Well, in the past week I have heard from 2 customers now (one in Canada & one in Spain) that have not received their mufflers from me. Just heard about the Spain one 2 days ago. I shipped that package in mid-June - "slow" air like I send all my international orders. I can trace it all the way to Madrid, then there's a note that they can't complete the shipment because of incomplete documentation. My customer there has run into a wall with them & is asking me for a refund now. Other shipment (Canada) was dropped off at my local PO on 7/1, & the last update was on 7/5 & nothing since. Same thing - customer is asking for a refund. I went to my post office today & they are no help at all - they cannot (or will not) intervene on my behalf - they instruct me to fill out a claim online.

I have sent a few packages back in 2002 with FedEx for international destinations with BAD results for me - like a couple rounds of charges to me for brokerage & duties, which essentially doubled my cost to ship, & I could not go back on my customers to cover this - so my decision was made to never ship FedEx out of the continental US. Well, I had 2 muffler orders for Canadian customers going out yesterday, so my dilemma: do I roll the dice with the USPS again, or do I tell my customers sorry - I can't ship to you? So I tried something different - went to my local UPS store. Guy there said they would take about 4-5 days to get there - so I figgered that would be a lot better than NEVER getting there! Then the good part - these were both a LOT less expensive than shipping through the post office. I'll be processing refunds for both customers on a chunk of the shipping.

So it's all good with UPS IF the customers actually receive their mufflers, AND if they arrive in good condition. I remain cautiously optimistic. I feel like we are literally running out of good companies, & good people to get things done anymore. I'll fill out the USPS lost claims forms next, but seriously doubt I'll ever see a dime from them - I can just see it coming. And I have ZERO tolerance for them if they go that route - I'll challenge them in court. It'll cost them a lot more to engage me legally than the mufflers are worth. Same thing goes for a never-delivered FedEx package to a Florida customer - FedEx has already told me "it shows it was delivered" & to pound sand. Going to court with them too. I have no place in my heart for this type of incompetence & dishonesty.

Somewhere in Spain there is a gnarly sounding Citroen rolling around...

I quit shipping valuable parts via USPS internationally for the same reason.

Be prepared to deal with backlash from your Canadian customers due to UPS brokerage fees, though.

Dr. Diff is correct, UPS is absolutely brutal to us north of the 49th. I got a real good taste of it when UPS brokered a clutch when they were told not to because it was being brokered by an independent broker. The UPS bill was 500 something, the independent broker bill was about 140.00 for the exact same service. UPS wanted the money and then offered to match the independent broker bill, which I declined.
USPS to Canada Post is the best way for smaller stuff to Canada in terms of cost.
For bigger, heavier stuff, the other way that I used with Dr.Diff, is to have it shipped to Montana Mailbox by whatever means, and let Montana Mailbox(aka DYK Post) bring it across the border and broker it. A lot of places offer free shipping or reasonable shipping within the US, using DYK works out quite a bit cheaper
than UPS, but it takes them 1-2 weeks to process it.
For work stuff I use a commercial FEDEX account with an independent broker, but some of the packages look like they were kicked all the way here.

No ones tried DHL? I used to use them to ship semi world wide and they seemed ok for the most part.

I just quit shipping outside the 48, too much is lost or more likely stolen.

Don't forget USPS is looking at a rate increase at the end of the month. For first class from $.55 to $.58 (buy your rolls of forever stamps now). Periodical rates are going up from 0-50% for the myriad of ways they charge, by zone, weight, and advertising percentage. Best guess right now is that it'll average out to a 10% increase. Look for an increase in your newspaper/magazine rates if you get printed matter. I can't figure out why they increase the rates then complain when volume drops as people turn to online options...

I just shipped a 6" square box from Rockford, IL to Ontario and got lucky I guess, guy got it in 7 days USPS! Of course I had to fill out a form and it cost $27 for $28 worth of used parts, but it did get there! I have another customer who wants stainless Dart windshield molding, I can't wait to see what that will cost in a 5' long tube!

Uh-Oh - didn't even realize this! I'll let my two customers know these are on their way via UPS & ask them to inform me what "tolls" they end up paying UPS. In all my 18 years of shipping with the USPS, these two were the first losses. Some orders took almost a month to arrive, but they always made it. As far as the mufflers going to Spain - they were for a C3 Corvette sidepipe car. People don't put my mufflers on Citroens! That's an insult!

And DHL? You got a quote from them lately? I did about 6 months ago just for the halibut - pair of mufflers to Australia they wanted $450.00 or thereabouts! USPS was like $130.00. They are PROUD of their service!

I AGREE.

I have been shipping to northern Europe, New Zealand and Australia ONLY. I use UPS Worldwide Expedited. Its fast. Costs about as much as international Priority Mail and worst case the customers have to pay a $10usd "brokerage fee". UPS Standard is cheaper. A bit slower. But the customer get stung with a $35usd brokerage fee. If they dont know that up front and learn the hard way they get angry Canadians will have to do their civic duty and pay taxes too . Canada has the LOWEST de minimis in the world at like $18usd. Basically means anything purchased internationally over $18usd Canadians have to pay taxes on!?!?! In the US, New Zealand and Australia it's like $800usd

Bottom line, you can NOT ship to Canada via mail. USPS is TERRIBLE. Canada and the UK postal are actually worse!

I don't ship to anywhere below Texas or to Europe (except Sweden, Norway, Finland). 50% loses/theft. I let distributors handle Europe and Canada now.

I don't understand the package stuck in Madrid situation?? -- USPS needs to co-ordinate with the Spanish postal equivalent to get the package out of USA employee hands/USPS plane and into Spain employee hands/ Spanish truck..... but maybe spain is refusing it because some of the import documentation is inccorrect...
Could this be a problem on the Spanish post office / customs - side of things, and not with the USPS ??

