 
Customs Declaration sticker - usually the Green one with a bar code on top. You should get one automatically at the Post Office, to stick to your parcel or padded envelope when you ship items Internationally. Write into Contents - example: 1 Knife for repairs and select OTHER from check boxes. Into the column for Value and Value total enter Value=$0.00 Total: $0.00 and SIGN Your knife's real value and identical Insurance Value are not entered on green sticker. If you screw this up it will cost you extra for customs brokerage fees, my extra time to attend to the mess, and sometimes many more days added to the turn around as your package is held up in customs for processing. An extra $40.00 US will be my fee, plus all the customs fees (this depends on how much value you placed in the wrong place). You will have to pay this before your knife is returned, and without delay. |
Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note (white one) This is example of wrongly filled out form: 
Explaining the Customs sticker You have to fill out: (I strongly advise not to let any postal employee to fill this part out for you, as many already filled this out wrong already) VALUE: There are 3 Values for every shipment.
It is necessary for the postal clerk to enter the Real Value of the shipment to his computer software. The real value must be the same $ Value as the Insurance Amount, or the software will reject it. This value is NOT the Value you enter in the item 4.Value($US) on the Customs / shipping label. I must stress this point. The Value for customs is $0.00 for items sent out for repairs and returning back to USA. The Value and The Total value amounts entered on green sticker, or declaration or shipping labels, are for the Customs ONLY to assess and levy the duty and tax for the items person has purchased or sold. This Value has nothing to do with the Post Office or Shipping office Insurance entered above. The Value on the Customs label in none of the postal workers business. Lately people started having problems with post offices not wanting to insure the items, unless these values are same. This is misinterpretation of facts by ignorant postal employees on both sides of the border, and insufficient explanation by software.. |
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( In the return shipping after the repair: The value of service done to the item is NOT the same as the full real value of the item It does NOT include Shipping and Handling fees - the shipping cost is on other part of the shipping label with the insurance) When the repairs are finished, I will add the value of the repair to your original value and ship it insured for same: You can print this out to take to Post office.
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YOU MUST ALWAYS FILL IN THE CUSTOMS DECLARATION AND DISPATCH NOTE CORRECTLYDo NOT leave blank - The Value must always be entered - for mailing up repairs it is $0.00If left blank, Customs take it for granted the knife is being imported as merchandise and will charge any Value they see fits the knife. So many people got the Value wrong, that I must spell it out - the sticker does not. This is NOT the Value of YOUR knife, unless you are Selling it This Value is ONLY for the duty and tax collection on items YOU are SELLING or for Value of Services YOU have provided. You can insure the contents of your package (your own knife) for whatever you think is real value. The Insured Value is NOT the same as the Customs Value above, and postmaster does write it in the different spot / computer software. : In the itemized list of Contents write (example): 1 Hunting knife for repairs And also bellow enter: This is NOT a sale - returning back to USA. And from the bunch of Check boxes select OTHER - never select Merchandise for the item you expect to be returned. |
DO NOT mail your repairs up UPS - closest UPS office is 120 miles away. Avoid mailing your knives by Global Express to Canada - it is expensive, they hand over your package to a customs broker at the border - will cost you extra $60.00 ($35 brokerage / handling fee plus PST, GST ) The delivery time is also uncertain (took over 2 month in the past) Also at the border your package gets dumped into regular mail for the Post Office pick up. Have had no problem receiving packages by: USPS, World Post Air Mail, Global Priority Mail, Corporate Express, International Express Mail, Federal Express. If you think that your package is overdue, let me know. I may not be able to anything but offer my sympathy, but will try. Normal delivery time limits no longer apply due to increased border customs security checks. If the package is traceable, like when shipped by Express Post, I can start the trace after 15 business days. Overseas delivery can take up to several weeks. Air Mail does not guarantee the delivery, and can take up to a month to get. Extra airport security account for that. It is unbelievable, but Air mail can take longer than regular Snail mail. To ship by Priority Courier or overnight delivery will cost you arm and a leg too and there is no real advantage ($50.00 and up) Regular ground mail is cheapest, but there is no recourse if it gets lost in transit - it is not tracked. Therefore, and depending on the knife, spend a bit extra and get a tracking number at least. |
 A victim of a credit card scam and mail fraud, I no longer accept any other form of payment than listed bellow: Include your payment with the knife to be repaired, or mail in a separate envelope. Payment by Money Order is just as good as cash but safer, and is the answer. It is the only type of payment banks have no problem processing. Saves many days and hassles, and also it is one step in fraud prevention. Ask for Postal MO or IMO at your Post Office. Include the International Money Order check in US dollars, for all US orders, the Canadian Postal MO check for all Canadian orders. Make payable to: Tony Hnilica, PO Box 657, Lytton, B.C. |
