Quick Advice on Shipping to Canada

Strife025

Strife025

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I agreed to ship something to a confirmed Canada address for an ebay item.

I've never shipped to Canada before and realized that Paypal only lets you pick Priority and Express for shipping options, but USPS shows first class as an option on their website.

Anyone have any details on what I should do when shipping to Canada?
 
As a Canadian please balance price/speed. If you quoted the person an arrival date already take account that some items can be held up at customs for a few days. On expensive items it is always good to insure up to the full value of what it would cost to buy the item new. It really depends on how much you want to spend on shipping, although I have had packages sent with Express arrive much sooner than ones sent Priority.
 
Well I went to ship it and apparently there is no DC tracking for international shipping. I opted not to pay an extra $10 for the signature notification or whatever the option was. Seems like it's easy to get screwed with international shipping then even though I sent it to a confirmed address.

Basically if I'm going to start shipping to Canada I should charge an extra fee for non U.S. customers unless the lady at the post office was wrong and there is a way to get DC for under $10?
 
[quote name='Strife025'] Seems like it's easy to get screwed with international shipping then even though I sent it to a confirmed address.[/QUOTE]

Yes it is. And that's why I never deal with anyone outside of the US.
 
[quote name='Vinny']Yes it is. And that's why I never deal with anyone outside of the US.[/quote]

Blah, we'll guess I can keep offering Canada shipping and Charge an extra $10 for the international version of DC if they want it that bad.
 
well for canada (as well as some other countries) the customs form will show you if it got delivered. You enter in the customs # in the tracking field, and it will show the date it was delivered.
 
[quote name='ryanbph']well for canada (as well as some other countries) the customs form will show you if it got delivered. You enter in the customs # in the tracking field, and it will show the date it was delivered.[/quote]

They didn't make me enter in anything when shipping to Canada. I just paid for it and they took it.
 
didn't you have to fill out a customs form? If you did, on your receipt from the post office will have a customs form number. You can go to www.usps.com and click on the tracking option, and put in the customs form numbers. Just like Delivery confirmation, you will only see if it has been received, and not the transit info. (ie where it is currently)
 
[quote name='ryanbph']didn't you have to fill out a customs form? If you did, on your receipt from the post office will have a customs form number. You can go to www.usps.com and click on the tracking option, and put in the customs form numbers. Just like Delivery confirmation, you will only see if it has been received, and not the transit info. (ie where it is currently)[/quote]

Nope, no custom stuff needed for when I shipped it to Canada, should they have :eek:
 
yes...whenever you ship something internationally, you need to declare what is in the package. I guess it depends on how you shipped it/how big it was. If it fit into a standard enevelope, then I don't think you would need to. But if it is a box or padded envelope then my post office always requires it.

Assuming it wasn't a standard envelope, check your receipt and see if there is a customs number listed. Some of the postal employee's at my local post office will fill the customs for out for the customer.
 
[quote name='ryanbph']yes...whenever you ship something internationally, you need to declare what is in the package. I guess it depends on how you shipped it/how big it was. If it fit into a standard enevelope, then I don't think you would need to. But if it is a box or padded envelope then my post office always requires it.

Assuming it wasn't a standard envelope, check your receipt and see if there is a customs number listed. Some of the postal employee's at my local post office will fill the customs for out for the customer.[/quote]

Cool thanks, I'll check the receipt when I get off work, left it in the car. It was a normal padded envelope that you normally ship video games in. She just asked if it was anything fragile, dangerous, perishable, etc. then just took it from me and rang me up.

I asked if there was delivery confirmation and she said the only option for international is $10. I said nevermind, and that was it.
 
I am pretty sure there is weight min requirements in order to be required to apply a customs form. Some, not all countries, will allow you to track if it was received by the customs for thru the usps. I know that canada, uk, and mexico do allow you to track. I know that italy doesn't.

