Buying in Canada

hotroad · #1 11-11-2019, 05:23 PM

Has anyone bought a guitar in Canada and had it shipped to the US? I have found a guitar I really like at a dealer in Canada and would like to know anyone's experience with this. The dealer says he ships with USPS to the US. Any problems to be aware of? Any delays across the border? Etc.

chippygreen · #2 11-11-2019, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotroad

Has anyone bought a guitar in Canada and had it shipped to the US? I have found a guitar I really like at a dealer in Canada and would like to know anyone's experience with this. The dealer says he ships with USPS to the US. Any problems to be aware of? Any delays across the border? Etc.

This worked fine for me with an Avian purchased from Avian Canada. No issues, think it was with Fedex. That said, I only insure my guitars through Heritage now. I would make sure the dealer has insurance to cover international shipping. You also need to make sure you are working with someone who can do the CITES paperwork if you have a rosewood guitar, though those restrictions are being lifted for anything other than BRW.

Be sure to leave it in the box for a day or three (I'm super conservative about this) given the extended shipping.

Earl49 · #3 11-11-2019, 06:10 PM

When you buy in Canada you will likely pay the GST (general sales tax) at the time of purchase. But shipping to a US destination, there are forms you can fill out and should be able to get that back from the Canadian government.

DenverSteve · #4 11-11-2019, 06:57 PM

I just ordered one from Canada so I can’t say anything until I get it.

Dbone · #5 11-11-2019, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earl49

When you buy in Canada you will likely pay the GST (general sales tax) at the time of purchase. But shipping to a US destination, there are forms you can fill out and should be able to get that back from the Canadian government.

Wouldn’t it be the other way around? It is when I order from the US...which is often...The US vendor charges no tax and then the Canadian government makes me pay Canadian taxes at the border.

I would think the Canadian vendor would charge no taxes, and then the US government would get their due at the border.

beatcomber · #6 11-11-2019, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotroad

The dealer says he ships with USPS to the US.

How is that possible?

Dbone · #7 11-11-2019, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beatcomber

How is that possible?

He probably means Canada Post, which ultimately becomes USPS via partnering...

charles Tauber · #8 11-11-2019, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earl49

When you buy in Canada you will likely pay the GST (general sales tax) at the time of purchase.

That's Goods and Services Tax: we pay tax on both goods and services.

Wade Hampton · #9 11-12-2019, 01:23 AM

I've bought a number of guitars in Canada and taken them back to Alaska myself as carry-on luggage, but I also bought a used Beneteau baritone guitar from Ryan Alexander in Nova Scotia. He shipped it to me via UPS or Fed Ex, I don't remember which, and a couple of days after he sent it I got a phone call from the US Customs Service.

They were mainly concerned what the guitar was made out of, and wanted to be certain that there weren't any component parts that violated the CITES agreement regarding rare and endangered woods. I answered truthfully as to what it was made of (spruce top, padauk back, sides and tuner buttons, and mahogany neck,) and also what I paid for it.

In a separate phone call to Ryan they asked him the same questions, he also answered truthfully so our answers concurred, and within a day or two the guitar was released by Customs and was shipped on to me here in Darkest Alaska.

Presumably someone within the Customs Service who was familiar with the endangered woods on the list looked at the guitar, said: "Okay, it looks like padauk to me, too," and the guitar was given the all clear.

After the instrument arrived I expected that within a few days I'd be hearing from the Customs Service saying that I owed them X amount for Custom duties, but evidently there weren't any, as no such invoice ever arrived. I suspect if there had been they would have demanded payment before the guitar was released to me, but I didn't know what to expect. That's the first and only time I've ever received a phone call from the US Customs Service (and I'm perfectly happy to keep it that way!)

Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much about incurring duties or charges: if there are any, they'll probably be nominal.

Hope this helps.

Wade Hampton Miller

brianlcox · #10 11-12-2019, 02:37 AM

I am familiar with going the other way around. When moving guitars into Canada from the US you have to pay tax, but not duty (even more so if it's a guitar made in North America).

I recently bought a guitar in the US and drove it across the border into Canada. From Canada I flew home to Switzerland with the guitar in my luggage. At the Canadian border I told the border guard that I was bringing the guitar to Switzerland with me, and he said that was fine and I didn't have to pay any tax or anything. He wasn't interested in the woods at all. At the Swiss border no one even looked at me, so I walked right though customs without a problem.