Which delivery courier is best?

[Robotic]

I'm in the process of buying something from the US, and given the option of choosing which courier id like:
UPS
DHL
USPS

I've used UPS in the past and was given custom fees almost as expensive as the product I was buying. Wasn't really happy by that.

Are the custom fees different from one to another? Would the hidden fees be different if you choose a faster shipping Express verses Standard shipping.

Is there a partnership between USPS and Canada Post, so when its turned over to CP there are no fees since government taxes pays for it?

[Fuzz]

I'd use USPS, I've found their customs fees are the lowest with the fewest extra charges.

[rain_e]

USPS will have the lowest fees for brokerage on ground service. If you go express it doesnt matter

[OMG!WTF!]

USPS everytime. Never UPS.

[Sainters7]

UPS is absolutely ridiculous with extra charges. I've gone so far as telling U.S. companies I'm ordering from to ship it USPS or I'm cancelling my order

[Ace]

UPS is doable for express shipments, as they include the brokerage. But if you have a USPS option you pick that every time

[GGG]

UPS if you use air rather than ground has brokerage included for some shipping types. With brokerage included UPS isn't terrible.

Still USPS is best by far.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

If you want something delivered late with mystery customs charges, DHL is totally the way to go.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

USPS everytime. Never UPS.

UPS=rotten dirty thieves.

[RougeUnderoos]

Yeah never ever UPS. The worst by far. USPS will possibly lie to you and say they tried to deliver your package when they clearly did not but at least it'll be at the closest postal outlet. UPS may send you to the airport.

EDIT: it's not USPS when it gets across the border but whoever takes it from there (Purolator maybe?) have told me more than once that they tried to deliver my package but nobody was home, even though it's an office that was definitely open and there is always a person there to sign for things.

[Ruttiger]

My wife's engagement ring vanished in the hands of DHL, soooo......yeah.

[Finger Cookin]

Does anyone have any tips with trying to track something down through DHL? I have a parcel being sent through them for an online purchase I made. It was supposed to be delivered between Mar 2-Mar 7 according to the online vendor. On DHL's tracking site, it just says it arrived in the destination country on Feb 22, and delivery should be expected shortly.

8+ business days to get a parcel to me from it's arrival in Canada. That's after shipping began in the US on Feb 20. I mean, that's excessive -- isn't it?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

EDIT: it's not USPS when it gets across the border but whoever takes it from there (Purolator maybe?)

It's just Canada Post. Purolator (90% owned by Canada Post) did the job during the strike, and maybe they do some percentage of the USPS packages but generally it's just CP. And it is by far the best way to get stuff from the US.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

@fingercooking

Depends. It could be held up at customs.

Also dhl often passes off to Canada post for the domestic portion of the delivery. Check the dhl tracking site to see if it lists an alternate tracking number, then cross reference that to Canada post. May help you find out where it's at.

[Finger Cookin]

The only other tracking number cross references to USPS, and the only info associated with that number is one of those "We received the shipping info, we're waiting for the merchandise to arrive before we can ship it" kind of messages.

How do I even check if it's at customs? The CBSA site didn't really provide any helpful info. I don't even know what office may have it, as all the DHL tracking indicates is that the parcel is in Canada.

And I mean - it's a shirt. It's not some esoteric merchandise that would be subject to a ton of customs scrutiny.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

Does anyone have any tips with trying to track something down through DHL? I have a parcel being sent through them for an online purchase I made. It was supposed to be delivered between Mar 2-Mar 7 according to the online vendor. On DHL's tracking site, it just says it arrived in the destination country on Feb 22, and delivery should be expected shortly.

8+ business days to get a parcel to me from it's arrival in Canada. That's after shipping began in the US on Feb 20. I mean, that's excessive -- isn't it?

UPDATE: So after opening a support ticket with the merchant and with DHL 8 days ago, I've yet to receive a reply from DHL. The merchant asked me to check a couple of places, and after contacting Canada Post (both my nearest postal outlet and their 1-800 support number) we have determined that the parcel has been sitting in Mississauga since February 26. CP says it wouldn't have been scanned unless it cleared customs. But they're not sure why it hasn't been delivered.

Basically I have had to update the merchant and ask them to light a fire under DHL's ass to see if we can get this process moving again.

[EVERLAST]

DHL is absolutely the worst. I had to send medical equipment through them as per the request of the repair company .

They lost my 30 k hyperbaric chamber oxygen compressor for 2 weeks.

The repair company lied to me about having it initially but we were having too many issues at home without use of our chamber so being the super impatient person I am I called everyday asking for a progress report until finally some one admitted it was lost and DHL was scrambling .
I paid extra for insurance thank goodness and ended up with new equipment getting shipped back for immediate replacement .

To this day I have no idea where our compressor is.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Total derail question but why do you have a hyperbaric chamber?

[TorqueDog]

In my experience, here's my preference for getting stuff shipped from the US:

USPS > FedEx > Man on horse > UPS > Carrier Pigeon > I will fly to the city and get it myself > DHL

[Wormius]

I have a question about the Advancement Fee that Fedex charges. I was told if I opened up a Fedex account and used it, they wave the advancement fee, so I am just charged the GST on whatever products I have shipped to Canada from abroad.

Does anybody with a Fedex account know if this is for all of the ancillary fees that Fedex charges for duties, or would I still have to opt for the self-clearing so I am not screwed on imports?