Why won't some ship to Canada?

[OneSelfLost]

I find this kind of silly, never once have I had troubles shipping or receiving items over the border. Maybe I'm just lucky. But I've seen a lot of others on here and on other forums who put up their fences when it comes to shipping to Canada. It costs MAYBE and extra 5 bucks, and it's safe to say that the package will make it. I'm asking out of ignorance, like I don't know.. What's the big idea??? (lol)

Actually, it costs me more to ship within Canada then it does for me to ship to Florida.

Can anyone share their experiences or thoughts? And please.. Don't be afraid of shipping to Canada :)

[sQuidvision]

My issue with shipping to Canada rests with Paypal. Paypal policies heavily favor the buyer... so if you pay for an item, i ship it, and then you claim you didnt receive it i have to PROVE to paypal that i shipped it. USPS doesnt offer international tracking numbers, just shipping insurance, and so it costs me an extra $30-50+ to ship to canada, which when i am selling items that only cost $50-150 makes it a raw deal for the buyer.

Just my 2c

EDIT: I should mention i have no issue shipping to the great white north if the buyer is willing to gift money in paypal... then its just a few extra bucks like you said, but may buyers are uncomfortable with that.

[Dover]

Usually i find one of two factors; time or money.

Sellers don't want to spend too much on shipping, unless you are willing to split or cover shipping. They don't know that the easiest and cheapest way to ship to Canada is using good old United States Postal Service. Which answers the other factor of Time.

Usually USPS is fast enough, they have two faster services for not much more money, Priority and Express. Some sellers insist on using couriers such as United Parcel Service or FedEx but ultimately these couriers can and will charge additional border / customs charges; UPS charges an additional $ 30 on top of whatever the shipping is, so its a total rip-off.

[maniacmechanic]

I have shipped packages to Alaska , they get there in 3 days , Maine 3 days , Cali 3 days , the times I have shipped to Canada it has allways been 3 weeks ( in a USPS Priority Mail box ) Customs ??

[OPBN]

While it may be a little more relaxed than shipping to Europe, my major issue with shipping parts to Canada is customs. Customs can delay shipments for up to a month or more. As mentioned earlier though, if a customer is willing to pay the extra shipping costs and pay as a PPal Gift, I'll ship anywhere they want. However, I make it known upfront that if customs decides to delay, seize or destroy the package it's all on them.

[skipdogg]

It's illegal to ship paintball guns into Canada....So says UPS.

[Hook]

It's illegal to ship paintball guns into Canada....So says UPS.
Never, EVER ship from the US to Canada via UPS. They will rape you with ridiculous brokerage fees.

Case in point, I bought a Dye pod pack from a forum member for $35 shipped. Item was well packaged and got here quickly in two business days. When the UPS delivery guy handed me the package, he told me I had to pay $17 in brokerage fees. And get this - they DON'T accept cash! You have to pay by check or credit card. Who the heck doesn't accept cash?! Well UPS doesn't apparently since a delivery guy got money stolen from him.

But I digress. Ship to Canada with USPS all the time and it will be worry-free.

[mag79]

All the packages I send alway get hung up in customs. The DC # will show tha it arrived in Canada, but it will sit in customs for a few weeks

[OneSelfLost]

I get most my packages within 10 business days when I buy something from the states, Mind you, I mostly buy parts and smaller items rather than an entire marker. I have bought a few markers from the states and they were hung up in customs for four days each, which isn't too bad considering I still got them within the 10 business day mark. But for smaller items it should never be more than a few extra bucks. But Paypal issues, okay, I can see where you guys are coming from in that regard. I guess as long as the shipper can provide proof to the buyer, Paypal can be left out of it. Like a pic of the receipt or something.

If you look up the customs laws, it states that paintball guns are okay to ship over the border permitting they are not replicas. So a mag or a cocker would be fine but a RAP4 is a different story.

[BenoitOWN]

Shipping price for USPS priority increased but is better tracked(yes they are) and faster to arrive.
My package in custums are normally released the next day or same ;)

[bigbthebenji]

My issue with shipping to Canada rests with Paypal. Paypal policies heavily favor the buyer... so if you pay for an item, i ship it, and then you claim you didnt receive it i have to PROVE to paypal that i shipped it. USPS doesnt offer international tracking numbers, just shipping insurance, and so it costs me an extra $30-50+ to ship to canada, which when i am selling items that only cost $50-150 makes it a raw deal for the buyer.

