Hey everyone. For the canadians that have bought kilts from the online makers outside of canada - what is your experience with tariffs when you receive them?

The maker I'm dealing with claims that it's not likely I'll pay any duty (of course .. because that explains why his prices are so cheap). The CCRA website tells me I'll be paying 18% (confirmed by a friend of mine that regularly buys things out of country). And the guy at a local shop who I'm also considering tells me I'll be paying 22% (of course .. because that explains why his price is so much higher).

I think the online site is probably right to a degree - I have bought items and not been charged any duty on them .. but I think it was only due to something being missed (or cleverly labelled)... but if the local guy is correct, I really would be better off buying from him - I still pay a bit more but he's here, I can see what I'm getting, and I can hold him accountable if something goes wrong. Even at 18% this might be the case .. although the premium goes up.

Can you tell me what your experiences have been?