Sorry, I've got friends that work for U.P.S. as well. Recently received a package from Minnesota. Boy did it arrive fast!!! Reason? The faster it crosses the border the less likely customers will be able to prepay taxes! Result $60. in brokerage fees. I've pleaded with sellers about UPS and begged for tracking numbers to avoid this crap for the last time. International shipping is expensive but $150. for a couple hundred miles is ludicrous!!! USPS has shipping insurance as well, so please please please avoid the boys in brown. :rant:
Shipping to Canada is tricky. It needs to be fixed really. Using UPS is the easiest I have found but you must do the paper work right. Just don't valve the goods for more then $1-$5. Value the item by its raw material. But have $400 of insurance to cover the other cost to take the raw material and turn it into a product.
I don't know how close Beamsville is to the border but maybe you can find a friend on the US side and have your parts shipped there. Then just go pick them up when you need them or after a few of them arrive.
UPS are not the only ones. Fed-Ex, Purolator, DHL, even Canada Post at times. Story of my life getting parts has been the brokerage fees. The Cdn. dollar is up a bit recently. Two years ago, while it was really down in the sewer, I was easily paying 200 - 250% of my original cost. Buy a small part, used, in the US, say....$ 40.00. Time I had it in my hands.....$100.00 Cdn was real handy.
Now that I've had a few experiences shipping parts to Canada, I'd say stick with the US Post Office. Same goes for payment....get a US Postal Money Order. That way you can cash it right there at the Post Office. Found that one out the hard way. ou: Took a MO to my credit union, deposited it, wrote checks, proceded to have bounced checks several weeks later. They unded up having the MO "cleared" with a clearing house (Experian) - which took 3 WEEKS!!!......and hosed me $5 to boot!! :af: Don't forget to put the stated value at a very 'friendly' amount!! :Brow: Every little bit helps.
I've had three friends work for UPS, I wouldn't ship anything with them. USPS is the way to go, just as fast, 3x cheaper, etc. Here's what one of my friends said... Me: "What would you do if you see "Fragile: Live Animal" on the box? Friend: "Probably treat it the same way we do everything else..." And it's not like they are gentle. I know you want to get stuff done fast, but the way they talk about treating the packages it's crazy.
Ups Bs It's tough in Canada to get a US postal m/o (!)...no US postal outlets! I've been paying by Canada Post m/o for years and never had a problem. Used to use bank drafts, etc., but was told by a fellow in Phoenix that I bought a grille from in '99 that the bank had charged him a $10 fee to cash a foreign m/o (!?) and have never sent one since. USPS seems to be the most reliable and trouble-free shipment method to the GWN...I'd be interested in hearing some more feedback on this from both sides of the border...
Alright.....you got me on a technicality!! That should read 'Postal MO'. I really DID know that your MO's say Canada Post!!
