International Shipping via UPS

[Cajunrider]

I recently shipped my stock seats to a fellow member in Canada via United Parcel Service. It cost me over $63 which I figured was reasonable for a 6 day ground shipment through Customs. The USPS wanted a little over $51 but with no tracking number. I decided to eat the $11 and send the parcel so the receiver could track the package. Well, the parcel arrived today and they stuck our brother for $90 in surcharges, something that was never mentioned to me when I shipped the box last Friday. We both agree that this is a crooked ploy to increase the charges over 2 1/2 times the quoted price. I have never shipped internationally before but if I do, I can promise it won't be via UPS.

[glwilson]

I get a bit confused sometimes by their pricing and guarantees.

I once remember paying extra for something to be "next-day". It didn't arrive the next day. When I complained they told me to read the small print -- which said that their "next-day" doesn't guarantee next-day delivery and could arrive as late as the following day and still remain under the shipping agreement I signed-up for.

Man... was I p!ssed-off; and proceeded to tell them that they shouldn't call it "next-day" if there is any chance it wouldn't get there by then.

They told me that they had a "guaranteed-next-day" rate I should have chosen instead.

This was sometime ago and I don't know if they have changed "things" as of late. So... if anyone works at UPS, please explain to "us" how that works and why that wouldn't be considered misleading.

[flash105]

Easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They pay my bills!!!!!!!!!

[Cajunrider]

Originally Posted by Flash

Easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They pay my bills!!!!!!!!!

Don't take offense Flash or anyone else on here that works for UPS. I have a couple of friends who are drivers and they will hear it from me face to face. But I wouldn't mind if the UPS upper management knew how I feel.

[glwilson]

Yeah... don't take offense...

If you work for UPS you should have thick-skin by now I would assume!

My friend, who is a driver in the Peoria, IL area, is all "leather" from all the harassment he gets.

[wompus]

I use UPS with my rack business.
I usually try to ship to Canada via the post office.
UPS can't seem to get their head out of their ass's when shipping up there! Also the so called 5 day ground can take up to 3 weeks!!

They also damaged a rack.. bent it and said it was my fault because I didn't box it right.
A FRIGGIN 12 GAUGE PLATE STEEL RACK NOT PACKAGED RIGHT!???
They crushed the foam packing inside the rack and crushed the box.

Hell, I made up a bad rack and decided to drive my truck up on it and it didn't even bend! Yet somehow them managed to destroy it.... :(


,

[socwkbiker]

If you could only get into one of the shipping centers, you would see how it's possible for them to bend or break something. Those trucks are packed to the gills, so something could end up with hundreds of pounds on top of it, and then the traveling could bounce all that weight.

Don't worry flash, we're not blaming the shipping people, it's the pricing. But they're not alone. I recently paid for a bicycle from Wal-mart for my half-brother. The bike itself was $119. Regular shipping was around $45 and it took about a week and a half for it to arrive. If I would have shipped it by 2 day, the shipping jumped to 109 and if I wanted it next day, shipping was 129. That's more than the bike itself! So it's not just Brown because it's all about the green!

[wompus]

I guess I've been lucky so far. After over 10 years they have only damaged that one. But if they ever do another one I sure the h-e---double- hocky- pucks will take them to small claims court.

I want to see their excuse for damaging something I can drive a truck over and not hurt it!

.

[lomax]

Yup, been through this deal before. I bought my trunk on ebay and shipping was UPS prepaid from the vendor. It arrived at my door with a bill for another $85. They are indeed bandits! Now I have my orders shipped to Oroville WA, which is about 3 hours south of me and I drive across and pick it up. For smaller items its USPS and seems to work well.

[psychocycle]

UPS is the biggest rip-off around. I won't deal with a vendor that ship UPS. The shipping cost is one thing but their international brokerage fees from US to Canada are criminal. I have been shocked upon receipt of a package to pay over $100.00 in extra fees. The extra costs with UPS are outrageous. Go on line and just check the problems and issues surrounding this topic, they have class action suits against them for this. :(" title="" border="0"/>

[strobe]

Really the issue here is not the shipping charge that pays the UPS employees, the issue is the extortion rates they charge for 'brokerage' fees. This fee should be included in the charge up front so people know what they are paying. I feel like the fee on delivery is extortion, it is a you pay or you don't get your property type of transaction....really feels like extortion. Not blaming the drivers / employees, they are doing their job, just the way UPS as a corporation handles this.

[Cajunrider]

Well, I'll probably get raped also. I called Purolator to find out where my parcel coming from Canada was and what the expected delivery date would be. I was told that it will be delivered to my home Monday by UPS. :(" title="" border="0"/>

[chuckster131]

Yeah I have questioned their charges more than once, and never used them for International service just for that fact!!
I stick with USPS for out of U.S. shipping, but I will use UPS in the States for my heavier items like the hitches I make.

[ringadingh]

I too will NEVER use UPS or any other courier company to ship from the states to Canada. The rates are reasonable within the U.S. but crossing that border is robbery. I bought a tire and three pairs of brake pads last year from Dennis Kirk, when UPS arrived I owed another $103.00 on top of the shipping fee. It sure takes the advantage out of getting a good price on stuff.
Now whenever I buy stuff from the states, I ask if it will be shipped by USPS or courier. The company's that use couriers only to Canada lose my business, as its just not worth it.
Even though there is no tracing ability on the USPS, Ive never had a problem with loss or damage. I even once ordered a camera charger on Ebay and it arrived from Hong Kong to here in four days by regular mail, that was unbeleivable service.

[cyclecat]

Never, never, never ship anything through UPS across the border into Canada. As has been said here, it's not really UPS that is the problem, it is the Canadian Customs and all the fees associated with shipping across the border. I have this problem beat - we live 30 miles north of the Del Bonita border crossing and from there it is another 41 miles to the nearest UPS depot in the States. I have anything shipped by UPS sent to Cut Bank, Montana and drive down to do the pick up. Saves me all the broker fees and most of the time, I can get free shipping because my packages are not shipped out of the lower 48.

I have never gotten a package through USPS in anything less than 3 weeks. Again not the post office that is the problem, it is the Canadian customs. Once the package crosses the border, it goes to the nearest customs off, for me that's Calgary, is opened, inspected, and the appropriate fees are added according to the cost. Anything less than $100 is a freebie but 50 cents over 100 and they start adding fees based on the whole cost not just the part over $100.

If anyone thinks shipping costs are bad crossing the border, try being a Canadian that leaves the country to travel in the US for 2 weeks and then try to come home. That's a whole different nightmare and one we repeat pretty much every summer when we come home from holidays.