Can anyone in Canada help me with a HVX200?

[dalethompson]

I'm looking for someone from Canada to help me out with a Panasonic HVX200.

Before I get hate mail or lectures on this, please try to know I'm a good person who follows rules and the law to a fault. Only this time, I need help because I'm in a tight situation and I'm not sure how I will get out of it.

I purchased a HVX200 from a member here on this site. I paid $4100 U.S. for it and had it sent up from the states. The guy I bought it from put the value of it on the box for insurance. Canada customs, of course, is charging me $575.00 to clear it and have it delivered to me. This is on top of the $130.00 I paid to have this shipped up.

Here's my problem: The $575.00 is a lot of money, it really is. I know, I won't get any sympathy from anyone because I just spent $4100 on a camera. However, I'm being charged $575.00 because Customs thinks this doesn't fall under the Free Trade Agreement and I'm subjected to tax on it. However they want to justify it, hey, I can't change it.

The story though takes a bit of a turn and this is where I hope people understand why I'm trying to get out of paying the $575.00. Turns out (after a call today) that Canada Post actually determined I should pay this fee, not Customs. They are trying to get me to pay it, which is why the Canada Post delivery guy got pissed at me when I refused the package last Friday. He asked me three times if I wanted to write him a cheque or get him the money from a bank machine around the corner from my house. He knew Canada Post would get the money without having this fee contested, which I'm glad I didn't pay.

Back in August 2007, I got married. My wife and I moved during our honeymoon and had our mail redirected for the rest of the year (from our old address to our new one). Turns out, we never got one piece of mail at all in four months! Canada Post lost all of our mail during this time period and had no idea where it went. We lost our marriage licence, wedding gifts, wedding cards (including cheques), bills, a parking fine which doubled because I didn't pay it, ebay money orders (for a total of $150), my car insurance tags and even my wife's insurance for her practice. We estimated we were out about $1500 Cdn. for all the lost items and even that is possibly low because we don't know how much the gifts were retail. We were embarrassed because we had to go back to certain people and ask them what we got for a gift and told them what had happened to our mail. Canada Post admitted in a formal letter they screwed up and had no idea where our mail when. They ended off the letter saying they were not responsible for our losses though, no matter what the cost we were out. We launched a formal investigative appeal with the Ombudsman for Canada Post and even they concluded Canada Post was at fault but under the Canadian Constitution, they weren't liable for any losses we incurred at all.

Long story short, Canada Post wants me to pay $575.00 to have my camera signed into Canada but they technically owe me at least three times that amount in losing my mail. Do I think it's fair? Not at all, and this is why I need help with this.

Does anyone have a copy of receipt for an HVX200 they could scan for me? If I can show I bought this camera in Canada, then I won't have to pay Canada Post $575.00 to get this out of Customs. I know this is wrong but considering what I went through with them, I don't think what they did to me was right either and this should be payback for losing everything I did last year.

As well, please don't judge me for this. I really am an upstanding citizen here in Toronto. I'm no saint, I admit, but I pay taxes, pick up after my dog, let people in during traffic and even hold doors open for people too lol. It just bothers me that I'm out an awful lot of money to a corporation who has me right where they want me and doesn't play by the rules with people.

Please, no hate mail either, I'm already feeling guilty about posting this.

[Nexis]

Dude,

Sorry to hear about your trials and tribulations.

If I were you I'd pay the $575 ransom and then go after Canada Post in Small Claims Court - not just for the $575 but for your other losses as well.

When faced with a potential claim, they assess whether it is worth it (and if so, how much) to try to settle the claim rather than litigate it. You may get something out of it for nuisance value.

And if they don't agree to compensate you at all, see what the Small Claims Court judge thinks. Their jurisdiction is up to $10,000.

Good luck. :)

[Nexis]

Btw, although Canada Post is collecting the $575, they are required by law to do so under customs and excise legislation, so the money isn't really going to them. It's going to the Receiver General.

Furthermore, I believe that the customs receipt that you get with the package has information on it about either contesting the tax or asking for a refund (although the reasons for refunds ae pretty limited).

[dalethompson]

Nexis:

You raise a few good points indeed., thanks for this. I feel slimy right now pondering such a thing like being deceitful but I feel like I've been so screwed over in the last year.

I kinda knew Canada Post acts as an agent for Canada Customs but they should've just let it pass on through. The camera isn't registered to the previous owner and there's nothing to indicate I actually purchased it. The only reason they taxed it was because of the $4100 tag on it, which is the retail value and was insured for that amount.

I should go the Small Claims court route too. I mean, it's such a farce to say you screwed up but you're not accountable because they have no idea how much I lost. Isn't that their job? Canada Post only has one focus... moving mail from point A to point B. Isn't really difficult or complicated really when you think about it.

I hated dealing with Canada Post too in the past. In fact, I lost it on the guy when he delivered it last Friday because of his attitude. The first words out of his mouth were "I hope you brought your chequebook, this is going to be expensive for you!" What a loser! He was laughing as he said it too... yeah, like it's pretty funny to be charged that amount when you just spent a whack of $$$ to get the item in the first place.

