The Bar Towel

Google turns up this:
http://community.ebay.ca/topic/Canada-T ... 3000000452

JerCraigs wrote:

iguenard wrote:I will be applying as they have started charging me 10.75$ everytime I cross the border into the US as they think I'm an eBay salesman now for some f?*& ed up reason... I stopped my trading into the US until I figure a way around that. Hopefully Nexus is the key.

Are they charging you a commercial vehicle fee? Is your name on file or something? Are you driving a commercial vehicle? I don't think you are explaining this fully.

I doubt gettinga NEXUS card would help you since if you have some kind of flag against you, you may not be able to avoid the fee.

I wonder if the "flag" they seem to have on him could hurt his Nexus application? Seems like you apply and they do a background check on you to either accept or reject you.

JerCraigs wrote:Google turns up this:
http://community.ebay.ca/topic/Canada-T ... 3000000452

Interesting. But from what iguenard said, it sounded like he gets that charge on the way in to the US, even if he can prove that he has an empty car with no items to ship. That seems to be contradictory to what the person in that link that you provided said...

NRman wrote:
Re: duty, mooner will know better. We have always been under out limit til last week when we dropped a card and claimed we had 12 bottles over our 48 allowed. The guy saw us drop the card, looked at our NEXUS cards for 15 secs (refused to look at the offered passports) and said "have a good day". Although it is still a border and they could at anytime haul us in just like anyone else (although its never happened to me in over 50 flights/drives). I'll update this if we ever get charged duty for the 12.

So, in terms of paying duty for day trips, it sounds like it is just the normal process? They could have you pull over and pay duty anyway. It would be interesting to see if anyone has experience using a Nexus pass on day-long beer runs to see if the likelihood of getting dinged with duty decreases with Nexus.

TheSevenDuffs wrote:So, in terms of paying duty for day trips, it sounds like it is just the normal process? They could have you pull over and pay duty anyway. It would be interesting to see if anyone has experience using a Nexus pass on day-long beer runs to see if the likelihood of getting dinged with duty decreases with Nexus.

I've never done a land crossing with my Nexus, but if you had anything to declare (even if under the limit) they used to make you fill out a rather long and complicated form including a credit card number so they could charge you customs/duty after the fact. So you would automatically be charged duty if you were over the limit.

My understanding now is that you are able to do an oral declaration at a Nexus border crossing and presumably then you either get asked to pay the duty or you get waved through at the discretion of the border guard.

And anyone can apply for Nexus. Even my newborn got one.

Dokta Owange wrote:anyone know if you can get kegs from Ryan's Party store in Port Huron?

I would be looking for some obscure brands from the breweries that they offer (ie: Sierra Nevada Celebration / Bigfoot, Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, Hopslam, etc)

Would you have to make arrangements with the brewery sales rep to pick up a keg at a store in the US?

I've done all my keg purchases through Andy at Wolverine Market. It's about a mile south of Ryan's on the same road. Great store, they don't have near the size of bottle selection as Ryan's (still better than the best LCBO though IMHO) When I first considered buying kegs a few years ago I tried to order a Rogue keg at Ryan's and lets say it didn't turn out so well, but it was the distributors f*** up. Ryans is my go to shop that I've spent MANY thousands of $$$ at and have always got great service and will likely give them another shot. However, the next order I made I went to Wolverine and kept it simple with a 30L of Bells Two Hearted and it was there within 2 days at a price of ~$90 (about the same price as a 20L of Blue here haha)

Give em both a call, talk only to Brian at Ryan's or Andy at Wolverine. Leave your number they'll call you back. No need to deal with the distributors. Sierra Nevada shouldn't be a problem, I know Ryans stocks Breckenridge Vanilla in bottles and Hopslam's only available in winter and is very limited in kegs. Probably my #1 favorite beer in the world but I've never had the stones to put a keg of it in Moonigan's Basement Bar. With that kind of "drinkability" in a 10% abv beer I'd have trouble making it into work until a few days after the keg was empty!

TheSevenDuffs wrote:So, in terms of paying duty for day trips, it sounds like it is just the normal process? They could have you pull over and pay duty anyway. It would be interesting to see if anyone has experience using a Nexus pass on day-long beer runs to see if the likelihood of getting dinged with duty decreases with Nexus.

