OT:DD shuffling off to Buffalo

[MaryannF]

My DD and 2 friends are planning on going shoe shopping at the outlet mall in Buffalo later this week. My SIL mentioned that she would need a letter from me so that they would let her cross the border with my car as it is not registered to her. Does anyone have any experience with this? What do I put in the letter? Is she going to be hassled at the border? Luckily she just got a passport so that is not an issue. Is there somewhere I can go on the internet to see something about this? Thanks for all your assistance.

 

[pjpoohbear]

I have driven over the boarder in a car owned by my mother several times. Never had a letter, but our last names match, just showed them my passport. A letter can't hurt. Make sure she has insurance and the ownership. Other than that, can't add much.

Penny

 

[MaryannF]

DD19 and friend made it to Buffalo and back safe and sound. At the border on the way to BUF they were asked for their passports and letter of permission to drive the car. They had to open the trunk and the officer looked in a box I keep in the trunk that has washer fluid, jumper cables, first aid kit, blanket, matches, candles, and flash light in it. They also had to open the back door for inspection of the back seat. On the way back they declared the items they bought and had to go inside to sign and pay. The officer there made a big production of informing them that they could be strip searched if they were lying. DD explained to him that if they were going to lie they wouldn't have come in to claim anything. She paid 23.00 in taxes and duty. She wonders why they made it so uncomfortable for her when she was trying to do the right thing by declaring what she had bought. My guess is that they were just trying to intimidate them because they were so young.

 

[Scratch42]

BINGO!

You give some "people" power............

So, any good deals?

Scratch

 

[MaryannF]

She bought a pair of sunglasses for 10.00 (she'd seen them in downtown TO for 30.00)
3 framed charcoal prints of Bruce Sprinsteen, Marilyn Monroe, and Jim Morrison (Doors) for 3/10.00 (I bought her a Johnny Depp framed charcoal print at Christmas for 30.00)
She bought 3 silver rings for 16.00, it was buy 2 get 1 free. (She had been looking at these rings all over TO but could never find her size and they were 10.00 each here)
She got the cutest pair of sandals for 20.00 and a pair of capri pants for 30.00.
All in all she had a great day and came home with stuff she hasn't seen here and the prices even with the exchange and duty were good. It was her one day fling after finishing exams Tuesday night and before starting summer employment and summer courses on Monday.

 

[maryliz]

Don't ya just love how "power-hungry" people like to intimidate those they know they can get away with it to? I went to Cedar Point when I was about 24 with a couple of friends. It was my own car. One of the girls was only 18, so when the customs woman asked about "duty free alcoholic purchases", I told her about the 2 bottles my one friend and I had bought. She got really snotty and said "and just what did SHE buy there" ... I smiled and as politely as I could do said "SHE's not 19 so SHE didn't buy ANTHING".

I guess their point is that they want to initimidate them now, so maybe they won't try and pull stunts like bringing back large quantities of alcohol in future.

I did get caught once smuggling back my shoes for my wedding ... just didn't declare them along with the other stuff I did declare. Now I can't afford to spend the amount I can legally declare with a family of 4 !!!


MaryLiz