Just got detained at Canada Customs - all okay tho...

Just a warning regarding anyone thinking of purchasing tires/rims in the US and riding them into Canada without declaring them to Canada customs.

I was just in the US yesterday night (for a few hours) to pick-up a few grocery items and was stopped and held at the Customs office for about an hour as they thought my new rims/tires were purchased in the US and I was trying to smuggle them into Canada.

So anyway, I drove up to the customs officer and answered the usual questions, where you went, total value of goods, etc... But then he asks about the car, is it yours (yes), how long have you had it (2 years) and then he gives me a yellow card and told me to go to the office and line up on the 'A' line. So I park and walk in and waiting for me at the desk was a customs agent and the first thing he says to me is to remove my jacket, lift my shirt, empty my pockets, lift my pants to see my sock tops and they even looked through my wallet and to unlock my phone and to give him my pass-code. Then he asks is there any contraband (drugs, alcohol) or firearms, weapons or anything sharp in the car... huh??? I do have a pocket knife in the glove box and told the officer. Then he tells me to sit down and wait... at this time I am totally lost and freaking out... The worst is that they kept like EVERYTHING, my car keys, wallet, phone, passport and receipts while they checked over my car. I totally felt like I was arrested!! Ok, perhaps I was, kinda but at least not behind bars!

So here I am, just sitting in the waiting area worried what might happen next.... :blink:

So from the waiting area, I look out of the window to my car and the customs officer goes out and is joined by others and a dog too, and they check out my car, looking everywhere! Under the car, doors all open, trunk and even the engine bay... the works!!

Then he comes back in and asks about the rim and tires (aha!!) and I tell him that I purchased them in Vancouver a month ago but just mounted them on Monday night (2 days ago) right after my wheel alignment on that same day and that the reason why I waited so long is due to the new lowered springs that I purchased 2 weeks ago waiting for them to settle. I then proceeded to show him on my phone a PDF copy of the receipt i had online (thank God for Dropbox!) as I needed it to send it to Continental for a rebate.

After that, he again went back out to my car where the other officers were and I waited again.

Then he comes back again, this time with the officer who I first talked to when I drove up, and they both apologize for detaining me, gives me back all my stuff and that I was free to go. No duty or taxes on my $200 grocery purchases???

I then said what did I do wrong? and they tell me that I should have told them about my new tires and rims and I should have kept the receipt in my car. huh??? I say that I don't usually keep receipts in the car as I tend to lose and ruin them if they stay in the glove box. I mean, does anyone keep car receipts in your car? Anyway, I also ask them why didn't they just ask me as I drove up and why all the searching and keeping me in the dark? Apparently modified cars (and me being Asian I am sure) is usually connected with illegal drug, alcohol and firearm importation.

At that I just said "thanks" and left. :iough:

What an experience.. this is a first for me. I do hope my record is updated that I was improperly detained! Although I doubt that will happen. Driving home, I began to wonder what if I didn't have a copy of the receipt online???