Purchasing from Canada - i'm scared!

I've purchased two different cards in the past from Canada. Both FANTASTIC sellers, but unfortunately, I only received one of the cards. The other simply vanished. The seller was cool, and ate the cost of the card.

I've been petrified ever since, and i've let some tough to find cards go because I simply have a phobia about purchasing from Canada, or any other foreign country for that matter.

I won't even think twice about purchasing from Asia.

Can anyone ease my fears, or is it well-founded?

Has anyone repeatedly had no problems purchasing cards from out of the country?

Or has it been one disaster after another, not necessarily the seller's fault, but perhaps shipping/customs issues, ESPECIALLY regarding REALLY EXPENSIVE cards (ie, over 500 dollars.?

From a buyer's perspective, I couldn't care less where the item is coming from. Buyers have so much protection that unless there is specific documentation of delivery, worst case is that you will get your money back.

As a seller, very rarely am I willing to ship outside of the US at all. Just not worth the headache that becomes necessary 50%+ of the time

Never once had an issue shipping too or receiving from Canada in 8+ years on eBay.
Slow at times, yes, but never had anything go "missing".

I have been doing Internet deals on Ebay and various trade sites since about 2002/03. Being in Canada, i do probably 80% of my business with people in the USA. In these 8 or 9 years on the internet i have done probably near 1500 transactions and only once did a card i bought not showed up (and it was only a $30 card). I have never had a problem with something i sent from Canada not showing up in the USA, never.

If the card is high dollar just have the seller send it with registered mail and you will be fine, no need to be "scared" with buying from Canada.

Similar to GMoney, I'm Canadian and do almost 100% of my business with the US (buying and selling). In over ten years I've probably completed 3,000 transactions. I've had one go missing. Just one.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Be a little more patient but don't fret.

Thanks guys, good to hear that people have had hundreds of transactions without any problems, perhaps my experience was just an outlier.

And by the way, that missing package, still hasn't shown up for four years. I'm still waiting.....

Anyone have any experience buying from China, Japan, Taiwan, the Phillipines, or Austrailia?

Well you do have to remember that on $500 cards you could get NAILED on Duty/Taxes.

the only problem i have is with new Canadian buyers who expect a card to be there within a week. for seasoned buyers i remind them how slow customs is and they're cool with it but it kills me each time i get a paypal freeze because someone puts a claim in for a card that is still stuck at the border. ::facepalm::

pigskincardboard said:

Well you do have to remember that on $500 cards you could get NAILED on Duty/Taxes.

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If i'm buying from Canada, does the seller or I as the buyer get nailed on duties/taxes?

Are they extra suspicious at the border if you buy, say, a $2000 card, since it has to be declared?

My first bad transaction back in 1998 was shipping to Canada, bidder got an empty mailer. Been taping over anything that self seals with packing tape ever since. Around that same time, late 90's early 2000's, I had more mail to Canada lost than any other country and for the longest time I feared sending there. I haven't had any problems in the last 3-4 years that I can think of. I've always chalked up problems shipping to Canada more to the border crossing than USPS or Canada Post.

jubei777 said:

the only problem i have is with new Canadian buyers who expect a card to be there within a week. for seasoned buyers i remind them how slow customs is and they're cool with it but it kills me each time i get a paypal freeze because someone puts a claim in for a card that is still stuck at the border. ::facepalm::

Click to expand...

Being from Canada, i have the same problem with 25% of U.S. buyers. However, usually they didn't checked from where the item is coming from, great communication is always the key in my opinion, most of the buyers are willing to wait a little more once they are in touch with the seller.

It's been over a year i had a file opened against me. And sadly it was a member on here ::facepalm::

The package that was lost to me was a single card worth $800.

Of course, the $30 card had no problem getting over here, and in a timely fashion.

Do customs people simply crack open expensive packages and have them magically disappear- that's my biggest fear.

I would hate to lose a $5000 card because of international shipping factors......

As a buyer, nothing to be scared of.

As a seller, unless you can charge a ton for shipping, it's just not that worth it. You can't prove shipping, track it and you have to declare the value, making it a bigger target to disappear. A member here recently lost $500 worth of cards shipping to Canada, which appeared to be stolen.

gt2590 said:

As a buyer, nothing to be scared of.

