China to Canada getting longer

[radiove4crg]

Before ebay from to China to Canada used to take around 3-4 weeks. Lately from China stuff has been taking upwards of 2 months now.

-Is Canada post still catching up from the Chrismas rush?

-Did the mules on land or slow boats on water lose their GPS system and get lost?

 It seems to me as of Christmas China delivery times have doubled and not reverted to normal yet.

Am I the only one waiting 2 months for China items or has anyone else had this problem start withing the last 3-4 months? I'm still waiting for something that was shipped on Jan.5 that said it should be here Jan.21 - Feb.5.

Bottom line of the question: DO CHINA DELIVERIES SEEM TO BE TAKING 2X AS LONG THAN 6 MONTHS AGO TO ARRIVE IN CANADA.

[sheepgal54]

Definitely a Canada Post problem. It takes over a week to send letter mail within a province that used to take 2 days and sometimes it takes weeks. 

[marnotom!]

---

@nig88bro-chief wrote:

I think if you register your items, the queue through Canadian customs is skipped - no matter which Asian country, it should be only a few dollars extra. So ask the seller if you can pay extra for that (even though some of them will be too lazy - their customer service is just made of workers, not owner operated with native english like ours 🙂

Registering should at least keep delivery to Canada under 3-4 weeks, from my experience.

---

Unless there's some sort of special agreement between the sending country and receiving country, registered mail from other countries generally doesn't receive any sort of special treatment by the receiving country.

If I'm reading the Australia Post website correctly, the delivery standards for Economy Air and Registered Post are exactly the same, which suggests to me that they're not handled much differently.

If there is a significant difference in delivery times between SAL/Economy Air and Registered Post, I'd suggest that this could just as well be due to differences in how the sending country handles these classes of mail.

Canada is not considered a "popular [international mail] destination" on the Australia Post website.  I think this may affect how mail to this country is handled by the sending country, as I suggested in an earlier post.

I'm not saying that there's no possibility of delays in Canada as well, only that I think the problem is on both ends.

[redribbonred]

Yes, could be problems on both ends. We don't know 100%.

Today I am testing express mail, which cost only $1 extra, to compare delivery times to Canada. (post office never informed me of this option before...)

Two packages to Canada sent same time (Alberta and BC) and both registered. One with the "express" and one without. I'll try to share results later.

...

Regarding handling registered mail differently - well I haven't had problems with late item complaints whenever I've registered items - to all countries. It definitely speeds up mail in South America etc. I think now Canada is included in that.

In all countries, including Canada, I think there's less security risk interpreted, if they see its registered (eg. drugs etc). So it gets priority or even skips screening. (I'm speculating)

Or Canadian customs (and others) feel if its been registered, someone needs it more urgently than if its cheaper unregistered mail. And so it doesn't go on the growing pile in the corner...

Anyway, I will test this "express mail" service to Australia and some other countries too, and see if it helps. It might be a good stop gap for delays in mailing to Canada and other countries 🙂   (or it might be worthless)

If you're buying items from China, they might presumably also have service addons like this that you could also ask sellers to add on.

[marnotom!]

---

@nig88bro-chief wrote:

Today I am testing express mail, which cost only $1 extra, to compare delivery times to Canada. (post office never informed me of this option before...)

Two packages to Canada sent same time (Alberta and BC) and both registered. One with the "express" and one without. I'll try to share results later.

---

Yes, please try to share those results.

Are those items of about the same value?  If the express one has a declared value of over C$20, there's probably a greater chance of it being (slightly, I hope) delayed in customs while it's assessed for taxes owing than if it were sent by regular post.

[can_tekk]

I recommend going with Canadian sellers (see screenshot of Canada only search filter attached). Shipping is usually 2-3 days and there is a lot less that can go wrong with shipping logistics.

Yes, it can be cheaper to purchase from China, but sometimes it is only a $1 or $2 difference, and if that means you are guaranteed to get the item, and within a reasonable amount of time, sometimes it is worth paying for that insurance and service. My store guarantees same day shipping, and 2-3 day ETA

[pocomocomputing]

---

@can_tekk wrote:

I recommend going with Canadian sellers (see screenshot of Canada only search filter attached). Shipping is usually 2-3 days and there is a lot less that can go wrong with shipping logistics.

Yes, it can be cheaper to purchase from China, but sometimes it is only a $1 or $2 difference, and if that means you are guaranteed to get the item, and within a reasonable amount of time, sometimes it is worth paying for that insurance and service. My store guarantees same day shipping, and 2-3 day ETA

---

I looked at some of your items. You are shipping within Canada from Waterloo, Ont, using Canada Post Lettermail. Oversize There is no way you can guarantee 2-3 days ETA using Lettermail Oversize within Canada, Maybe for within your own city of Waterloo and to Toronto, but not likely to Vancouver, Montreal and other major cities in Canada. And never to small cities and towns across Canada. Lettermail Oversize does not provide that kind of delivery times. Seven years ago when I started selling, Lettermail Oversize was fast but today it is 1 week at least if not two  or more.

I am referring to listings for small USB cables. 172213016046 172213046810 172173774770

I know that 1-2 weeks is better than 4+ weeks from China but do not promise 2-3 days as not real.

