As someone who lives in the US and has shipped to Canada, I can hopefully paint some perspective. USPS priority shipping (usually 2-4 business days) to most places in the US costs around $6-$7 with first class costing $3-$4. Conversely, the cheapest shipping option to Canada (about 6-10 business days) is around $18 so it's easy to see why people wouldn't want to ship to Canada given the price discrepancy. Either way, I hope you figure out whatever issue you're working through with the other forum member and good luck in your searches!
I have also been rejected from purchasing posters because they won't ship to Canada. I don't understand it if I am willing to pay the shipping and accept the longer wait for delivery. On the flip side, I have bought some great posters from US members who fortunately for me did not hold this attitude. It's pretty disappointing when you see something you have been looking for and can't get it because you live across the border.
Great points. Personally, if a member is willing to cover the extra shipping costs and wait a few extra days, then most people are typically more than happy to ship to our friends up north!
$15.50 from US to CAN to ship an LP in an LP mailer USPS first class INT. If buyer pays the cost, seller makes sure to check 'gift' on customs form, where's the drama?
I wonder if some folks don't want to bother with the extra steps it takes to ship INT? Its usually an extra 5 minutes in line, postal worker has to fill out & enter info on form & computer. I mailed an LP out to BC yesterday & the person I got groaned & said, 'international shipping first thing in the morning?' Besides that being completely rude, maybe it sheds some light on why some sellers don't bother?
Yeah I'm always willing to pay the difference, I was mad last night, I've cooled down, I guess it's laziness on the sellers part. When I sell my good stuff, I will only sell to Canadians, balance it out.
Yeah I'm always willing to pay the difference, I was mad last night, I've cooled down, I guess it's laziness on the sellers part. When I sell my good stuff, I will only sell to Canadians, balance it out.
i've missed out on a few trades/sales for this exact reason...drives me nuts too
Any new realizations... would have to wait... Til he had more time,... more time... Time to dream,... to himself... he waves goodbye, To himself... I'll see you on the other side...
What's happened is that some US sellers have been screwed, whether intentionally or as a result of bad luck/misinformation, by not having items properly tracked when shipped outside of the States. Often times the USPS clerk will inform the shipper that the customs form label number serves as a tracking number and of course it does not. Paypal claims, charge backs, etc. can always be avoided by shipping priority mail or priority mail express with added insurance as required.
I found the USPS website's rate estimate is to be extremely accurate so it shouldn't be difficult at all to establish actual postage before even stepping foot in the post office. Conversely, Canada Post website's rate estimate is reliable and even offers the opportunity to complete the customs form prior to dropping the package off which helps save time.
To quote the 10C from Newsletter #8: "Please understand we have a lot of members and it is very hard to please everybody. If you are one of those unhappy people...please call 1-900-IDN-TCAR."
"Me knowing the truth, I can not concur."
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What's happened is that some US sellers have been screwed, whether intentionally or as a result of bad luck/misinformation, by not having items properly tracked when shipped outside of the States. Often times the USPS clerk will inform the shipper that the customs form label number serves as a tracking number and of course it does not. Paypal claims, charge backs, etc. can always be avoided by shipping priority mail or priority mail express with added insurance as required.
I found the USPS website's rate estimate is to be extremely accurate so it shouldn't be difficult at all to establish actual postage before even stepping foot in the post office. Conversely, Canada Post website's rate estimate is reliable and even offers the opportunity to complete the customs form prior to dropping the package off which helps save time.
Not 100% true. Once USPS hands it off to Canada Post, which all off USPS mail is, no matter Priority or Express. It is then in USPS eyes as being delivered, as they did their job. Once USPS hands it off to Canada Post, good luck on collecting the insurance on the package, if need be.
Im from the US and always ship internationally. I've sent to the Phillipines, Mexico, Australia, Canada, etc.. I also don't see why some only send to US addresses. If the buyer is willing to pay for it and wait the extra time to get it I don't see what the big deal is. I can only assume some people have been burned by international shipping, such as lost or damaged packages, and have had issues with insurance or refunds so they don't even want to take that risk. I've never had issues in my 15+ years trading posters.
