Canada's latest cult hero (or anti-hero, depending on whom you talk to) is a jean-wearing, flag-waving guy who proudly proclaims: "My name is Joe and I am Canadian." Our good-looking mascot goes on to talk about the land of the Mountie, the beaver, the loonie and of course, the famous Molson Canadian beer. Come on you, slackers, the TV ad urges, stand up and be counted. And suck back that brew while you're at it.
So here goes, the AuctionBytes version: My name is Susanne and I am Canadian.
I will not ask you to declare a false value on my Internet auction packages to save on duty and taxes at the border. I will not send you money in Canadian funds when it clearly states that I must pay in U.S. dollars. In fact, I won't even bid if you state clearly that you won't ship outside the United States. I might, though, in a very, very nice way, ask if you might let me bid on your item. I would tell you it's just what I'm looking for (can't you just see those dancing dollar signs?) and that my feedback rating indicates I'm trustworthy. I will point out that I may not be able to pay within the six days specified, since a letter from Canada to the United States has been known to take up to two weeks.
I will not send a personal cheque (oh yes, you call them checks) if you prefer a money order. In fact, I won't even send a money order if it creates confusion at your post office or local bank (auction chat rooms are filled with tales of red tape associated with money orders).
Some U.S. dealers have ended up taking their cause to "head office." One recent chat room participant explains the perils of the Canadian money order: The bank charges him or her $5 to cash or deposit it; then it takes a while to send it off. The item, meanwhile, has sold for its opening bid of $9.99, leaving a whopping $4 with which to run wild.
Canadians, on the other hand, can weave their way through their own shipping perils, insurance being a particularly sticky issue, not to mention trying to figure out why it can cost more to send a package from Toronto to Vancouver than from Toronto to Oregon. Tales from the frontlines also run the other way: Canadians refusing to deal with Americans; Canadians refusing to deal with other Canadians (because, in some instances, they try to get away with completing the deal in Canadian dollars).
As a rule, I don't spend too much time lurking on message boards designated for Canadians only, especially when they specify No Business Please. The last one, which I found on eBay, offered a recipe tip, someone whining about having to clean out their hot tub and an alert for Canadian TV viewers that the Thornbirds starring Richard Chamberlain was being rerun on WTN. This may be your cup of Canadiana, but it isn't what I ask for in my online chats. I might, however, drop in to skim a thread about what items are and aren't allowed to cross the border. One recent chat room observer drew our attention to a Canadian auctioning Cuban cigars. Despite the caveat for American buyers accepting the risk of seizure, it seems there were still plenty of sales.
Another bidder wanted a list of rules: "I've tried Canada Customs but they tell me there is no such list. I'm supposed to guess? :) And whilst I'm at it, how does one obtain an export license? I'm having no luck with Foreign Affairs." Now, here's one quick answer I can provide to the eBayer who wondered, "Does a U.S. seller pay a Customs charge to ship to Canada? If not, how is that handled?" No, the American does not pay the Customs charge.
In fact, some packages (even the ones valued over $300) slip through without any charges to the Canadian buyer. Then again, there are times the Canadian buyer does have to pay every last dime owing in goods and services tax (GST) or provincial sales tax (known as PST here in Ontario).
Lately, eBay has been trying to make Canadians feel especially welcome. For the past couple of months we've had our own eBay Canada (http://www.ca.ebay.com), where we can try to buy everything from autographed Wayne Gretzky jerseys to lithographs by Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman and original SCTV memorabilia (Martin Short, John Candy, Catherine O'Hara and many more comics got their start in the Great White North).
eBay Canada kicked off in May with the claim that items in Canadian dollars (CA$) tend to get more bids and sell for more money than those listed in U.S. dollars. You'll notice some Canadians specify that "dealer will ship internationally." Hey, not only do you expand your financial options, you may get a new email-pal in Finland.
For the convenience of buyers and sellers, the Canadian eBay site shows the currency values in both Canadian and U.S. dollars. Like my email, which I just leave piled up in one big In-box, I prefer my eBay experience to be all-encompassing rather than indigenous. But you can't disagree with this: It makes eBay navigation a cinch, since is specifies which seller is located in Canada or willing to ship there. And on July 5, the auction giant recently waved the flag for Canada Day with a Free Listings Day for all new entries inserted that day using Canadian dollar fees.
Nice gesture, even if Canada Day falls on July 1. In the world of online auctions, we take our fireworks when we can get 'em!
