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<p>Hi all:</p>
Prior to the last meeting, there was some correspondence about
soldering and a link to a soldering/rework station available (where
else?) on eBay <a href="http://r.ebay.com/1EYip9">http://r.ebay.com/1EYip9.
</a><br>
At least one was displayed at the last meeting and it looked really
promising. So I visited the link, did a little due diligence and
ordered one for the princely sum of $50.99 plus shipping etc of
$44.86, or $95.85. Of course that was in real dollars, not
dollarettes. The total in Canadian dollarettes was C$130.86.<br>
I later found out, from an article by Neil Macdonald on CBC, <a
href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/online-shopping-cross-border-duties-taxes-de-minimus-macdonald-1.3814681"><u>http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/online-shopping-cross-border-duties-taxes-de-minimus-macdonald-1.3814681</u></a>,
there is something called <i>de minimus </i>for stuff coming into
Canada of $20. That is, for items coming into Canada, anything over
$20 should be charged duties, taxes etc. While Canada Post is
flexible on this (too much paperwork) the shipping companies like
UPS can charge for the service. And they do. The amount payable on
delivery by UPS for duty, customs paperwork, GST on said paperwork
came to C$101. So my $51 item eventually cost C$230!<br>
US Customs allows Americans to bring in items up to the usual border
crossing allowance of $800.<br>
According to Macdonald's article, Canada spends $160 million to
collect $39 million. <br>
Your tax dollars at work. <br>
Write to Finance Minster Bill Morneaux, <span class="caucus"><a
title="Email this Member – Bill.Morneau@parl.gc.ca"
href="mailto:Bill.Morneau@parl.gc.ca">Bill.Morneau@parl.gc.ca</a></span>,
and let him know the de minimus should be raised.<br>
<br>
Peter Richards<br>
<br>
PS I used this unit to replace three bulging capacitors on a board
in a flickering Samsung monitor. Worked very nicely.<br>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe. - Albert Einstein</pre>
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