Back around 2004-05, I sold a huge batch of DVDs (Classical music on Japanese DVDs, sold at cost) to a guy in Canada via the 'bay, totaling about $500. I shipped the parcel via International Priority Mail, and of course the tracking ended once handed off to Canada. The guy claimed he never got it, and eBay sided with him because I didn't require the recipient to sign for it, and I was forced to refund the entire amount.
I was SOL over it, and at the time it felt like getting robbed. After that, I swore I would never again ship to Canada.
Yeah, I sell to Canada a lot (it seems like 50% of the time I sell stuff on here it is to Canada). Everyone I have dealt with have been great and have had no problems with lost shipments. Here are my thoughts on some of the negatives if shipping from the USA.
a) You get asked to show a lower price on customs forms so they don't pay as much customs tax (this minimizes what you can insure the item for from my understanding) b) The Canadian dollar sucks against the USD so you get asked to reduce the price (that is just a negotiation though) c) I like to make sure when I ship vinyl that it is extra well packed to avoid damage. In the US it isn't a big deal for the extra shipping as everything is tracked, but when you want tracking in Canada and you want to pack conservatively it costs a ton more. I've ended up eating shipping costs for this reason as I want to make sure it is secure.
Those three items above all are items that can be negotiated, but I don't think you can argue that selling US to US is easier than shipping US to CAN.
I'm not sure what people are talking about with the no tracking once it gets to Canada? You just track it on Canada post. I track all my stuff even first class right to the door.
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I'm not sure what people are talking about with the no tracking once it gets to Canada? You just track it on Canada post. I track all my stuff even first class right to the door.
True dat. I track with customs numbers all the time.
Yeah, I sell to Canada a lot (it seems like 50% of the time I sell stuff on here it is to Canada). Everyone I have dealt with have been great and have had no problems with lost shipments. Here are my thoughts on some of the negatives if shipping from the USA.
a) You get asked to show a lower price on customs forms so they don't pay as much customs tax (this minimizes what you can insure the item for from my understanding) b) The Canadian dollar sucks against the USD so you get asked to reduce the price (that is just a negotiation though) c) I like to make sure when I ship vinyl that it is extra well packed to avoid damage. In the US it isn't a big deal for the extra shipping as everything is tracked, but when you want tracking in Canada and you want to pack conservatively it costs a ton more. I've ended up eating shipping costs for this reason as I want to make sure it is secure.
Those three items above all are items that can be negotiated, but I don't think you can argue that selling US to US is easier than shipping US to CAN.
Understood, and yeah US to US is easier, agreed. I was annoyed cause I was willing to pay more for shipping and dude still wouldn't ship to me.
it's gonna get worse when Trump is elected and WE build a wall ( and make him pay for it ha ha )
Any new realizations... would have to wait... Til he had more time,... more time... Time to dream,... to himself... he waves goodbye, To himself... I'll see you on the other side...
As someone who lives in the US and has shipped to Canada, I can hopefully paint some perspective. USPS priority shipping (usually 2-4 business days) to most places in the US costs around $6-$7 with first class costing $3-$4. Conversely, the cheapest shipping option to Canada (about 6-10 business days) is around $18 so it's easy to see why people wouldn't want to ship to Canada given the price discrepancy. Either way, I hope you figure out whatever issue you're working through with the other forum member and good luck in your searches!
I understand what this guy is saying - depending on how badly I want the product, I'll drop the coin... otherwise, I tend to get the other person to ship across the border, I would just pick it up then... obviously that's not the most practical depending on where in Canada you live.