 Inside your package include a brief description of work required, your mailing address, phone and email. If you have another email address on different server, like Hotmail or Yahoo include it too, because if I can't reply to your messages or send you my repair update and pictures because your email server blocks my IP address, I have no means to communicate with you properly, if at all. Add my address to your Address Book and see that you can receive attachments. Your telephone number is required for the return mail Expedited or Express stickers to be processed. Also include my full address and telephone number (250) 455-2594. This was recommended by customs, and it is helpful in case the package gets held for any number of reasons. The phones will save a couple of weeks of regular mail processing, and it is also required for above mentioned mail form. Email is important so I can notify you of the return shipment - my email frequently crashes. As you will see, I do spend a lots of my valuable time, and effort, to keep you up to date on your repair. This includes taking multitude of pictures which have to be edited for email, and generally letting you know what is happening with your knife. If the repair does not go as smooth as planned, or something goes wrong as it happens from time to time, I will let you know immediately, and also I do expect immediate reply.. I would appreciate if you acknowledge / reply to my email in timely matter. Your reply is not only expected, but required. There is nothing worse than trying to deal with non-responsive customer. If you do not have an internet at home and use of public access is limited to you, please advise me on how frequently you can check your email. If you must use your phone, I do have an answering machine when not available, and will try to call back the number you call from. Speak slowly and clearly as my connection is not the greatest and some past calls just could not be understood. As there will be no record of your phone call, I can't use it for my later reference - this is a major setback for your repair if it is more than a few days down the road. My answering machine also looses some messages, so I have no idea what the call was about. If you do not hear from me within a day or two, give me another call. |
 Tony Hnilica
*AJH* Custom Knives & Services PO Box 657 LYTTON, B.C. V0K-1Z0 CANADA [tell: (250)455-2594] |
 - important delivery proof against the mail fraud: Expedited Parcel US can be tracked and insured to US, in Canada Express post also has guaranteed delivery. Other countries still problem - I can still get your tiny folder mailed insured, if I pack it in the big apple box. Of course shipping of the big parcel is no longer cheap, but is $46 plus the cost of insurance & taxes. This applies only to some countries, does not to others, I usually find out the details on individual basis. Private carriers will deliver to some location/country for extra $65 or more.  - Important risk notice This goes in general for any items you purchase in, and that have to be shipped to you from Canada. The mail services anywhere are mostly reliable, but there are many exceptions, and history. Past losses confirm the even though the risk is small, it does exists. Take this risk into consideration before shipping the knife for the repair, or buying one. My responsibility is fully discharged when I hand your knife over the counter to the Canada Post Office. If you are from a country that has a corrupt system - (Customs and/or Postal Services) remember that I can do nothing after I place the knife I am returning after repair, or the knife you purchased, in the mail. Any claims to recover the value of your knives "lost" in transit from me will NOT be accepted. The money you paid either for a new knife, or the repair, are NOT refundable in case of the parcel loss (theft) while in transit. However I would forward any and all money recovered from package insurance, if and when received.  The high amount of insurance on the package sticker is to any corrupt individual who handles mail, being a PO employee, in transit, through customs and mail Couriers, like a red flag to a bull. Around holidays, especially around Christmas, expensive gifts can be found in parcels. When packages get "lost", the value listed on the package seems to be determining factor. But this said, if the package gets lost, this is all you going to get, so if the knife is valuable, insure it for what you deem worth. Great number of packages get lost during Christmas - do you think that it is because of the mail system overload ? Other Options at the extra cost Available only for Express Post and Couriers is an option to purchase an Extra insurance, value at $1.25/$100 up to $1,000.00 The delivery time is only about 2 says shorter. |
CANADAEffective Jan. 12, 2009, Canada Post introduced price and service changes to our domestic, U.S.A. and international parcel services.The 2010 price changes apply to the following domestic, U.S.A. and international parcel services and associated options: Priority™ Next A.M. Priority™ Worldwide XpressPost™ XpressPost™-USA Expedited Parcel™ Expedited Parcel-USA™ Regular Parcel™ USA Air and Surface Small Packet™ Book Presort XpressPost™-International XpressPost ™ Certified Mail International Air and Surface Parcel XpressPost ™ Banking International Air and Surface Small Packet™ Expedited Live Day-Old Chicks For more information on price and service changes for Parcel Services, please click here |
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*AJH* Custom Knives & Services
