Cross-Border RV Warranty Claims (US–Canada). RV claims on units and parts crossing the US–Canada border: freight, duty and brokerage put on the claim where the manufacturer allows. Managed by Dealer Suite 360.
When a claim becomes a cross-border claim
Most RVs sold in Canada are built by manufacturers based in the United States, and their warranty parts ship from US plants and suppliers. Failed parts often go back the same way. Owners travel, too: a Canadian unit can need warranty work at a US dealership, and a US-bought unit can turn up at a Canadian store.
None of that changes how the manufacturer judges the claim. Each line is still approved or denied on its own documentation. What changes is everything around the repair: who paid to get the part across the border, what the broker charged, what paperwork travels with the part, and whether any of it can go on the claim. That is where dealerships lose money without noticing, and it is exactly the work we take on.
Where the border shows up on a claim
Each of these depends on the part, how it shipped and each manufacturer’s policy. We check before we file.
Freight on warranty parts
Inbound shipping on a part from a US plant or supplier. Some manufacturers reimburse it when it is on the claim with the invoice attached; others do not.
Duty and taxes
Duty, GST/HST and other charges assessed at the border on warranty parts. Some can be avoided or recovered on the customs side; the manufacturer’s policy decides whether anything goes on the claim.
Customs brokerage
The broker’s fee for clearing the shipment. It is a service charge, not a duty, so it is a claim question, not a customs refund. Depends on each manufacturer’s policy.
Parts returned south
When a manufacturer asks for the failed part back, it crosses the border again, with its own shipping and export paperwork. We track the return request against the claim so the credit is not lost.
Owners who travel
A unit sold on one side of the border needing warranty work on the other. The servicing dealer files the claim; coverage follows the manufacturer’s warranty terms. Manufacturer Warranties Apply.
Currency
Labor, parts and border costs can be in different currencies on the same claim. How the manufacturer reimburses is set by its policy and your dealer agreement; we record what was paid against what was claimed.
How we handle a cross-border claim
Your dealership handles the repairs. We handle everything around them, including the border.
Capture and attach
Your team photographs the unit and the defect in the DS360 app and uploads the work order. When a part arrives, the freight and broker invoices go on the claim too, so every cost is tied to the line it belongs to.
Build to the manufacturer’s policy
We build the claim with Complaint, Cause and Correction and per-line photos, and check what that manufacturer allows for freight, duty and brokerage. What is allowed goes on the claim with the paperwork; what is not stays off, so it doesn’t trigger a denial.
File, follow and reconcile
We file on the manufacturer portal, order and track the parts, handle return requests, object to short-paid lines and reconcile what was paid against what was claimed, cost by cost.
If you’re in Canada
Most of your warranty parts come from the United States, so most of your border costs sit on warranty claims. The customs side, CUSMA preference on originating parts, GST/HST relief or input tax credits, CBSA refunds on defective goods sent back, is filed by your customs broker and your accountant. We keep the claim side straight: each broker invoice tied to its claim, allowable costs put on the claim where the manufacturer accepts them, and the documents together when your broker needs them.
Our guide to warranty parts customs in Canada explains the customs rules in detail. Quebec dealerships can work with us entirely in French, while the claim is filed in the language the manufacturer’s portal requires.
If you’re in the US
Cross-border work usually reaches a US dealership through customers: a Canadian owner who needs warranty work while travelling, or a unit sold to a buyer from across the border. The claim goes on the manufacturer portal like any other, under the manufacturer’s warranty terms, and we build and file it the same way.
Where a manufacturer asks for a failed part to be shipped back, or a part has to come from a Canadian location, we track the shipment against the claim so nothing is lost between the two.
What we promise, and what we don’t
We never promise that freight, duty or brokerage will be reimbursed. Whether those costs can go on a warranty claim depends on each manufacturer’s policy, and those policies differ. What we do promise is that every cost the manufacturer allows is on the claim with its paperwork, and that nothing the manufacturer doesn’t allow is put there to drag the claim down.
We are not a customs broker and we don’t give tax or legal advice. We are the RV Warranty Claims Management Specialists: the claim is our job, from the photos to the payment.
Go deeper
Cross-border claims: dealer questions
Is a warranty claim on a unit built in the US filed differently by a Canadian dealer?
No. The claim goes on the manufacturer’s dealer portal and is judged line by line on its documentation, the same as anywhere. What differs is the cost of moving parts across the border, which we document on the claim where the manufacturer allows it.
Can freight, duty and brokerage on warranty parts be claimed from the manufacturer?
It depends on each manufacturer’s policy; some reimburse some of these costs when they are on the claim with the invoices attached, others do not. We check the policy for each claim and include only what the manufacturer allows.
Do you file customs refunds with CBSA?
No. Customs refunds, CUSMA preference and GST/HST relief go through your customs broker and your accountant. We keep the claim side tied together, so each broker invoice matches its claim and the paperwork is ready when they need it.
A Canadian customer needs warranty work at our US store. Who files the claim?
The dealership doing the repair files it on the manufacturer portal, under the manufacturer’s warranty terms. If you work with us, we build and file that claim like any other.
What happens when the manufacturer wants the failed part back?
We track the return request against the claim, so the part goes back with the right reference and the credit is not lost. Your team ships the part; we follow it through.
Does a cross-border claim cost extra?
No. Every claim is covered at one flat monthly price, with no per-claim fees, and you keep 100% of what we recover. See Pricing for the plans.
Border costs are some of the easiest money to lose on a warranty claim. Book your free claims audit and we will show you where your claims are leaving it behind.