It's 2021 - the year of the COVID-19 ripple waves! Time to update your knowledge on Importing Sex Dolls into Canada because ... the Game Has Changed!
Because sex dolls are made in China, and as a result of sex dolls being regulated in Canada, there are a few ways ordering a sex doll can go wrong for Canadians. This situation is also constantly evolving, but the intent of this document is to provide as much current information as possible to Canadians considering purchasing a sex doll.
Moreover, if you order from an overseas website, direct from the manufacturer in China, from an American website (including our own Sex Doll America), or even from a Canadian website that does not offer full customs importation service for Canadians and only acts as a drop-shipper (they place an order with the factory and never see or touch your box), the low price that seduced you may result in some unwanted stress, delays, and headaches that have a real cost to YOU, the consumer.
CBSA (Canada Customs) Rejection - Proof of Purchase
The most common rejection by Canada Customs is a "Y50 Reject". These rejections are actually quite common, especially from WM Doll, as they have diverted their Canadian shipments from FedEx to UPS as a consequence of FedEx's increased volume, and pricing, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Customers purchasing through Sex Doll Canada never have to worry about these Y50 rejections, as they are cleared without your intervention by us directly.
Example Y50 Rejection from Canada Customs (CBSA) after Delivery
Approximately 10% of sex dolls will have delays due to a Y50 Reject. These rejections are mainly caused by Canada Customs finding irregularities on shipping documents, primarily the description, HS / Tariff Code, or the value for customs. Usually these are caused by the exporter hastily filling out the paperwork, but sometimes they can be caused by an inexperienced CBSA examining officer or (we suspect ...) an examining officer who simply wants to give the sex doll importer some extra work or may be secretly enjoying a power trip.
Please note that normally, the sex doll exporter is rarely the manufacturer or sex doll factory. These manufacturers almost all use freight companies who do not put much care into completing customs documents because they are a volume-based business. They primarily take concern with the paperwork being simple and straight-forward to minimize the export cost for the goods leaving China (yes, Chinese companies pay tax on exports, and this is closely regulated in China).
Many sex doll manufacturers, or resellers, will offer to declare a lower value for your shipment to reduce the duties and taxes during import. This is partly also because it minimizes their export fee. We strongly suggest not doing this, as this risks a Y50 rejection and penalties for the Importer within Canada if the value is deemed unreasonable or suspicious.
Once the paperwork is complete, and all the values are correct, the Importer of Record will have to pay Customs & Duties, including Canadian sales tax. Import customs / duties can be as little as 5% or up to 14% of your order value, depending on how the paperwork is completed and how the doll is imported. This is NEVER paid in advance by the manufacturer or foreign reseller, and regardless of what "customs assistance" you are offered, you will have to pay the bill if you are the Importer.
When you buy from Sex Doll Canada, we charge Canadian sales tax upon checkout so there is never any double payment - we pay all import fees, customs and duties for our Canadian orders.
If your shipment is identified as showing any irregularities, the Importer of Record (must be a Canadian resident or Canadian business) will be asked for:
- Complete Proof of Purchase, showing credit card statement, Paypal statement, or bank statement depending on your method of payment. The actual amount paid should line up exactly with what the exporter wrote on the Commercial Invoice.
- Revised commercial invoice with corrected values, separately itemized freight amounts, description and tariff code. If your sex doll is being described as a "mannequin", and the customs officer notices that it is a sex doll, you can expect there to be some question. Note that there are penalties for improper declaration by the Importer.
CBSA (Canada Customs) Rejection - Obscene Materials / Child Sex Doll
If you have purchased an item which is deemed obscene by Canada Customs (CBSA), and not admissible into Canada, as the Importer of Record you could be facing full confiscation & destruction of your shipment and potential criminal charges. This is no laughing matter. So be VERY sure of what you are buying and where you are buying it from. You will be held solely responsible, not the company or person you got a "great price" from.
We recently received a report from a prospective customer buying normal full-size sex doll purchased from another "reputable source", and instead was shipped a small flat-chested sex doll which was deemed inadmissible and was considered a "child sex doll". This shipment was confiscated and destroyed. At the time this was written, that person did not receive any criminal charges, but that is at the discretion of law enforcement and this person may receive future charges.
As our company was not involved with this situation, we can't report any further details and won't mention which "reputable competitor" sold them the sex doll.
