Mail ordering from USA to Canada ...

I think it's just a matter of dumb luck whether or not you get charged duty and taxes. I've been incredibly lucky, until the last order. It was some small stuff from Freestyle, worth about $50 and I got charged around $10 duty and taxes. On any order before that, including my new RB67 from Hong Kong, I've been charged nothing. Just had to sign for it. If the seller won't ship using the postal service, I won't buy it. The postal services in Canada, the US, Japan and Hong Kong have been first class, and no "fees" charged to get an item through customs. I never ask to have the declared value lowered and the value is clearly stated on the packages.

I guess they finally got your # . Like I said before there is no set reason for customs to seize your package and make you pay to get the item back. They don't need a reason they are government. And I am the same I WILL NOT purchase anything that doesn't use USPS or CPS. It is just not worth the delivery charges. So far over the last 5 ish years I have probably had over 150 sending and receiving items done with a few minor flaws but all of them were from people that had NO proof that they sent anything.

Technically, every package should result in your having to pay, unless the contents of that package are not subject to any of the following:

1) GST/HST,
2) provincial sales tax,
3) customs duty,
4) excise tax,
5) excise duty,
6) provincial liquor tax,
7) or .....

Practically speaking, and as a matter of policy, the Border Services and customs and other taxation enforcement staff are directed to exercise a tremendous amount of discretion, and as a result a large number of personal importations proceed without any such taxes or levies being charged. As I understand it, this policy is the way that it is in order to encourage cross-border traffic.

The policies do not extend to commercial importations. For that reason, if the Border Services and customs and other taxation enforcement staff believe that your package has a commercial purpose (it's either for re-sale or to be used in a commercial operation - this includes commercial photography) than they are required to charge those taxes and levies.

Matt