Official Luthiers Forum!

Has anyone heard about a buyers social security number being needed to ship from canada to the U.S. for U.S.customs ? when I was asked for mine, by the seller, I was taken aback . as this has never been asked of me for purchasing soundboards etc . thanks Jody

Nope - sounds fishy.

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

I've shipped lots of stuff to the States and have never been asked for my social insurance number.

Steve

Never heard of it either....Athough I only ship to the US about weekly ( )! I would ask why they need it. If they don't have a good reason, bail!

Shane

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Canada

Never! It DOES sound fishy. Government agents, chartered financial institutions & prospective employers have the right to that information. No-one else should ask.

If your order exceeds $2000 in value, you may be required to provide your social security number. U.S. Customs and Border Protection requires that you file a formal entry if the imported goods are valued at $2000 or higher.

You can read through the process here:
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/214/~/filing-an-formal-entry-(for-goods-valued-at-$2000-or-more)

The form for requesting an importer number (5106) which is linked within the website above asks for your social security number.

If your goods are shipped through UPS or FedEx, they usually have customs brokers who file the formal entry for you, so maybe that's why the seller asks for your social security number. Less hassle for you, but you may have to pay brokerage fees when the package arrives at your door. They are NOT included in the shipping cost charged by the seller.

hope that helps,
Christian

Yes,

I regularly ship guitars to the states and I always need the US buyers Tax ID (which is the US customers social security number). This is when shipping with a courier like UPS or Fedex. This number is necessary for NAFTA and probably some of the other forms. Us Canadian businesses also have tax ID numbers which have to go on the paperwork. However here in Canada they are separate numbers from our social insurance number.

I don't think this is as fishy as some may think. US customs is after all government agency. I wasn't aware of the need to have this number on my paperwork when I started shipping to the US, but I quickly found out as my packages were held at customs until I could provide the Tax ID for the recipient.

This may not be required when shipping through the post but I'm sure it is required by all the couriers. And it is defiantly required on the NAFTA form.

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

o.k. thanks, it is about a $100.00 item, I am considering some fosselized ivory to try for nuts and saddles,but without seeing the colors up front, considering there may be extra charges... i just dont know ...thanks Jody

If I'm understanding correctly you're in the US, trying to buy some fossilized Ivory from Canada?
Perhaps the "ivory" part is what's causing the problem. I know it's fossilized, but maybe there's some confusion about that somewhere. I can't help with your SS# problem but you can get some fossilized Ivory from David Warther in Ohio without the import hassles.

http://www.guitarpartsandmore.com/?nav= ... at=1&sub=3

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

I've shipped a ton of guitars from Canada to the U.S. and strictly speaking the recipient's Tax ID Number or Social Security Number is required ... although in reality, you don't get called on it 100% of the time. If the recipient feels uncomfortable giving this number to the Canadian exporter, you can indicate on the export documents to "call recipient for Social Security Number" and customs will call him directly when the item hits the border ... it does often slow down the customs clearance process by a day or so.

Jody,

The only ivory that you will be able to legally buy and ship over the border from Canada will be Mammoth ivory. Won't have a lot of color and the best stuff comes from Russia.
I have all sorts of ivory, and more than I need. Not really an active seller any more but I'd be happy to sell you what you are looking for. If you are interested send me an email to twinfins@gmail.com or send me a PM. Let me know, as well as you can, what you are looking for. I have everything from full tusks to left over scrap that I give to childrens summer camps for making beads.
Maybe this is an old timer view, but I don't want to give anybody my social security number these days. If governments want us all to have an unique identification number for public use they should tatoo a barcode on our foreheads when we're born.
OK I'm done
Tim