Importing from U.S. to Canada??

[PILOON]

Another thing I do whenever I travel to the USA.
I stop at the Duty Free Shop and purchase a liter of my favorite scotch. (hey I like scotch)
When I come back to Canada the first ? is 'how long have you been away?
I promptly pull down my duty free receipt for my favorite beverage and scan it and non nonchalantly read off my entry date.
Generally that is the end of the inspection!
BUT, if questioned further I have every receipt for whatever I purchased in the US.(all in an envelope over my sun visor)

Another item, if the Cdn customs address me in French I reply in French (Quebecker here)

Worst is a female customs agent, for some reason they have something to prove. (advice from a friend who was a customs supervisor, he suggested that I always avoid the line that had a female, seems they need to prove something or other)

 

[fried1765]

Another thing I do whenever I travel to the USA.
I stop at the Duty Free Shop and purchase a liter of my favorite scotch. (hey I like scotch)
When I come back to Canada the first ? is 'how long have you been away?
I promptly pull down my duty free receipt for my favorite beverage and scan it and non nonchalantly read off my entry date.
Generally that is the end of the inspection!
BUT, if questioned further I have every receipt for whatever I purchased in the US.(all in an envelope over my sun visor)

Another item, if the Cdn customs address me in French I reply in French (Quebecker here)

Worst is a female customs agent, for some reason they have something to prove. (advice from a friend who was a customs supervisor, he suggested that I always avoid the line that had a female, seems they need to prove something or other)

Wow!
Do I EVER agree with that!
I am an American (now 78)
14 years ago bought property in Nova Scotia, slowly built a waterfront house there, and enjoyed that area for 13 more wonderful years.
Sadly, I sold the property last October.
I pulled a 16' cargo trailer with building supplies/materials at least once each year, usually crossing in St Stephen, NB.
The ONE customs issue I had was with a WOMAN Canadian agent.
She was an absolutely nasty bit-- !!

 

[Industrial Toys]

How could you even see what gender is in the booth? And if you switch at the last possible moment, the cameras and puters will target you for an internal cavity search!

 

[Looking4new]

Wow!
Do I EVER agree with that!
I am an American (now 78)
14 years ago bought property in Nova Scotia, slowly built a waterfront house there, and enjoyed that area for 13 more wonderful years.
Sadly, I sold the property last October.
I pulled a 16' cargo trailer with building supplies/materials at least once each year, usually crossing in St Stephen, NB.
The ONE customs issue I had was with a WOMAN Canadian agent.
She was an absolutely nasty bit-- !!

Did you know that if you continually get a bitchy one that you can call up her/his boss and complain. The more complaints an agent gets against them the more likely they are to get transferred to a 'remote' area. I think it only takes three strikes.

I only had two rotten customs agents in my lifetime of trucking 'states side. One American and one of his cronies turned him in on my behalf and one Canadian and I turned him in. The resolution was done by his woman boss, gee thanks lady.

 

[fried1765]

How could you even see what gender is in the booth? And if you switch at the last possible moment, the cameras and puters will target you for an internal cavity search!

Seeing which gender is in the booth does not matter.
Dragging a 16' cargo trailer, you pull over after the booth, as instructed, and go inside.
Once inside, you walk up to an agent and present an inventory of the goods in the trailer (for GST purposes).
Learned the hard way: If the agent is a FEMALE, go to a different agent!

 

[fried1765]

Did you know that if you continually get a bitchy one that you can call up her/his boss and complain. The more complaints an agent gets against them the more likely they are to get transferred to a 'remote' area. I think it only takes three strikes.

I only had two rotten customs agents in my lifetime of trucking 'states side. One American and one of his cronies turned him in on my behalf and one Canadian and I turned him in. The resolution was done by his woman boss, gee thanks lady.

I actually had a problem with an American agent in St. Stephen, NB. when I was returning to the US.
I fumed about it to myself for several months.
Finally I called the Northeast customs regional manager in Boston, and made a formal complaint.
I am glad I did!
The regional manager was very understanding.

 

[PILOON]

In public service there are some situations whereby a supervisor can not over ride a juniors decision.
Customs is one of them.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have gone inside many times to pay my tax at Can Rev Service. I have never had the option to choose who I dealt with. Most often, it's only one person available at Niagara Falls. Never had to wait. But always leaving, thinking, it's just about the money.

 

[PILOON]

Earlier I mentioned avoiding female agent at customs.
That was back when I flew a lot and generally they had 4-6 agents to handle large flight loads of travelers.
The caution came from my secretary's father who was in charge of customs at Dorval (now Trudeau).

At one time I'd border cross a dozen or more times a year and that by road, commercial flights as well as with my Cessna.

Private plane travel is another thing.
Once an agent went as far as to inspect my child's dirty diapers looking for contraband.
Others would order U to stay inside the aircraft while some would say you were nuts to sweat while waiting.
Always recall one agent that always looked like a cowboy with a low slung big nasty colt hanging from his belt.

 

[Bavarian]

Earlier I mentioned avoiding female agent at customs.
That was back when I flew a lot and generally they had 4-6 agents to handle large flight loads of travelers.
The caution came from my secretary's father who was in charge of customs at Dorval (now Trudeau).

At one time I'd border cross a dozen or more times a year and that by road, commercial flights as well as with my Cessna.

Private plane travel is another thing.
Once an agent went as far as to inspect my child's dirty diapers looking for contraband.
Others would order U to stay inside the aircraft while some would say you were nuts to sweat while waiting.
Always recall one agent that always looked like a cowboy with a low slung big nasty colt hanging from his belt.

Now you have the chance to use your FAST card.