Is anyone having any luck using Chit Chats to ship to the US after Aug 29th?

[custom_tags99]

I've shipped about 50 packages to Chit chats over the past 10 days and all of them are still sitting at Chit Chats.  My items are made in the USA, so no tariffs apply.  I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck using Chit Chats?  Or is Stallion working better?

[sapphyres-designer-jewellery]

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@custom_tags99 wrote:

I've shipped about 50 packages to Chit chats over the past 10 days and all of them are still sitting at Chit Chats.  My items are made in the USA, so no tariffs apply.  I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck using Chit Chats?  Or is Stallion working better?

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I'm using Stallion, it is taking longer for items to be processed by Stallion (and sent across the border). I had one I shipped last week that took around 6 days to get to it's next stop in the US. I mailed another one today (US made item, the first thing I shipped had tariffs, made in UK).

I dodged a bullet on an item today that was from Canada... buyer is having me ship it to Canada instead of their US address.

C.

[custom_tags99]

How did you ship the US made item?  Did you have to register the SKU for CUSMA compliance with Stallion?

[stringers_books_and_collectibles]

Hi, I used chit chats for a 1950s train manual published in the US on Sept 3rd and it's still with chit chats as well, a week now with "Shipment Delayed - Pending Clearance". I sent out another item to the US (paperback book published in the US) on Sept 8th with Canada Post (Zonos) and it has just cleared customs. No more chit chats for me. 

[sapphyres-designer-jewellery]

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@custom_tags99 wrote:

How did you ship the US made item?  Did you have to register the SKU for CUSMA compliance with Stallion?

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I registered a SKU. For instance, "Franklin Mint Coin" would have it's own SKU, with the ability for me to override description and price, but the manufacturer is Franklin Mint, so if they made it, and it's a coin (correct HTS), I use that one SKU for many of my items.

I did up a SKU for every Mint and Printer that I know I have lots of goods from, and I am adding them as new things sell that I didn't consider in advance. I have some 45 SKUs registered.

C.

[sapphyres-designer-jewellery]

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@stringers_books_and_collectibles wrote:

Hi, I used chit chats for a 1950s train manual published in the US on Sept 3rd and it's still with chit chats as well, a week now with "Shipment Delayed - Pending Clearance". I sent out another item to the US (paperback book published in the US) on Sept 8th with Canada Post (Zonos) and it has just cleared customs. No more chit chats for me. 

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I shipped my UK made item via Stallion on Sept 3, and it appears to have reached York PA on Sept 9 (that was the next spot in the tracking). This was a US Economy shipment (which I normally use unless to that zip USPS GA is cheaper).

C.

[custom_tags99]

Okay thanks!  Yes I'm not impressed with Chit Chats at the moment.  If you they can't get things across the border they should stop accepting packages till they figure it out!

[mrdutch1001]

It has been reported in the forums on my other selling site(Etsy), that ChitChats) has had some issues and until pkgs are actually in the hands of USPS, there is no way to know if all is good.

[byto253]

Sounds like Zonos/Canada Post is the safer option right now.

I feel for Chitchats and Stallion right now, they are trying hard but it is tough since they have to verify that each parcel in a truck going across the border is correct.  

[33nhl]

I use Chitchats in the past and not sent anything to USA since end of April cause rules were getting chancged day in day out.

Yestreday i called up local drop off location was told for sports cards the HTS need be 4911.99.60.00 as i had used before 4911.91.00.30 which is no good any more.

So i practise to doa  shipping lable and after all the details including where item made and company name who made address ect.

Once done that selected weight size and got options of shipping the time frame now is almost double if not longer then it use to be to say send from Toronto to Chicago will take longer to cross boarder that use to take 1 or 2 days now like 6 or more days needed.

But it shows to extra fees now that it didnt do before going abck in April thus extra few $ charged before purchasing lable.

Here is the catch though was told have to describe all items thus the TOP LOADER the card is in if you add deatils for it you have to state where its made and by whom if you put was made in China then watch out huge tarrifs %  if you put made in USA you get tarrif  like $0.05 cause put value $1.00 as example and when cause of that extra tarrif of 0.05 cents the other 2 fees slighty are higher charged by shippng company.

Now an other try i did sending hockey card set meaning 100 cards set in a plastic Album 

the cards you basically have to put quantity 100 value say 2 cents a card and no Tarrif charged as made in USA but the Album does get Tarrifs charges even though made in the USA. and it has a different HTS Code and could be the reason for the tarrif charge.

Until this tarrif stuff really gets sorted i rather not ship to USA instead of sending an item have it stuck to cross boarder then gets rejected is returned and shipper/handler (chitchats) charges me the shipping lable is then not reusabale no refunded and then have to refund the buyer. Just not worth it.

[sapphyres-designer-jewellery]

I just got back from Stallion. I was told Chit Chats is having "compliance and enforcement issues" through all the changes at US Customs and they're trying to take extra steps to ensure all shipments comply.

Stallion was proactive at making sure the shipments were properly declared and their trucks were not being turned back each time these changes happened and everyone had to adapt to new rules (China de minimis going away, etc).

