Re: USPS ... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR - Int'l shipping

[Guest guest]

Hi Angie,

You must be very busy... I was just thinking how I hadn't seen your

posts in a while. I think your website designed changed & you've

been adding new products... hope all is going well!

I wanted to ask about your shipping options. I had really fought

international shipping, but after many requuests for Canadian

orders, finally added the int'l option to my website for USPS

Airmail Parcel Post. You mentioned that you prefer UPS because of

all the lost packages you experienced w/USPS. I definitely don't

have time to sit on the phone hassling over lost packages. So, you

completely stopped shipping internationally for all countries or you

now do you use UPS for some international? I was told that UPS has

difficulties w/customs issues when trying to get into another

country... do you know if that is that true? Of course, I'll have

to call UPS for all the details, but are there a ton of customs

forms to be filled out to ship internationally?

Thanks so much for your help. Actually, I have a package going to

Canada tomorrow via USPS & now I'm wondering if I would be better

off going through UPS?!

Sorry for all the questions. For some reason, I'm just a little

intimidated by the international shipping right now. Thanks for

your help.

Bright Blessings,

Tammy Tivis

http://www.ElementsBathandBody.com

Wholesale Soapmaking & Toiletry Supplies

It seems that mail to Canada is

> more of a problem that mail to Europe or Australia, even UPS has

problems

> getting packages to Canada safely. After USPS lost or damaged

several packages, we decided to ship

> within the US only.

We will ship packages via USPS at the customer's request, but much

> prefer using UPS where any package can be tracked any time and if

it's lost or

> damaged, it's actually covered by insurance.

>

> Angie

> The Herbarie

> http://www.theherbarie.com/

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/26/2004 8:21:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

elements1@... writes:

Hi Angie,

You must be very busy... I was just thinking how I hadn't seen your

posts in a while. I think your website designed changed & you've

been adding new products... hope all is going well!

I wanted to ask about your shipping options. I had really fought

international shipping, but after many requuests for Canadian

orders, finally added the int'l option to my website for USPS

Airmail Parcel Post. You mentioned that you prefer UPS because of

all the lost packages you experienced w/USPS. I definitely don't

have time to sit on the phone hassling over lost packages. So, you

completely stopped shipping internationally for all countries or you

now do you use UPS for some international? I was told that UPS has

difficulties w/customs issues when trying to get into another

country... do you know if that is that true? Of course, I'll have

to call UPS for all the details, but are there a ton of customs

forms to be filled out to ship internationally?

Thanks so much for your help. Actually, I have a package going to

Canada tomorrow via USPS & now I'm wondering if I would be better

off going through UPS?!

Sorry for all the questions. For some reason, I'm just a little

intimidated by the international shipping right now. Thanks for

your help.

Hi Tammy,

We've recently consolidated the business and moved permanently to the farm

(Stoney Hill Farm) and were closed for a couple of weeks. It's been really

busy! We redesigned the website a few months ago and are always adding new

products!

The problems we had with shipping outside the US became too expensive and too

time consuming for us to be able to continue. All the problems were with our

Canadian shipments, but we decided to only ship within the US to avoid any

other potential hassles. The USPS really does not have any control over mail

once it leaves the US. UPS is international so there is better continuity for

international shipping, plus they can track any package any time anywhere and

USPS cannot. The downside to shipping UPS Ground to Canada are the brokerage

fees and duties and taxes for anything that is shipped across the border, so

therefore most all Canadians prefer USPS. The UPS air packages aren't subject to

the same fees, but UPS Air is expensive. I could have bought a ticket on an

airline and delivered the package personally to one Australian customer for

less money than it would cost to ship it UPS Air

There are lots of folks that ship outside the US with no apparent

problems--maybe we've just not had good luck. I will say that the primary

problem seems

to be with customs officials between the US and Canada---maybe the material

looks suspicious even though we've listed it correctly and taken all the

precautions that have been suggested. Fortunately, most of our Canadian and

Australian customers have relatives or friends that provide a ship to address

within

the US and then handle the shipment from there into Canada or Australia. It

seems to be working ok. At some point we will probably revisit the whole issue

and establish a relationship with a broker that can handle the customs issues

for us.

I'm not sure what to recommend. I'd say try your luck with it, but be

cautious. I would use Global Express for any international shipment. Take care

and

good luck!

Angie

The Herbarie

http://www.theherbarie.com/

[Guest guest]

We also quit international shipments because of delays and more delays and more

delays. I had one very unhappy customer once in Canada because I filled out

these forms and sent the package thru UPS. When it got to Canada customs I

failed to do something or other and it got delayed until I filled out more

paperwork. Then when the lady finally got it, there was the additional brokeage

fees and she was not happy. I didn't know about those fees and thought I was

doing the right thing. Shipping is so costly no matter where you send it.

Personally I have had good luck into Canada with the USPS and the costs were

more reasonable and no more forms. It can also be insured although that doesn't

help with the tracking.

I have a lot of requests out of England and after one very negative experience

over there I quit sending out of the country. Well, it would seem that over the

last several weeks for some reason I have had a number of emails requesting

shipments. Finally I decided that I would try it again but there was no way in

the world that I would ship anything unless it went Global Express. It includes

$100 worth of insurance but it is " high " . I also put an invoice on the outside

of the package to try and help at customs. I don't know if it will or not. I

just shipped the packages out on Thursday so I will see how it goes. England

really charges those folks though with custom's fees. So, I really don't know

if it will all be worth it to them and if they will come back. It is my

understanding that there is also some sort of additional tax. I fail to see why

these fees have to exist at all let alone be so costly. I guess the gov't is

trying to make more $$.

The one request I had out of Austraila I thought was going to die on the

internet when I quoted them shipping. I was told by a friend that they pay very

little for shipping things out of their country. I don't know how true that is,

but that could explain the gasp I heard clear here from there.

If anyone else has better suggestions, this person sure would like to hear about

it.

Lynne Olson

Cotton Blossom Crafts

http://www.cottonblossomcrafts.com

[Guest guest]

Hi Angie,

Glad to hear you're so busy & that business is booming! Thanks so

much for the reply about international shipping. I really don't

want to mess w/international shipping, but always feel crummy when

someone outside the US wants a product. Maybe I'll just add the UPS

option & delete the USPS option. I hate for someone to pay an arm

and a leg for shipping, but I don't want to be out of pocket for

lost packages, either. Thank you again for your assistance... it is

really helpful in my decision process.

Bright Blessings,

Tammy

www.ElementsBathandBody.com

AngiesHerbarie@a... wrote:

> The problems we had with shipping outside the US became too

expensive and too

> time consuming for us to be able to continue. All the problems

were with our Canadian shipments, but we decided to only ship within

the US to avoid any

> other potential hassles. The USPS really does not have any

control over mail once it leaves the US. UPS is international so

there is better continuity for

> international shipping, plus they can track any package any time

anywhere and

> USPS cannot. The downside to shipping UPS Ground to Canada are

the brokerage

> fees and duties and taxes for anything that is shipped across the

border, so

> therefore most all Canadians prefer USPS. The UPS air packages

aren't subject to

> the same fees, but UPS Air is expensive.

Take care and good luck!

> Angie

>

>

> The Herbarie

> http://www.theherbarie.com/