USPS or US Customs, some of my Expedited parcels are taking 3 weeks!

[shoplineca]

I am going to be running a couple of traces tomorrow through CP as items that I shipped almost 3-weeks ago using Expedited Service have not yet arrived at the customers' homes in the US.

I dont know where the delay is at this point (still in Canada, stuck at customs or at a USPS outlet) but when we advertise a service and pay for that service it is awfully difficult to fathom delays of this magnitude.

A couple of days are understandable however delays of weeks are nothing more than inexcusable.

I will update this thread after I determine where the items are, hopefully after calling CP tomorrow morning.

Malcolm

[ospreylinks]

Malcolm, we stopped using CP to the US because of unreasonable delays. We can actually ship cheapter to the US using UPS given our discount level with them than CP, plus in our experience, their delivery standard is met 99% of the time.

In addition, their on-line tracking is superior.

Jeff

[ospreylinks]

Malcolm, we stopped using CP to the US because of unreasonable delays. We can actually ship cheapter to the US using UPS given our discount level with them than CP, plus in our experience, their delivery standard is met 99% of the time.

In addition, their on-line tracking is superior.

Jeff

[shoplineca]

Ok Jeff, you made the point the first time.

Actaully I cant ship with UPS as they wont insure my instruments under a contract (I can ship over-the-counter). Its a long story but they arent one of my options.

Malcolm

[llee2]

I rarely use Expedited to the US anymore because of the delays. My shipments, for whatever reason, seem to always take that long with Expedited.

Malcolm - don't waste your time calling CP. They will give the general excuses of customs, Christmas traffic, general incompetence, etc. If you manage to get them to trace it, (and that is a big "if")it takes them 10 days to locate it and get back to you. By that time hopefully it will have been delivered.

Lincoln

[sunward-hobbies]

Into Canada, I don't use the post office if I can't wait a long time. I am using air exclusively when I do buy. For time sensitive goods, UPS.

For shipping, I am using UPS. Many benefits, free pickup, and better pricing. I am under a contract.

Using Canada Post for shipping small packages and first class mail only. I even contacted my rep and he admitted they can't compete in the under 1kg and no tracking market.

[shoplineca]

UPDATE
I nearly fell off my chair this morning when told by a CP c/s employee that Expedited is the slowest service they have as it goes ground and not air and that their advertised service standards do not mean anything as they are not guaranteed.

So we are expected to pay a premium for a service that she did not find unusual taking 4 weeks to arrive in the US when I could have paid 1/2 as much and it may have gotten their in the same amount of time!

Sh did indicate that CP gets the items to the border in record time however the USPS is NOT cooperating with the service agreement and they are treating the Expedited like normal mail and the hang-up is at customs where, like normal mail, it may sit for a couple of weeks, minimum.

I said that I was going to drop using Expedited and she almost pleaded me not to saying it is just the Christmas rush. When I said I shipped the item November 8th, she replied that falls into the Christmas rush.

So I now understand that Christmas Rush is a period of time designated by the Post Office of November, December and Januaryt and has NOTHING to do with increased volumes of mail as there wasnt any in early November.

If I had a shovel, I couldnt have shovelled my way out of the $hit she was tossing out to me.

So because I am now left with faxing all my info to CP as they are too busy to handle anything on the phone. She did a search of one of my items and all she came up with was that it showed still at the CP sorting terminal in Ottawa which she promtly said that it wasnt there, but she didnt know where it was.

Expedited= Premium service, with tracking that doesnt work and delivery times which arent guaranteed and could take longer going to the US than regular mail.

Malcolm

[sunward-hobbies]

I found it hard to believe that expedited is not guaranteed.

Did a little looking and found the following:
For Canada:
"Expedited Parcel delivers the next business day locally, 1 to 3 business days regionally, and 2 to 7 business days nationally between major Canadian centres.

To apply the On-time Delivery Guarantee to these standards, you must select the Delivery Confirmation No-charge option. "

For US:
"Expedited Parcel - U.S.A. has a delivery expectation of 6 to 9 business days between major centres in Canada and continental U.S.A. (Some exceptions apply) "

Amazing. This is service? Learn something new everyday.

[shoplineca]

I watched (briefly) the lighting of the lights ceremony on Parliament Hill last evening (1 hour show, I watched 5 minutes) I couldnt believe that the major sponsor was Canada Post.

