Postage from Bulgaria

[15westcoast]

I recently ordered an item from a seller in Bulgaria.  I have never ordered from Bulgaria before

but the seller's feedback was okay.  After six weeks the item had not arrived.  There is no tracking

available except showing the item as shipped for overseas in Bulgaria.  The seller was great and

sent a refund.  I would have preferred the item.  I don't think I will order from Bulgaria or any of the

Eastern European Countries in the future.  Anyone else had a similar experience ?

[marnotom!]

I’m suspecting that the seller sent the item by surface mail, not realizing that while it’s a reasonable option in terms of time to other European destinations, it’s not so great for items sent outside the continent.

I’m betting that you’ll eventually see your item. Let us know 😁

[reallynicestamps]

I've ordered sheets from Lithuania and had no problems with delivery or delivery time.

It's not so much the country as the seller.

Without commenting on your seller specifically, some "late" shipments were never sent, because the item never existed.

This is a continuing problem with cheap items from China.

By refunding promptly the seller avoids getting a Defect for poor service.

He makes his money on all the buyers who don't complain, either because they forgot they ordered the cheap thing or because they can't be bothered to Dispute over such a small amount.

Read the seller's feedback, both for percentage, but also for patterns of non-delivery, poor quality, or rude communication.

A seller with 100 FB and 5 negs is a bad seller.

A seller with 100,000FB and 500 negs is not terrible.

Because: Ratios.

[15westcoast]

I was advised by Canada Post that there is a frequent occurrence of postal theft in some of

the Eastern European Countries.

[ypdc_dennis]

If it was sent surface, 6 weeks (especially during the holiday season) is not that slow from Eastern Europe. You might still get the package.

[15westcoast]

I also suspect the seller sent the item by surface mail, which doesn't work well for
overseas. However, 6 weeks of waiting is not acceptable. I have received items from
China quicker.

[15westcoast]

 6 weeks of waiting is just not acceptable.  The seller should charge more postage in order to

ship overseas with some tracking and more expedited shipping.  I have received items from

China quicker.

[marnotom!]

Did the listing state what mailing method the seller would be using or give an estimated delivery date? You’re free to request a different shipping method from the seller prior to committing to the sale if you’re not comfortable with the seller’s choice and you’re willing to pay for it.

This seller probably does a fair bit of international shipping, but to them, an international sale would be one to another European country. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the seller’s first sale to Canada.

One can drive from Sofia to most major European destinations in less time than it takes to drive from Vancouver Island to Winnipeg, even if you can drive straight onto the ferry. This seller is probably accustomed to fairly quick shipping times—even for economy mail—for their international shipments and that’s probably why they were so quick to issue a refund. They probably have no idea that surface mail tends to sit around waiting for the boat to fill up before embarking on the seaward portion of its journey.

[reallynicestamps]

If and when the purchase finally arrives, and the naive choice of Surface mailing to overseas was...naive, you can return the refund using Paypal's Send Money service.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

An FYI for anyone curious. Page translation results may vary per language. Denmark was super smooth. Bulgaria iffy for example.  Individual websites can be used to check in or outbound tracking status (when available), postage estimates , parcel regulations/requirements and local zip codes.

Delivery Times for Mail and Parcels Sent from Outside of Canada

Delivery timelines

The delivery timelines for incoming parcels and mail vary based on which country the item was sent from and the type of service the sender used.

Tracking a parcel or mail sent from outside of Canada

If the sender used a service that includes tracking, you can track your item on the postal website of the country where the item was sent from. Find other countries’ websites at the Universal Postal Union.    http://www.upu.int/en/the-upu/member-countries.html

Once the item clears customs and enters the Canada Post system, you can use the original tracking number (if you had one) to get your estimated delivery time.

Customs and delivery timelines

All parcels and mail coming from outside of Canada must first pass through customs. Canada Post has no control of how long an item will take to clear customs and we do not receive any information about the item during customs’ processing.

Continue to check online for status updates for your item(s). You can also sign up for email delivery confirmations by following the instructions here.  

https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/kb/details.page?article=sign_up_for_delivery&cattype=kb&cat=receivi...

-Lotz