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Probably not the best reason but I recently shipped something to Canada and had to fill out additional forms for international shipping, pain is the ass. I just want to be in and out of the post office, like I said, not a good reason but a real reason
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Probably not the best reason but I recently shipped something to Canada and had to fill out additional forms for international shipping, pain is the ass. I just want to be in and out of the post office, like I said, not a good reason but a real reason
Not sure if USPS offers the option but for Canada post you can fill out customs forms online, or just grab a handful of the paper ones and fill out at home.
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I won't ship without tracking unless I'm sending stickers. The "cheapest" way to add tracking on USPS is to send something certified, which is like an additional $12.00. And you have to seal the package with paper tape that seems to only live in the post office and you have to wet the tape before you use it, it's not self-adhesive. Have you tried to seal a poster tube that way before? Royal pain in the butt. I hate it. And the amount of time I have to spend in line to go to the counter, explain what I want, argue with the postal worker for a bit then get the tape from them, go off to the side to wrestle with the poster tube, finally go back to the same guy and get the evil eye from everyone else waiting in line because they think you cut ahead of them.
And even after all that, the last time I sent something, the tracking didn't bloody work so I don't know why I paid the extra $12.
That being said, I have shipped stuff internationally, even posters, but very selectively.
I'm not sure what people are talking about with the no tracking once it gets to Canada? You just track it on Canada post. I track all my stuff even first class right to the door.
Really? I never knew this could work. My post office says you have to pay extra to ship certified in order to track, and it doesn't really work half the time.
I'm not sure what people are talking about with the no tracking once it gets to Canada? You just track it on Canada post. I track all my stuff even first class right to the door.
Really? I never knew this could work. My post office says you have to pay extra to ship certified in order to track, and it doesn't really work half the time.
All USPS shipments to Canada are trackable - even regular first class international.
Can someone fill me in on what is so hard about shipping to Canada and why some ppl refuse to do so?
I have shipped a few things north of the border this year and had no issues whatsoever. Yes it is more expensive and you have to fill in a customs form - but it is not a big deal in the slightest.
I'm not sure what people are talking about with the no tracking once it gets to Canada? You just track it on Canada post. I track all my stuff even first class right to the door.
Really? I never knew this could work. My post office says you have to pay extra to ship certified in order to track, and it doesn't really work half the time.
All USPS shipments to Canada are trackable - even regular first class international.
I'm going to give that a test...as I've got a record headed to BC as we speak.
I know that my biggest fear shipping up there, was filling something out wrong, and having it get lost, or sent to some other place, and then never knowing what happened to it. Of course, I have the same fear with our post office, only there is no paperwork to get wrong. They just lose stuff anyway.
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I've been burned twice by people on this board when shipping to Canada. Both times I had to refund & lose the item entirely. That's not to say that I no longer ship to Canada, but I'm a bit more selective.
shipping to canada costs a lot more, and for people who don't ship stuff regularly it can be intimidating. A lot of people don't realize that you can purchase shipping online and just drop the prepaid package off at the post office. Pro tip: if you're just sending something small like stickers or a patch and it's less than 13 oz - you can dump that shit in ANY mailbox. Doesn't matter if it's international or domestic, or if it's a letter or small box. If it's under 13oz and it fits in the chute, you can drop it in a mailbox.
For people that don't know this, or don't have a scale at home, the process of making a trip to the post office during open hours, waiting in line for 20+ minutes, filling out the customs form, going back to the window, dealing with the postal worker telling them they did something wrong or asking questions they don't know how to answer, and then making sure they don't lose the receipt with the tracking number - can all seem a bit overwhelming.
Those of us living in the 21st century don't face this problem.
shipping to canada costs a lot more, and for people who don't ship stuff regularly it can be intimidating. A lot of people don't realize that you can purchase shipping online and just drop the prepaid package off at the post office. Pro tip: if you're just sending something small like stickers or a patch and it's less than 13 oz - you can dump that shit in ANY mailbox. Doesn't matter if it's international or domestic, or if it's a letter or small box. If it's under 13oz and it fits in the chute, you can drop it in a mailbox.
