Shipping to Canada

[rmaynard 15,428]

I have a question for any members who live near the Canadian border. 

 

How do you mail something to Canada? Specifically, how do you mail small parcels? Can you cross the border and drop something off at a post office to avoid the paperwork at the U.S. post office.

 

The reason that I ask is that I sold a brake lining on eBay to a buyer in Canada . eBay does not let you ship directly to international buyers, but the item must go to a clearing center where eBay does all the paperwork, then sends it out to the final destination. My buyer purchased his lining on December 1. I shipped it on December 1. The buyer has yet to receive it, and tracking places it in Des Plaines as of December 30. Totally unacceptable to me and the buyer.

 

I remember years ago, I used to buy parts from a seller in Canada who had relatives on the U.S. side. He would bring them over the border and have them mailed from there. 

[ebinmaine 67,309]

I sent a gas tank to @MikMacMike. Took 4 or 5 weeks. 

 

[WHNJ701 4,165]

I bought a model plane kit shipped from the ukraine, took over 60 days to receive.  I bought an xbox game for my kid that went from nc to nj, that took almost 30.  The delivery service is so screwed up right now with the covid, lack of workers, and increased volume.

 

When I sold international I wouldn't use the post office, I went to a local shipping fedex/ups place and they handle the paperwork.  I cut out international years ago it was hassle with questions and quotes

[rmaynard 15,428]

23 minutes ago, jabelman said:

When I sold international I wouldn't use the post office, I went to a local shipping fedex/ups place and they handle the paperwork.  I cut out international years ago it was hassle with questions and quotes

 

When I ship international via my vendor pages here, I ship direct, with me doing all the paperwork. Still slow, but faster than eBay. I'm dropping all international shipments on eBay until further notice.

[tom2p 2,394]

22 minutes ago, jabelman said:

I bought a model plane kit shipped from the ukraine, took over 60 days to receive.  I bought an xbox game for my kid that went from nc to nj, that took almost 30. 
 

The delivery service is so screwed up right now with the covid, lack of workers, and increased volume.

 

I don't know if covid, lack of workers, and increased volume can fully explain the recent issues 

 

some recent packages we have received quickly - but other packages arrived late after going on puzzling circuitous routes:

 

 

Hyattsville MD - to Columbus OH - and then to Warrendale PA (south western PA)

 

Browns Hills NJ - to Tampa FL - to Orlando FL - and then to Warrendale PA (south western PA)

 

Ephrata PA - to Akron OH - back to Ephrata - to Lancaster PA  - and then to Warrendale PA (south western PA)

 

 

USPS is losing billions of dollars - and above examples might provide just one reason (in addition to number of other reasons that are fairly well documented)

 

 

[WHNJ701 4,165]

Usps has shipping logistics all figured out with distribution centers.  I agree it's kinda funny where I live alot things we order go right past the house from one distribution center to the next one before it's sent to the post office for drop off.

In the 20 years I sold online.  I never once had the usps packages get lost.  Aside from the prices they charge now (which is another rant we pay to cover amazon) the usps does a good enough job

[tom2p 2,394]

6 minutes ago, jabelman said:

Usps has shipping logistics all figured out with distribution centers.  I agree it's kinda funny where I live alot things we order go right past the house from one distribution center to the next one before it's sent to the post office for drop off.

In the 20 years I sold online.  I never once had the usps packages get lost.  Aside from the prices they charge now (which is another rant we pay to cover amazon) the usps does a good enough job

typically have no problem with USPS and applaud the service they provide - but USPS is losing billions of dollars at a time when there are record shipments (which should more than offset the loss of mail volume)

 

they need to figure it out better - and soon  lol

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by tom2p

[AMC RULES 37,130]

I would just relax Bob, let the system work. Politics and a global pandemic has the system AFU, but against all odds, the system is still working, just at a much slower pace.

[tom2p 2,394]

50 minutes ago, jabelman said:

I bought a model plane kit shipped from the ukraine, took over 60 days to receive.  
 

 

just this past week was going through boxes in the basement and stumbled on some partially built stuff and parts including a 1/32 scale P51 Mustang 

[JoeM 7,871]

As far as USPS in SW Pa. things started to change when Warrendale USPS distribution center had that Mercury spill in 2019. Then the Covid hit 2020, and I think they realigned their system to respond to the issues. It added a day, two, three etc. The holiday crushed them with online sales. I see most of the regulars took vacation, making a hard situation worse. 

[rmaynard 15,428]

38 minutes ago, AMC RULES said:

I would just relax Bob, let the system work. Politics and a global pandemic has the system AFU, but against all odds, the system is still working, just at a much slower pace.

 

The problem is that the buyer is not "relaxed". He has already filed a complaint with eBay, and eBay has withheld the funds of the sale from me, which is not fair since it's eBay's requirement that all international shipments go to an eBay international clearing center. That's where the big delay was, yet eBay is withholding MY funds like it's my fault.

