Dealing with customs when selling something across the border?

I've had so many local CL deals flake I would never consider driving out of my way to sell something.

Ex-customs guy here.

Why? Why are you doing this? Is this person offering you an unreasonably high price? Have you considered that this may be a scam? It sounds sketchy as hell, and the people at the border are going to pick up on that. You will probably be questioned extensively, and this bike of yours will be searched as well.

At the very least, they'll consider this to be a commercial entry. That means a ~$15 fee just for crossing the border (payable in US dollars only.) You'll need paperwork such as a bill of sale, packing slip, etc. you need to have the correct paperwork with you and in order or you'll be sent home, minus your considerable time and processing fee.

I'd strongly recommend contacting a border broker to act on your behalf. It will at least add some legitimacy to your plan. Again, it will cost you a nominal fee, but I'd assume the bike must be of a high enough value that this wouldn't be a real concern.

Again, this does not sound legitimate. Have you been to Sumas? It's a restaurant, a few gas stations, a grocery store and forty churches. Oh yeah, and s shit ton of meth-heads. I wouldn't be surprised if you went to all this trouble if some tweaker shoved a gun in your chest and relieved you of your bike behind the IGA.

Tread carefully.

If you take something across the border you've sold, it is considered a commercial entry. You can not use your Nexus pass and are subject to a $13.05 commercial vehicle entry fee. Search the CBP US website.

What will you be doing with that bike

Riding it

Ok have a nice day sir

It's like selling anything else. Take it across the border, tell them that it's been purchased by someone on the other side, give them the purchasers information, and the purchaser will be responsible for paying any duties/taxes/etc (used items other than collectibles tend not to have significant enough duties/taxes for customs agents to care.) The US border people might not care enough if it's not worth more than $800

When you come back, you tell the customs agents that you sold your item to a someone in the US, you should have a duplicate receipt of the transaction so that customs knows where the money came from. The buyer is responsible for paying state taxes, you are only responsible for claiming income later.

If would be considered smuggling if you do not declare the item, and that results in jail time. Make sure to save all emails regarding the transaction, because that will likely save you in the event that you aren't believed.

http://www.tradelawyersblog.com/blog/article/canada-border-services-agency-has-difficulties-with-cross-border-private-sales/

That said, if you are taking it across the border, you are carrying the risk. Both for importing it and in case the US resident is unwilling to buy it when it gets there, or does in fact steal it from you. It would be better to actually get US citizens to come here, but there may be reasons why they can't (eg no passport, or previous inadmissible to Canada.)

One thing that watching the Border Security show revealed is that each border crossing looks for specific things, typically drugs, and thus if you come back with a large quantity of cash that you can't explain, you will be grilled on it and if you don't declare it, you may lose it.

Tell border guard you are riding the north shore. Tell border guard on way back your bike got stolen in Vancouver.

Profit