Hmmmmmmmmm, it appears you are misinformed, aviationwiz...
aviationwiz wrote:Keep in mind that with the USPS, once it's in Canda, it's up to the Canadian Postal Service (which is terrible) I can't stress enough how much you should use UPS.
I've had zero problems with Canada Post, both sending and receiving packages. But hey, that's just me.
aviationwiz wrote:Global Priority Mail and Global Express Mail cost a fortune. I used Global Priority Mail flate rate envelope to Australia and it was $9!!! Airmail Parcel Post is also too slow (see my rant about sending to dolphin)
Just to give VEFF an idea here, using the same 3 lb. weight I used before, here are the rates:
Economy (Surface) Parcel Post: $15.25 (4-6 WEEKS)
Airmail Parcel Post: $14.25 (claimed 4-10 days, count on 10)
Global Priority Mail: $14 (4-6 days, count on 6)
Global Express Mail: $18.25 (2-5 days, count on 5)
Global Priority Mail is the cheapest international solution that USPS offers, and it does not cost a fortune. I priced a 3 lb. package to Canada (Edmonton, just for the heck of it) on
www.ups.com and it totaled US$10.15, that does not include tariffs/duties. The delivery time is 7 business days. Granted, UPS costs less than any of the USPS options, however, the duties/tariffs, as aviationwiz pointed out, will be between $9.75 and $15.45. That's a heck of a lot for duties! As a buyer, I would be irate if I had to pay that much in taxes. So, in the long-run, USPS is cheaper for the buyer. Believe me, they'll thank you for it. Oh, Global Priority Mail and Global Express Mail are still quicker than what UPS quoted me.
BTW, aviationwiz, Your personal experience is not the standard across the board, and neither is mine, for that matter. Therefore, don't belittle anyone (or any company, in this instance) saying they will take the maximum number of days to deliver a package. The fact of the matter is, you don't know for sure.
aviationwiz wrote:None of those include insurance, delivery confirmation or tracking, which is the default at UPS. (Insurance at UPS for over $100 insurance is $0.35 per $100 insurance)
Ahem, Global Express Mail does include insurance in the price: up to $100 free.
We don't even know if VEFF will change his mind about shipping to Canada. So, if he decides to change his mind, let him decide what courier he wants to use. This entire discussion may be all for naught.
No, I like women.