Input on shipping front derailleur to Victoria BC

[donevwil]

UPS and FedEx are non-starters ($29 - $42) and USPS's old Click-N-Ship quotes $24.80. The new "Enhanced Click-N-Ship" offers commercial rates and I've been happily using it this year (domestically) to great savings, but it errors out when I try to ship to BC. It would likely be <$15.

Any other ideas?

[NHAero]

Does Pirateship do Canada?

[cgolvin]

Originally Posted by NHAero

Does Pirateship do Canada?

They go anywhere USPS and UPS go, but it's still expensive. I just had to ship a pump to Italy and it was more than $30 using UPS. Ouch.

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by NHAero

Does Pirateship do Canada?

Just looked, initial, minimal info quote was $16.64 via UPS, but after setting up an account and entering "all" the info best was $26 via USPS.

[tellyho]

I don't think anybody else is seeing some magic shipping option that you haven't explored. It's just $$ to ship to Canada.

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by tellyho

I don't think anybody else is seeing some magic shipping option that you haven't explored. It's just $$ to ship to Canada.

Yeah, as expected. I'm just kind of pissed the new USPS portal isn't working. An agent at the post office doesn't even have access to those rates.

I shipped a set of 46cm handlebars to BC a couple years ago for $26, that was a reasonable price. Oh well, just wanted to help a Paceline brother out.

[d_douglas]

Originally Posted by donevwil

UPS and FedEx are non-starters ($29 - $42) and USPS's old Click-N-Ship quotes $24.80. The new "Enhanced Click-N-Ship" offers commercial rates and I've been happily using it this year (domestically) to great savings, but it errors out when I try to ship to BC. It would likely be <$15.

Any other ideas?

Hey, there’s only a few of us here!

Seems crazy expensive to ship.

Pelican shipped me a couple of chainrings and an 11spd cassette from SF to Victoria about 6weeks ago for about $25US, so I would thing it would be that cost, but not more.

[htwoopup]

I have to say that the ONLY way that I ship from Canada to US is Canada Post and the ONLY way that I ship from US to Canada is US Post Service.

The UPS/FedEx/DHL's of the world often charge (often hidden/at delivery/etc) brokerage charges that end up costing even more than their crazy rates.

The only guys I have had luck with that are not the post office is Purolator in Canada to US but I don't know if that works going the other way to Canada.

I have also found that the PirateShip cost on USPS to be the best to Canada. One of the keys often is to use your own box (in other words, try the rate using the standard USPS box and then try it using your own box where you put in the dimensions and pick the cheapest one). And, obviously make the box as small as possible. And weigh it so you can put the exact weight in when you put in the dimensions. Things are usually lighter than you think they are (for some reason bike parts always weigh less than you think when you are shipping them and weigh more than you think when you put them on the bike).

Sorry I can't be more helpful, but if you find a better solution please let me know because it would be nice to find a cheaper way since I live in both countries and ship stuff to sides of the family from the wrong country all the time.

[pdonk]

See if it fits into a standard padded envelope. It shouldn't be much, its the box that kills it.

I just got an envelope stuffed full from someone here and it was about $10 USD.

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by pdonk

See if it fits into a standard padded envelope. It shouldn't be much, its the box that kills it.

I just got an envelope stuffed full from someone here and it was about $10 USD.

Yes, that's what makes the USPS portal error out, "not an acceptable package size for Ground International". Oddly the old portal is fine with it. My fear with a padded envelope is damage to the derailleur, plus a front der with 31.8 clamp is not a very flat object. A rear der would be flatter.

[boomforeal]

Originally Posted by htwoopup

I have to say that the ONLY way that I ship from Canada to US is Canada Post and the ONLY way that I ship from US to Canada is US Post Service.

The UPS/FedEx/DHL's of the world often charge (often hidden/at delivery/etc) brokerage charges that end up costing even more than their crazy rates.

This. UPS and DHL are especially bad. I think there are FedEx services (int ground?) that don't trigger brokerage charges.

[pdonk]

Originally Posted by donevwil

Yes, that's what makes the USPS portal error out, "not an acceptable package size for Ground International". Oddly the old portal is fine with it. My fear with a padded envelope is damage to the derailleur, plus a front der with 31.8 clamp is not a very flat object. A rear der would be flatter.

A paper towel roll or cut down poster tube may also be a work around to make the package as small as possible, while protecting it.

But yeah, shipping here sucks.