In my experience a Nexus card always decreases, but obviously doesn't eliminate your likelihood of getting pulled in to pay duties. By having your crossing pre-approved it seems give the border guards a respite from the usual battery of questions and puts them at ease. Since I've had my card (~4 years) I've never ran into an agent that acted like a total dick. Anecdotally, I do virtually all my shopping in Michigan and Ive been waved through with as much as $500 in tools from Lowes to $200+ worth of bombers for my annual post-Christmas tasting event.

sstackho wrote:My understanding now is that you are able to do an oral declaration at a Nexus border crossing and presumably then you either get asked to pay the duty or you get waved through at the discretion of the border guard.

This is indeed now true. Works just like a regular booth minus the infuriating lineups and third-degree lines of questioning.

I wonder if this will change things:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/arti ... nto-canada


Secondly, if you can do a verbal declaration at a Nexus lane rather than fill out a TDC, how would this work at a dedicated Nexus passage like Whirlpool? I dont think Whirlpool has offices do they?

Ukie wrote:I wonder if this will change things:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/arti ... nto-canada


Secondly, if you can do a verbal declaration at a Nexus lane rather than fill out a TDC, how would this work at a dedicated Nexus passage like Whirlpool? I dont think Whirlpool has offices do they?

At Whirlpool you would use the drop box if they have one or not go over your exemption.
Interesting article.
It confirms the fact violators who are caught have their NEXUS revoked and I am guessing a HUGE FLAG on their plate and ID which is a much bigger issue than losing your NEXUS. Don't do the crime....

NRman wrote:

Ukie wrote:I wonder if this will change things:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/arti ... nto-canada


Secondly, if you can do a verbal declaration at a Nexus lane rather than fill out a TDC, how would this work at a dedicated Nexus passage like Whirlpool? I dont think Whirlpool has offices do they?

At Whirlpool you would use the drop box if they have one or not go over your exemption.
Interesting article.
It confirms the fact violators who are caught have their NEXUS revoked and I am guessing a HUGE FLAG on their plate and ID which is a much bigger issue than losing your NEXUS. Don't do the crime....

So the only advantage to making a verbal declaration at a Nexus lane is if you are down for the day and hope they will let you slide on the duty?

Speaking of TDC cards, they are now available online, no more retro punch card format.

Also bad news, bad news and good news. The Rainbow Nexus is gone next year and will have one at Lewiston instead although Peace Bridge will get an extra lane. Having a lane at Lewiston aint going to help when the end of the line is at the Garden City Skyway!

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/releas ... 5-eng.html

So the only advantage to making a verbal declaration at a Nexus lane is if you are down for the day and hope they will let you slide on the duty?

Well, there's also the advantage of not having to fill out that bloody form, which asks you to break down your purchases into categories and to determine country of origin and to give them a credit card number. And this is even if you are under the limit.

sstackho wrote:

So the only advantage to making a verbal declaration at a Nexus lane is if you are down for the day and hope they will let you slide on the duty?

Well, there's also the advantage of not having to fill out that bloody form, which asks you to break down your purchases into categories and to determine country of origin and to give them a credit card number. And this is even if you are under the limit.

Where do you even get these forms? When you get to the border? You have to pull over to fill one out? Seems like the oral declaration is a huge advantage.

See the link above.

sstackho wrote:See the link above.

The on-line form seems to be of limited use to me. In most cases, you are goign to have to print a bunch of blank forms out and have them in your car to fill out before crossing.

TheSevenDuffs wrote:

sstackho wrote:See the link above.

The on-line form seems to be of limited use to me. In most cases, you are goign to have to print a bunch of blank forms out and have them in your car to fill out before crossing.

Just saves you the trouble of stopping in to get new books of forms. It is actually a simpler form to fill out and I can do the old form in no time.

I can see verbal declarations slowing the line down to the point where eventually you will have to do a form. I mean the whole point of Nexus was to expedite crossing not be stuck behind someone being subject to a secondary search.

I've done all my keg purchases through Andy at Wolverine Market. It's about a mile south of Ryan's on the same road. Great store, they don't have near the size of bottle selection as Ryan's (still better than the best LCBO though IMHO) When I first considered buying kegs a few years ago I tried to order a Rogue keg at Ryan's and lets say it didn't turn out so well, but it was the distributors f*** up. Ryans is my go to shop that I've spent MANY thousands of $$$ at and have always got great service and will likely give them another shot. However, the next order I made I went to Wolverine and kept it simple with a 30L of Bells Two Hearted and it was there within 2 days at a price of ~$90 (about the same price as a 20L of Blue here hahate

thanks for your advice Mooner!
ya, i have spent boatloads at Ryan's and love the selection...will definitely check out Wolverine...