Just my 2c

EDIT: I should mention i have no issue shipping to the great white north if the buyer is willing to gift money in paypal... then its just a few extra bucks like you said, but may buyers are uncomfortable with that.

X2

[wetwrks]

ok...my story

person purchased a splash twistlock barrel from me. I shipped UPS (yes I saw your message about not shipping ups but usps here is for the dogs...I'll explain that in a bit). On the customs form I listed it as what it is...paintgun barrel. The package didn't make it thru customs as they thought it "might" be a firearms part. The even OPENED the package and looked at it. I got word from the ups lady that it was on its way back. I get home from work to find an empty shipping tube without an endcap. Fortunately they have free insurance and thus I got my $ back on it.

As for USPS...I worked for a company that would ship an average of 10 - 15 packages a day. In a typical month we would have 3 packages lost and even more damaged. The local usps has lost 5 packages off the back of their truck within 10 minutes of leaving our business...fortunately someone found them in the middle of the road and returned them to us. We finally found that the difference in shipping costs were easily made up in not having our packages lost.

I avoid the usps with a passion and because of all the hassles dealing with customs, lost packages going to Canada, damaged goods, extra costs...it all adds up to not being worth my time and hassles.

The other side of the coin is I have seen people from Canada unwilling to ship to the US.

[Ir0nExpress]

It's some that have listed the above (paypal dispute) and also...for me personally, if there's any disputes over the condition of the item (though I've only had that issue once or twice within my 6 or so years of dealing with BST's) that eating extraneous costs such as the lost taken on shipping and such is not worth it.

I'd like to provide a reasonable remedy if anything arises and shipping over the border simply isn't as viable. Flat rate in the US yes, it'll bite the cost, flat rate to Canada...different story.

[Zone Drifter]

I have no qualms shipping to canada through USPS. It might cost a bit more, but you can always inform people that if it's going international that you'd like and extra bit of cash to cover shipping. The only times I have had problems is when using UPS.

I remember shipping things back and fourth to my ex-girlfriend in Vancouver, and things would be fine shipping Canada post or US Postal service, but that time I used UPS to ship a digital camera was the time they charged her $30 destination fee and it took over 3 weeks... didn't quite make it for her birthday!

So long as you stick with the main mailers, you should be fine provided you expect to pay slightly more to ship over the boarder. If it costs too much, I can always just drive 5 hours to Montreal and ship it out from inside Canada, lol.

[hill160881]

USPS is the way to go.

label all parts as "pneumatic parts" on the customs form, and dont use priority as there is a cheaper way and you need to ask the clerk all the prices to find it. Also disassemble the marker into two or three pieces. shipping will take less than two weeks anywhere in Canada. If you label it as baintball equipment or use the wrd gun it will take weeks longer to get through customs.

[Frizzle Fry]

I've had trouble with scummy Canadian buyers - it's way too easy for buyers to manipulate PayPal and USPS policies to get "free" stuff for the part-time investment of the cost of the item and a few emails. I know it's probably well under 1% of buyers who would do something like that, but having encountered an issue twice (over hundreds of transactions) and lost about $500 in cash/guns, I've given up shipping to Canada except to VERY specific buyers (moderators, people I've played with, etc).


Three things to do for those who do risk shipping to Canada:

1) partially disassemble your marker and ship it as "sporting goods / pneumatic paint marker parts"

2) do not ship as a "gift", state the real value to customs - the buyer pays import tariffs but it protects you

3) actually communicate with people who've bought and sold to the buyer - send a PM or two

[senghing27]

I have no problem shipping to Canada as long as the buyer is
1) aware of the shipping price
2) aware that shipping time is extended because of customs

Shipping small items in a bubble mailer are cheap, but when you have to put it in a box (marker, barrels, etc) the price ramps up to $25 and that doesn't include weight.

It's cheaper for me to send it anywhere in the united states with insurance and tracking than it is to send to Canada.

I get extremely annoyed when someone goes, it's $5 to ship the marker to Canada.... you can cover it, only to find out that it is $25+

On a side note, I shipped using UPS not knowing they changed their paintball policy. I track it from my drop off location to Niagara Falls and back to my house... Yeah, I paid money for it to ship around and back to my house.....
Grrrr

[Hobbez]

The only problem I have with shipping out of the country is with ebay and paypal. By ebay and paypal rules you only have 36 days to get that item to the buyer or they get a refund automatically. packages to canada especially can sit in customs for a month allowing the buyer to file a claim and get thier refund then have the package show up a week later.

