Author Topic: USPS to Canada shipping... (Read 6390 times)

jodyvan · « **on:** September 13, 2007, 01:57:41 PM »

Anyone else slightly curious as to why the estimated times for shipping of 6-10 days from Ohio to BC, Canada can turn into over 2 weeks?

I had some parts shipped from Jay and according to tracking they arrived in Canada on Sept 4th. They sat there until yesterday when they entered the sorting plant in Ontario on the other side of the country.

Wasn't NAFTA supposed to allow Free trade? Why is it so freaking hard to ship stuff with a friendly nation?

I get stuff shipped from Korea and Japan in 3-4 days what's the problem at the Canada/US border?

That's my little rant for the day but man that bugs the shit out of me.... even my patience is tested....

turbofb · « **Reply #1 on:** September 14, 2007, 12:40:31 AM »

Ive always had issues with car and bike parts when shipping across the Canada boarder.It took weeks for my Virago's single carb conversion to come from KJS Cycles, and I had BIG issues with CP Racing, regarding parts for my RX-7.

I never know what the exact problem always is,but dont worry,youll get it eventually.

r_outsider · « **Reply #2 on:** September 14, 2007, 02:26:23 AM »

The problem can be summed up with four letters-the CCRA. Stuff can sit at the border awaiting clearance for a looong time. I don't know if they're always backlogged or if they just don't give a crap, my guess is the latter. And the postal system isn't exactly the model of speed and efficiency either, although it's probably the best, cheapest and easiest shipping method for the average guy.

stormi · « **Reply #3 on:** September 14, 2007, 02:32:07 AM »

I think that Canada Post is the model of incompetence....

Of course, then there's those damn DHL drivers...

(r_outsider works for DHL

)

PitterB4 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 14, 2007, 06:14:49 AM »

Storm - didn't that chain I sent you take forever to get there? But I don't remember the same problem when I shipped to Interfuse but I could be wrong.... I'm getting old and beginning to regret some of those brain cells I've been so frivolous with over the years... The worst was a set of leathers that I shipped to Ireland (where the heck has Echomadman been???). They apparently sat in Irish customs for WEEKS.

interfuse · « **Reply #5 on:** September 14, 2007, 12:25:52 PM »

USPS sometimes gets held up at the boarder. A package can sit at the boarder for a while before it clears.

UPS appears next day, but we get raped with a $30 brokerage fee.

jodyvan · « **Reply #6 on:** September 14, 2007, 12:40:26 PM »

Sometimes I think that shipping UPS would be better when time is of the essence. If I had known it was going to take this long I've have payed the 30 bucks instead of just 20 or whatever to ship it 6-10 days (my ass) with USPS and Canada Post with their excellent tracking and customer service.

At this rate I'll get my parts just in time to put the bike together and ride it into storage for winter. :D (If I get that much more riding I'll still do it with a smile though... haha

(For the record we deal with DHL exclusively through work and they play innocent with dualie marks through our boxes... nope $2 bucks a pound.... They are hit or miss here in BC so far)

stormi · « **Reply #7 on:** September 14, 2007, 01:20:27 PM »

Quote from: "PitterB4"

Storm - didn't that chain I sent you take forever to get there? But I don't remember the same problem when I shipped to Interfuse but I could be wrong....

Yeah, it was something like 3 weeks. I think that parts coming from a big company are faster somehow than from Jay or a private person. The stuff I shipped from BikeBandit took 3 days from a California warehouse to my door. Jay's stuff to me took some time too. I remember him PMing me and saying "well?" about the time it arrived, both of us surprised at the length of time.

I wonder if the holdup is which border crossing is being used. Jodyvan is on my half of the country.

stormi · « **Reply #8 on:** September 14, 2007, 01:27:57 PM »

Quote from: "jodyvan"

(For the record we deal with DHL exclusively through work and they play innocent with dualie marks through our boxes... nope $2 bucks a pound.... They are hit or miss here in BC so far)

A lot of that depends on the driver you get. r_outsider generally tells the client refuse it as damaged in shipping. I've had purolator and UPS drivers not even let me see the package I was signing for, and take off running to their trucks before I could yell that it was destroyed...