[redribbonred]

I've had only 1 case from Canada opened the past 2-3 weeks since last messages. It was closed the next day as they received it (very low value item).

It turns out I can't use the $1 "express" without the $3 registered first - Taiwan Post's website was misleading.

Most customers have been understanding to my message I send when I see they are from Canada, and pay the $3. I can refund others.

My brother in Vancouver finally received a package from my dad in Australia - it took 10 weeks!

He got my package which I'd sent about 2 months earlier from Taiwan too.

Hard to say things are getting better, but its manageable if organised. (communication, more expensive mail options)

I will update when there's any new development like no more complaints that imply the situation is improving 🙂 (good luck everyone!)

[marnotom!]

---

@nig88bro-chief wrote:

My brother in Vancouver finally received a package from my dad in Australia - it took 10 weeks!

---

Delivery times to Canadian destinations of two months to ten weeks typical for items sent completely by surface mail.  I don't have much experience with items sent to me or my wife by SAL/Economy Air.

I'm just having difficulty wrapping my head around why items would sit around a Canadian sorting facility for what seems to be around six weeks after arriving from Taiwan or Australia.

[sylviebee]

I've now had a couple of items arrive from China arrive very quickly so perhaps the problem has been resolved.

[redribbonred]

Finger's crossed - we'll see!

[bmwnut635]

I've had some items arrive nearly 3 months after they were post from Asia...I've had to resend funds to some sellers that provided refunds. I can understand it's not their fault. Ebay/Paypal could make it easier to re-pay for a item after a refund was issued.

[redribbonred]

Hehe, no to mention the seller has to pay their ~9% final value fee even though they refunded and the customer got no item, just wasted time. Why would ebay care when they got their full cut for business that wasn't even completed?! 🙂

Its not like they would consider going back a couple years where you could cancel a transaction within 2months and get your FVF back. It's 30 days now! Many countries' normal delivery takes over 30 days.

Some things about ebay are great, the rest you just gotta live with and find somewhere useful to direct your rage :'(

[sylviebee]

nig88bro-chief, way off topic, but just curious:  Did your store prices go up recently and is eBay also offering you coupons for "free" shipping supplies as they are on eBay.com and to a limited degree on eBay.ca?

BTW, I thought you said that you're located in the Philippines but it looks like you're in Australia?

[synaptic2112]

Some things from China now seem to be getting here a bit quicker now. Package from Ireland to Atlantic Canada was 5 days, which was real nice. But then again getting stuff from UK generally was quick.

Just got one thing from China postmarked March 20th.... 3 months to find its way here. The package was in really good shape like it had just sat somewhere for a while.

[marnotom!]

---

@synaptic2112 wrote:

Just got one thing from China postmarked March 20th.... 3 months to find its way here. The package was in really good shape like it had just sat somewhere for a while.

---

What mailing method was supposedly used?

[redribbonred]

sylvie, my account is Australian, most of items are sent from Taiwan where I am and the main store runs.

I think I got the coupon for that stuff, but its either not worth using because I still have to pay some for something I don't need, or its too heavy and I lose money on extra postage - better to use own streamlined packaging here 🙂

Hopefully things are speeding up. less complaints, but I have briefed all Canadian customers with the situation and options for nearly 2 months, whenever they buy something.

If others post their experiences it will help over time I think 🙂

[parent2602]

Thanks for opening this discussion! I'm in the same bandwagon. 40 days since I purchased a low-value object from China and nothing showed up yet. Last time I ordered from this seller, it took a month. So, I will wait and see.

I have also a small package from Australia missing. I don't have problem with US & European lots.

[reallynicestamps]

Forty days?

Don't wait.

Open the Item Not Received dispute with Paypal (you are probably already too late for eBay).

Paypal hides their Resolution Centre at the top of your account page under Tools.

Same with your Australian item. BTW a lot of 'Australian' listings are actually from sellers based in China.

If the seller cannot prove delivery, he is required to refund you. If he doesn't (and NEVER accept an offer of a replacement, which won't arrive either) PP will , and then go after him for their money.

Either the 'slow delivery' or the 'replacement' could be scams. Both depend on the good nature of the buyer. And a fair number of buyers who have paid for very cheap items, forget the whole transaction, enough to make the scam profitable. (After all, refunding money you've had in the bank for a couple of weeks earning interest when there were never any products is pretty cheap.)

[redribbonred]

Any proof to back that up? ^^

I know its possible and I too distrust some Chinese sellers, but I doubt that that's the situation (scam) in the vast majority of cases.

I as well as other's who've said so have experiences of items arriving after 8-12 weeks - but the Chinese seller is happy to refund because they know they have to, as you've explained. Its in their business plan as most put up a chart of delivery estimates to places, including that they'l refund the few % of items they anticipate will take over 8 weeks.

If the scammers from China were so widespread on ebay, I think they would take serious action against it (which I think they did after around 2006-2008 when there was mass counterfeit items being sold from China and many accounts were ~95% positive feedback - you don't see many accounts that low anymore because they get shut down long beforehand.)

If you go on some other sites like alibaba, its quite a different story!

[redribbonred]

Hello everyone, I get the sense that maybe the situation has been improving - are Canadian people having alot less problems with slow delivery from China/Asia?