Playing Customs Games with Our Northern Neighbors


Lately, i have been confronted with buyers from Canada who have insisted that i declare an artificially low value for an item that i am selling so that they can avoid the heft customs duties in Canada. In one case, this request was made AFTER the buyer had already paid me. In a subsequent case, i told the prospective buyer up front that i would not mis-state/under-insure the the item and this put an end to our discussions (presumably, the customs fees would have been so significant that we couldn't resolve this by simply "pricing it into the deal.")

I have no problem selling to buyers from Canada, but i do have a problem providing false statements on a Customs Declaration. Am I over-reacting?
jeffreybowman2k
Audiogon was built on honesty. It's said that one percent of the population causes most of the problems. If it makes you uncomfortable, let them buy it somewhere else.
It's totally your call, and god forbid that something bad happened to your item and an insurance claim needed to be made with an artificially low declared value. Who's left holding the bag then? You are well within your rights to act as you are, don't do business with anyone that makes you uncomfortable, that's your perogative.