I sell a lot of items my company makes on ebay. I occasionally sell games. I don't see any reason why a seller wouldn't want to offer there products internationally. With the weak dollar my sale have remained similiar to a year or 2 ago and this is due to a large increase in international buyers. Even if the country doesn't offer tracking thru the customs label, if a customer claims not to have received it you can have the post office investigate it and you can submit the info to paypal if you need too. I even noticed that shipping to canada is cheaper then shipping the same item to most locations in the USA.
 
USPS makes me sad with their no DC outside the US thing. When I ship to the US from Japan even the cheapest shipping options have some type of tracking even if it is only customs.
I really hate how hard they make it for people to be safe shipping out of the US.
It's cost me more than a few trades...
 
[quote name='ryanbph']I am pretty sure there is weight min requirements in order to be required to apply a customs form. Some, not all countries, will allow you to track if it was received by the customs for thru the usps. I know that canada, uk, and mexico do allow you to track. I know that italy doesn't.

I sell a lot of items my company makes on ebay. I occasionally sell games. I don't see any reason why a seller wouldn't want to offer there products internationally. With the weak dollar my sale have remained similiar to a year or 2 ago and this is due to a large increase in international buyers. Even if the country doesn't offer tracking thru the customs label, if a customer claims not to have received it you can have the post office investigate it and you can submit the info to paypal if you need too. I even noticed that shipping to canada is cheaper then shipping the same item to most locations in the USA.[/quote]

If packages weigh over 13 oz,you will need customs forms filled out.
I sell a lot of games on Ebay and usually use 1st class mail international to ship item. It's cheap way.
 
[quote name='hiamiyumi']If packages weigh over 13 oz,you will need customs forms filled out.
I sell a lot of games on Ebay and usually use 1st class mail international to ship item. It's cheap way.[/quote]

Yea I used 1st class. I didn't get to fill out a form though. I actually have to ship another game to Canada in the next few days so basically I have to ask them for a form if I want to track it? The game is only about 7 oz.

Hopefully this first one I sent, the person doesn't screw me over. He seemed really nice though and has 86 feedback on ebay. He even offered to send money order since I didn't have my Paypal set up for international at first. Looks like I know what to do from now on though.
 
For Canada, the largest item I ever ship is one game. I take it into the Post Office to ship it since I have to fill out a customs form, and at most the total cost is around $2 to $3 for First-class mail.

As far as tracking/delivery confirmation with USPS to Canada, I'm not sure if that's possible. I believe once USPS hands it over to the Canadian Post Office, that's it. I don't think you can track it unless you ship it via UPS, but then you're paying quite a bit more.
 
[quote name='hiamiyumi']If packages weigh over 13 oz,you will need customs forms filled out.
I sell a lot of games on Ebay and usually use 1st class mail international to ship item. It's cheap way.[/quote]
It's actually a pound, at my post office anyways.
 
[quote name='Walt Jay']For Canada, the largest item I ever ship is one game. I take it into the Post Office to ship it since I have to fill out a customs form, and at most the total cost is around $2 to $3 for First-class mail.

As far as tracking/delivery confirmation with USPS to Canada, I'm not sure if that's possible. I believe once USPS hands it over to the Canadian Post Office, that's it. I don't think you can track it unless you ship it via UPS, but then you're paying quite a bit more.[/quote]

Oh I thought someone said if you fill out the customs form it's kind of like a delivery confirmation since it notifies you once it's delivered?

I would assume being notified that it has been received is all you need if you ship to a confirmed address through Paypal?
 
[quote name='Strife025']Oh I thought someone said if you fill out the customs form it's kind of like a delivery confirmation since it notifies you once it's delivered?

I would assume being notified that it has been received is all you need if you ship to a confirmed address through Paypal?[/quote]


it will to certain contries, including canada...I go to the post office 4 - 5 times a week for the past 3 or 4 years. One of the upper level clerks let me know about it. No one else had mentioned it. I had one customer claiming they never got it. I used it and it showed it was delivered. I wouldn't tell the customers you have delivery confirmation, as technically you don't. For your own peace of mind.

**IT DOESN'T NOTIFY YOU OF DELIVERY ** you have to go to the www.usps.com site, go on the tracking, and enter in the customs #.
 
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