Held up in customs

To clarify it has been placed on hold specifically by the Food and Drug Administration.

This is odd.
Is this a common model?
If this laser equipped product has not been cleared for the U.S. before
you will have quite the problem, as in they will not let it through.
The laser is used in lots of other models that are sold here? Doesn't matter.
If you are lucky they will fax you a form for this, which you will have to have the mfr assist you with (the bad part).
Odds are your unit is going back unless you can slip through the customs cracks.
What ever happens do it fast or it will go back regardless.

What is the make and model?
Something not usually sold here, I assume (based on your description of the events).

BTW, there is a very easy way around this, but few know how to do it
(and it is now too late since it was already shipped).

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What brand is it? I am no expert. What I know is goods manufactured in the US and Canada are free of a customs duty because of NAFTA and should be no problem. They may ask for a disclosure form. If a foreign make, they may want a duty charge. If the unit is something not sold in the US at all, I don't know what could happen.

In any event expect to pay a processing fee even if no customs duty due. I don't believe they can keep it without just cause (it would be theft). I have a friend who works with dogs that look for drugs and food not shipped properly. I will ask them.

The FDA is probably checking the CD player for FDA approval. Products containing laser must get FDA approval unless it uses a Class 1 laser. Most CD players use CLass 3 laser so FDA approval is mandatory. Some high end manufacturers do not comply with the requirements.

Hi, I bough a amp and pre-amp from canada. The UPS delivery had a bill for me to pay $50 for each item for duty and UPS processing fee. The processing fee was $35 by itself. If it's a item made in the USA, there is no duty, but if item is from Canada or Europe the duty applies. This also applies when items get shipped to Canada from the US.

I already know about duty and fees. I've been told it will be 3% of the declared value plus a brokerage fee of $30-50. It is a Copland CDA 289 from Denmark, I believe the brand is imported inotn the US so the laser should be in compliance. I hope!

I had a package held up going >>TO<< Canada for, get this, TWO MONTHS!!! Shipping was via USPS & in fact I'd shipped to the same place a few times before. Something to do with the value.

Customs can do anything they want.

Paulg805: There is no US duty on Canadian goods (and vice versa). But you have to fill out a declaration that the goods are of Canadian (or US) manufacture and list the maker. No declaration, then you pay.

There is no duty between Canada or the US if they are manufactured there due to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). The only fee the government could charge is sales tax. Canadians pay sales tax on items every time they receive an item from the US.
UPS charges a fee to take the package to customs. Usually they do not take the package. Not only do they rip off Canadians getting packages from the US, but they rip off Americans getting packages from Canada.
The total fees end up costing the customer close to what the cost would be if we paid for Air Service. UPS etc. do not charge this fee if we select air service. Think of it-for an example pay 100 for next day air and pay no other fees. Instead pay 65 for 5 day ground service and then pay another 35 for brokerage. Your total cost is 90 and you had to wait an additional 4 business days. Including weekends, this could be an additional 6 days and pay the same amount. Clever marketing on UPS part. Charge less for an inferior service and then charge and end user fee which ends up costing the customer almost the same fee for this service. They must love ground shipping between countries. If they charge a fee outside a brokerage or sales tax, it is not payable. In the future, try Fed-Ex two day service. It is cheaper than next day air and is cheaper than ground + brokerage. They do not charge a brokerage fee on the 2 day service.

Customs is *NOT* the issue.

This is a good example of why many non NA buyers are very hesitant to deal with NA sellers
(no experience with these issues, or how to solve problems like this, or better yet, how to AVOID them in the first place).

The problem has ZERO to do with duties, NAFTA, customs broker, etc. Zero.

Laser and its approval via the FDA is the issue and the only issue.
If it has not been approved than it has to be before it can be shipped to the U.S.
This is a slow and annoying process (with the FDA).
Hopefully this model has been approved already.
Check with the mfr or most recent importer.
They will have to fax you a few pages, you fwd them, and that's it
(assuming they exist). Don't delay, FDA has no problem with sending items back, seizing them, or "liquidating" them (aka: destroying them), and regular ship insurance does NOT cover this.

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Customers in every U.S. state and 48 other countries.
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Well,sorry Canadian sellers;I won't be buying anything from Canada. (Afer reading this mess.)

Hello,

I would bet that the individual who sent the unit from Vancouver did not send it along with the proper form that must accompany laser devices. If this form is not supplied in triplicate along with the statement of origin delays can occur at customs. It is important to make sure the person sending you the item is aware of what is required by customs in the way of paperwork. This is not always the case when dealing with someone who rarely or never ships internationally.

Gene

When I called UPS about shipping to Canada, I was given a price and told that the Web site has all the NAFTA forms. I was also told the price did not include any customs and/or brokerage fees that might apply.

Sadly, I think that a lengthy hold-up is a real possibility. If memory serves, there was actually a closeout deal some years ago on a cd transport or player (want to say a Roksan model, but I'm not sure) where the stated reason for the pricing was that the goods had been held up in customs long enough to frustrate their originally intended distribution. I believe the merchandise ended up with Audio Advisor.

I had this problem having a Meridian player shipped into the States from Canada. Although frustrating, it involved a relatively brief delay, maybe a week. I'm not positive, but I think my seller's handle was Audiojudge, and his name is Greg -- he may recall what, if anything, he did to move the process along.

Avguygeorge - I guess you must mean you won't be buying anything from anywhere except the good ol' USA. Because the hold-ups are caused by US immigrations, not Canada's.

For what it's worth, I live in Canada and have bought numerous audio products from the US. There has *never* been any delay - and that includes a CD player. I have also shipped to thhe US from Canada. Again, no problem.There is a bit of extra paperwork but it's really quite simple.

Simple.
first Mistake was UPS
Second statting it was A cd player
All you need to put on it is electronic equipment.
Fee's charged are UPS rip off fees.
UPS is the problem not shipping form ust to can or can to US.
Only dummies have a problem filling in a C22 or customs declarATION.

recently sold a tube pre to a fella from toronto. was a no show after three weeks. he was frantic. finally got someone to find it hanging around customs.no notification it was being held for inspection. they opened the first of three boxes slapped a little piece of tape back on it, never going the other two boxes to inspect the cargo.he received shortly after. waaaaaaaay too much time and bs to contend with. kurt

I agreee with Brian - its the laser... I shipped an Arcam 8SE cdp from my home in Canada to a guy in NYC using his Fed Ex account # and had to fill in a separate piece of paper advising the Class of Laser. I easily found the info in the manual or on the back of the unit, can't remember where. No hang-ups and it was delivered on time.

As noted you will probably pay some duty as the product originated in Europe - here in Canada we pay 6% of declared value on items we receive from the US but not produced there except for some (or maybe all) Japanese electronics. Such was the case when I imported a new Sony 333ES SACD cdp from Oade Bros last year - go figure...

No offence to the Americans, but Canadians put up with the same mess when purchasing items from the US. If the seller is aware of the problems and the technicalities, there are no problems. You get the right papers, fill them out and no hassles. It is when you don't know the laws between countries that you have problems.
Laser's are the exception. If an American purchases a pair of speakers, amplifier, tubes, preamp etc. there are not these hassles. It does occur with laser units due to the various laws in effect by your own country whether it is the US, Canada, Great Britain etc.
You have to certify that it is legal in the country you are shipping it to. The customs guard from your country is not going to know if it is or not. If it is certified like Take Five Audio noted, there are no hassles. But like I said, it is only with CD's, Laser disc's etc. Any device that has a laser in it. This is not limited to audio equipment.
I would not disqualify buying from individuals from one country because an inexperienced shipper did not know the rules.