Recently, I bought some new snowboards. The first one (a Burton X8) I bought from an online store that specializes in that sort of thing, but when I rode it a few times and found that it wasn’t quite what I was looking for (mostly because I needed a different size) I turned around and sold it, breaking even on the transactions. I did not list it on eBay and I did not sell it on craigslist or face to face. I listed it for sale on a snowboarding-oriented forum and had a buyer within a day or so.
He sent me the money via PayPal and I packaged up the board and shipped it out to New York.
Once I had his money, I shopped for a new board, and found a guy selling some Ride snowboards (I got the 2010 Ride Machete) at serious discount like 35% off. Again, not a store, not e-bay, not craigslist or face-to-face. I sent him a few hundred bucks via paypal and 3 days later a brand new snowboard arrived at my office. I vouched for him on the forum and he lined up a few more sales.
Another contact of mine (let’s call him “S”) lives in Montreal area, for some reasons (monopoly reasons, probably) many US retailers are not allowed to ship certain brands outside of the U.S.; this includes all of the big name brands in snowboarding like Burton, Ride, K2, Gnu/Lib Technologies, etc. But right now, discounts are in full-swing at many US retailers. So “S” wanted to buy a few new snowboards and some bindings. I offered to proxy, so he’s having them sent to me and I’m going to turn around and ship them UPS or FedEx to Canada.
So he bought one board from the same guy I bought my Ride from, and another from an online store.
If you’re wondering – even if he gets tagged with duty/taxes/etc., he’s still going to come out a winner versus buying the same boards from a Canadian retailer.
Here is a guy who I’ve never met in meatspace, and have only known a short time in the online, who’s shipping probably $700 USD worth of gear to me, on faith that I’m not a total douche who is just going to rip him off for two snowboards. Really, what could he do about it? Probably nothing really.
Fortunately for “S”, I’m not a total douche (partial, maybe) and I’m going to ship them right out tomorrow.
OK, no, this doesn’t totally restore my faith in humanity, but it definitely gives me a glimmer of hope: A few people who don’t know each other and have never met and really have no “legal” recourse against one another, have transacted probably over $1,200 worth of business, completely on our own. I’ve always felt like, when given the opportunity, most people are genuinely decent.
I think the problem is that governments have made those “opportunities” fewer, and further between.
Anarchy is how normal people live their lives every single day.
This gov’t and the cretins that run it could disappear right now and it would only effect me marginally and only for a very short while.
FWIW, be careful with PayPal. I’ve been dealing with them from the beginning and they can pull some pretty rotten stuff. “S” can tell PayPal you never sent the boards and PayPal will expect you to prove you did. First though PayPal will confiscate your money and then take their time giving it back to you after you prove your innocence. They’ve done this to me several times over the past year or so.
Just FYI. I’m in Canada too. When you ship the snowboards up here to “S” use USPS instead of fedsex or UPS. USPS won’t hit him as hard on duities for some reason. Fedex is the worst. I bought a USED car part from a guy in the states a couple years ago for 40$ and they charged me 25$ in duty + the shipping fees. USPS has never screwed me hard like that.
thefttrhoughinflation your problem is with CBP, UPS/FedEx/USPS don’t levy duties or taxes at the border.However, there’s never supposed to be duty owed on used goods or legitimate “gift” items.
Gotta go with UPS, best rates and they’re offering the best transit guaranteed arrival by Thursday if I ship Monday. USPS saiys “6-10 days” which I know really means “two weeks”.
Anarchy is the glue that holds society together.
BTW, theftthroughinflation, I notice a number of us swirling around sites like David Z’s are Canadian. Why is that? ;)
“BTW, theftthroughinflation, I notice a number of us swirling around sites like David Z’s are Canadian. Why is that? ;)”
Haha! Good call. I’m going to guess its because our country is too far down the road to serfdom so we can only live vicariously through our American friends. There is no culture of distrust of the government here, people LIKE to pay taxes because they love the “free” services it earns them.
Poor sheepish bastards!