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Canadians read this before mail ordering from USA

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 8, 2003 8:13 AM
Folks, Canada Post OWNS Purolator Courier outright, and has for many years.
It's Canada Post who specifies who USPS gives the shipment to.
Think about why.
Either use regular mail, which is cheapest, or UPS, which is quite a bit more.
Fedex is a lot more.
regards
Mike.
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Nova Scotia, Northumberland Shore
  • 2,479 posts
Posted by der5997 on Saturday, September 6, 2003 8:41 AM
My 2 cents (Cdn$ [:)] would be that if you do mail order out of the US, don't expect fast service, take it as a pleasant surprise. That's because of the things mentioned so far in this thread. Also, research the actual final price you will pay . Compare that to the LHS price (even with your travel cost to the LHS factored in [mine is the gas for a 3hr round trip]) If the savings are there and are real, go for it. But, in my experience, the hassle isn't often worth it.

"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Nova Scotia, Northumberland Shore
  • 2,479 posts
Posted by der5997 on Saturday, September 6, 2003 8:41 AM
My 2 cents (Cdn$ [:)] would be that if you do mail order out of the US, don't expect fast service, take it as a pleasant surprise. That's because of the things mentioned so far in this thread. Also, research the actual final price you will pay . Compare that to the LHS price (even with your travel cost to the LHS factored in [mine is the gas for a 3hr round trip]) If the savings are there and are real, go for it. But, in my experience, the hassle isn't often worth it.

"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Whitby, ON
  • 2,594 posts
Posted by CP5415 on Saturday, September 6, 2003 6:07 AM
I haven't had any problems with Canada Post. All the items I have sold & then delivered through Canada Post's Express Service arrived within their delivery schedule.

Just my 2 cents

Gordon

Brought to you by the letters C.P.R. as well as D&H!

 K1a - all the way

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Whitby, ON
  • 2,594 posts
Posted by CP5415 on Saturday, September 6, 2003 6:07 AM
I haven't had any problems with Canada Post. All the items I have sold & then delivered through Canada Post's Express Service arrived within their delivery schedule.

Just my 2 cents

Gordon

Brought to you by the letters C.P.R. as well as D&H!

 K1a - all the way

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • 141 posts
Posted by Kent on Friday, September 5, 2003 7:26 PM
I'm not trying to blame the UP Post Office, just poining a a problem that can really screw up your day. I'll just be more selective on shippers for now on.

Kent Timm, author of ZugDCC for Lenz XpressNet DCC
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • 141 posts
Posted by Kent on Friday, September 5, 2003 7:26 PM
I'm not trying to blame the UP Post Office, just poining a a problem that can really screw up your day. I'll just be more selective on shippers for now on.

Kent Timm, author of ZugDCC for Lenz XpressNet DCC
  • Member since
    February 2001
  • From: US
  • 377 posts
Posted by jsanchez on Friday, September 5, 2003 3:20 PM
If you ship US air parcel post or letter post. It should still be the same. It usually takes my packages about 7 to 10 days to reach their Canadian destination.

James Sanchez

  • Member since
    February 2001
  • From: US
  • 377 posts
Posted by jsanchez on Friday, September 5, 2003 3:20 PM
If you ship US air parcel post or letter post. It should still be the same. It usually takes my packages about 7 to 10 days to reach their Canadian destination.

