Extreme Delays for Parcels between Canada/US

[I-Hate-Hulse]

You Guys Suck!

If anyone has to get something somewhere for Christmas, I suggest you send now or the next week to guarantee delivery. If your item is coming from the East Coast the delay is not as bad - a camera I ordered from NY took 2.5 weeks to get here. Getting stuff from California might take the full 5 weeks....

So let me get this straight... this little problem has been brewing since Aug 2002 for more than 2 years at Canada Customs and you've done nothing to solve it? Speaks volumes as to government run organizations and the unions...

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October 18, 2004
CANADA POST ADVISES CUSTOMERS OF EXTREME BACKLOG OF INCOMING INTERNATIONAL MAIL
Ottawa - Canada Post today announced a serious delay in the delivery of incoming international mail due to a backlog at the Canadian Border Services Agency in Vancouver.

“Parcels coming into Canada are taking up to five weeks to clear Customs”, said Cal Hart, senior vice-president, Marketing and Product Management for Canada Post. “While we understand the need for security precautions, this situation is unacceptable for our business and for Canadians. We can’t deliver the product until it is cleared by Customs.”

Since August 2002, mail has been subjected to backlogs at the Customs centre in Vancouver and today more than 150,000 packages (45 tractor-trailer loads) are waiting for Customs clearance in the Vancouver Mail Processing Plant.

[Resolute 14]

It's just as bad the other way too. I nearly had my eBay rating screwed by a couple of people getting annoyed at waiting 4 weeks for a package to cross the border into the US.

[habernac]

Yeah, I can relate to the cross border problem. Anything I get shipped from the states takes forever. The most recent was sent Oct 18. It arrived here on Nov 5. It was a legal sized envelope that weighed next to nothing. I've had other parcels take close to a month as well. None of them larger than the one I described above.

[Frank the Tank]

Aw crap. I'm waiting on a pair of sunglasses coming from California! Looks like I'm stuck squinting until Christmas!

[Five-hole]

I took almost three weeks for a package sent from California on express mail to get to me. It's bad.

[Wolfwood]

Well, I guess I better start shopping now if I want to send Christmas gifts back to Canada in time.

[nfotiu]

I've had regular mail take over 3 weeks in both directions this year as well.

[Vernie_30]

Crap this better not apply to UPS.
I'm waiting for my new goalie pads coming from New Jersey.
Right now they have just left minneapolis. So I don't know where or when they will cross the border.
But on my tracking order it guarantees that when it was shipped it will arrive by November 12 at end of day.
They better hold true, I have playoffs in less than 3 weeks and I need those babies to be broken in!!!

[BlackArcher101]

I believe UPS goes through Winnipeg and they have their own Customs brokerage department, hence the larger shipping cost. In this case (and only case), UPS is the way to go.

[Frank the Tank]

Originally posted by BlackArcher101@Nov 10 2004, 07:23 PM
I believe UPS goes through Winnipeg and they have their own Customs brokerage department, hence the larger shipping cost. In this case (and only case), UPS is the way to go.

Thanks for that heads-up. I'll have to use UPS from now on.

Does anyone know if this is a western Canada thing, or a nation-wide thing? I ask because the article mentions the Vancouver customs system. Is their a difference if you live out east like me?

[BlackArcher101]

Originally posted by Frank the Tank@Nov 10 2004, 02:43 PM
Thanks for that heads-up. I'll have to use UPS from now on.

Does anyone know if this is a western Canada thing, or a nation-wide thing? I ask because the article mentions the Vancouver customs system. Is their a difference if you live out east like me?

Might want to make sure I was right though. UPS is bad otherwise because of their brokerage fees and longer shipping, but right now they seem to be the way to go.

I believe it's a Vancouver only problem.

[Frank the Tank]

Originally posted by BlackArcher101+Nov 10 2004, 07:45 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (BlackArcher101 @ Nov 10 2004, 07:45 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Frank the Tank@Nov 10 2004, 02:43 PM
Thanks for that heads-up. I'll have to use UPS from now on.

Does anyone know if this is a western Canada thing, or a nation-wide thing? I ask because the article mentions the Vancouver customs system. Is their a difference if you live out east like me?

Might want to make sure I was right though. UPS is bad otherwise because of their brokerage fees and longer shipping, but right now they seem to be the way to go.

I believe it's a Vancouver only problem. [/b][/quote]
I'll give my sunglasses another week to arrive and then I'll start making phone calls. It might be just a western canada thing because I forgot I bought a cable for my camcorder in the summer and it came in about a week from L.A. Maybe I'll get lucky again.

[Vernie_30]

Originally posted by BlackArcher101@Nov 10 2004, 01:23 PM
I believe UPS goes through Winnipeg and they have their own Customs brokerage department, hence the larger shipping cost. In this case (and only case), UPS is the way to go.

You my good friend are correct!!!
My pads have just arrived at Winnipeg!!!
They are leaving tonight for Calgary, so assuming they deliver on Rememberance Day I will recieve them tomorrow.
They have been super fast, the shipment actually left New Jersey on Monday.
4 days by ground transport is damn fast in my opinion.
Thank God for UPS online tracking!!! I'd be going insane not knowing where my pads were!!!!

[BlackArcher101]

Ah, but beware the UPS tracking system, heheh. It's usually not where it says it is. One minute, it's in Winnipeg, the next it says delivered to customer and you haven't recieved it yet. Couple hours later, the doorbell finally rings. I don't think the postal service is running rememberance day though.

[Vernie_30]

Originally posted by BlackArcher101@Nov 10 2004, 02:52 PM
Ah, but beware the UPS tracking system, heheh. It's usually not where it says it is. One minute, it's in Winnipeg, the next it says delivered to customer and you haven't recieved it yet. Couple hours later, the doorbell finally rings. I don't think the postal service is running rememberance day though.

Ah yes, but it's a way to ease the mind that it's on the move.
At least I can think that they are moving!!!
Just like the crosswalk buttons on intersection stop lights, or the door closing button on an elevator, they just put ease on people's minds even though they do nothing.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

UPS charges your dearly for that... on a $200 golf club they charged me a 30-40$ Brokerage fee.... If you're not in a big hurry USPS is still the cheaper way to go.

FedEx is still my favorite though, although it's hella pricey.

[Vernie_30]

Originally posted by I-Hate-Hulse@Nov 10 2004, 03:48 PM
UPS charges your dearly for that... on a $200 golf club they charged me a 30-40$ Brokerage fee....

You said it!!!
My pads just got into Calgary and will be delivered tomorrow.
So I called UPS to see how much was my brokerage fees.
For a 12lbs package from New Jersey $108!!!!!!
Owe man, and my goalie pads were 750 dollars, just imagine if the 12lbs package cost like $20 I'd be so p*ssed!!!

[Hockey_Rules_22]

I never had a problem. Envolopes take a shorter time, because there's bareley anything in it. That sucks though.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

UPS Canada now on Strike

Link

Plan B looks to be toast, even with their ridiculous brokerage fees.

Plan C just might be FedEx.


I had 3 golf clubs shipped up from California. Took only 1.5-2 weeks to get here. Far too fast, as it would have gone through the dreaded Vancouver depot. Looking at the waybill, despite it being shipped USPS, it appears that UPS might have processed and brokered it, perhaps as a subcontract.