Amazon.ca and customs/import/brokerage charges
This seems to come up every other day here, and many RFDers don't seem to be aware of this, so I thought I'd post.
Stuff you buy on Amazon.ca that ships from outside Canada to a Canadian address must have all customs/import/brokerage fees included in the price you pay at checkout. Sellers who sell on Amazon.ca are responsible for getting items into Canada and shipping them to you at their own expense, without surprising you with additional customs/taxes/fees/brokerage charges when you receive the item. This is true for all Amazon.ca purchases, whether sold directly by Amazon, fulfilled by Amazon, or sold and shipped by a third party Marketplace seller.
These are the Amazon.ca seller guidelines that spell this out for Amazon.ca listings that are shipped to Canadian addresses : https://sellercentral.amazon.ca/gp/help/200404870?
In particular:
Amazon also has this page for sellers, which states right at the top:
Many sellers on Amazon.ca are ignoring this and not using the proper customs brokerage services they should be when importing to Canada. Some sellers even include this link in their listings in an attempt to get Canadian buyers to take responsibility for customs charges, but don't be fooled by that. That link is not for items shipped to Canadian addresses, it is for buyers outside of Canada who buy on Amazon.ca, who are responsible for any customs/duties charges levied on them by their country.
If you get surprised by customs/duties charges on delivery of an Amazon.ca purchase, contact the seller with the seller guidelines link I posted above and get them to refund all the charges. If they don't, file a complaint with Amazon.ca.
*** AUGUST 2019 UPDATE ***
Listings have started appearing on Amazon.ca that are "Sold by <third party seller> and Fulfilled by Amazon from outside Canada. Customs & Duties may apply." These new listings will have an "Import Fees Deposit" that are payable by the buyer at the time of purchase. These fees will all be disclosed to buyers and included in the final purchase amount that you pay. As above, these orders may not surprise you with additional customs, taxes, and brokerage fees at the time of delivery. Read Amazon's page about Import Fees Deposit for Items Sold by a Third-Party Seller and Fulfilled by Amazon from Outside Canada Credit to @squirtst for posting about this: amazon-ca-shipping-canada-import-fees-deposit-2302866/
Stuff you buy on Amazon.ca that ships from outside Canada to a Canadian address must have all customs/import/brokerage fees included in the price you pay at checkout. Sellers who sell on Amazon.ca are responsible for getting items into Canada and shipping them to you at their own expense, without surprising you with additional customs/taxes/fees/brokerage charges when you receive the item. This is true for all Amazon.ca purchases, whether sold directly by Amazon, fulfilled by Amazon, or sold and shipped by a third party Marketplace seller.
These are the Amazon.ca seller guidelines that spell this out for Amazon.ca listings that are shipped to Canadian addresses : https://sellercentral.amazon.ca/gp/help/200404870?
In particular:
- You are able to deliver to the customer on time, every time with no customer surprises
- Delivery to the Customer. You must use a reliable shipping method so customers receives their purchases on time, every time. Do not expose customers to customs delays and additional duties and taxes on their purchases. You are responsible for complying with all import and export obligations and for payment of all applicable duties and customs fees. In short, customers must receive exactly what they order without any additional charges or fees and within the estimated delivery date posted with your offer on the Amazon marketplace website.
- Customer charges. Your listing will include all applicable charges and taxes (including VAT, customs duty, excise taxes, etc. as applicable). You will provide VAT invoices to the customer upon the customer's request, if applicable.
Amazon also has this page for sellers, which states right at the top:
- If you sell products in Canada, you are responsible for paying any applicable taxes, destination duties, and customs clearance fees before your product can be sold to Canadian residents or stored in an Amazon fulfilment centre.
Many sellers on Amazon.ca are ignoring this and not using the proper customs brokerage services they should be when importing to Canada. Some sellers even include this link in their listings in an attempt to get Canadian buyers to take responsibility for customs charges, but don't be fooled by that. That link is not for items shipped to Canadian addresses, it is for buyers outside of Canada who buy on Amazon.ca, who are responsible for any customs/duties charges levied on them by their country.
If you get surprised by customs/duties charges on delivery of an Amazon.ca purchase, contact the seller with the seller guidelines link I posted above and get them to refund all the charges. If they don't, file a complaint with Amazon.ca.
*** AUGUST 2019 UPDATE ***
Listings have started appearing on Amazon.ca that are "Sold by <third party seller> and Fulfilled by Amazon from outside Canada. Customs & Duties may apply." These new listings will have an "Import Fees Deposit" that are payable by the buyer at the time of purchase. These fees will all be disclosed to buyers and included in the final purchase amount that you pay. As above, these orders may not surprise you with additional customs, taxes, and brokerage fees at the time of delivery. Read Amazon's page about Import Fees Deposit for Items Sold by a Third-Party Seller and Fulfilled by Amazon from Outside Canada Credit to @squirtst for posting about this: amazon-ca-shipping-canada-import-fees-deposit-2302866/
Last edited by Kiraly on Feb 25th, 2020 1:28 pm, edited 9 times in total.