Q: Shipping time to Canada

Spire_182 · Post by **Spire_182** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 10:00 pm

About how long is it taking now to ship things to and from Canada??

I sent a package full of trade items by USPS AirMail, which was supposed to take 5-10 days. My trade partner in Canada agreed to send the same way. We agreed to a mutual ship date, which he then missed by two or three days.

That was back on 21SEP06 (he shipped between 23SEP06 and 25SEP06) so it is just past roughly a month. I have not recieved his package, and as of 11OCT06 he claims to have not recieved mine.

Thanks!

Mark

kturock · Post by **kturock** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:19 pm

more like 7-14 business days. customs doesn't work sat, and neither post office works sundays. [well at least on paper, i've worked more over the past 19 years than i've had off.]

also, this time of year is getting busier with mail and packages.

MEDEVL · Post by **MEDEVL** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:42 pm

Dealing with Canada is a MAJOR hassle. I've had stuff take a few days and several weeks. A friend waited 3 months once. It's a totaly crap shoot. These days I only deal with a couple of guys I really trust from up there because it's just not worth worrying about it every day like I used to as I waited for weeks!!! Good Luck...

Shirokuma · Post by **Shirokuma** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 1:03 am

FYI --
Canada requires all addresses on a package to be IN CAPS. If it isn't they send it back. If you have a nifty li'l small town post office (like mine), they change the address to all caps and resend. If you have a largish town and a busy post, they'll likely send it back to you.

And remember that 7-14 business days amounts to 2-4 calendar weeks, depending on holidays (each country) and package loads (nearing the winter holidays).

I'd give it another week. Also, your trade partner is still communicating with you, which is a small sign that the trade is legit.

Spire_182 · Post by **Spire_182** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 1:28 am

Thanks everyone.

I'm not worried about the trade being non-legit, he's got solid refs. If he didn't, I would not have offered a mutual ship date. I'm just trying to figure out if I should start kicking and screaming at the "Gub'ament Ajencies" responsible for handling these packages.

The only other time I've had a problem with the Canadian Postal System was when I bought some starship deck plans from a store there. I waited a month, and then contacted the store when it didn't arrive. The store immediate sent a new set (which was lucky, they were OOP and had two sets), which arrived in two weeks to the day from when they shipped. The original set, turns out the store had put the wrong address on the package. It was returned to them and arrived on the same day mine arrived down here.

Really, true story...

-Mark

Strangelooper · Post by **Strangelooper** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 2:14 pm

I sent some bitz from Canada to the States in August. They were so few that I didn't bother with tracking (min. fee $10) so I just put them in an envelope.

They took about 5 weeks to arrive. I ended up sending a cheque after 3 weeks to cover what I had received in trade, assuming my bitz had been lost in the mail. The cheque, which was also sent regular mail, arrived *before* the bitz did! Lucky for me, the recipient hadn't cashed the cheque so he just ripped it up when the bitz arrived.

So it can take a looooong time crossing the border going either way.

The Drop Zone · Post by **The Drop Zone** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:29 pm

yes i have to admit that when i receive an order or a trade request and the location is in Canada i cringe a little.. i have nothing against canadians but shipping to them and from them is a major pain in the @$$

but the last time i had a problem with canada shipping one box was sent back no reason why.. and the other took about 3 weeks.. luckily the person i was sending this to and i have had a good relationship and the little tracking info i had from the customes form helped

juts my .02

Chris Wojcik · Post by **Chris Wojcik** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 9:46 pm

I never have a problem with and getting stuff from Canada, I live in Canada.
Seriously I never have a problem with trades in the U.S and myself.

kturock · Post by **kturock** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 10:40 pm

the problem isn't from canda, it's to canada.

i recall, about a dozen years ago, i HEARD, and this could be just propaganda, that the canadian postal service used private taxi cab companies to delivery their mail. i don't recall if there was a strike, or if the post office just didn't want to hire more people and was looking for a cheaper alternative.

DMan · Post by **DMan** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 2:27 am

I will say that in the couple of trades I've done to Canada, one never showed (Steve Jones), one showed up inside of 2 weeks, the other took almost 4. And the tracking is as reliable from Canada as it is to Canada (read - they never update it).

D

Spire_182 · Post by **Spire_182** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:12 pm

Still no package on my end. No communication, pm or email, from my trade partner in Canada since 01NOV06.

Will be attempting to contact him by phone today.

I'm starting to worry, as I find it odd that (possibly) both packages are missing....

Spire_182 · Post by **Spire_182** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 3:45 pm

I finally got a hold of my trade partner in the Great White North a week ago.

Turns out our packages more than likely were stolen by a co-worker of his. He had me ship my package to his place of work and he also shipped his out from there, both International Airmail. Apparently, they were having a lot of packages "disappear", both incoming and outgoing. After an investigation, they finally figured out what was going on. Unfortunately, we are both out of our minis. My trade partner, though, has managed to find a replacement for me and is sending it down. It should be arriving tomorrow by FedEx.

kturock · Post by **kturock** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:48 pm

that's still theft of mail. he should be arrested for stealing mail and if the canada post won't handle it, file charges with the local police office. he did steal from people at work, no different than if he stole your wallet.

Spire_182 · Post by **Spire_182** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:32 am

My understanding is the guy was fired. Not sure if his employer will prosecute, I asked and didn't get a reply. Some employers will, some won't. It usually depends on how much the crime has to do with the business's main activity. If this business does a lot of shipping, my guess is they will keep it quiet. If something like this gets out to your customers, it can cost you big bucks in the long run.

I've seen things like this before (I spent several years working private security/investigations after I left the US Army). It's all about preception. They'll (most likely) be happy to have found the problem, fired the guy and will chalk it up to a learning experience. If they are smart, they will make changes in the company to make sure things like this won't happen again.

kturock · Post by **kturock** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 3:05 am

it doesn't matter what the employer wants; it was stolen from you. if it was products from the company, then they can decide, but ir's not. it was your stuff stolen, same as if he stole your wallet or a womens purse from her desk.

you were the victim, not the company. they won't do anything cause they didn't lose any $$. you did. file on him.