NZ x-rays as well. I just went through that a few weeks ago at AKL. Every bag was scanned and while my hiking boots had already been cleaned and approved by one of his fellow Kiwi agents, because that agent had left for lunch and no one could vouch for me, I had to do it all over again.
Hmmm, I don't recall the X-ray at AKL. But it was after an overnight from NRT, and a 30-minute lineup for immigration, so it may be that I have simply forgotten about it.
Location: YYZ; AC SE * DL PM * UA 1P * CO GM * AA Gold * BD B+ * HH Diamond * SPG Platinum * Queen's 92
Posts: 5,378
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sanosuke
Having gone through YYZ's US Immigration controls, I can tell you that they're pretty annoying people. The guy I had asked me if I worked for a living and where I worked.
Sanosuke!
Are you a US Citizen?
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2009: AC 123623; DL 95466; CO 49557; UA 41703; AA 27957; BD 5322
2008: AC 181539; DL 75700; CO 52794; UA 51414; BD 1700
While not 100% true, out of all the customs/immigration agencies I've cleared, no one puts more emphasis on enforcing shopping goods, booze and smokes than the CBSA.
In my experience (which is about 15-20 times a year) one of the biggest things the idiots behind the counter care about is what you purchased, and what country the purchased items were made in. I had no idea until about 5 years ago there was actually different duty rates dependent on the country where the goods were manufactured. When I was living in Montreal I did some shopping at a Ralph Lauren store in Vermont and had shirts that were the exact same price but were taxed differently because of where they were made.
As I have said earlier, it's not very often I actually purchase things abroad but I find it easier to just lie and say I did so I show a value in the all important box that asks how much you have spent because they don't believe you when you say nothing.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Winger
Actually, that statement is about 80% true.
As I have said earlier, it's not very often I actually purchase things abroad but I find it easier to just lie and say I did so I show a value in the all important box that asks how much you have spent because they don't believe you when you say nothing.
Totally agree. I always buy a duty free bottle even if I'm only saving about $5 over the LCBO prices. I never buy anything on vacation. Let's face it when the GBP was approaching $2.50 what could you buy cheaper in the U.K. for example anyway. However the one time I didn't buy or declare anything I got pulled into secondary. Since then I always, always buy some duty free. When LHR wouldn't allow you to take duty free booze onto North American bound flights I even bought some duty free on the plane. Nobody is going to tell me there still isn't a strong revenue generating element targeted towards re-entering Canadian citizens. Still got lots of bloated public sector pensions to budget for.
Totally agree. I always buy a duty free bottle even if I'm only saving about $5 over the LCBO prices. I never buy anything on vacation. Let's face it when the GBP was approaching $2.50 what could you buy cheaper in the U.K. for example anyway. However the one time I didn't buy or declare anything I got pulled into secondary. Since then I always, always buy some duty free. (...)
Not one secondary for me at any Canadian airport yet. Even though I declare nothing from time to time. And have never yet had to pay tax/duty yet even when I slightly exceeded the limits (and declared the excess).
Location: YYZ; AC SE * DL PM * UA 1P * CO GM * AA Gold * BD B+ * HH Diamond * SPG Platinum * Queen's 92
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sanosuke
No, however I have an Uncle who lives in the US.
Sanosuke!
Then the questions the US CBP is asking you are totally reasonable. You are a FOREIGN citizen entering THEIR country. It has no parallel with Canadian citizens being asked what their job is when re-entering their OWN country.
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2009: AC 123623; DL 95466; CO 49557; UA 41703; AA 27957; BD 5322
2008: AC 181539; DL 75700; CO 52794; UA 51414; BD 1700
Nobody is going to tell me there still isn't a strong revenue generating element targeted towards re-entering Canadian citizens. Still got lots of bloated public sector pensions to budget for.
Exactly. The nickel-and-diming is painful--is there some sort of quota each CBSA person has to fulfill? Some of the amounts I've had to pay couldn't possibly be worth the time and effort it took to collect them.
as a US citizen, I've seen an improvement on the Canadian clearance. The only headache is if your flight runs late (after midnight) and you land around the same time as a bunch of leisure flights returning from Carribbean or Florida. They reduce the staffing and every leisure person seems marked as a revenue opportunity and also seems to have problems filling their forms out correctly. I kno understand why my Canadian colleagues are so by the book.
To compare and contrast with the return US side, a couple years ago, there was a buy 2 get 1 free deal on crown royal and the US agent was floored I only bought 1 bottle. I said, "well aren't you allowed only 1 bottle?" to which he replied, "do you know how much paperwork we'd have to do? Next time get the deal!"
It's not an issue now that duty free is after immigration.
All and all I don't mind clearing customs on either side at the new Air Canada terminal at Pearson
,except for a few who are throwing darts at each other.
