Canadian man has to pay $189 in import fees after shipping heirloom ring he forgot in the U.S.
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Admittedly, the Nanaimo resident isn't a jewellery guy, so the gold ring given to him by his late father, Jimmy, almost 20 years ago, had sat unused for many years.
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He'd always promised to make use of it one day, and that came two years after his father's passing in 2022, when he and his common-law partner of many years, Andrea Nelson, decided to get legally married.
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While visiting his godparents in Washington State earlier this month, he removed the ring before getting in the shower — 'Its structure holds water,' he explained — but then left without putting it back on dry hands. They realized and called their hosts before even departing the state, who confirmed with a photo that it was safe and sound.
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Relieved, they did the practical thing and quickly arranged to have it shipped back to their address via UPS with $500 worth of insurance on the package.
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When it arrived some days later, however, the delivery person informed the astounded couple that it would cost a combined $189 in cross-border duty, taxes, import tariff and brokerage fee to have it returned.
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'There's no way for them to prove that I purchased this; the burden should be on them.'
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They've since discovered that proving that the ring was, at one time, a bequest from his father is somewhat challenging.
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The Canada Border Services Agency, in a statement to National Post, said the Customs Act doesn't allow it to discuss the couple's case specifically, but a spokesperson did clarify some of the guidelines that would apply to their situation.
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Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Edmonton Journal
Canadian man has to pay $189 in import fees after shipping heirloom ring he forgot in the U.S.
A B.C. couple say it's not right that they have to pay nearly $200 in import fees to reclaim a wedding ring — also a family heirloom — that was shipped back to them from family in the United States after being mistakenly left behind earlier this month. Article content Admittedly, the Nanaimo resident isn't a jewellery guy, so the gold ring given to him by his late father, Jimmy, almost 20 years ago, had sat unused for many years. Article content Article content Article content He'd always promised to make use of it one day, and that came two years after his father's passing in 2022, when he and his common-law partner of many years, Andrea Nelson, decided to get legally married. Article content Article content While visiting his godparents in Washington State earlier this month, he removed the ring before getting in the shower — 'Its structure holds water,' he explained — but then left without putting it back on dry hands. They realized and called their hosts before even departing the state, who confirmed with a photo that it was safe and sound. Article content Article content Relieved, they did the practical thing and quickly arranged to have it shipped back to their address via UPS with $500 worth of insurance on the package. Article content Article content When it arrived some days later, however, the delivery person informed the astounded couple that it would cost a combined $189 in cross-border duty, taxes, import tariff and brokerage fee to have it returned. Article content 'There's no way for them to prove that I purchased this; the burden should be on them.' Article content They've since discovered that proving that the ring was, at one time, a bequest from his father is somewhat challenging. Article content The Canada Border Services Agency, in a statement to National Post, said the Customs Act doesn't allow it to discuss the couple's case specifically, but a spokesperson did clarify some of the guidelines that would apply to their situation.
National Post
2 days ago
- National Post
Canadian man has to pay $189 in import fees after shipping heirloom ring he forgot in the U.S.
A B.C. couple say it's not right that they have to pay nearly $200 in import fees to reclaim a wedding ring — also a family heirloom — that was shipped back to them from family in the United States after being mistakenly left behind earlier this month. Article content Admittedly, the Nanaimo resident isn't a jewellery guy, so the gold ring given to him by his late father, Jimmy, almost 20 years ago, had sat unused for many years. Article content Article content 'I thought about getting it resized,' he told National Post. 'My fingers are substantially more slender, right? His ring was too big for all of them, other than maybe my thumb if I was lucky.' Article content He'd always promised to make use of it one day, and that came two years after his father's passing in 2022, when he and his common-law partner of many years, Andrea Nelson, decided to get legally married. Article content They had the ring fitted for his hand, picked another of his rings for Nelson to use as a wedding band and were married in 2024. Article content 'I think he would have just loved the fact that I had finally done something with it,' Baker-Taylor said. Article content Article content While visiting his godparents in Washington State earlier this month, he removed the ring before getting in the shower — 'Its structure holds water,' he explained — but then left without putting it back on dry hands. They realized and called their hosts before even departing the state, who confirmed with a photo that it was safe and sound. Article content Relieved, they did the practical thing and quickly arranged to have it shipped back to their address via UPS with $500 worth of insurance on the package. Article content Article content When it arrived some days later, however, the delivery person informed the astounded couple that it would cost a combined $189 in cross-border duty, taxes, import tariff and brokerage fee to have it returned. Article content Article content 'We discovered it's being treated like a jewelry transaction, an import across the border,' said Baker-Taylor. Article content 'There's no way for them to prove that I purchased this; the burden should be on them.' Article content They've since discovered that proving that the ring was, at one time, a bequest from his father is somewhat challenging. Article content The Canada Border Services Agency, in a statement to National Post, said the Customs Act doesn't allow it to discuss the couple's case specifically, but a spokesperson did clarify some of the guidelines that would apply to their situation. Article content Under the Act, any personal (non-commercial) goods brought into Canada are subject to duty and taxes at the time of importation 'based on federal and provincial tax rates, as well as current rates of duty.'
National Post
5 days ago
- National Post
Eight Canadian navy warships to be retired this year, DND says there will be 'no loss of capability'
HMCS Summerside, one of Canada's eight Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels set to be retired in the fall. Photo by Ryan Taplin/Postmedia/File HALIFAX — The Royal Canadian Navy plans to retire some of its older warships this fall. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The navy confirmed Thursday that eight of its 12 Kingston-class vessels will be removed from service following 'paying off' ceremonies in Halifax and Esquimalt, B.C. Officially known as Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels, these small ships were built and launched in the 1990s. Each is 55 metres long, weighs about 970 tonnes and has a crew of about 40. 'There is no loss of capability for the (navy) as a result of the divestment of the Kingston-class,' the Department of National Defence said in a statement. 'Their missions and tasks will be redistributed to other existing ships and assets, and taken on by new … systems being introduced.' Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again The ships, powered by diesel-electric motors, are primarily used for coastal patrols, search and rescue, law enforcement, mine detection, and training. They have been deployed to operations in the eastern Pacific, Caribbean, off West Africa and in European waters, as well as many missions across Canada's three oceans. Meanwhile, the Defence Department says the Kingston-class key mine-sweeping and counter-measures functions will be handled by the navy's fleet diving units and remote and autonomous systems operated from other navy vessels. As well, the navy's relatively new Arctic and offshore patrol vessels will take on Kingston-class roles, such as counter-narcotics operations. And the training role will be shifted to the navy's smaller Orca-class vessels. The navy is also moving ahead with replacing its retired Iroquois-class destroyers and its existing Halifax-class patrol frigates with 15 River-class destroyers. The new warships will be built by Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding Inc. The federal government said in March the first three ships will cost a total of $22.2 billion. The project has been described as the largest and most complex shipbuilding initiative in Canada since the Second World War. As for the 'paying off' ceremony for the Kingston-class ships, that tradition comes from the British practice of paying a crew their wages once a ship has completed its voyage. In the Canadian navy, paying off refers to the formal ceremony where the ship's flags and commissioning pennant are removed and the crew departs the ship for the last time. Ceremonies will be held in Halifax this fall for HMCS Shawinigan, HMCS Summerside, HMCS Goose Bay, HMCS Glace Bay and HMCS Kingston. Ceremonies will also be held in Esquimalt for HMCS Saskatoon, HMCS Whitehorse and HMCS Brandon.