So far for me, the best was purolator and a computer we shipped from Vancouver. It was literally 5mm shorter on one corner, that's how hard it was dropped. The purolator guy gave it to r_outsider and left, he looked at it like,..wtf? I called purolator and said "you're kidding, right?" The response? "Well, if it's fragile, maybe you shouldn't ship it through us." So I told her, "sure, how about I don't ship -anything- through you anymore." Not to mention the 14week claim time.

They're really all the same, the big conveyor belts 14ft off the ground over the truck doors, good and bad drivers, warehouse staff, just the names and faces change really.

I just like to poke fun at r_outsider...

jodyvan · « **Reply #9 on:** September 14, 2007, 02:10:40 PM »

Oh ya I agree Stormi, we have a great driver here too and totally agree they are all the same. We've just had some bad luck. I don't pay for any of it so I'm not so worried.

Well the parts took 2 days to go from Mississauga to Kamloops, BC and arrived this morning. Still trying to figure out why it sat around for just about two weeks at customs.

Oh well it's to be expected I guess.... they are here now no worries!!

Time to get the bike running again BOOYA

Thief400 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 14, 2007, 02:22:37 PM »

Quote from: "interfuse"

USPS sometimes gets held up at the boarder. A package can sit at the boarder for a while before it clears.

UPS appears next day, but we get raped with a $30 brokerage fee.

UPS Canada tried to ding me with a $19 brokerage fee on an ebay purchase. I was lucky in that they tried to collect it after they had delivered it. They said they were going to send it to small claims court to collect and I said bring it on, If they are willing to spend $50 to try and collect 19 here I am. One of my buddies found out about a class action lawsuit in BC and I joined that. The last time they call I told them that I had join the class action suit against them, Haven't heard back from them in over a year now.

jodyvan · « **Reply #11 on:** September 14, 2007, 02:40:29 PM »

I just got dinged 18 bucks customs fees and taxes...

I guess they figure it was there for ever they can charge for it.

Garyola · « **Reply #12 on:** September 14, 2007, 03:03:38 PM »

Earlier this summer I bought a generator off of ebay. When fedex delivered it I asked the driver 3 times if there where any other fees. He said no. So I signed off on the delivery. About a month later I get a bill for $65 in brokerage fees.

That is just stealing. If they want a nickel from me they can take it to court and tell it to a judge.
They got paid well for the delivery but that's not enough. They have to try to gouge you after the fact for more. I wouldn't mind so much if they were up front with the fees but basically, once they have your parcel they can charge what ever they like and get away with it because they usually won't release the package until you have paid. Bastards!

G

jodyvan · « **Reply #13 on:** September 14, 2007, 03:39:07 PM »

Ya probably didn't help that the customs docs said Used parts and inside were all Suzuki OEM parts in brand new bags.

I'm sure they decided to keep it for extra long then charge some for it on top.

Whatever I'm ok paying an extra 8 bucks but at least deliver it on time...Hard to be fair when there is no other option for cross border stuff.

r_outsider · « **Reply #14 on:** September 15, 2007, 02:39:09 AM »

What you're paying for with those brokerage fees is GST, PST and any duties on whatever it is, plus an admin fee(ours is 7 bucks). About a year ago the CCRA changed a bunch of rules and regs and basically made all the couriers tax collectors. They started charging all the taxes to the companies, rather than tracking down people and getting their money themselves. So basically the companies pay the gov't, then you repay the companies. We got some memo outlining all the specifics about it all, I glanced at it, said "@$%*ing great" and tossed it like all the other memos I get. Nothing like shaking down some poor sap at their door for a C-note worth of taxes and crap they weren't expecting.