OT - Any Canada folks there

Hurricanes

Hi I am in Ontario, Hamilton to be exact. I recently received several parcels for a round robin I'm participating in and they were all hung up at the border except for the one that was sent via UPS, so if you can spare the cash it seems that is the most efficient. All of the other parcels took 10-14 days with a stop at Canada Customs.

I regularly order fabric and notions from U.S. suppliers and you can bet on at least that long. Also try, if you can, to keep your parcel to a padded envelope if you send it by mail, that way it goes as a letter which has a better chance of getting through more quickly.

Hope that helps,

Alison

I have always had good luck with regular old USPS. Sure UPS is quicker but it is much more expensive and depending on the content of the package the recipient can get stuck with their outrageous brokerage fees.

I mailed a package from Seattle to Ontario last November in a shoebox (child's size 3). It was 4 hand embroidered dish towels. I wrote "birthday gift, towel'' on the customs slip. That was USPS, 1st class; about $5. I mailed it Tuesday morning, she got it Monday.

Val

I agree. I used to own a handmade soap business and shipped and recieved many many thing from/to the US. USP can stick you huge nd very random brokerage fees too. Once ordered a $20 item and paid $40 in brokerage fees :(:(:( USPS is the best best way possible.

Carissa

Thanks, I will take the majority advice and go USPS

We order supplies for our business from the states quite regularly and always specify USPS. Many of our suppliers don't like it because they actually have to take the parcel to the post office, whereas UPS will pick up from their door. The post office charges us a $5 handling fee + GST on items that actually get stopped at customs, many don't, in which case there is no additional fee.

UPS on the other hand always charges us a brokerage fee which on a small cost item can easily be more that the item itself is worth.

The post office has many different catagories of mail, if you want something to get there quicker.

On the other hand since you are the shipper, you wouldn't be paying the brokerage fee, the receiving person would.....

Marilyn in Alberta, Canada