Seeking help on Canada customs issues

[Jenner]

Recently had a simple folding knife being shipped from the United States to Canada that was deemed inadmissible due to the pivot being too loose and the blade being able to be opened by snapping your wrist.

The knife is now with the prohibited importations unit at the CBSA ( Canada Border Services Agency ) and in the letter I received it stated that I can have the knife re-exported to the US by a bonded carrier and have it shipped back to the original seller. I originally contacted ups and was told that I have to handle it through the original carrier which was USPS, upon contacting USPS they didn’t really have any clue on how to deal with it and the only option they had for me was to have an email sent to the CBSA from USPS to find out more info. In the email USPS is also going to request that the item be returned to the seller but the CBSA has already stated that they will not handle shipping of the item.

Has anyone dealt with this type of issue before? All I’m trying to accomplish is to get the knife back to the seller and the CBSA has not been of any help at all. There has to be a simple way of getting this done.

 

[danbot]

That's rough man. The CBSA will not help you because as far as they're concerned, you are a criminal. They are just giving you the benefit of the doubt in being "so nice" as to give you an option to return the knife without any help on their end. Sounds like you need to arrange a bonded carrier (whatever that is) to be the intermediary between CBSA and USPS.

 

[Jenner]

Canadian knife laws are the worst. That's pretty much the issue I'm trying to get sorted, any bonder carriers I've contacted state that the re export has to be initiated by the original carrier being usps. I've contacted USPS and they don't seem to have a clue on how to start the process. There has to be someone on here that has dealt with this exact issue before.

 

[gadgetgeek]

Sorry man, most people have just stopped trying to get stuff across the boarder, since CBSA is law unto themselves, there is no guarantee that they wouldn't have stopped your knife even with the pivot tight.

Best option is to look a the value of the knife, and decide how hard you need to work at getting it sent back. It may be a loss. Sorry.
Out of curiosity, what knife, and private sale or retail?

 

[stabman]

Canadian knife laws are the worst.

Canadian knife laws are fine...the problem is, the Border folks have been making up their own "laws", which have been upheld by their stupid Tribunal.
They aren't actually the laws of Canada, but try telling them that.
Once knives are in the country, it's pretty damn awesome here.

But if you order a knife from outside the country, don't consider that you have actually bought a knife until you have it in your hands, because the Border people might just make it so you don't.

 

[Jenner]

It will be going back to the seller one way or another, not letting the CBSA pocket this one. I might have it figured out though, dealing with fedex right now and so far it looks like they might be able to handle the issue and re export it but still waiting on confirmation. This was a private sale on a Warren Thomas stubby t-Rex flipper.

Thanks for all the replies everyone, and I know what you mean ‘stabman’ about the Canadian knife laws being fine it’s just the fact of how vague they are. The CBSA is now using the term centrifugal knife which was originally only used to classify a balisong and now using it to apply to knives with loose pivots or weak detents. I just don’t agree with how they can really classify a knife any way they please and that pretty much the same office handles the appeals process so you can’t win either way. Don’t get me wrong though I do love Canada! I still get to have a decent firearms and knife collection!

 

[gadgetgeek]

Stab can confirm, but I was under the impression that they were targeting flippers now as Autos. Mentioning as I usually do, write a nice letter to your fed MP, probably with wording regarding how this was a waste of an agents time which could have been better spent.

 

[Jenner]

That seems to be the entire issue now with how the CBSA operates, making up things as they go along similar to how the TSA conducts itself.

One of the things that really bugs me is in the letter it states that you can appeal the decision. Directly underneath that it lists reasons not acceptable for making an appeal and the third one states that the reason for making an appeal can not be that you have proof of the same item being sold in Canada. Are you kidding me?? So if I know of the same knife being sold at the retail level from a Canadian store then they can still classify it as prohibited just because they are in a bad mood that day. I know this is a custom knife and wouldn’t be available from most retail stores in Canada but I have heard of people getting production assisted knives seized, one being a Benchmade Barrage. Well my local wholesale sports sells the Barrage but wouldn’t you know it...........almost double the price that I can pick it up for on amazon. I’ll be honest here that I would really enjoy supporting the Canadian economy and I wouldn’t even mind a 15% hike but when it’s around 45% that’s where I take my business across the border.

Anyways that’s my rant for this morning . Thanks for the replies everyone hopefully I can get this all sorted out soon.

I will be writing a very detailed letter regarding wasted taxpayer dollars and disregard for Canadian laws and rights to the minister in charge of the CBSA.

 

[clearkevin]

I have shipped a knife back UPS will do it although some of their agents don't know that which is annoying it cost me about $35 Canadian I used their inline form to set up the pickup it did require a bit of help from cbsa to get all the info I needed they were helpful with that portion at least

 

[Apocalyptic1985]

Did you ever find a shipper? I'm currently trying to return my Michael Zieba S4, that was deemed and Automatic by the CBSA, and found that FedEx was the only company that said they would ship as long as it was in a sealed package. What a nightmare it is to deal the CBSAthey treat you like you are an idiot and get mad when you ask any questions at all.
I'm curious why it is SO DIFFICULT to find information about shipping knives from the CBSA back to the US or other shipping methods people have tried that have guaranteed delivery. I hope you get it all sorted out. I'll be sure to let people know how I make out on a new thread.