Sex Doll Canada has never had a doll confiscated by Canada Customs (CBSA) as we are very careful with WHAT, and HOW, we import our products to ensure we are well within the current guidelines set by CBSA.
We act as the Importer for Record for all our orders destined in Canada, regardless of what shipping method you choose.
CBSA (Canada Customs) - Damage during Customs Inspection
Minor damage to packaging, improper taping / securing of your box causing subsequent damage during delivery, and damage to goods during customs inspection is also quite routine, unfortunately.
Examples of Minor Shipping Damage - Very Common
While over 50% of air shipments are examined by Canada Customs, only 10-20% show handling / retaping damage to the external box, and 2-5% show physical damage as a result of handling of the goods.
If you want to avoid minor and major damage during shipping, consider our Consolidated Shippingoption. It adds time to your delivery, but as your doll order is palletized, shrink wrapped and almost never handled individually until it arrives on our dock, these shipments arrive in pristine condition! Consolidated Shipping saves you money, and reduces risk for us and for the customer - Slow and Steady is the way to go, especially on the more expensive doll purchases!
This damage during customs examination is generally not because the examining officers are careless, but simply because of the use of dirty gloves and quick unpacking / repacking (or the lack of repacking) of items inside the box. TPE is easily permanently stained when handled with dirty, dusty, greasy gloves that have been handling boxes coming on & off conveyors. Adhesive from shipping tape also attracts dirt and accumulates on the outside of air shipment packages easily.
Typical Doll Stains during Customs Handling
Pursuing a claim through Canada Customs for the lost time and energy to remedy damage during inspection is a lost cause, unless there is gross damage and / or major loss. When Sex Doll Canada receives a doll that was inspected by Customs, as we are experts in repair, we can also quickly clean and / or repair any minor damage caused by customs.
Major Shipping Damage
As a follow-up to our previous article showing actual shipping damage due to air shipments (our Standard Shipping option), most of the damage we are currently seeing should be categorized as minor and only requires taping and some cardboard cladding to repair the shipping boxes. However, some boxes are still arriving with major damage, large gaping holes, open flaps, and with doll parts actually exposed during delivery. Imagine the embarrassment if your "discretely packaged sex doll" was delivered direct from China with a body part exposed - this CAN and HAS happened!
Actual Condition of a Box Delivered by FedEx Air Freight
These minor repairs, while seemingly small, could make the difference between additional damage during the last leg of delivery, as small holes become big holes when the heavy boxes are dragged in and out of courier delivery vehicles. This is why we provide this basic service to all our customers when we have the shipment arrive at SD Canada.
Small holes in the box can also result in items falling out, or being misplaced, during shipping. Items separated from the box during shipping absolutely can't be recovered. They just end up back at the shipping depot - who knows where they go from there.
In many cases, as we wrote in our previous article, we will perform a complimentary box change if your box is showing irreparable damage. That isn't necessarily because we are great guys, but simply because it is also in OUR best interest to make sure your shipment arrives without internal damage - and sometimes the cheap cardboard box that travelled to us from China simply isn't fit to be shipped down the road.
What Can You Do to Avoid These Major Hassles when Buying a Sex Doll?
While we hope this article has been informative, most potential buyers (including experienced sex doll owners who have been lucky in the past) don't realize what goes into Importing a sex doll. They only learn what CAN go wrong once it DOES go wrong.
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Please be cautious when buying from resellers who are NOT in Canada, if you are importing into Canada.
- Be even more cautious about those IN Canada who operate without a physical location, as you will be almost certainly be the one dealing with delays, shipping damage, damage during customs examination or issues during importation.
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Be wary of seductively low prices. When it comes to service, you get what you pay for!
If you decide to buy from China, or from an overseas company, and are willing to do the work and take the extra risk (yes this is a viable option!), here's what we recommend:
- Ask your seller for a copy of the actual Commercial Invoicebefore making payment, and tell them you want them to declare the correct description (you are not buying a mannequin ...) and the correct value.
- Check to see if they are listed on The Doll Forum, or if at least they have third-party verified reviews(such as YOTPO or TrustPilot - don't be fooled by crappy review platforms that allow the vendor to modify their reviews).
- Make sure you use a payment method which has Buyer Protection, such as Paypalor a Major Credit Card, and research how to do a "Chargeback" in the event that you don't get what you paid for or are ripped off.
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