Lost items shipped to Australia? Sorry Canada!

[So Cal Mark]

I've had really bad experiences using parcel post outside of the country. The first item I sent to Canada using pp never arrived. The clerk at the counter almost guaranteed me that the items would never make it but the customer insisted on that method due to cost. The clerk told me that it would take up to 3 months to ship to Canad via parcel post.
I thought USPS had recently discontinued PP outside of the US? The other problem is when customers ask for items to be devalued for customs. I won't do it because if it gets lost or damaged, someone will lose out and I don't want that person to be me!

[azygoustoyou]

I can understand how he's feeling. It's hard to get ahead. Nothing ever came easy to me. Things always seem to hold me back. Still I try to succeed. Even if his item arrives this week. This is a lesson I'm learning.
I sent him a message to let him know the item must still be in transit. That I am honest and well figure this out. Australia is pretty far. Snail mail su@ks! I can't believe it took 3 weeks to get yours to Canada!

[azygoustoyou]

Yeah, three months! There's no way this guy is going to wait that long. I wouldn't want to. Thing is if I send another set out. How do I send it? Priority is about $60 Parcel Post $30 and I'm back at where I'm at.
What would be my best interest? Just reimburse him his $85 ?

[courtenay]

Gotta agree with the sit back and relax thing...most Aussies I know (including our daughter-in-law) are way more laid back than this guy seems to be. I have ordered parts for my car from Brady, Mark and Vicks and 3 weeks seems to be the quickest delivery time. And Canada is a heck of a lot closer to NJ, SoCal and Texas than Australia is.

[azygoustoyou]

I was able to give the customer a shipping number. He was happy to see that it was in the hands of the USPS at least. I could understand his worries. Who can trust anyone these days.

[manoa matt]

Brady, I've shipped plenty of items to Canada and Australia via USPS with no problems yet...knock on wood. The trick is to send it USPS, specify it as a "gift" with a value of $5.00. If its specified as merchandise and has a high value, it sits in the customs department for a while and the buyer gets hit with big import fees. It works for private sellers like you or me, but for someone with a business, everything on the customs form has to be "correct".

[azygoustoyou]

I did mark it as a gift and specified the correct amount. It was seat belt guides so it wasn't that much.

[Tango]

Its some time since I worked in the Post Office in Canada, but it used to be that parcel post meant surface transport all the way. Today that probably means a container ship. container freight from US to Aus is 4-6 weeks from my experinece a few years ago. It goes by truck to some consolidation point, then to a major container port, waits for the correct ship, over the ocean, then the container gets delivered, then the contents resorted, then back on trucks to maybe a regional mail facility, then on to the destination. At some point Customs may or may not take a look. Every step of the way handled by civil servant or lowest bidder.

I would seriously not expect surface freight to get from the USA on a long weekend to Australia in 4 weeks, door to door. If it does, fine, but I would not refund anything until at least 2 months go by.

Also, since it was his choice, I would offer to split it with him. After all, you did all that you were asked to do. Its something that a lot of people overlook even when shipping very valuable equipment: where does risk of loss change hands. It should be spelt our and be part of the signed order. But I've seen people sign multi million dollar orders and not spell it out.

just my $0.02

[adrians]

Shipping to Australia is quite straight forward - I have yet to have anything go missing that I've ordered from the States.

Just last week I ordered wheel centers and stickers from Mark, I received them in about 7 days. I've purchase heaps of stuff from forum members - all arrived safely, ( including SAM the Bear )

What part of Asutralia was it going to ?

Adrians

[So Cal Mark]

I haven't had any issues with parts to Aus, but Canada is another story. I shipped some stuff to S Africa last week and the USPS refused to insure it due to the high rate of loss there.

[azygoustoyou]

South Yarra, Victoria is the location for the guides. I'll let you know how long it takes to get there. I hope it doesn't take the full two months. It has been 34 days now.

[adrians]

Definiately shouldn't take 34 days or 2 months ... Should only take a week or so !

South Yarra is an inner city suburb of Melbourne - Australia's second biggest capital city ( Also right next to the F1 GP Street Track at Albert Park )

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=South+ ... CBkQ8gEwAA

[Tango]

Surface international mail can and does take weeks. It seems like an anachronism with today's speed-of-light communications, but surface parcel post puts you back in the world of ocean travel.

Even by truck, I just placed an order with Amazon for some software. the order takes 3 weeks acc to Amazon to go from midwest US to southern Ontario (a two-day drive at most). Canada Post says that a surface small parcel from Canada to an international destination takes 4-6 weeks. Those are nominal times.

As for things just going missing, again, unfortunately there are a few rules I learned when working at Canada Post back in the day:
1. The way to get a parcel that does not fit in a mailbag to the front of a 40 foot trailer may be to throw it. Pack accordingly.
2. Loading docks are exposed to snow and rain, trucks leak, other packages leak. Again, pack accordingly.
3. Mailbags and boxes travel around facilities on conveyor belts. If yours gets caught in a jam, it may be unrecognizable when its all over.
4. Even if theft is not the issue, you'd be surprised how often, in view of 1-3 above, at the end of a shift there are items that fell out of their packaging and are sitting on the sorting table/ floor / conveyor belt / truck floor.

Having said all that, I have successfully shipped rifles around the country (legally) but the packaging when I shipped resembled a sarcophagus. Nothing short of malicious intent would get at the contents or obscure the address labels (yes plural).

[azygoustoyou]

He informed me today still nothing has arrived. It's been 41 days
He also said he ordered something from Texas last week and got it today. What the h#ll!

[azygoustoyou]

I went back to the post office today and shared my concern again. This time they gave me all they had on the item. The box only weighed 1.2Lbs and was 13x3x3.
I got the Customs declaration, tracking label/delivery form. I called the 800 # and they have no info on the item.