I mean its not a USA citizen driving a US registered postal service Jeep down Spanish roads in Europe to get this package to the final destination in Madrid.

Once it leaves the US & arrives at foreign customs, USPS has no involvement from there on. It's at the mercy of the local postal services.
Canada isn't to bad in that regards, but others? Good Luck.

2 losses out of what 1,000's? Don't complain; that a really good record.

I sure would like to know what's going on with the postal/shipping services that come north of the 49th. I just sent two relatively large parcels to a buyer in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I dropped them off at the Post Office 7/27. He Facebooked me to tell me everything arrived in good shape on 8/2. Less than a week for TWO large parcels.

But anything coming my way.... oh my gawd.... it's like pulling teeth. For whatever reason, everything is being routed through Kentucky, then sent out to Customs. Canada Customs takes at least a week to process and they're all back east. Then it takes ANOTHER week for it to cross Canada. I'd certainly like to know what the mail processing plant in Vancouver or Federal Way, WA are doing these days.

I had a seller ship an 8-track tape from Pulman, Wa. Shore 'nuff, it got trucked off to Kentucky, then to New York, then Ontario, Calgary and finally to me. Took almost a MONTH.

Yet that tape deck and stuff I sent off the SLOWEST, Cheapest way took 6 days to Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Chalk that up to just another reason why I want out of Canada. Been waiting almost a month now for an engine bolt kit, side marker lights and tranny lines for my truck. Insane.....

Agreed, UPS is brutal to Canadians, but I learned my lesson shipping FedEx US into Canada at the customer's request, FedEx then hits my account later with all the fees/VAT/etc after the delivery regardless of the shipping quote, I can't pass that on to the customer....plus FedEx just plain sucks for service, lately it seems you need to speak Spanish or some form of sand niga to communicate with them.....I've been using UPS for over 35 years in the US/Canada.Europe/SE Asia/Australia/New Zealand/Japan/etc/etc....I've only had one claim/loss in 35 yrs and it was handled promptly.....

When you ship internationally there are a few things to consider.

First, you have to accurately describe and categorize the stuff you are sending. If you list an incorrect harmonized tariff code your delivery might get returned or stuck. This happened to me recently drop shipping to Canada when my supplier sent fiber optic cables but used the code for copper cables. Little mistakes become big problems with import/export.

I don't think anyone here has to worry about defense items, so we can skip that nightmare.

Next, there are duties/tariffs/VATs that have to be paid. These are either going to be backcharged to YOU the shipper, or will be charged to to recipient. These are based on the category of the goods as well as the value (which is why a full commercial invoice is required). I never, ever pay those (learned my lesson) and ship everything DDU (deliver duty unpaid). Sometimes you need to get the tax ID of the recipient and put that into the shipping docs. That is how it works for me when I *import* things - I will pay my supplier for the goods and for the shipping cost, then later I will get a bill from DHL for the duties and brokerage fees. This is normal, and I expect it. Your customers should also expect it - no way should you as the vendor and shipper be on the hook for those charges.

Finally, there are broker fees. The fees from DHL seem to be the most reasonable. These, also, you cannot escape, and should be the responsibility of the recipient. You can ask to have these estimated, but do not guarantee the final cost to the customer. They are the ones *importing* and that always comes with some risk and uncertainty.

The last thing I will mention is that if you ship regularly and/or are shipping to some esoteric country, you should check to see if a freight forwarder might be more economical. I used them for shipments to Sweden and Trinidad and they made were easier and cheaper than Fedex/UPS/DHL and have must better customer service and will be responsible for delivery to the final destination.

(edited to add)

If your customer asks you to send a doctored up invoice that shows the sale for less money so that they will pay less duty, DO NOT DO IT. You are signing your name to a legal document when you fill out the export forms. Do not write that you are sending gifts or some other nonsense. Be safe about it - Uncle Sam don't play.

Being in Canada I've never had a problem receiving packages sent by USPS other then the slowness.With UPS sometimes their insane fees when they knock on your door can be as much as the item you are buying. Usually if someone doesn't ship with USPS I won't buy from them for that reason unless they are using a private broker which usually keeps the costs down and you can see the actual total shipping price ahead of time.

I've been stuck in limbo since the borders were shut down because I have a US address to avoid this crap but can't get down there to pick stuff up!! It's not just the UPS type fees but most places including a lot of ebay sellers have free shipping in the US but charge the second it's being sent across the border and suddenly that $80 part usually ends up with at least another $30-$40 on top of it.

My biggest issue with USPS is the tracking. Once it hits a sorting station destined for Canada tracking stops. Some tracking numbers Canada post recognizes but it won't track. You'd think with the shipping back and forth between the two countries they could easily work it out properly that once the package is scanned into the others system you could track it from that countries website.

I've had the best luck shipping internationally by listing the stuff on ebay and shipping through their international shipping program. You send the package via USPS to a US address (in Kentucky I believe) and they do the rest. Never had an issue that way.

But get hammered in Ebay fees



,

Then this post followed yours & THIS one is correct:

Once it leaves the US & arrives at foreign customs, USPS has no involvement from there on. It's at the mercy of the local postal services.
Canada isn't to bad in that regards, but others? Good Luck.

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I went to my local post office just yesterday & we discussed the Spain delivery. The clerk told me once it's out of our country, it's out of their hands. And they cannot coordinate with the Spaniards to get the "proper" documentation so this package can be delivered. So the USPS offers no solutions other than "if it's over 30 days, you can file for a loss." I started looking at the claim procedure & it looks WAAAAAY more complicated than it ought to be. I'll be spending hours on chasing these two. What a crock of $hit.