Stallion is taking measures to ensure shipments are compliant, I don't know how far that goes (if they're opening every package like Chit Chats does), but the SKU thing that needs to be set up with manufacturers and items being approved is one of the things they're doing to ensure everyone is compliant with shipping items.

C.

[toki-6685]

I sent my first couple of packages via Chit Chats to US on Sep 2.  I'm not real close to a drop off (40 min away) so I used their Smart Drop service with Purolator (only $7, very reasonable when spread over a couple of sales).  Purolator delivered the package at Chit Chats Burlington, their hub, on Sep 3.  Delivery confirmation and even signed for were supplied by Purolator.  Nothing since then.  No acceptance scan, no movement on the tracking, no indication they even have it. 

I waited 3 days like they recommended before inquiry, if they had even scanned it in I wouldn't be nearly as concerned but for all intents and purposes they haven't accepted it.  I have no idea where it is.  I opened a support ticket on Sep 8, and then literally nothing for 3 days, sent an inquiry on progress and called the Burlington hub, but no response to the VM, and they sent me a patronizing automated reply that said we love you as customer but quit asking where your package is, we are busy.  So now they have had the package for 7 business day and I haven't even gotten an induction scan.

Chit Chats seems like a hot tire fire right now.  Do not use them, you have been warned.  They are not ready for any amount US traffic, perhaps they will get it together at some point but until that happens, stay far, far away from them.

[musicyouneed]

I feel bad for Chit Chats.  I used them for many years and was extremely happy with their service.  I think that they are having a rough time of it right now.  I think that a number of their clients didn't put down the correct information and their trucks got turned back.  I won't be using their service for now.  I hope that things improve for them.

[sapphyres-designer-jewellery]

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@musicyouneed wrote:

I feel bad for Chit Chats.  I used them for many years and was extremely happy with their service.  I think that they are having a rough time of it right now.  I think that a number of their clients didn't put down the correct information and their trucks got turned back.  I won't be using their service for now.  I hope that things improve for them.

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They didn't tighten things enough when all these changes were made and are having problems with US Customs (lack of trust, Customs knows they're not checking stuff carefully enough).

Stallion vetted their customers and has a "dung list" of people who use their service that need to be examined with every single shipment because they have a history of declaring things incorrectly. I don't know if they opened my shipments and looked at what I was sending, just that I'm not on the list and my stuff clears in a reasonable amount of time.

Whether things continue to go well for me with Stallion remains to be seen. I ship a lot of coins and stamps and if Customs doesn't like how I declared my stuff I might face regular scrutiny. I'm just trying to be as specific and accurate as possible with all my declarations and I've been working to remove things from my store with "sources unknown".

C.

[chicweb]

Welp, I wanted to use them instead of UPS United States.... seems that will not be possible.

I guess I will have to give that Zonos + Canada Post a try ?

[stringers_books_and_collectibles]

I just received this note (today - Sept 15) from Chit Chats regarding my shipment sent Sept. 3rd. 

Shipment Cleared - Border Crossing PendingThis shipment has cleared and has been accepted by CBP via our broker. This shipment will be crossing the US border in Niagara soon, after which it will be released to the carrier. Continue to monitor this tracking page for further updates.

One of my Canada Post shipments to the US sent out the 8th, is now "out for delivery". I'm going with Canada Post now on all shipments to the US. 

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

I haven't had issues with shipping through Canada Post. Granted, my stuff goes through the New York customs depot, not Chicago. People seem to have issues with Chicago.

For example, I shipped an item to PA. Handed off to Canada Post Friday afternoon. Delivered Monday.

I do upload the receipt in Zonos, and it is duty free (informational materials, DVD). So it is possible those could be factors. 

[wilsonharborsales]

Nothing is crossing the border as far as I can tell. They are cooked if this doesn’t resolve soon.

[custom_tags99]

I just tried Canada Post and Zonos, I shipped my packages Thursday, Friday they were already at customs and by Monday it has cleared customs.  I am using Canada Post for the forseeable future until Chit Chats gets their act together.  I might try Stallion soon, but will stick to Canada Post till these other companies work out the bugs.  

I have 30 packages stuck at Chit Chats at the moment, I guess I'll be giving out refunds to those customers.  

[sapphyres-designer-jewellery]

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@custom_tags99 wrote:

I just tried Canada Post and Zonos, I shipped my packages Thursday, Friday they were already at customs and by Monday it has cleared customs.  I am using Canada Post for the forseeable future until Chit Chats gets their act together.  I might try Stallion soon, but will stick to Canada Post till these other companies work out the bugs.  

I have 30 packages stuck at Chit Chats at the moment, I guess I'll be giving out refunds to those customers.  

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Reach out to the customers and explain the delay, most of them won't pester for a refund if you keep on their shipment and give information.

My Stallion package shipped Sept 3 has already been delivered, the one shipped Sept 9 hasn't been received by USPS yet (Stallion tells me the delays are with Customs checking packages, I'm not clear on the process, does the truck driver sit there all day while packages are checked or what?)

I'm not happy Canada Post labels can't be printed on eBay anymore at those nice discounted rates. The rates I get with Snap Ship aren't nearly as good. I can ship with Stallion for $6-8 (in postage), then there's the tariff.

C.