Hookah Kings Shisha For Canadian Residents

[Canuck Noob]

I've been looking through the various hookah/shisha vendors and have been impressed most by Hookah Kings, which seems to have great selection, prices, and the nicest web page.

As a Canadian resident I know what a pain in it can be to order goods from other countries, even books or DVDs.

My question to Canadian Members is thus: Have you ever ordered tobacco from Hookah Kings, and if so, did you have any problems with customs/taxes/delivery et cetera?

Thank you.

[mynameizandy]

i have never ordered from hookah kings but i have ordered shisha from southsmoke. never buy more than 20$ worth of shisha. customs doesnt really check those packages ro tax you on those. i made the mistake of ordering a ton of stuff on my first order. the order was about 30 50g packs. the total + shipping came out to 90 bucks. the taxes and duties ened up being 300$! i refused the package, they sent it back and i got a refund. i ordered 20$ last week and the package cam fast, no duties to pay, no problems at all. rmemerb to keep the quanitity minimal. use the review threads to get an idea of waht flavors and brands are worht it so you dont waste time and moeny waiting for your sample orders to coem in.

[Canuck Noob]

I made the mistake of ordering a ton of stuff on my first order. The order was about 30 50g packs. The total + shipping came out to 90 bucks. The taxes and duties ened up being $300!

Mynameizandy: I imagine it would be a fair amount extra, but $300 sounds too high. Some standard costs one might incur are a $5 fee they charge for inspecting the package, also 6% GST is charged on most items. Manitoba also charges 7% PST for some goods: like videos/DVDs; but not others: like books for instance. I would also expect provincial tobacco tax (i.e. sin tax), I don't know if there is a federal tobacco tax or not. I still can't see a $90 order becoming $300.

Do you remember how the costs broke down? Thank you.

Edited April 21, 2007 by Canuck Noob

[ShishaFred]

MNHookah has the best customer service to Canada hands down

[mynameizandy]

MNHookah has the best customer service to Canada hands down

I havent ordered shisha from them yet, only accesories but yes their service is excellent.

Mynameizandy: I imagine it would be a fair amount extra, but $300 sounds too high. Some standard costs one might incur are a $5 fee they charge for inspecting the package, also 6% GST is charged on most items. Manitoba also charges 7% PST for some goods: like videos/DVDs; but not others: like books for instance. I would also expect provincial tobacco tax (i.e. sin tax), I don't know if there is a federal tobacco tax or not. I still can't see a $90 order becoming $300.

Do you remember how the costs broke down? Thank you.

I cant tell you how the fees ended up beign 300$ becuase i never recieved the invoice for it since i refused the package. i knwo there is a special tax for tobacco and alcohol sometimes over 100%, And i live in quebec which has stricter laws. i looked up all the laws when i heard i owed 300$ but the only way to fight it is to pay the fees, see how they were broken down, then make a claim for a refund. The amount i ordered was also absurb in the eyes of canadians... about 1.6kg. Im sure the invoice stated tobaco somwhere and the customs agents ahd a free for all and tried to nail me with as many duties as possible. i learnt my lesson.

How much are you planning to order BTW?

[Canuck Noob]

MNHookah has the best customer service to Canada hands down

ShishaFred: So I've read; but they don't seem to have nearly as big a selection. Also, their prices seem a little higher over all, though they do have lower prices for 3 Kings Coal and the odd brand of Shisha. Still, you have to give top marks to Hookah Kings for having the best web site. Its fast, with a nice clean layout.



I'm brand new to this thing, so I really like the idea of trying many different shisha types and Hookah Kings seems to have the best deal for 50 gram sample packs.

[Canuck Noob]

Mynameizandy: I just went over their site and made a list of varieties that looked intriguing. I ended up with a total of forty 50 gram packs. I have a feeling that might be pushing my luck; but ideally, that is what I would like to purchase.

I think I'll compare my list to the Shisha review section. Maybe I can narrow things down a little.

[ShishaFred]

I don't like sites with an item for each flavour... you get 7 pages of products for each brand

[Canuck Noob]

I don't like sites with an item for each flavor... you get 7 pages of products for each brand

I do. Especially when you can see what the packaging looks like. Some of the shisha names are so odd you would have to see the package to know that it is an apple flavor, for instance.

[Canuck Noob]

I don't like sites with an item for each flavor... you get 7 pages of products for each brand

ShishaFred: I think they may have read your message as they just change their shisha section so now everything fits on a single page.

[jahookah]

I ordered from MN Hookah a couple of weeks ago with no troubles.
I agree with the small order principle, I got nailed with duty charges once too.

[Canuck Noob]

Jahookah: How much were they? What Province are you in?

I think I may end up making two smaller orders: one from Minnesota Hookah the other from Hookah Kings.

[Canuck Noob]

Well, I think I just answered my own question.

I tried to place an order with Hookah Kings, but when I got to the part where one pays, I got a message "shipping option not available". Thinking that it might be just that courier I went back, but was not allowed to pick another shipping method. Unable to complete my order I sent an email asking whether or not they deliver to Canada. They did not even reply.

In short: If you are a Canadian Resident thinking of buying from Hookah Kings, I suggest you look elsewhere!