I'm just sick of the attitude Canada Post has exhibited towards myself and my wife. They are sarcastic and defensive, even though we didn't do anything wrong. You ask them a question and they stare at you with a blank expression. You tell them to refund the losses we incurred and they just laugh and call it "ridiculous". They hide behind the constitutional act like cowards because they screw up all the time, yet, they take no responsibility in correcting it.

*sigh* I guess I'm gonna have to pony up the $575.00 and see if I can go after them for the rest of the things we lost. All I wanted to do was get a receipt, scan it, change the serial numbers on the sheet in photoshop and then present it as my own. Deceitful, yes, but it doesn't seem so bad when I'm out a lot of money previous to this.

[Nexis]

Just curious: what kind of stuff are you planning on filming?

[markyf]

You can thank ebay for this. You never used to get charged duty when it said "gift" but since every ebay seller was putting this down, I think they consider pretty much everything a commercial transaction when it crosses the border. Pisses me off too. I wouldn't get too sneaky... remember you're dealing with the government essentially.

[justgottogetone]

suck s to know the church and the government are the worst criminals of all time , the challenge is to find the loopholes . there are many us address sites where you anything you receive you can maintain , like insurance .

[Pierre Petit]

is it duty or regular sales tax?

[jetaddiction@mac.com]

sounds like the $575, would be the $30 brokerage and both taxes. i buy lots of u.s. products and have them shipped to a p.o box close to the border. the hop on a 2hr ferry cross the border and pick them up . way easier border crossing . but ups works if you need right away. my redrock matte box came next day air and i had to pay just the $100 taxes. most air freight includes the brokerage fee. never send canada post.

[jetaddiction@mac.com]

have a 2x and a.7 wide century lens i could sell you for your new hvx200. canada to canada no drama . have moved up to hpx170. good luck.

[Pierre Petit]

im interested in the 2x !

[Pierre Petit]

It's normal to pay sales tax. As for brokerage fees sometimes you think they forgot to charge you but you get a bill in the mail later, that usually happens with fedex.

[dalethompson]

I'll try to answer questions one at a time haha:

Nexis: A documentary on a Professor at U or T here in Toronto :)

markyf: I totally agree (I'm an ebay addict). And, yes, the government doesn't mess around I'm finding out either... they want their money :(

justgottogetone: I'm trying to find a loophole right now, it's hard :(

Pierre Petit: Sales tax, 14% on the retail value declared on the insurance form for shipping

jetaddiction: next time, I will drive to the U.S. myself, a good road trip nevertheless (if it's in the Northeast U.S.). If I get out of this with some money left, I may take you up on your lens too.

I think the $575.00 is everything included, who knows at this point. Customs have been pretty cool about it though in my conversations with them, it's Canada Post that's got the major attitude problem right now.

[Pierre Petit]

i'm planning a trip to us as well.....thinking about the hpx170 with the free 16gb p2 it's really a no brainer....just the canadian dollar took a dive so it's not as much a good deal as it was 2 weeks ago.
Were do you plan to buy yours....spec com is about a 10 hours drive from montreal.

[SPrimeau]

As other said, when you import duties, you have to pay both taxes plus a broker fee on Canadian dollar value. Canada post usually ask 8$ but it can be more if you use UPS.

UPS ground has a high broker fee. If you use international express methods, broker fees are included except a small 0.2 %.

[Eagle-I]

I wouldnt suggest trying to make up a fake invoice. Canada Customs and Revenue are suspicious by nature and will most likely challenge you on it. And they love to catch you then penalize you. Don't try doctoring the invoice for a 'discount' either, they will look up on the net what the item goes for retail and then ask you to prove you didnt pay full value. If only they were as good at stopping guns coming into the country as they are at getting every last dollar from the average citizen.
It sucks but the best thing is just to bend over and pay the taxes. There should be no duty.
I just imported a HPX-170 and had to pay up at the border.

[dalethompson]

Eagle-I:

My first instinct was to try and fool them but now I know better after taking a step back and re-evaluating everything. Is a $5000 fine worth it to save $574.00 (plus harrassment for the rest of my life with incoming shipments)? No way, I'm frugal but even then, I gotta just pay up and suck it up right now. I agree too, they live for fraud and investigating things too, so no doubt they'd be up for the challenge of this. In the end, I'd probably stress myself out too much over this anyway to be sane at the end of it haha.

What was I thinking with duplicating documents???

[Blackout]

Maybe I'm just a rebel but I say screw the postal mounties and fake the documents.

[dalethompson]

Hey, I actually just have a question for anyone to answer:

What does the HVX200 serial number start with? My camera is still in customs and if I can show I registered this camera under my name, they may not charge me a thing in the end (customs is being OK about this right now).

I can only make out the last seven digits of the serial number from the camera right now... anyone know how it's supposed to start off for an HVX200?

I may not have to forge a thing :)