Customs - Mississauga?

[ancorp]

From what I heard, if a parcel from HongKong is stopped at customs, it ends up in Vancouver first, is that true? As my parcel says it's in Mississauga, ON already - "International item has arrived in Canada"

Has it cleared?

Cheers,
Alex

[Griffin]

I believe the customs office is in Mississauga, same building as CP warehouse or close to it.

[Danke]

If you have an Intl airport near there then that's where it would go.

I can only see them routing Sea Freight through Vancouver.

[ancorp]

Alright thanks guys

[Griffin]

CP will have an update saying if it gets sent to Customs for inspection but, it can take a day or so for them to update. Sometimes you don;t even get a update on website, hear a knock at your door and theres your package.

I just had my package arrive today after spending 3 days in customs, along with a nice $12 fee.

[Syn]

Related question:
In this article http://www.thestar.com/article/281890

"Then there's the problem of clearing customs.Do you pay a private courier service, like UPS Canada, a customs brokerage fee, which can run between $20 and $70, to expedite it for your? Or do you ship through the postal service, which charges a flat $5 fee, but may take longer to deliver? Or do you avoid the fees altogether by making a trip to the customs office in Mississauga?"

Does this mean we can go to the Mississagua sortation plant to do the customs paperwork and have much lower fee? Anyone have the experience?

[ancorp]

IMO just use USPS whenever possible and pay the $5 fee, it's cheaper then driving down there and back (for most)

[Syn]

Originally Posted by ancorp

IMO just use USPS whenever possible and pay the $5 fee, it's cheaper then driving down there and back (for most)

+1 thats what I do especially with ebay stuff. But sometimes there is no USPS option even when I ask them for it.

[Griffin]

Canada Post charges $8fee which is what I was charged today. The other $4 dollars was taxes and duties.

[yanhchan]

LOL I told you your antonio bandares doll wouldn't get through.

[Jugglez]

Originally Posted by Syn

Related question:
In this article http://www.thestar.com/article/281890

"Then there's the problem of clearing customs.Do you pay a private courier service, like UPS Canada, a customs brokerage fee, which can run between $20 and $70, to expedite it for your? Or do you ship through the postal service, which charges a flat $5 fee, but may take longer to deliver? Or do you avoid the fees altogether by making a trip to the customs office in Mississauga?"

Does this mean we can go to the Mississagua sortation plant to do the customs paperwork and have much lower fee? Anyone have the experience?

You can choose to broker your own shipments, it's your right. You just need to let the courier know a head of time... expect a wait time of 45 minutes to several hours at the CBSA office. Some days it's like a zoo. When you broker your own shipment there is no brokerage fee, because you are doing it yourself.


If it's coming through CP I would just pay the $5 or $8 brokerage and let them them do it.

[Syn]

Originally Posted by Jugglez

You can choose to broker your own shipments, it's your right. You just need to let the courier know a head of time... expect a wait time of 45 minutes to several hours at the CBSA office. Some days it's like a zoo. When you broker your own shipment there is no brokerage fee, because you are doing it yourself.


If it's coming through CP I would just pay the $5 or $8 brokerage and let them them do it.

thanks for the info.
So the CBSA office has nothing to do with the CP sortation plant in Mississauga? For sure $8 with CP I would let them do it. But UPS are rip off artists, a few years back I got dinged $60 on a $180 order from the states, but I thought the only way to do the work myself was to go to the border to get the parcel with paperwork.

For example if I had a UPS parcel, I can go to the CBSA office office to do the brokerage work and get my parcel?

edit ok found it
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/l...ice1225-e.html

edit 2 Actually it is very close if not part of the same CP sortation building.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...&t=h&z=17&om=1

[Hectic]

Originally Posted by Syn

thanks for the info.
So the CBSA office has nothing to do with the CP sortation plant in Mississauga? For sure $8 with CP I would let them do it. But UPS are rip off artists, a few years back I got dinged $60 on a $180 order from the states, but I thought the only way to do the work myself was to go to the border to get the parcel with paperwork.

For example if I had a UPS parcel, I can go to the CBSA office office to do the brokerage work and get my parcel?

edit ok found it
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/l...ice1225-e.html

edit 2 Actually it is very close if not part of the same CP sortation building.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...&t=h&z=17&om=1

+1 on the UPS they got me for $25.00 on a pacage that cost me $23.00...
so much for saving money buying overseas.

[Styrak]

I've gotten things that have gone through customs, and have been held there, and I've never had any extra fees. I must just be lucky.

[Jugglez]

Originally Posted by Syn

thanks for the info.
So the CBSA office has nothing to do with the CP sortation plant in Mississauga? For sure $8 with CP I would let them do it. But UPS are rip off artists, a few years back I got dinged $60 on a $180 order from the states, but I thought the only way to do the work myself was to go to the border to get the parcel with paperwork.

For example if I had a UPS parcel, I can go to the CBSA office office to do the brokerage work and get my parcel?

edit ok found it
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/l...ice1225-e.html

edit 2 Actually it is very close if not part of the same CP sortation building.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...&t=h&z=17&om=1

I believe that office is for incoming shipments handled by CP... where CBSA brokers work and inspectors do their examinations.

if you have a parcel coming in from UPS, Fedex or other courier it will be a different office. The main one for the GTA is on Britannia in Mississauga on the Pearson grounds.

Either way if you want to broker your own shipment, once you have the tracking from the sender, call into the courier immediately and tell them you want to broker it yourself.

They will call you once it reaches the Point of Entry and they'll tell you where you can complete the paperwork for CBSA.