For people that don't know this, or don't have a scale at home, the process of making a trip to the post office during open hours, waiting in line for 20+ minutes, filling out the customs form, going back to the window, dealing with the postal worker telling them they did something wrong or asking questions they don't know how to answer, and then making sure they don't lose the receipt with the tracking number - can all seem a bit overwhelming.
Those of us living in the 21st century don't face this problem.
Comments
Kidding of course.
Til he had more time,... more time...
Time to dream,... to himself... he waves goodbye,
To himself... I'll see you on the other side...
I found the USPS website's rate estimate is to be extremely accurate so it shouldn't be difficult at all to establish actual postage before even stepping foot in the post office. Conversely, Canada Post website's rate estimate is reliable and even offers the opportunity to complete the customs form prior to dropping the package off which helps save time.
"Me knowing the truth, I can not concur."
1996: Toronto - 1998: Chicago, Montreal, Barrie - 2000: Montreal, Toronto - 2002: Seattle X2 (Key Arena) - 2003: Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Seattle (Benaroya Hall) - 2004: Reading, Toledo, Grand Rapids - 2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City - 2006: Toronto X2, Albany, Hartford, Grand Rapids, Cleveland - 2007: Chicago (Vic Theatre) - 2008: NYC X2, Hartford, Mansfield X2 - 2009: Toronto, Chicago X2, Seattle X2, Philadelphia X4 - 2010: Columbus, Noblesville, Cleveland, Buffalo, Hartford - 2011: Montreal, Toronto X2, Ottawa, Hamilton - 2012: Missoula - 2013: London, Chicago, Buffalo, Hartford - 2014: Detroit, Moline - 2015: NYC (Global Citizen Festival) - 2016: Greenville, Toronto X2, Chicago 1 - 2017: Brooklyn (RRHOF Induction) - 2018: Chicago 1, Boston 1 - 2022: Fresno, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto, NYC, Camden - 2023: St. Paul X2, Austin X2 - 2024: Vancouver X2, Portland, Sacramento, Noblesville, Philadelphia X2, Baltimore
I was SOL over it, and at the time it felt like getting robbed. After that, I swore I would never again ship to Canada.
a) You get asked to show a lower price on customs forms so they don't pay as much customs tax (this minimizes what you can insure the item for from my understanding)
b) The Canadian dollar sucks against the USD so you get asked to reduce the price (that is just a negotiation though)
c) I like to make sure when I ship vinyl that it is extra well packed to avoid damage. In the US it isn't a big deal for the extra shipping as everything is tracked, but when you want tracking in Canada and you want to pack conservatively it costs a ton more. I've ended up eating shipping costs for this reason as I want to make sure it is secure.
Those three items above all are items that can be negotiated, but I don't think you can argue that selling US to US is easier than shipping US to CAN.
Til he had more time,... more time...
Time to dream,... to himself... he waves goodbye,
To himself... I'll see you on the other side...
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2005 - Toronto
2006 - Toronto I, Toronto II
2009 - Toronto
2011 - Hamilton
2013 - Pittsburgh, Buffalo
2014 - Detroit
2016 - Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Ottawa, Toronto I, Toronto II, Wrigley I, Wrigley II
2018 - Seattle I, Seattle II, Fenway I, Fenway II
2020 - Toronto, Hamilton
2022 - Las Vegas, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto
2023 - St. Paul I, St. Paul II
Oh Dude!
And even after all that, the last time I sent something, the tracking didn't bloody work so I don't know why I paid the extra $12.
That being said, I have shipped stuff internationally, even posters, but very selectively.
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
For people that don't know this, or don't have a scale at home, the process of making a trip to the post office during open hours, waiting in line for 20+ minutes, filling out the customs form, going back to the window, dealing with the postal worker telling them they did something wrong or asking questions they don't know how to answer, and then making sure they don't lose the receipt with the tracking number - can all seem a bit overwhelming.
Those of us living in the 21st century don't face this problem.
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