Breaking the law for a packtite--and I need some advice.

July 28, 2011 2:26 PM

I live in Canada and have waited for months, in vain, for the packtite to be allowed to be legally shipped here. I will be visiting my family in New York!!! this August, and can have a packtite shipped to their apartment. Then I will drive it home, (and use it instantly, because I will have just come back from New York.) Two questions: 1) Who should I order the packtite from? Their seem to be a number of different online suppliers. 2) Could there really be an issue at the border? Normally the customs agent just waves us through, but on the off chance they look in our trunk, will the box it comes in set off any alarm bells for them? Both Mr. Uans and I are getting very alarmed about the bedbug situation, more especially when we travel. I'm embarrassed to say that I've put off this trip to NY for months for that reason. Help me get a packtite!
posted by uans to Grab Bag (7 answers total)

From a bit of Googling, it seems like the reason this device isn't sold in Canada is that it's not yet been approved by the Canadian Standards Association. I don't think that Customs Agents are in the business of examining every single device that travellers bring across the border for CSA compliance, though you might try getting in touch with the CBSA to ask.

The larger issue, of course, would be that if the thing shorted out and burned your house down, your insurance could point to this non-standardized heat-producing device and deny your claim. I assume that you've taken this remote possibility into account, though.
posted by Johnny Assay at 2:54 PM on July 28, 2011

I buy/order stuff all the time in the US and bring it across the border. I always declare the items and its always fine. Sometimes we have to pay the Canadian tax on them other times they just wave us through. So I would suggest that when they ask "anything to declare?" you just add the $300 or whatever it costs to the total of other shopping you did.
posted by saradarlin at 2:58 PM on July 28, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks. Can anyone suggest who I should be ordering from? Or maybe HOW I should do the ordering?
posted by uans at 5:16 PM on July 28, 2011

Have you not read this yet? If you're worried about customs, it seems trivial to make your own. In any case, there's no reason at all to be worried about customs - you'll be fine.

As for ordering - whoever has the cheapest price and can deliver on time?
posted by turkeyphant at 5:32 PM on July 28, 2011

Response by poster: Yes, turkeyphant, I've read it--but isn't a do-it-yourself version a real fire hazard? Does anyone know of someone who has actually done this?
posted by uans at 5:45 PM on July 28, 2011

Why can't you just put your carry-on in the oven and set it to 120?
posted by jrochest at 7:16 PM on July 28, 2011

Response by poster: Why is this forum and so many others packtite-happy if it is as simple as that?
posted by uans at 8:12 PM on July 28, 2011