Kilts and Customs Duties - An Example

[RockyR]

Another way to avoid customs issues (and exorbenant shipping charges) is to order items, when available, from a company within your country's borders.

I can't speak to Canadian Customs (and for Canadian Companies), but we absorb all shipping costs from Scotland and all US Customs fees. Prices we quote our customers on our site are actual 'to your door' prices, many times with free shipping (on orders over $200) and mostly 'tax free' (ALL states except PA, where we only charge tax on applicable items). No surprises = happier customers.

Just my $.02

[bricelythgoe]

I did not want to say it in the other thread, so I am glad it was said here. I never had any surprise shipping charges when my kilt came from N. California. Rocky makes a very good point here. If you are in USA, try and get it in the USA.

Brice

Another way to avoid customs issues (and exorbenant shipping charges) is to order items, when available, from a company within your country's borders.

I can't speak to Canadian Customs (and for Canadian Companies), but we absorb all shipping costs from Scotland and all US Customs fees. Prices we quote our customers on our site are actual 'to your door' prices, many times with free shipping (on orders over $200) and mostly 'tax free' (ALL states except PA, where we only charge tax on applicable items). No surprises = happier customers.

Just my $.02

[OC Richard]

I was amazed, around five years ago, when a kilt I bought from a place in Scotland arrived (here in the USA) and a couple months later a bill from the US Government came for nearly $200. I don't remember now what agency.

I've been buying stuff from the UK, Canada, and Ireland for 30 years and this is the only time that's happened to me.

Yes it behooves us to buy local when we can.

[KiltedPilot]

I can't speak to Canadian Customs (and for Canadian Companies), but we absorb all shipping costs from Scotland and all US Customs fees.

Hi Rocky,

Some specific feedback for you. I've ordered three kilts from USA Kilts, in three separate orders, for delivery to Canada.

Duties/taxes were waived for 2 of those orders, and I was billed taxes for just one of those orders. The brokerage fee for that order was $5 (for about $43 in actual taxes).

If you had sent those orders to me via UPS, I'd have paid over $120 just to cover UPS's brokerage fees.

Thus your choice of shipping method (Global Priority Mail from USPS) has saved me $115 is UPS fees, plus taxes on two kilts (another $80-$90 probably).

Thank you!

There is a perception that duty can be entirely a lottery, and to an extent that is fair comment. However, your choice to use USPS and not, say, UPS, was guaranteed to save me at least $115 (the difference in brokerage fees). The saving would have never been less than $115, because UPS (like FedEx) always collect taxes and duties (unless the amount is below the legal minimum). The "lottery" component was that the saving was as much as $200 in this case, but it was always guaranteed to be at least $115.

Again, it is worth highlighting that the major portion of the saving was not statutory government "taxes and duties", but was "brokerage fees" charged by the courier for their services.

Thanks for great service, Rocky.

Mike