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[OT] Canadian Customs agents / idiots

I know this is off topic but most people have to order semi's and cores and have likely had similar experiences. Hopefully Google indexes it and they clean out the useless tit's at Canada customs whose incompetence is probably costing this Country a fortune!!

The calibre of your typical federal employee is pathetic. I'll give an example I purchased some Ferrite cores from Coilcraft. The cores where shipped to my house stating to either pay the duty myself or pay FEDEX a fee to do it for me. I elected to pay myself, how hard can it be. So begins my two hour saga at my local customs office (I live in a border town) trying to pay my $8.22 duty.

During my time at Canada customs I had to disturb one of the overworked civil servants reading a novel with his feet up on the desk. Paying my duty was just to challenging for him so he called a more senior customs officer who also didn't know what to do. She called the head idiot then went on coffee break at about 9:30 am she still wasn't back from her break when I left about 12:00pm.

After two hours of phone calls the head pea brain finally figured out how to collect my duty. During this time the bimbo was still on her break (probably she will get back just in time for lunch) and the original moron was reading his novel.

The head idiot advised me to have any future packages shipped to a shipping warehouse across the border. Apparently doing his job to collect the taxes that pay his salary and cash for life pension is just too much for him! Instead I should pay bridge tolls subject myself to a bunch of border guard Nazi's and pay a fee for the shipping warehouse to hold my package.

Reply to
Hammy
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The term is "toadies" ;-)

I made a mistake one time coming into Toronto, tired, said "working" (design review) instead of "tourist"... got assigned to fat broad.

After I taught her some new cuss words they let me go ;-) ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, CTO                            |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |
             
              With Half My Brain Tied Behind My Back
              Still More Clever Than Mr.Prissy Pants
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Sounds like next time you will just pay Fed Ex to take care of it for you.

George H.

Reply to
George Herold

It sounds like it costs them 20x as much to collect the tax as it's worth.

In California, in theory we're supposed to pay sales tax on anything we buy from out of state, but it's not enforced for small stuff bought by individuals. Just for cars, business purchases, stuff like that.

John

Reply to
John Larkin

Actually, for our business, we are VERY careful to pay use tax on everything, esp. our Digikey purchases for prototypes. I figure it won't be long before they start data mining that info out of the databases...

Charlie

Reply to
Charlie E.

Believe me there was a lot I wanted to say but I have lots of family and friends in the States.It's getting bad enough since 911 going back and forth without having some customs dipshit out to get me.

Can you say body cavity search;).

Reply to
Hammy

I once was directed to a place in Canadian Customs where I could not get back in to settle up duty on some boards. There were warrants sworn, and my employer had to use legal counsel to resolve it.

Maddening. The most officious, arrogant and useless public servants I have ever encountered.

-- Les Cargill

Reply to
Les Cargill

Absolutely. Almost as bad as postal employees ;-) ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, CTO                            |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |
             
              With Half My Brain Tied Behind My Back
              Still More Clever Than Mr.Prissy Pants
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Except we're slightly different here in the States. Those people live in our neighborhoods... if they're snotty they get whopped or dragged behind a pick-up ;-) ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, CTO                            |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |
             
              With Half My Brain Tied Behind My Back
              Still More Clever Than Mr.Prissy Pants
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Parts bought for protos are taxable, and parts for production aren't. But sometimes we wind up selling the protos. This isn't extremely precise.

Great way to kill California jobs, taxing product development and productive equipment. And San Francisco taxes all equipment at 1% of the original purchase price, every year, *forever* as long as you still have it on site. We don't need no stinkin' jobs here.

John

Reply to
John Larkin

Californication at its finest ;-) ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, CTO                            |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
| Phoenix, Arizona  85048    Skype: Contacts Only  |             |
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     |
             
              With Half My Brain Tied Behind My Back
              Still More Clever Than Mr.Prissy Pants
Reply to
Jim Thompson

Just to visit family. WOW that is ugly.

Reply to
JosephKK

Canadian customs seized my pepper spray! They turned on their WW2-era air raid siren too when I parked in the wrong lot... fun fun fun.

Michael

Reply to
Michael

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