Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) – Ripping off Canadians

 

To the Editor, just a quick letter I read your article about CPAP machines and want to bring a related topic to your attention. I am sharing my story as I believe its time Canadians knew the truth about what this goverment run agency is doing to the sick and elderly of our nation.

 

First for the sake of your readers, I should say that in order to have one of these machines, your doctor is required to fill out a form that declares that you are in need of such a machine to protect your life from a possible death due to a sleeping disorder called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea.

 

Buying a machine requires a doctors prescription, and as masks only last about 6 months, buying new ones is a required routine. The law on duties and taxes declares that a breathing apparatus (Sch. VI, Part II, s)  A supply of an artificial breathing apparatus that is specially designed for use by an individual with a respiratory disorder is zero-rated.

 

Zero Rated means that there is no taxes applied to these goods.

 

What the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is doing is charging you anyways, then allowing you to apply for a return of your own money, almost as if they are counting on that being to much trouble and use it as a form of scamming Canadians on medical supplies.

 

Now that’s not the end of the story,  The bill you get before you are allowed to take your mask home has 3 expenses that must be paid first.
In my case it works out like this.
1. (GST/HST) $5.71
2. PST $8.00
3, Handling Fee $9.95

 

In researching the handling fee, its what Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) pays Canada Post for taking your money before you are allowed to have your medically required face mask.

 

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is counting on people finding it too much work to recover the money stolen from them, and therefore they can get away with a theft.  Seriously what is wrong with our nation when you have to raid the wallets of the sick and elderly to justify your existence and make it look like you bring in more than you cost Canadians?

 

Our nation is sick, really really sick when you have to rip off patients who need medical help.