I can't really think of a better place to put this post, but here goes.
On Audiogon--a pair of speakers were listed for sale in Windsor, Ontario. We are a border town. Rather than shipping, I had considered having the seller drive across the border to meet me on the other side, which of course I would have compensated him for. The sale expired, so the deal won't happen. At least, not this time. By the next one, I should have either my enhanced license or passport on hand. I do not want to rule out an area so close that I can drive to it.
For future reference though, how are cross-border private sales handled in terms of customs, duties, etc.? I mean, heck, I could loan something expensive to a person on Ontario, and bring it back across the border. Or I could buy it, and claim the sale was at a far lower value. Do they take our word for this? How do we prove we own something? I realize we can get a receipt from a seller, and there is no reason why the seller wouldn't put a low value on a receipt to help things out. Within reason, of course. Saying a pair of expensive speakers is $80 won't work, but saying $300 or $400 might fly.
Shipping from Windsor to the US is kind of pointless--there is the chance for damage, the cost of it, the hassle of having the seller box them up, etc. For a half hour drive (minus bridge or tunnel traffic delays), that would be a waste.
So anyway, I'm curious to see if anyone here has done this, where the in-person sale was made and the item personally brought across the border. The Internets turn up nothing useful, other than the usual shtick about amounts we are allowed to buy and bring back to the US with us. I am also concerned about some of the power-tripped customs agents we have here.
On Audiogon--a pair of speakers were listed for sale in Windsor, Ontario. We are a border town. Rather than shipping, I had considered having the seller drive across the border to meet me on the other side, which of course I would have compensated him for. The sale expired, so the deal won't happen. At least, not this time. By the next one, I should have either my enhanced license or passport on hand. I do not want to rule out an area so close that I can drive to it.
For future reference though, how are cross-border private sales handled in terms of customs, duties, etc.? I mean, heck, I could loan something expensive to a person on Ontario, and bring it back across the border. Or I could buy it, and claim the sale was at a far lower value. Do they take our word for this? How do we prove we own something? I realize we can get a receipt from a seller, and there is no reason why the seller wouldn't put a low value on a receipt to help things out. Within reason, of course. Saying a pair of expensive speakers is $80 won't work, but saying $300 or $400 might fly.
Shipping from Windsor to the US is kind of pointless--there is the chance for damage, the cost of it, the hassle of having the seller box them up, etc. For a half hour drive (minus bridge or tunnel traffic delays), that would be a waste.
So anyway, I'm curious to see if anyone here has done this, where the in-person sale was made and the item personally brought across the border. The Internets turn up nothing useful, other than the usual shtick about amounts we are allowed to buy and bring back to the US with us. I am also concerned about some of the power-tripped customs agents we have here.