Quoted Text

Then there's the issue that we are taxed on used, American made pinball machines crossing the border despite NAFTA or anything else.

You're taxed as you would be taxes purchasing while within canada as well. (yes, you are supposed to pay sales tax on used purchases too..).

Nafta has NOTHING to do with tax, it only has to do with Duty.  Duty != tax.
Duty is used to bring the goods up to par with a Canadian manufacturer producing the same product.  

To chime in on this one, $5 for brokerage is cheap.  Check out UPS, Fedex, or other Brokers - you won't get it for $5.00.  If your bringing in a pinball machine and can get it for under $100  in brokerage RUN, don't walk to that broker. (I have phone numbers of cheap brokers that I recommend.  No I will not be your broker.)

The people who handle Canada Post packages for customs inspection have a system for picking out packages.  Of the 40,000,000 packages per day that are handled by Canada post, they are targeting just you. That's why you got nailed.  Not luck of the draw or anything like that.

But remember - you do have the choice to be your own broker, and fight for that $5.  
Just ask canada post to hold up *every* package of yours, so you can drive to the post office, pick up the manifest, take it to customs, pay the PST/GST, fax it to Canada post and have them deliver.  

Rather then 'getting nailed'  think of the 6 times you imported you didn't have to pay anything.  Amortize it over all the packages.

And be thankful - I don't get *anything* free into the country. I pay every time.

Quoted from Subpacket

The people who handle Canada Post packages for customs inspection have a system for picking out packages.  Of the 40,000,000 packages per day that are handled by Canada post, they are targeting just you. That's why you got nailed.  Not luck of the draw or anything like that.

Think of it 40 million X $5.00 a day, and then think of all the good things the Canadian government could do with that money for our country. Mother of god, that is 200 million dollars a day if you take what Subpacket says as true.

40,000,000 included domestic.  The $5 actually goes to Livingston. They are the customs broker that was awarded the contract. $5 per randomly selected package. After you add in the support staff for it, its not that lucrative.