Has anyone used Asendia Priority Tracked International Postage through Chit Chat?

[musicyouneed]

Has anyone used Asendia Priority Tracked International Postage through Chit Chat in Ontario?    It is now come to BC and I want to know your experience.  Thanks

[hlmacdon]

Asendia USA is a USPS PQW which means they get a lower commercial rate from USPS. The business model works by the retailer/provider shipping their parcels (or Asendia picking up for larger customers) to one of Asendia's warehouse which are nearby major international airports (LA/Chicago ) in the US then arrange for clearance and transit to the international destination. Basically in this case they get access to e-packet and a lower rate for e-express (the same service Canada Post and USPS offer for their Tracked Packet and First Class Package International services). 

Like e-packet and e-express tracking can be hit or miss for the final confirmation scan. It can be a bit slower than those services as there are some extra steps with consolidating those shipments and Asendia having some say on how packages get routed. Access to e-packet ( international priority airmail) is the key benefit as there Is tracking to more than double of the countries.

[musicyouneed]

Thanks for your response.  There is tracking which I like to all of the international countries I ship to.  Also the cost is a few $ less than Canada Post small packet. 

I am just wondering about the shipping time, is it much longer than Canada Post?  Canada Post takes 2 to 3 weeks depending on the country.   

Does the package get sent to the US then forwarded to Europe then distributed? 

[recped]

I've started using the "partially" tracked Asendia service recently because sometimes it's cheaper (occasionally much cheaper) than ChitChats International Standard Non-Tracked service.

Not a lot of volume yet but so far the service has been fine and certainly up to my expectations. The tracking works until it leaves the USA so I suppose it would be good enough for an Unauthorized Use claim but nothing else.

I'm assuming Asendia are using USPS International Surface Air Lift service for the non-tracked and perhaps USPS International Priority Airmail for the tracked service (not sure as I haven't used it).

Bottom line is that there are many companies (forwarders / consolidators) offering services that are using the traditional postal operators for the leg from port of export to the recipient. There is little to separate them other than the price since they essentially all use the same pipeline.

I realize that doesn't really answer your question about the tracked service but I think you can expect pretty much the same as using USPS First Class Package International, you should get delivery scans most of the time sending to the eDelcon countries and spotty scans to the rest. Delivery times should be about the same.

I did do a test run to see what the rates for the tracked service were, seemed rather high, I would never normally use it but I had a $1300 record to sell and I expected it might sell to an overseas buyer where I would have wanted full tracking (not worried about the Signature requirement). Ended up with a US buyer so it was a moot issue.

Off Topic.....

Do Dan Hill cd's really go for those prices????

[snoopwiz]

Never mind.

[marnotom!]

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@recped wrote:

Do Dan Hill cd's really go for those prices????

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Sometimes, the honesty really is too much.  

[snoopwiz]

My "test" run with Asendia Full Tracking appears to be ready to be delivered within the next few days.   I will confirm/deny delivery at that time.  Shipped June 7 GTA Chit Chats, arrived to  destination country's border on June 19.  Destination Russia.   I was forewarned by the buyer that any delay would probably be seen once it cleared their customs up until it made it to the St Petersburg (sp?) area he lives in. So far, he seems to have been bang on.  (My cost for sending a 100 gram envelope was a very reasonable $8.00. Tracked.)

[snoopwiz]

A random sampling of their pricing shows it to be (for my shipments anyways) very reasonable. Except to Mexico.  Example, same 100 gram package to Russia is $8.80, to Brazil $7.57, to Mexico is $39.03.  No, I am not kidding. But, funnily enough, partial tracking to Mexico for the same package was just $4.29. Not helpful in an INR but..........

[recped]

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@snoopwiz wrote:

A random sampling of their pricing shows it to be (for my shipments anyways) very reasonable. Except to Mexico.  Example, same 100 gram package to Russia is $8.80, to Brazil $7.57, to Mexico is $39.03.  No, I am not kidding. But, funnily enough, partial tracking to Mexico for the same package was just $4.29. Not helpful in an INR but..........

