Ordering from Canada via USPS

Hi,

I ordered two German Bundeswehr rucksacks from Cabela. But the wait is terribly long. They told me to allow 14 to 21 business days but now it's been 24 business days (more than a month) and I still didn't receive my package. I think it's because they turn it over to Canada Post at the border and maybe they have to inspect it. Anyway, I don't really have a tracking number and don't know what to do to "claim" my package or file a complaint or something, or if I should contact Cabela. This is ridiculous, I mean it takes two weeks to ship by boat to the UK... Have you had similar inconvenience? What should I do?

Frankie

conact cabelas they will have the tracking number and will give it to you and they should track it for you too.

If it's sent by standard parcel post, then you might have to wait a bit longer.

When it gets to the border, they give it to Customs. Customs eventually takes their finger out and processes it (I once had a package sit in customs for 8 months...though this is not common by any means). Then it goes to Canada Post for delivery. Generally you're looking at 2 weeks to a month depending on the season and the type of product. If they put 'military ruck' on the customs invoice, they might be opening it up to check it out...which they do often and have the right to...which also adds delays.

Now if you get somebody to ship USPS express, it goes to Purolator when it gets to the border...I've had VERY good experiences with this method of shipping from the US.

Just avoid UPS with US to Canada shipments! Their customer service stinks and they do their own brokerage. The good is that your package clears customs with zero wait. The bad is that they charge you 2-5 times your duty and tax in brokeage fees! I've had $150 items cost over $300 after paying UPS!

Cabela's always very, very good customer service. Call them.

Thanks for the replies.

Raydarkhorse, I already contacted them and they wrote "Unfortunately, there is not a tracking number which will allow you to watch the progress of the order."

Hacksaw, thanks for sharing your experience. But I ordered from Brigade Quartermaster and they used UPS. It took about three days and although it was a bit expensive, it was decent. They wrote "machine parts, other" on the package while it was clothing, I guess it helped to reduce the costs.

Frankie

Yes. Some retailers will play those games...until the broker opens the box one day and ships it right back to them for having the paperwork filled out correctly.

For small value things, UPS is usually okay (My customer service bias is based on the depot here...your mileage may differ). Their fees are (I think) based on the value of the item they're processing so stuff under $50 isn't bad...and if it's much cheaper than that it might be tax exempt. Some types of items are exempt too like certain electronics goods.

It's really a catch 22. I once bought a broken notebook computer on eBay for $5. Canada Customs decided in their infinite wisdom that $5 for a computer was impossible and charged me tax and duty on $1500, making my $5 notebook cost more like $140. Because UPS had processed it and paid the government on my behalf via their brokers, they demanded the money and I refused to pay. I had to jump through many flaming hoops to get a refund from the government. Fortunately my cheque arrived the same day the notice from the collection agency did.

Frankie,

Canada and the U.S. should just become one. Free shipping for you and free healthcare for us.

Kidding people, I'm a 1/4 Canuck also.

From Wikipedia

"The term Canuck is first recorded about 1835 as an Americanism, originally referring specifically to a French Canadian. This was probably the original meaning, though in Canada and other countries, "Canuck" refers to any Canadian."

Canadians use "Canuck" as an affectionate description of nationality and the word carries no particular patriotic overtones. A few Americans misinterpret "Canuck" as an offensive noun but would be hard pressed to find a Canadian, French or English, insulted by the word.


No political overtones intended,

Blitz

I second that - UPS between countries is a total rip-off. UPS within Canada is fine but for stuff coming from Stateside they kill you in the fees and I've never found them to be faster than simple post. By far the cheapest and fastest route is the use old fashioned US Postal Service (USPS not UPS).

On the time delay issue - it is taking Customs 2x as long to process things these days. Ever since the dollars have reached parity the volume of mail-order trade with the US has quadrupled! We are keeping a lot of mail-order companies down there afloat.

When I lived in Canada, I mail ordered all the time from the states. Yes, there were some delays, but found that usps (think thats the initals), were the best deal in town for delivery.

Fellow canucks; Don't complain too much about those prices for brokerage and duty fees. Down here, its starts at 20% of the total cost of the order (including shipping) and goes up... wayyyyyyy up. Thats if your using usps. If using fedex or dhl, then there's a brokerage fee on top of all of that. Not to mention the charge for international shipping from the states (usually three categories of shipping from a USA store: usa, canada, other). My last order's shipping charge from REI is 100 bucks and its only 10 items, 1/2 of that being shorts and some t-shirts (its a 400 dollar order).

That's true, I have contacted them and they immediately filed a loss and reshipped the merchandise and said that I should receive it in a few weeks...

Frankie

I'm crossing my fingers I don't have the same thing happen. My Cabelas order just shipped 2 days ago.

I own and operate a UPS Store in Nor Cal and Hacksaw is right on target with regards to UPS and USPS. Low cost items shipped UPS using Canada Standard are pretty much the same as USPS rates, but you do get the benefit of tracking. Higher priced items do seem to pass through customs more smoothly with USPS - and many Canadians request this service as customs fees don't seem to be as harsh - or maybe they are overlooked?

Lower value private party sales that can be processed as "gifts/personal items" won't face the 'taxed & tariffed' scrutiny that items sold through retail stores face.

Recently I sold an item on Ebay which had several bidders - almost all of them were from Canada - I am sure this is directly related to the poor performance of the US dollar. Ulitmately the winning bidder was from Canada and the item was shipped UPS. There were several delays caused by customs and the buyer had to pay additional tariffs before the item was delivered.

Items shipped Parcel Post via the USPS are a low priority for them. These packages can sit in a warehouse (hub) for a week or more until there is room on a truck for them. If your package has to pass through two or three warehouses, this could add two or three weeks to delivery - just to get your item to the Canadian border. The date range provided by USPS is only an estimate based opon best case routing. They do not actually provide guaranteed time-in-transit delivery. A cheap option (under a buck usually) is to ask for delivery confirmation. This creates an element of tracking within the USPS system. While you might not get the online tracking to check yourself, the Postmaster can ususally trace them item by the delivery confirmation number.

Usually smaller boxes, under say 5 pounds, can go USPS Priority International to Canada for about the same cost as Parcel Post - and you should receive the item much quicker.

I hope this helps a little.

Dennis

I have to concur with other members here that UPS ripoff customers on both sides of the border. UPS charge 5 times the original product price.

USPS shipping is reliable, fast (if you use priority post), cheap brokerage fee.

I will never use UPS in my life time again. I had been burned once, twice shy.

I received my rucksacks. Cabela used UPS finally (I was not there but the owner of the building got the package from a guy in a brown uniform... and it's a UPS box). Cabela does have an excellent service.

The rucksacks look tough and well designed. There's a label on the inside pouch in german:

"Schmutz mit lauwarmem Wasser (ggf. mit handelsüblichen Waschmitteln) mittels Lappen oder Schwamm abwaschen. Mit klarem Wasser gut nachspülen.
Maschinenwäsche in Schonwaschgang bis 40 °C. Lösungsmittel und Chemischreinigung nicht zulässig."

I think it means machine washable on delicate cycle in 40 ºC water with mild soap only. Could somebody translate it for me?

Thanks
Frankie