James Sanchez

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 5, 2003 2:01 PM
I've gotta admit, that Canada Post absoluely sucks at all aspects of what they do. From delivering mail to customer "service". It has to be THE most pathetic industry in Canada.
Thanks for the heads up, though. I'll keep it in mind.
Tim
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 5, 2003 2:01 PM
I've gotta admit, that Canada Post absoluely sucks at all aspects of what they do. From delivering mail to customer "service". It has to be THE most pathetic industry in Canada.
Thanks for the heads up, though. I'll keep it in mind.
Tim
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 5, 2003 1:00 PM
A little research shows that the reason the US post turns over the Global Priority Mail to Purolator in Canada is that the USPS guarantees a delivery by date and the Canadian Post was not delivering the packages in a timely manner. This caused Canadians receptients to complain and want shipping refunds from the Untied States Post Service. So the USPS had to outsource the service. Actually, I don't understand how you got the package before you paid the duties, but??? Anyway, don't blame the USPS for a problem that was created on your end. And BTW, our company refuses to ship products to Canadian addresses due to the problems you had and the fact that the buyer always blames our company and United States shipping services rather than the Canadian Post service and Canadian Tarrifs for slow service and delays. It also seems that most Canadians blame American Companies for the tarrifs charged. I don't know how many time I've been asked in the past by Canadians to lie about value on Customs Declarations so they can beat the tarrifs WE charge.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 5, 2003 1:00 PM
A little research shows that the reason the US post turns over the Global Priority Mail to Purolator in Canada is that the USPS guarantees a delivery by date and the Canadian Post was not delivering the packages in a timely manner. This caused Canadians receptients to complain and want shipping refunds from the Untied States Post Service. So the USPS had to outsource the service. Actually, I don't understand how you got the package before you paid the duties, but??? Anyway, don't blame the USPS for a problem that was created on your end. And BTW, our company refuses to ship products to Canadian addresses due to the problems you had and the fact that the buyer always blames our company and United States shipping services rather than the Canadian Post service and Canadian Tarrifs for slow service and delays. It also seems that most Canadians blame American Companies for the tarrifs charged. I don't know how many time I've been asked in the past by Canadians to lie about value on Customs Declarations so they can beat the tarrifs WE charge.
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • 141 posts
Canadians read this before mail ordering from USA
Posted by Kent on Friday, September 5, 2003 5:34 AM
I've been buying stuff mail order from the USA from years, all sorts of stuff. But today I ran into a nasty snag. I had some DCC hardware shipped express mail back on March or April. Some strange deal the US Post office now has instead of the express mail switching to Canada Post at the border as it did in the past and Canada Post collecting the duty, the US Post Office now turns express mail over to Purolator Courier! Not the I have anything against Purolator, but the custom taxes are now collected by a private company called PBB.

So 4 months or so later this PBB mails be an invoice for $21 duty and broker fees, I didn't respond for a few days until I could figure out/remember what it was for. So I mailed a check. A almost two weeks later I get a letter from PBB threatening me that if I did pay they'd send a collection agency after me and make back reports to the credit bureau to wreck my credit rating.

I confirmed with the back that they have in fact cashed the check. And called them, got voice mail, jerks like that love to hide behind voice mail, and left and somewhat hostile message, and told them to call me back if they had the nerve to.

ok, the end point I want to make is if you want to buy from the US and get fast shipping, have it sent UPS, or FedEx. But stay away from the US Postal Service and Purolator. From my past experience with UPS and Fedex that handle duty themselves. NOTE: the does not effect mail sent by "regular" US Postal Mail, just fast/express service like Global Mail Express.

I've posted this on the train forums I'm active on, if you see other places this info may save somebody problems, feel free to repost it or link to it.

Kent Timm, author of ZugDCC for Lenz XpressNet DCC
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • 141 posts
Canadians read this before mail ordering from USA
Posted by Kent on Friday, September 5, 2003 5:34 AM
I've been buying stuff mail order from the USA from years, all sorts of stuff. But today I ran into a nasty snag. I had some DCC hardware shipped express mail back on March or April. Some strange deal the US Post office now has instead of the express mail switching to Canada Post at the border as it did in the past and Canada Post collecting the duty, the US Post Office now turns express mail over to Purolator Courier! Not the I have anything against Purolator, but the custom taxes are now collected by a private company called PBB.

So 4 months or so later this PBB mails be an invoice for $21 duty and broker fees, I didn't respond for a few days until I could figure out/remember what it was for. So I mailed a check. A almost two weeks later I get a letter from PBB threatening me that if I did pay they'd send a collection agency after me and make back reports to the credit bureau to wreck my credit rating.

I confirmed with the back that they have in fact cashed the check. And called them, got voice mail, jerks like that love to hide behind voice mail, and left and somewhat hostile message, and told them to call me back if they had the nerve to.

ok, the end point I want to make is if you want to buy from the US and get fast shipping, have it sent UPS, or FedEx. But stay away from the US Postal Service and Purolator. From my past experience with UPS and Fedex that handle duty themselves. NOTE: the does not effect mail sent by "regular" US Postal Mail, just fast/express service like Global Mail Express.

I've posted this on the train forums I'm active on, if you see other places this info may save somebody problems, feel free to repost it or link to it.

Kent Timm, author of ZugDCC for Lenz XpressNet DCC

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