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I think that's what I was seeing, some destinations are cheap others are expensive.

I suspect Asendia are offering a worldwide service which for some countries cheap service is available through USPS IPA or similar methods and for other countries they have to use completely different services which are much more expensive.

USPS IPA and ISAL services both have extensive lists of countries served but they are not universal.

Personally for 99% of my international shipments I'll stick with the absolute cheapest service available which mean no or no effective tracking.

A lot of the people using the fully tracked methods are only doing so because the marketplace (Amazon) requires it rather than because they actually need it.

[musicyouneed]

Off Topic.....

Do Dan Hill cd's really go for those prices????

Yes kinda,  I just do the research, I'm guessing that they didn't make very many?

[recped]

I did my own research after I posted..........

The answer I found is that no they don't really. The Frozen one seems to be the one that doesn't show up too often, most of the others are as common as dirt.

That said there are a bunch of Canadian sellers who seem to think they are gold but completed listings on eBay, discogs and other places show that these discs have little demand. Doesn't help that there are tons of vinyl editions available for a couple of dollars.

[snoopwiz]

Update.  The Asendia tracked to Russia did arrive. A little over 3 weeks from the drop off at the GTA Chit Chats to delivery to clients house.  Important to note that about 10 of those days were spent in transit within the destination country.

[snoopwiz]

Another Asendia tracked item.  June 19 GTA Chit Chats drop off to delivered in France On June 25. Not too shabby.  

[snoopwiz]

Latest Asendia delivery info/update (shipment from Toronto to Singapore)

Shipped by CCE (Toronto area) June 21

Left U.S. June 26

Arrived Switzerland June 28

Left Switzerland June 29

Arrived border point (Singapore) July 10

Delivered July 12

Cost was approx $8.00 for a 166 gram 9 x 12 "thick envelope"

[musicyouneed]

I sent my first tracked parcel using Chitchats - Asendia on July 3/18 going to the UK it would have been taken to the US on July 5/18.  Is this normal not to show anything past this, is it still on its way to PA, USA?

[snoopwiz]

I sent my first tracked parcel using Chitchats - Asendia on July 3/18 going to the UK it would have been taken to the US on July 5/18.  Is this normal not to show anything past this, is it still on its way to PA, USA?

(1) Are you positive you shipped tracked as opposed to partially tracked? (2 different services)

(2)  Have a look around the tracking page to see if there is another track number (usually in blue) which would take over from the original tracking number.

[musicyouneed]

Positive I sent it tracked.  It also showed that on the label.   I sent another one to Australia a few days later and it shows the same thing.  Went right to the asendia website.

[snoopwiz]

On one of my Asendia shipments to Thailand, this is what I see when I click my way through to the Asendia tracking site.

Shipment Facts:

ADDITIONAL TRACKING INFORMATION: Asendia has partnered with Swiss Post for final mile delivery of your parcel. You can link to their tracking site by clicking here: RW973620923CH

Have you tried plugging the latest tracking number you have into the UK's Royal Mail's (and/or Australia's Mail Systems) tracking site?

[snoopwiz]

Asendia update.  Apparently CCE is having some issues with Asendia over some (customer reported) missed scans and items/packages being held in their US hub (Pennsylvania)  for what they claim to be address issues, in spite of, in my case, being verified PayPal addresses and having emailed my buyers, customer verified addresses.

CCE is aware of these issues, they are being open and honest about them, they are being proactive and have escalated the issues up the ladder with Asendia.  On a personal level, I have opted to not use Asendia again until this bit of nastiness has been settled. 

[musicyouneed]

Well the 2 parcels I sent using Asendia Priority Tracked International parcel from Chit Chats in Vancouver have arrived.

Taken to the US on July 5/18 delivered in GB on July 27/18 (22 calendar days)

Taken to the US on July 11/18 delivered to Australia on July 30/18 (they are a day ahead) (19 calendar days)

Overall I am happy with the times especially since it is a couple of $ cheaper than small packet and is tracked.  The tracking is a little screwed up but overall it works.