 

Unfortunately, I have had to revised all of my sales on eBay to read "No International Sales". 

[WHNJ701 4,165]

Don't get me started on how ebay treats sellers.  Now with this forced "managed payment" I think it's the final nail for small time sellers

[rmaynard 15,428]

11 minutes ago, jabelman said:

Don't get me started on how ebay treats sellers.  Now with this forced "managed payment" I think it's the final nail for small time sellers

 

I fall into that category. So far it's been okay, but something like this latest round with USPS may just take me off eBay for awhile. It used to be that all eBay payment were processed through PayPal. But now that they have severed ties, my payments go to eBay, then once a month they deposit money directly into my checking account. Image the amount of 'float" they get on all that money. 

[Handy Don 12,163]

2 hours ago, rmaynard said:

I have a question for any members who live near the Canadian border. 

 

How do you mail something to Canada? Specifically, how do you mail small parcels? Can you cross the border and drop something off at a post office to avoid the paperwork at the U.S. post office.

 

The reason that I ask is that I sold a brake lining on eBay to a buyer in Canada . eBay does not let you ship directly to international buyers, but the item must go to a clearing center where eBay does all the paperwork, then sends it out to the final destination. My buyer purchased his lining on December 1. I shipped it on December 1. The buyer has yet to receive it, and tracking places it in Des Plaines as of December 30. Totally unacceptable to me and the buyer.

 

I remember years ago, I used to buy parts from a seller in Canada who had relatives on the U.S. side. He would bring them over the border and have them mailed from there. 

To answer the original question, no, you cannot cross the border into Canada (or back) at this time unless you are in a special category reserved for medicos, produce haulers, and a other transport carriers.

[rmaynard 15,428]

13 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

To answer the original question, no, you cannot cross the border into Canada (or back) at this time unless you are in a special category reserved for medicos, produce haulers, and a other transport carriers.

Thank you. That's what I was looking for. I was actually thinking about sending a brake lining to@ebinmaine, having him drive 6+ hours to a point close to Mont-Carmel, then strap on the snowshoes and backpack, and trek through the mountains to a remote outpost across the border. Better still, maybe Trina. 

[ebinmaine 67,309]

1 minute ago, rmaynard said:

Thank you. That's what I was looking for. I was actually thinking about sending a brake lining to@ebinmaine, having him drive 6+ hours to a point close to Mont-Carmel, then strap on the snowshoes and backpack, and trek through the mountains to a remote outpost across the border. Better still, maybe Trina. 

A good hike bubba. 

We'd 'a' dunnitt too. 

Oh well. 

 

[Handy Don 12,163]

9 minutes ago, rmaynard said:

Thank you. That's what I was looking for. I was actually thinking about sending a brake lining to@ebinmaine, having him drive 6+ hours to a point close to Mont-Carmel, then strap on the snowshoes and backpack, and trek through the mountains to a remote outpost across the border. Better still, maybe Trina. 

Reminds me of stories of the early Berlin Wall and recently of COVID-closed borders where families would rendezvous on opposite sides and toss things over to each other. Maybe someone here has a good catapult! 

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,296]

@rmaynard Back a million years ago , when I worked , part of my job responsibility was to ship internationally all over the world. I found that UPS was the pits for shipping . I used FED X 100% of the time after many problems with other shippers. It you want to get your parts to your Canadian buyer and resolve  the dispute try FED X .

[rmaynard 15,428]

1 minute ago, elcamino/wheelhorse said:

@rmaynard Back a million years ago , when I worked , part of my job responsibility was to ship internationally all over the world. I found that UPS was the pits for shipping . I used FED X 100% of the time after many problems with other shippers. It you want to get your parts to your Canadian buyer and resolve  the dispute try FED X .

FedEx was a choice, but the buyer decides. He picked the less expensive route. 

[ebinmaine 67,309]

11 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

good catapult! 

@rmaynard

I just said catapult to Trina and she popped right out with TREBUCHET!!

 

She also says that perhaps you could make some sort of a small capsule and use a cannon but she really would prefer the trebuchet because the ingenuity involved is much more in-depth. 

 

 

[Handy Don 12,163]

3 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

@rmaynard

I just said catapult to Trina and she popped right out with TREBUCHET!!

 

She also says that perhaps you could make some sort of a small capsule and use a cannon but she really would prefer the trebuchet because the ingenuity involved is much more in-depth. 

 

 

That would require a new thread, for sure.

[WHNJ701 4,165]

Just now, Handy Don said:

That would require a new thread, for sure.

Sounds like time for pumpkin chuckin build

[rmaynard 15,428]

It's only a darned brake lining. 

[ebinmaine 67,309]

3 minutes ago, rmaynard said:

It's only a darned brake lining. 

Sooooo???

 

All the more fun!!

[rmaynard 15,428]

Not sure you'd need anything more then a good underhand toss.