FlyerAl

If there's any truth to this anecdote, I think what may have actually happened was that your relatives' friends were denied a one-way car from the rental company for whatever reason. So they took a taxi and walked across the bridge instead. There's no way a customs officer would decide on behalf of a rental car company that too many of their cars are being dropped off in Canada and need to be transported back to the U.S. The companies charge higher one-way rates and/or drop fees to account for transporting the car back to the U.S. (They probably load a bunch of cars on a truck and have them brought back across the border).

Points Poppa

CBSA are permitted to refuse temporary entry of a non-Canadian plated vehicle driven by a Canadian resident, barring special circumstances, outlined here:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publicat...d2-4-1-eng.pdf

rankourabu

Where does it say anything like that in the Rental Car section?

Temporary Importation of United States (U.S.)-Based Rental Vehicles (tariff item No. 9993.00.00)
10. Residents of Canada may temporarily import a U.S.-based rental vehicle for non-commercial purposes, under tariff item No. 9993.00.00.

Points Poppa

Ah, you're right! There was a new memo last year:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publicat...-12-1-eng.html

Vehicles Entered Temporarily - US Rental Vehicles Driven by Canadians

73. Vehicles that have been rented in the US by residents of Canada from a US vehicle rental business may enter Canada for non-commercial purposes and shall be removed from Canada within a period of 30 days, or any other prescribed period, beginning on the day on which the vehicles were imported.

74. If within the period of 30 days or any other prescribed period beginning on the day on which the vehicles were imported, the resident of Canada delivers the vehicles to a vehicle rental business in Canada with the consent of the business, then the vehicles’ rental business shall be responsible for removing the vehicles’ from Canada before the end of that period.

Bartolo

Interesting discussion. Thank you. I will print and take the memo referenced above with me when I cross the border.

Uodate: I still have trouble believing the story as related for reasons described above. To minimize the likelihood of a problem, I contacted CBSA, the car rental company office in the US and in Canada, and the Niagara Bridge Commission. All assured me no problem. The discussion with CBSA was interesting. I related the “anecdote” and was informed “we wouldn’t do that”.

Even more interesting was the agent’s advice to complete the Arrive Can document not more than 48 hrs prior to entering Canada. I was told if delayed for any reason the system could “delete me”. Seemed like reasonable advice.

Anyone know now what happens if you don’t do the Arrive Can document in advance?

under2100

I imagine you can do it then and there especially if they're not busy so you're not backing up traffic, and you explain you were unexpectedly delayed. If you're worried, you could always pull off at the last exit and resubmit. I did mine beforehand, but had to guesstimate the arrival time, which turned out to be 'off' by several hours because of unexpectedly having to stop by the airport to collect my delayed bags. I then pulled off the road right before the border and resubmitted a new ArriveCan form with a more accurate arrival time, and it gave me a new code. I was somewhat flustered at the border and started a long winded explanation of why the printed form I was clutching in my hand was different to the code on the app, but she didn't look at either and just said she didn't need it because, 'it pops up automatically on my screen'. I think this was just from her entering my passport details.

sydneyracquelle

I got the official scoop from the car rental folks at BUF today. Apparently the rental car itself must quarantine for a period of time after a one way rental from the USA into Canada and cannot be rerented immediately. That is why we are seeing 4-day minimum rentals and no longer seeing one day one way rentals.

Bartolo

Thanks for posting about this. Fascinating.

Out of interest, I just tried a dummy booking with National (BUF-YYZ) for April. Still possible to do a 1 day with them. Have no idea if my status was a factor. It offered a substantial discount due to EC status. Price hasn’t changed in weeks.

sydneyracquelle

Makes sense as no innocent Cdn in good faith wants to rent a car in Canada that was just returned a short time earlier by a big bad awful American or returning snowbird who likely has covid. So they need time to completely disinfect the car and cannot rent it during this period.

seawolf

Don't they still have the quarantine the vehicle same amount of a time after 1-day vs. 4-day rental? I suppose with a 4-day rental they can charge a higher rate for all 4 days to help cover the quarantine period when the vehicle is not revenue generating.

sydneyracquelle

A 4-day $1,000 rental covers them for the loss more than a 1-day $250 rental.

yyzsfoflyer

I flew into Detroit today and rented a car one-way with Alamo (booked months ago when talk surfaced about the hotel jails) with a drop off at YYZ. Crossed at the Windsor Tunnel and didn't even have to present my ArriveCAN number since they can pull it up using your passport/Nexus #. The border officer, who was very polite, asked for my PCR test result, handed me the Day 1 and Day 10 Switch Health test kits, pointed me to an area staffed by the Red Cross to collect the 1st day kit if I wanted to do it onsite, and sent me on my way. No questions about the rental car, just the standard questions about length of stay, purpose of visit, anything to declare., The collection area is just past secondary inspection; you wait until the Secondary inspection officers open a gate and drive through. I was the only car there. I had already pre-registered on the website, so they looked me up using my email address. The staff record the serial # of the sample tube, instruct you how to self administer the test, and collect it afterwards. After than, an uneventful drive up the 401 to Pearson. All in all. it was quite friction less.

sydneyracquelle

I had a very similar experience at a BUF crossing yesterday.

Bartolo

@Sydneyraquelle & @yyzsfoflyer — just curious if your rental cars were US or Canadian plated. Any advantage to one vs the other?

yyzsfoflyer

Mine was US Plated (Michigan). I couldn't speak about which is more advantageous than the other. I can speculate that a Canadian plated car would incur less scrutiny as it is not being temporarily imported as per previous posts.