Shipping question...

[oldguy00]

Why do shipping rates vary so wildly?

I'm in Canada. I can have most things shipped for free from the UK, including a frameset.
If I ship a frame from Canada to the US via courier, it is about $90 Canadian.

I just found a frameset I liked on Competitive Cyclist. They want about $260 US (about 340 Can.) to ship it to Canada, and that does not include any pre-paid import fees, etc. Why so crazy?!

[veggieburger]

1. Canada Post sucks. It's the worst.

2. USPS to Canada can be done cheaply, via the most basic service(s). But trackable and insured...it's expensive, and you won't find someone willing to ship a frame on the cheap.

[oldguy00]

Originally Posted by veggieburger

1. Canada Post sucks. It's the worst.

2. USPS to Canada can be done cheaply, via the most basic service(s). But trackable and insured...it's expensive, and you won't find someone willing to ship a frame on the cheap.

I'm not sure about insurance, but I know -any- package shipped from US to Canada, no matter how small or what service, comes with a tracking number.

The real problem I see is Competitive Cyclist apparently wanting to use the most expensive service they can find.

As for Canada Post being the worst, if you mean shipping rates, I agree, they are high. But in terms of reliability, I've had great luck with both Canada Post and USPS over the past 20 years of shipping bike parts back and forth.

[zap]

I suspect CC has not established a relationship with a shipper into Canada. It is surprising how difficult it can be to ship goods cost effectively into Canada.

[oldguy00]

I'm always amazed that the UK places can ship anywhere in the world for free.

[zap]

I sold large commercial systems all over the world (excepting countries on the US ban list) and had established relationships with a number of shipping services. Over time one learns who does what where cost effectively and it all becomes routine.

[veggieburger]

Originally Posted by oldguy00

As for Canada Post being the worst, if you mean shipping rates, I agree, they are high. But in terms of reliability, I've had great luck with both Canada Post and USPS over the past 20 years of shipping bike parts back and forth.

I mean rates - yes, they are very high.

I mean service - since moving many locations into Shoppers Drug mart, the front end service has been atrocious. You have poorly trained p/t teenagers handling expensive transactions, not taking the time to measure parcels properly, and not understanding the process. Someday I'll tell you about the Lee-Enfield I sent to Ottawa COD...what a mess that was.

And delivery - it's hit or miss. CDA post is a big, bloated debt machine that will have a tough time paying carriers/pensions if they keep losing market share. I don't know what the solution is, (privatize?!) but Can Post is my last choice for parcel delivery.

[oldguy00]

I don't doubt your experience, but honestly mine has been opposite, for many years.
Where I am, the post offices are in Lawtons drug stores, and most of the employees seem to know what they are doing.
Huge, massive, knock on wood, I've never had a pack go missing with CP or USPS in 10+ years and hundreds of packages.

[Pierre]

How far are you from the border? I'm in Toronto and routinely drive down to my "virtual" mailbox in Lewiston NY for pick-ups. I would have offered to pick it up for you but I just went down last week...

If driving down is a possibility, look up http://www.needausaddress.com/

This service gives users a pay-as-you-go mailbox with no overhead charges: $5 for small package, $10 for bigger ones.

[oldguy00]

Thanks. I am about 5 hours from the Maine border...

My brother lives in Florida, so could always have him re-ship.

Just frustrating. Maybe its a sign that I don't -really- need the frameset...

I love Toronto!

[Clancy]

Originally Posted by zap

I sold large commercial systems all over the world (excepting countries on the US ban list) and had established relationships with a number of shipping services. Over time one learns who does what where cost effectively and it all becomes routine.

Does this mean that Canadian post does not suck after all and that there are cheaper alternatives to shipping from the US to Canada?

[oldguy00]

Just for comparison, I went to the Excelsports website, and put a dogma frameset in my cart (I wish...). Shipping to Canada - $68.

[ultraman6970]

IMO has to do a lot with how much money they want to do out of the shipping than the real cost to send something to canada.

[Clean39T]

I was going to ship a pair of wheels and a group to Canada, and USPS would have been ~$75 from Portland, OR to BC - but I wouldn't have been able to adequately insure it. FedEx was qouted at $115 through BikeFlights, insured to $1200. That's a good $50 more than shipping from Oregon to the East Coast, and wouldn't include any import fees the buyer may have been exposed to...

"The World is Flat" - maybe not so much

[zap]

Originally Posted by Clancy

Does this mean that Canadian post does not suck after all and that there are cheaper alternatives to shipping from the US to Canada?

Can't comment on Canada Post other than the annual Christmas card I mail first class to my mom just north of GTA sometimes takes longer than first class mail to my uncle in Berlin......Germany.

Our shipments to our distributor in Ottawa were fairly large (at least 2,000 lbs) so we used a freight forwarder in Baltimore who would have shipments shipped (ground) to our distributors customs broker.