I've been on the recieving end of this and even with tracking info, paypal will still payout a refund if the buyer doesnt get their items by the 36th day. But to a buyer paying money order or paypal gift, I have to no problems shipping USPS priority.

[going_home]

I just today shipped a marker from Florida to Ontario.
Costed $71.25 insured with tracking (I had already quoted him $64.00 too :( ) .

Paypal requires proof of delivery in a dispute.

I think the problem is mostly on the Canadian side of this issue.

Most Canadian buyers expect the US seller to ship without tracking the cheapest
way and leave themselves wide open to the loosing end of a Paypal dispute.

Most US sellers that know the implications of doing this dont bother offering to ship to
Canada.

How many Canadian buyers are willing to pay $71.25 shipping for a marker ?

Not very many my friend, not very many.

So yep, I blame the Canucks for this !

:ninja:

[Dover]

how big was that sucker, did it weigh a lot ? usually USPS runs me $25-35 for shipping, even Priority has Flat Rate Boxes to Canada; even the 20 pound Flat Rate Large Box only costs $ 35.50 to ship...

http://www.usps.com/prices/priority-mail-international-prices.htm

Shipping a marker from Canada to the US i found it to be around the same price, a little more if full insurance is required because Canada Post only provides coverage up to $100 and you have to pay for extra, its like a buck fifty for each hundred so if you declare a full retail value for the marker, like 600 then insurance is gonna run an extra ten bucks.

Usually Delivery Confirmation is included but may not be with smaller parcels or packages; i found that USPS Tracking can be used on Canada Post website as well!

[going_home]

3.5 pounds.
You arent shipping with proof of delivery either.
The ONLY way to get international delivery confirmation
with USPS is Global Express Guaranteed which is a
partnership between Fedex and USPS.

[Dover]

i've got an SL66 coming in now from PbNation, the guy i bought it from is in the Bay Area of Cali, on the form i think it says San Fran... anyways the tracking number provided by USPS can also be used with Canada Post and it gives info from as soon as you drop off the parcel

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/284713_10150316106179739_678039738_9271844_3207080 _n.jpg

as you can see the goons at Customs have my marker, but i have never had to insist on full insurance coverage; i mean an SL66 may have had a MSRP of $ 1600 but it's market value is only about $ 400 right now so i could have asked the Seller to purchase additional Insurance to cover it, that would probably cost extra, no?

[OneSelfLost]

I just today shipped a marker from Florida to Ontario.
Costed $71.25 insured with tracking (I had already quoted him $64.00 too :( ) .

So yep, I blame the Canucks for this !

:ninja:

JEEEZE! That is just Ridiculous! Absolutely Ridiculous! I blame FedEx.

Canucks aren't such a bad bunch :rofl:

[sQuidvision]

JEEEZE! That is just Ridiculous! Absolutely Ridiculous! I blame FedEx.

Canucks aren't such a bad bunch :rofl:

it gets a little easier when you are dealing with long time members of a forum with great feedback... but its still scary to ship a marker without confirmation and to stand the chance of loosing the marker, payment AND whatever you paid to ship it. i have done it once or twice but i dont like it and am always holding my breath until the claims period ends...

[RogueFactor]

Ive always used Express Mail International. It includes tracking(proof of delivery) and $100 of insurance. Delivery times are 3-5 business days, a little slower than Global Express Guaranteed. But the price for EMI is ~$45 to Canada for a 3 1/2 pound package without additional insurance. If a customer asks for GXG, I will ship it that method so long as they pay the extra +$25.

[athomas]

For Canadians, 95% of our purchasing market is in the US for paintball equipment. The companies that sell out of Canada are way over priced.


I have never had problems getting items shipped to Canada from the US. I know it is going to cost more, so I negotiate a higher expected price for shipping. I always request USPS because of the UPS double dipping border charge scam that they pull. Most of the time parcels arrive in about 7 to 10 days. I have even had parcels arrive within 5 days. I have had complete markers with bottles shipped and declared as paintball equipment and never had an issue at the border for getting them declared and processed. I do understand the tracking issue for sellers though. That needs to be addressed and most of the time, for more expensive items, the extra charge needs to be added to the cost of shipping to be payed by the buyer. For lesser items, there is usually $100 of automatic insurance anyway.

