Iboats shipping to Canada?

[Palssonater]

I was just wondering if anyone from canada has purchased parts off of Iboats? It almost makes sense now that the canadian dollar has risen. Just wondering if it has been done in the past and if you run into heavy duty brokerage fees and duties. I would prefer if they ship postal service rather than UPS because of my remote location. I would like to support iboats, as I think they have a great thing going.

Also, does anyone have any Canadian Marine Parts stores that they order from?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Iboats shipping to Canada?

call iboats toll free number and inquire.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Iboats shipping to Canada?

Very astute point and a great question.
As a Canadian, I almost bought a U.S boat two months ago (San Juan Islands...not Iboat tho').
The Canadian dollar has risen which does give us improved buying power. However boat prices in Canada remain high/higher due to a lot of 'inventory' that was purchased over the last 10-15 years (originally by dealers) who paid heavily due to a deflated dollar to bring them up.
It's cheaper for me to now buy a new boat...than a five year old boat up here. The private seller still wants return on his original purchase price. The new dealer...bought his inventory this year for way less....and some of those dealers (not all) have passed it on.
I will probably buy my next boat U.S side without a doubt.
As for the border/import bit...you need clear and intact documents including bill of sale, boat title, and trailer title. The border crossing point has to be notified 72 hrs in advance with all of these documents (faxed) on hand when you get there.
I watch U.S boat prices and the more I watch the more I know that I won't be buying local next time....unless/until there is a big adjustment.
All good tho'.
Ahoy maties.

 

[BF]

Re: Iboats shipping to Canada?

I called about ordering a prop from them this earlier this week. They'd do it, but they could give no clear idea of the time-line for delivery. Said it could be one week or 3+ weeks (depends on customs). It depends what you need also... I tried to order ignition parts from them about 18 months ago, but they said they don't ship those to Canada. I'm not sure if it's because a Cdn distributor has the rights for some things or what.

Anyway, I'll keep trying to give them my business, but I need the prop by next week so I ordered locally. When buying from Cabela's or off Ebay, brokerage fees are usually <$10 I think (? might depend on order ?). I haven't had to pay duty for anything, but definitely GST. FYI, 1 order shipped regular mail from a private person took nearly a month to arrive (most of the time in customs)... another from Cabela's got to my door in less than a week (priority parcel). If you do order something, make sure you get a tracking # (even if it's just the receipt # for a regular mail item). After a couple weeks Canada post was able to tell me that my package had been in customs for ~10 days and not to expect it for another week (this was on an item without a real tracking number).

 

[rndn]

Re: Iboats shipping to Canada?

My brother sold a boat from New York to a guy in Toronto, Canada. The arranged price was $2000.00 which the guy paid. He then asked my brother to sign a receipt for $500.00 to save him the import and duty taxes. My brother was hesitant, but the guy stated he did this all the time and was able to resell them for a higher price in Canada. A few hours later my brother got a call from an agent from the Department of Homeland Security. The agent asked my brother what the actual selling price on the boat was so my brother told the agent $500.00. The agent stopped my brother and told him that the border had found emails from the guy to my brother and my brother had stated he would not take less than $2000.00. The agent told my brother that if told him the truth now that the phone call would end and he would not here about the matter again. My brother promptly told the agent the $2000.00 price and was told to have a good day. 5 hours later my brother got a call from the person who bought the boat and he was really pissed. Apparently he was held up at the border for 4 hours and also had to pay an $1,100.00 fine on top of the higher duty taxes. I guess my point in all of this is that if you do buy a boat to take across the border, don't try to get away cheap on the taxes, and also the boat dealers are specifically buying boats in the USA to take and sell in Canada because they can sell them at a higher price.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Iboats shipping to Canada?

Good story. I have always refused to lie about the price a vehicle or boat sold for. In the first place, it's illegal to do so, and in the second place, if you've run an ad or sold it on eBay the price is known anyhow.

A guy's gotta figure the taxes in when he buys something. You don't go to Best Buy and expect them to charge you sales tax on a $100 item if you just paid $1000 for it.

It all catches up to you.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Iboats shipping to Canada?

....that guy from Toronto was a fool to do that. You don't fool around with the border...either side. They are always looking for this element. If you play good, straight ball....it's painless.
I bought a 66' (collector) Chev pick-up out of Florida...drove it back. Hit the border with the correct and truthful paperwork. I was through faster than a line-up at the grocery store....all good.
Conversely I sold a 70' GMC collector truck (across the border) to a guy from Arizona....I made sure he had everything he needed. Ba-da-bing.....with the right paperwork, he went right through and was home in no time.
Legitimate buyers and sellers will have no problems....just be straight and do your homework and no worries.
I'm looking forward to more cross border shopping myself...bring it on.
Ahoy.

 

[ricksrster]

Re: Iboats shipping to Canada?

My brother sold a boat from New York to a guy in Toronto, Canada...The agent stopped my brother and told him that the border had found emails from the guy to my brother and my brother had stated he would not take less than $2000.00.

They're reading our emails? That has to be a real boring job if they are reading mine.

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Iboats shipping to Canada?

I've imported a few parts and accessories for both cars and boats into Canada from the US from West Marine and others and found that duties are hit and miss with the postal services. Sometimes they wind up on your doorstep no problem, other times there's that little note stuck to the door telling you to drop by the post office and pay such an such. Most recently was a supercharger from Texas by USPS which took three weeks (a good week of that at customs).

Where you will always get dinged is with the couriers. Not only duty if it applies, but taxes (GST, PST for Ontario), and a brokerage fee as well.

As for importing a boat into Canada from the US the 72 hours notice only applies to self-powered, road-going vehicles. Boats and trailers don't fall into this category. At least that's the story I got when I hit the border. On the US side they didn't even want me to stop in and tell them I was exporting a boat. The entire process was a pain in the butt because I could not get the same answer on the process from various levels of government on either side. This was further confused by the boat coming from North Carolina which its Fishing Commission declares a "title optional" state and the owner had indeed never titled it. Canadian Customs really scratched their heads over that but I just kept pushing all sorts of other paper at them with that big red US Homeland Security eagle stamp and they let me in.

More off topic, but I thought it was interesting that, even though I was towing the thing with a U-haul cube van, no-one ever came outside to look at the truck. Coulda been ten thousand pounds of who-knows-what in there instead of just the boat cushions and a spare trailer tire.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Iboats shipping to Canada?

There is the scary part!