Buy in US, bring back to Canada?

[Rockford]

I've heard of people doing this, ie. having the diamond shipped to a courier's depot near the CAN/US border and then just crossing back to Canada with it without declaring it.
I understand the allure (25% off basically right?) but what happens, heaven forbid, if you DO get caught? Are you pretty much fuct or what? This isn't a pack of smokes and a bottle of JD we're talking about here and I have a friend who is actually thinking of doing this.
Anyone know of any stories or the real legalities of it all?

 

[rsilvers]

Caught wearing a ring? Did they document that you had no ring when coming into the US? There is zero chance of getting caught. Have it mounted if you want. Better yet, hide it in a huge bail of marjuana.

No, you don't want to carry a red velvet bag full of loose diamonds.

 

[rsilvers]

You would not want all the packaging and stuff with it. It is not a pack of smokes, but then again -- it is not an illegal drug or a gun either.

 

[biscuit]

Hi!

I'm up in Vancouver, and was really tempted to do this...I agree the safest way to do this would be to wear it...BUT, border guards are trained in understanding human behavior, and you wouldn't believe how many non-verbal signals you'll be sending off if you are cornered into lying...even the nerves of the experience might cause them to flag you. I worked with a Marine who was a border guard for a few years...you wouldn't believe what they can pick up on, and how much POWER they have...and they really don't need a lot of proof to do whatever they want to you. In the end I chose not to smuggle, but I'm a US citizen and my fiance is in the US...so I had the ability to keep the ring in the US and avoid the moral dilemma. I'm guessing if they were to discover you were smuggling the ring, you'd be hit with a healthy fine on top of the 25% taxes that they'd hit you with too. It'd probably depend on the value of the ring in terms of how much you'd be fined. Even with the 25% taxes, a ring bought on the net and mailed up to Canada will be cheaper and of better quality than the vast majority of stones in local stores.

happy shopping! Have fun!

 

[mike04456]

It's a gamble, and as the saying goes, don't gamble what you can't afford to lose. I don't *think* they would seize the diamond, but with all the talk about conflict diamonds and al Queda moving them around, I wouldn't take that to the bank.

What usually happens when you get caught not declaring stuff is that they make you pay the duty, then slap on a fine for not declaring it. I don't know what the fine is in Canada, but it could be substantial.

The odds of getting caught are slim unless your friend is a lousy actor.

 

[rsilvers]

It is a diamond. An inert rock. It cannot be smelled by a dog. It cannot be detected by emission of radiation. It is non-ferrous. It is really small. Me personally -- I would pay the government 25%. They need it to give everyone free healthcare.

 

[Rockford]

Holy smokes does this board ever move fast! Thanks for the responses so far. Actually the guy's thinking of just getting the stone loose so wearing it back over in a ring, while ideal, just isn't an option.
He told he might just put a cooler of pop and sandwiches in the car and literally put the diamond in loose with the ice. I told him that was really stupid but after I thought about it a while I wasn't so sure. Kind of ingenius really. Then you just buy a couple of t-shirts, a bottle or two and declare them so's not to draw attention and...
Oh great, now I'm starting sound like an advocate! When you know damn well who he'd be calling for bail money should things go awry. Honestly though, I can't say I blame the guy for thinking about it, it's a $1,500 CDN savings that we're talking about by avoiding the taxes so it IS substantial.

 

[larry]

The Canadian boarder guards can not even carry guns. If your that concerned put the diamond under some eletrical tape and tape it to some wires under the dash or hood. Are they going to untape all of your wires in your car to find a diamond? Better yet propose to her in the US and she can wear it back home.

 

[rsilvers]

I would not put it in food as you might lose it somehow.

I know he wanted to buy it loose -- I am just saying, a cheap mount and wearing it in plain sight is an option. Electrical tape under the hood of the car is another. So is pushing it up his butt but hardly neccesary.

 

[golfer]

All I can say is having just received my 1.43 carat diamond, I was stunned at how tiny it was. ($9300 for that?!?) If you're not really familiar with diamonds, you may not appreciate exactly how tiny they are. I mean, it's smaller than a medium-sized pea. I can think of a billion places to hide it in a car or on your person that a border patrol person would never, ever look, even if they did a cursory search. And if they found it, how are they going to prove it's not CZ? Are they going to seize it and have it tested?

My only advice is to purchase your insurance beforehand, if possible, so you don't have to worry about losing it.

 

[mike04456]

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And if they found it, how are they going to prove it's not CZ? Are they going to seize it and have it tested?
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If they think it's real? You better believe they will. Customs agents impound things all the time.

Again, the odds of getting caught are small, but we're talking about a $7500 rock if I'm doing my math right. I've "forgotten" about cuban cigars I had in baggage before, but I don't think I'd do it with something that expensive. If your friend is that upset about Canadian taxes, maybe he should consider moving south.