border delays on shipping?

[bones]

I'm awaiting a package from the US, was shipped on October 5th which has still not arrived. I shipped a set of golf clubs to the US on the same day through Canada Post and the tracking system says it was accepted into the sortation facility in Mississauga on October 11, nothing updated since. It was supposed to be delivered on Wednesday this week.

Anyone else in shipping limbo or am I just having a doubley bad week with Canada Post?

[redforever]

Originally Posted by bones

I'm awaiting a package from the US, was shipped on October 5th which has still not arrived. I shipped a set of golf clubs to the US on the same day through Canada Post and the tracking system says it was accepted into the sortation facility in Mississauga on October 11, nothing updated since. It was supposed to be delivered on Wednesday this week.

Anyone else in shipping limbo or am I just having a doubley bad week with Canada Post?

I like to use Purolator for shipping. They open and inspect your package at this end and put on a sticker for customs as proof of inspection and it clears the border much much faster.

[worth]

I have had to wait up to 3 months once for a package to arrive. I think someone must have lost it somewhere for a while and found it after a couple months.

Generally, a month I wouldn't worry about. It's happened plenty of times to me.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by bones

the tracking system says it was accepted into the sortation facility in Mississauga on October 11, nothing updated since.

Sound about right for Canada Post. Odds are your buyer already has the item, and just hasn't let you know. My personal record for the tracking being off- once it took them 2 months to add the thing saying it was delivered; and it was delivered within 1 day of the ETA.

[bones]

bastids! Hopefully things show up next week.

Redforever, is Purolator much more expensive than expresspost? I always assumed they would be as absurd to ship as UPS/FedEX.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by bones

bastids! Hopefully things show up next week.

Redforever, is Purolator much more expensive than expresspost? I always assumed they would be as absurd to ship as UPS/FedEX.

Actually, about the same. And guess what? Purolator is a subsidiary of Canada Post, dont know when Canada Post bought them out, sometime ago. Anyhow, Purolator still operates as a separate entity and since no interference with Canada Post, they actually do deliver.

Prices will depend if you want next day service or not, air or ground, etc and of course, size and weight of your package. Do a comparison sometime, take your package to both and see how you fare. I know that the tracking system with Purolator is excellent.

Here is what happened with Express Post one time. The package never arrived, all they could tell me is it had cleared the border, they were not sure if still in the facility there or what. Anyhow after 2, maybe 2.5 months, still no delivery, so they paid me out my insurance, I never lost any money. LOLOL, around a week later, the intended recipient of the package got it. Canada Post still has not figured it out.

[bones]

Originally Posted by redforever

I like to use Purolator for shipping. They open and inspect your package at this end and put on a sticker for customs as proof of inspection and it clears the border much much faster.

Just an ironic update...I'm trying to be understanding but...I had 2 packages that should have been delivered yesterday through Purolator that now have gone missing.

That's 2 packages from Canadapost, 2 from Purolator this week. How's that for beating the odds on being unlucky.

the wait begins...

EDIT: off topic more...I sat in the sport check section last night and LOVED it. It's like a dorm party up there with the heroine beer and thin air.

[DuffMan]

I ebay'd some golf clubs from the US last weekend from 2 different places. 1 was delivered on the Tuesday, and 1 delivered Wednesday. they were both Fedex Express. That was awesome.

[Ashartus]

I find delays at the border can be anywhere from a week to a month for regular mail (I had one package arrive after a year and a half - but I think that was the local post office screwing up). They do seem to be better now than 3 or 4 years ago though - a week or so seems to be standard these days.

Couriers can get it across faster, but depending on which company you used you could get nailed for huge 'brokerage' fees that they don't really tell you about upfront (I no long buy anything being shipped by UPS after paying $80 in fees on a $50 purchase).

[Canada 02]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...echnology/home

A surge in Internet cross-border shopping by Canadians trying to cash in on the soaring loonie is creating headaches for consumers, border agents and Canada Post.
There are already complaints of delivery delays as mail sorting centres try to dig out from heaps of Canadian Internet orders from the U.S. — and the holiday shopping season is barely under way.
Officials say the volume of parcels has choked three main international mail-sorting centres operated by Canada Post and the Canada Border Service agency in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
There are reports of parcels from the United States languishing for days and even weeks at the centres before being released for delivery.