 4 hour per week and may use the indoor range since it is soundproofed.

 

It has always irritated me that just because someone is wealthy they feel it is their God given right to disrupt and interfere with other peoples lives. Its interesting how your are allowed to use money and lawyers to destroy lives yet punch someone who deserved it on the nose and you get charged with assault.