[hill160881]

Ive always used Express Mail International. It includes tracking(proof of delivery) and $100 of insurance. Delivery times are 3-5 business days, a little slower than Global Express Guaranteed. But the price for EMI is ~$45 to Canada for a 3 1/2 pound package without additional insurance. If a customer asks for GXG, I will ship it that method so long as they pay the extra +$25.
^^^^^^^^
This is what I do but you have to ASK them to ship it that way or they will charge you 70+ bucks.

You have to go over the options with the clerk or they will ship it the most expensive way. The last marker I sent that way was like 30 bucks.

[going_home]

^^^^^^^^
This is what I do but you have to ASK them to ship it that way or they will charge you 70+ bucks.

You have to go over the options with the clerk or they will ship it the most expensive way. The last marker I sent that way was like 30 bucks.

My local Post Office told me standard international express cant be tracked.


:tard:

[Hobbez]

Technically, it can't be tracked. You just have proof that it was shipped and delivered. So says the USPS in the name of CYA.

[Dover]

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/283864_10150320718684739_678039738_9328800_5948666 _n.jpg

Yay! XSV SL66 passed Canada Customs finally! :xeyed:

[OneSelfLost]

Bigbthebenji sent me a marker, flat rate box, $30ish, and i watched the tracking all the way to my house.

It can be done.

[wetwrks]

The last package I shipped (emag lowers) via usps...they wanted an additional $30 just for tracking. I was told at the time it runs $19.00 to track a simple letter. That is the full tracking not just signature confirmation.

[Dover]

ummm i just shipped a Classic AutoMag from Canada to Florida, not only was it cheap but fast.

Here is the Mag i put up for sale, it sold within a week with several interested parties

Classic Mag (http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=3642767)



And here is the Canada Post shipping information. Shipping came to $ 26 Canadian, whichh included Delivery Confirmation and Full Insurance;
Canada Post only covers the first $ 100 of the parcel. Each additional $ 100 cost you $ 1.50 so i declared it as $ 200 and covered it.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/284678_10150325105494739_678039738_9379563_5944012 _n.jpg

[going_home]

Its nice that packages can be tracked cheaply from Canada to the US.

I shipped a money order to Canada Priority Mail from Florida and it was only track-able
to the border and disappeared after that for over two weeks.

My experience with cheap fast track-able shipping to Canada from the US is that it doesnt exist.
And this is not just an isolated incident.

If you want international tracking (Global Express Guaranteed) its likely to be the better part of a Ben Franklin .
If you want to hope it gets there and hope you dont get a Paypal claim filed against
because you cant provide proof of delivery, then do it the cheap way.

/that is all


:ninja:

[Dover]

I just bought this: http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=3626995

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5303/5691633813_f7652583b8_b.jpg

and it took 2 weeks and 2 days but only because of the Canada Post strike (first in 17 years) and then Customs

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/283864_10150320718684739_678039738_9328800_5948666 _n.jpg

But i was able to track it in all the way on Canada Post as well as USPS, i got it on Friday 22nd

[going_home]

You can post all the tracking you want but I'm telling you it doesnt work from here after numerous tries.

I cant track past the border unless its the expensive shipping.
Nothing else have I been able to track.

Nothing.

I'm glad its working for you but it obviously doesnt work across the board for everyone.

Others have posted in this thread with the same experiences.

So good luck.

I'm not shipping to Canada without being able to track it, and the only way I have been able to track them is the expensive Global Express Guaranteed.

:(

[BenoitOWN]

My iphone USPS App tracked my package all the way up to delivered.

Shipped priority for 2 big box(90$ in shipping fee for the 2 package total)

[wetwrks]

I can't answer as to how the shipping and tracking works from the Canadian side but that isn't how it works from the US side.

Sorry...but all the posts of the tracking doesn't change anything. It still isn't easy or cheep from this direction. And we still have problems with time and customs.

[Dover]

Okay check this out, i just shipped out an RT Pro via Canada Post - Expedited Parcel US

Canada Post Tracking shows that the parcel has arrived in the US, while USPS says it is still in Canada

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/292890_10150390030214739_678039738_9944112_1523006 526_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/300831_10150390030259739_678039738_9944113_1195580 224_n.jpg