Ordered seeds from the US and got hit with huge fees… anyone else dealt with this?

Hi everyone, first time posting here. I wanted to warn others about my bad experience ordering seeds from a US-based company while living in Canada.

I like to try new seed varieties for my garden every year, and I found a company based in Salt Lake City called True Leaf Market. They had some Asian vegetable seeds I hadn’t seen anywhere else, so I decided to treat myself. The shipping fee was over $50 USD (around $71 CAD), which was already steep. But the real shock came when I got hit with an additional $75 COD fee upon delivery!

I’ve ordered seeds from other US companies like Baker Creek and MIGardener and never had this problem. I’ve never been charged a duty fee on seeds before. I’m sharing this to warn other Canadian gardeners to be cautious when ordering from this company. It was an expensive lesson, and I wouldn’t do it again.

According to their website: ‘Taxes, fees, and duties are not collected by us. If you select USPS, you acknowledge you’re responsible for these upon delivery.’ Some of those fees might not even be from the company itself.

@Asa
OP didn’t mention what shipping method they chose. That can make a big difference in costs.

@Asa
But there shouldn’t be a duty on seeds. I’ve ordered from other places and never had to deal with this. I assumed paying for shipping covered everything, but I was wrong. This is the only company that charged me this much for shipping, plus COD fees.

@Jade
It’s not the company charging you duty; it’s your government. Check out this link about Canada’s seed import rules: Seed Importation Guide.

@Jade
That’s not really the seed company’s fault, though.

@Jade
As a market gardener in Canada, I can tell you there is a duty on smaller seed orders. Larger orders meant for farming sometimes avoid it, but for most of us, the fees are unavoidable.

@Jade
It’s really hit or miss with Canadian customs. Sometimes they charge based on their valuation of the product.

@Jade
It’s not always duty—it could be GST. Canada Post charges a $10 fee just to collect GST. Even cheap items can get pricey this way.

@Jade
Why blame the company for something your government is charging?

Looks like some misunderstanding about duties and tariffs. Duties can apply even to small orders depending on the value.

Ashwin said:

Val said:
Looks like some misunderstanding about duties and tariffs. Duties can apply even to small orders depending on the value.

What exactly is a duty? Is it like a tariff?

Yes, basically.

Val said:
Looks like some misunderstanding about duties and tariffs. Duties can apply even to small orders depending on the value.

Doesn’t it depend on the quantity? Duties might not apply to smaller orders.

@Wylie
Shipping costs suggest this was a larger order, but OP hasn’t clarified.

Sounds like customs fees got you. I’ve ordered from True Leaf in the US without issues, except for low germination on saltwort.

This sounds like a learning experience. I’m always cautious about ordering internationally.

You’re blaming a company for fees they didn’t charge. This is on you for not understanding customs. Be more responsible before badmouthing a small business.

Kelby said:
I’ve had similar issues buying from Canada to the US. Customs fees can add up quickly, and I avoid international orders when possible.

I’ve ordered from Baker Creek and MIGardener with no issues. This was the first time I got hit with customs fees on seeds.

@Jade
Customs is random. Sometimes packages get flagged, and you end up paying fees. It’s not the seller’s fault.

@Jade
Good luck with germination from Baker Creek!