As a seller, unless you can charge a ton for shipping, it's just not that worth it. You can't prove shipping, track it and you have to declare the value, making it a bigger target to disappear. A member here recently lost $500 worth of cards shipping to Canada, which appeared to be stolen.

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Simply not true. There is lots of shipping options and despite the myths that exist, 99.9% of my transactions are worry free. Been on Ebay for 11 years buying 2-3 cards a day on average and have only lost a few in that time. ( im also convinced some of the sellers just didnt send them.)

Customs can certainly slow down items but the thought they are "stealing" higher dollar cards is just silly.

I'll also add, if your really concerned. Send the card to me or any other trusted members in Canada and we can send it to you. ( the proper method)

Thumpersports said:

gt2590 said:

As a buyer, nothing to be scared of. As a seller, unless you can charge a ton for shipping, it's just not that worth it. You can't prove shipping, track it and you have to declare the value, making it a bigger target to disappear. A member here recently lost $500 worth of cards shipping to Canada, which appeared to be stolen.

Click to expand...

Simply not true. There is lots of shipping options and despite the myths that exist, 99.9% of my transactions are worry free. Been on Ebay for 11 years buying 2-3 cards a day on average and have only lost a few in that time. ( im also convinced some of the sellers just didnt send them.)

Customs can certainly slow down items but the thought they are "stealing" higher dollar cards is just silly.

Click to expand...

I think you mis-understood me. I am not blaming Customs for the member's loss. In fact, it was missing soon after going into the local PO shipping Station, way before Customs. What I am saying is that to properly declare them, and if print your label thru PP, you have to put the value of the item on the package. With a $500+ value on there, it's just too tempting IMO to risk. The member has contacts in the USPS and is still SOL. and the lack of Tracking makes sending any valuable items too risky as well IMO.

I don't sell high-end items internationally and don't recommend it either, that's all.

brouthercard said:

pigskincardboard said:

Well you do have to remember that on $500 cards you could get NAILED on Duty/Taxes.

Click to expand...

If i'm buying from Canada, does the seller or I as the buyer get nailed on duties/taxes?

Are they extra suspicious at the border if you buy, say, a $2000 card, since it has to be declared?

Click to expand...

Importer/Buyer always pays. On a $2000 card, you're looking at a couple hundred bucks in Duty. If you use UPS, prepare to cry.

A smart seller never sends the package w/o insurance and to get your insurance back, you have to declare the full value and then the buyer has to pay the full duty.

I think curiousity peaks whens when you declare something as $500 but ship it uninsured. There's basically no reason to ever declare a card at a value higher than the max. insurance purchased.

If you only insure a card for $400, declare it for $400.

got a great price last year on a phenomenal patch card, and it "disappeared" in transit to the US

Yeah, how long do you think it would take to ship a card first class international from Chicago to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan?

I send the card out on Feb. 28 and it still hasn't shown up. I know it hasn't been but 9 or 10 business days, and the buyer conceded shipping from the states to his house takes a while, but it usually doesn't take this long when I ship to Canada. I wouldn't be worried as much if I knew that I wouldn't have to eat $110 for a Trout sterling ref auto if it does disappear.

in last 12 years Ive bought and sold hundreds of cards (orders) from Canada, and only had one package misplaced for 40 days.

Its more about the seller or buyers honesty rather than Canada losing a package IMO.

I do have one collector in a remote area on the far East Coast of Canada that still owes me $250 from about 3 years ago.....( I made the mistake of adding more cards that he wanted to his paid order, and told him to pay when he could) ..................2 times he has tried to buy more cards (once with his girlfriends email and name), but I caught on by the remote address and said cool but here is the total you still owe, and he never writes back.
Lesson Learned.... Dont trust someone to pay if they already have the cards in hand.


PS. on a side note, US (maybe Canada?) has opened/inspected quite a few packages (sent to me here in Hawaii) at the border and then resealed them with a large green sticker saying something about "Homeland Security". I hope they arent looking for weed, why would someone in Hawaii buy dope from Canada, ...... we have the best for free here.