A grandmother from Boston experienced a severe financial shock after ordering a modestly priced toy from Canada, only to be slapped with a customs bill that dwarfed the item's value by nearly forty times.
The Stunning Customs Bill
Bonnie O’Connell, a Boston grandmother, was searching for a perfect Christmas gift for her four-year-old granddaughter in late 2025. She found a unique Barbie doll dressed in a Professional Women’s Hockey League jersey. However, the doll was only available for purchase in Canada.
O’Connell enlisted her cousin in Nova Scotia to buy the $22 doll and ship it to Massachusetts using FedEx. While the doll arrived without issue, a bill from FedEx arrived weeks later, in January 2026, demanding a staggering $802 in tariffs and fees.
"I just got a pain in the pit of my stomach," O’Connell told Boston TV station WCVB. "I didn't even know what to do or what to say." She emphasized the absurdity of the charge, noting her Christmas budget was nowhere near that amount for any of her grandchildren.
A Costly Clerical Error Meets New Tariff Rules
The root of the problem was a simple but expensive mistake. An employee at the FedEx location in Canada allegedly filled out the shipping paperwork incorrectly, listing the doll's value as nearly $2,200 instead of $22. O’Connell's cousin reportedly signed the paperwork without noticing the error.
This typo collided with newly implemented trade policies. Under the Trump administration's tariff rules enacted in 2025, the longstanding de minimis exemption—which allowed most items valued under $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free—was eliminated. Now, all items entering the United States from other countries are subject to tariffs and require formal customs paperwork.
The 35% tariff rate applied to the erroneously declared $2,200 value, resulting in the massive bill. "What are you doing giving me a package where I owe that kind of money to you?" O’Connell questioned.
Resolution and Lasting Implications
After significant distress, the charge was eventually reversed once the clerical error was identified. FedEx did not provide an immediate public comment on the incident when contacted by media.
While O’Connell's personal financial scare was resolved, the incident underscores the tangible impacts of shifting international trade policies on everyday consumers. It highlights how simple administrative errors can now lead to severe financial consequences for cross-border shoppers due to the removal of the low-value shipment exemption.
The story serves as a cautionary tale for Canadians and Americans alike who order goods across the border, emphasizing the need to double-check customs declaration forms and be aware of the current tariff landscape, where no purchase is too small to avoid fees.