What the heck is CP doing spending money to sponsor federal events? How many more stamps are we going to purchase. Who thought that would be a great marketing idea?

So when they go back to the trough looking for approval for an increase in rates, dont you think someone should take a hard look at where they are throwing away money.

I love to see all the lights in Ottawa for Christmas, but I am against publicly funded, crown corporations who get no additional reveinues from this type of sponsorship spending my money on such things when I am busting my back to make and KEEP a buck or two.

If CP wants to raise my fees for shipping next year I think that I will tell them to take it out of their Christmas Fund.

Malcolm

[sunward-hobbies]

Expedited from Oshawa to Toronto. ( about an hour drive )
Shipped on the 27. Arrived today.

[rd1000]

HI Malcom,

We have seen from the Sponsership scandal that by shuffling money from one department to another it makes it almost impossible to track where money is coming from or who it is going to. Or even better, who is responsible for authorizing the specific event.

It appears that Canada Post (now that they are profitable) is just another cash cow, like the UI fund, providing funds for whatever the government wants to spend it on.

Rob

[imagi.nation]

My business partner and I learnerd the truth about the "Expedited" service last Christmas. We were amused to find out that in Canada Post's dictionary, "Expedited" = "Slower". We now have an in-joke thanks to CP. Anytime we need to say that something or other is going to take time we say it's going to be "Expedited".

Ernie.

[shoplineca]

I have another good recent CP story for you:

I am billed by CP. In less than 2-years I have accumulated over $2,500 in what CP refers to as "unauthorized deductions" however each time I pay CP an invoice and make a deduction, I clearly set out the reasons for my short-payment.

They, of course do nothing about it except send me 2-3 dunning notices per week (I could wallpaper an entire home with their weekly mailings each consisting of a 6-page statement).

Yesterday I received a personally addressed letter by fax together with the all-too familiar 6 page statement asking me to pay up or possibly explain why I deducted.

Without reciting my entire 3 page response I basically stated that if the person corresponding with me from CP didnt have the authority to either issue credits to clear my account or debate each item, take a hike because I am not wasting my time repeating the reasons I refuse to pay them for the items in question.

I did highlight some of my reasons though such as being charged at the 30kg rate for a 0.75 kg packaged that was smaller than a kleenex box, or being billed for Express Post when I shipped Expedited or deducting for an Express Post package taking 4 1/2 weeks to get to the US customer.

Well, after 2-days no response from CP. I guess they are trying to find someone that has any authority there.

I would suggest that they start looking for someone with some brains first.

Malcolm

[jakeeangel]

I'm sorry to hear of your problems with CP. They are extremely frustrating to say the least. I recently decided to drive to Buffalo to ship my stuff. I found a 24/7 USPS outlet. I very much like the delivery confirmation and the relief knowing that my customers items will arrive for when they need them. This Christmas not Valentine's day. 😞 AND most of the time it's cheaper too!

[shoplineca]

jakeeangel
For the most part I am overjoyed with their shipments within Canada. They have been fast and consistently deliver within the promissed and advertised time frames with very few incidents of loss or breakage.

The problems in shipping to the US through CP are directly with USPS and where the majority of my problems lie.

Believe it or not, I am extremely pleased with the rates I pay CP which I negotiated 2 years ago. For what I ship, there is NO better service for the price anywhere.

Their accounting and administrative practises are something else. While the billing issues were a pain in the beginning (actuall a pain in the butt), it is actually a real laugh right now.

My advantage is that if I am not happy, I deduct. Most other people pay for the service before it is delivered and then have to fight CP for a refund.

It is a shame that the organization doesnt run smoother but it is more of a joke for me than anything else.

Malcolm

[bh542]

Jakeeangel:

How much work you need to do for the US customs when you drive to Buffalo? I don't need to fill any customs form by shipping with Canada Post Expedited Parcel so I am just wondering how much extra work for crossboard shipping.

Thanks.

Andrew

[auctiondropnship]

Andrew it's Extremly easy
Items under $200 need name and address on a master American Custom Manifest

Then an invoice . The closing auction page will do


That's it
Todd
Check this site out for info
http://www.bookstotheborder.com/rates.htm

[bh542]

Thanks for your information, Todd.

The link is for service at west coast. Do you have any info about the service for here---Niagara Falls or better in Toronto? Otherwise I would consider moving to the boarder.

Andrew