Topic: (Update 1-21-17) OK, Canada, I give up!

[AlabamaCB750]

I used to buy alot of mountain bike and motorcycle parts from Canada, but no more! The last order, a set of fork covers, disappeared for 6 months, and a Canadian Post investigation never turned up anything. The seller reshipped via FedEx, and I recieved the parts 4 days later. At least 12 parts orders before that were mysteriously "lost", and were never found. This is a widespread epidemic among buyers from the U.S.

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[CrankyOldGuy]

HM .... as a resident of Canada I always ship packages by either Fedex or UPS, and have never had an issue either national or international ... COG

[HondaMan]

I am used to the long time it takes to get to Ontario up there: it can take 6 weeks from Colorado to there, sometimes. South Africa has this problem even worse: normal to there can be 2 months. AUS is about 2 weeks on average. And USPS will not "Priority Mail" to any of these countries unless (oddly) it is to a US APO (military) base in those countries: then it always works and costs only as much as sending it across town. Go figure?

I don't know where you're getting your information from Mark, but that's not true, I get stuff shipped out via USPS "Priority Mail" all the time. Cheers, Terry.

Well, what happens at this end of that is: they allow the sender (here) to use their free "Priority Mail" boxes and envelopes, but it still ships via Air Mail at the same rate (I've done this to NZ, too). The "Priority Mail" service here has free "insurance" (not that they ever paid anyone I have talked to...) and free boxes: within the lower 48 States the boxes all go via Fedex Ground in trucks dedicated to Priority Mail service. If it is more than 10 States away, they sometimes send it air mail instead: when I send stuff to New York, for example, it gets there faster than to Ohio, as the latter is only 8 States away (by their calculation). I am told these same rules apply everywhere except to Puerto Rico, Wake Island, or Guantanamo Bay.

[HondaMan]

The Post Office tells me I might try using a bigger package. Uh-huh. I think that's because of their rates:
the smallest box I can fit a Transistor Ignition or Fuseblock into is 2" thick by about 6" square, and from Colorado to, say, Alberta this postage is $26. To Ontario/Nova Scotia it is $34 for the same box. For a sub-$100 item, this feels like someone is pointing a pistol at me...

I have been using the padded envelopes for years, as that was their PRIOR recommendation for low-cost postage, which is $15 to Alberta/BC and $21-$24 to Ontario/Nova Scotia from here.

This doesn't resolve the questions I ask, like, "Why does the package tracking STOP at the US-Canada border?" It used to track all the way to the customer. Every one of the 'lost' packages has shown this same behavior, while the few that made it showed Tracking all the way. Answer? "We don't know."

Or, "How do I get someone in Canada Customs to look for this package?" Answer: "You must give them their Tracking Number." This magic number used to be generated when it hit the border, and entering the USPS number would link then to their number, so you could ask. Since there is no link, there is no number, and Canada Post will not respond.

One thing I have noticed in all the "success stories" above is: they are all [much] larger packages than mine. Somehow it just rubs me wrong to have to charge for more postage to Canada than to, say, Australia or UK or Spain...if someone wants to try it with the "bigger box" routine, we could try it - but I am real gun-shy, now.

[firebane]

Being Canadian we are aware we get bent over harsh not only with exchange rates but also with shipping. We just accept this as sometimes the way to get odd things is going across border. 

I just spent $90 on a oil tank for a 2 stroke bike I have and that was due to shipping and exchange rate.

[drumstyx]

My cylinder head rebuild cost me nearly 2 grand after exchange rate and 2 way shipping...it's just the way it is, firebane is right, we're used to it. We pay for the convenience of not driving to the border, and for the fact that we simply can't get the stuff here. So do what you have to to make things get to their destination...it sucks, but that's what we get for being Canadians...that'll teach us!

[HondaMan]

Do you guys think someone there is gonna get uptight over $30-ish shipping costs for a little bitty box, though?
(I know I would!) 

[stikman]

I'm ticked over a $43 customs charge when I went to pick up a package that shipped from the US.  After finding the right parts at half decent prices, paying the conversion to CAD, and paying to ship it up here, to end up with another fee tacked on when it arrives just because it crossed the border... like that wasn't the original plan when I paid the shipping fee in the first place.  Pretty dang frustrating.

[evanphi]

I think it is reasonable if it means getting it!

[firebane]

Do you guys think someone there is gonna get uptight over $30-ish shipping costs for a little bitty box, though?
(I know I would!) 

I will be honest that depending on the product yes. I mean no offense to you but it was the costs which made me look at building my own.

But convenience over skill will usually win

[drumstyx]

Well it's unfortunate, and personally I'd make a trip to the border (like I did for my swingarm return shipping), but 30usd is approx 40-50 CAD which could easily be the gas cost for a border drive for some people, so yeah that might just be the cost of living here.

It sucks big-time, but it's sure better than not being able to get the stuff at all. Honestly, there's a reason I still send out/buy my parts to/from the USA, and it's sure as hell not because it's cheaper -- we literally have no other option.

[HondaMan]

Maybe I need a "distributor" in Canada? Someone in the forum? I'm not sure how to make that work, because they would have to hold onto the units for me and ship them out when someone paid me, or something odd like that. It's really hard to do with the Fuseblocks, though, as there are 8 different permutations of them, so I only build one when I get all the info (and even then about 10% end up being either wrong hole spacings or plug gender, as Honda wasn't consistent).

What a weird problem...

[firebane]

Maybe I need a "distributor" in Canada? Someone in the forum? I'm not sure how to make that work, because they would have to hold onto the units for me and ship them out when someone paid me, or something odd like that. It's really hard to do with the Fuseblocks, though, as there are 8 different permutations of them, so I only build one when I get all the info (and even then about 10% end up being either wrong hole spacings or plug gender, as Honda wasn't consistent).

What a weird problem...

Could you not do them up as a kit? Sell it as a "you assemble' and the mount plate has universal holes or you have standard hole plates for different bikes? If someone wanted a custom base plate it would be for them to manufacture?

Pretty sure most people attach these to their battery boxes as a direct replacement.

[Garage_guy_chris]

Im a fellow Canadian Member and regularly use USPS and Canada post and have for probably 100 cross border transactions. I have never had a package go missing, the worst case is it gets tied up at customs for a couple days. Of all my packages only one item was opened by customs and it was a 50lb 3hp electric compressor duty motor and they delivered that without question.

In fact I have had more problems with exorbitant bills from Fedex and UPS for all there duty taxes and "fee's" also UPS likes to route my packages all over the place and they always seem to take the maximum allowable time to do so. Im currently staring at a bill for $24.37 for items declared at $33.00 USD and thats after paying $27 for shipping

Regarding your packaging and shipping fee's I personally wouldn't have a problem paying $25-30 for a package. Rarely does anything cost less than that anyways. The norm for stuff received  seems to be excess packaging, always small boxes NEVER padded envelopes! Alot of times i get stuff and have to ask myself "what the hell is this its way to big to be X?"

A good example for your situation is when I order stuff from superbrightleds. Regularly i buy $20 to $70 worth of bits which typically would fit in the palm of my hand. They will ship it in there standard small box thats about 3" x 5" x 7" and run about $20 for shipping. that seems to be business as usual for them and Im happy with it because you simply cannot source that stuff up here in Canada. (you can't source jack #$%* up here. Its friggen annoying!)

I would look into your issue further because your ignition is a low production, home built, non commercialized, electronic device it is possible the customs has some concerns of its function or authenticity to its claim of being a electronic ignition. To them its just a little silver box with wires hanging out possibly with "ignition" on the customs declaration. Definitely worth looking into!



 

[MRieck]

Im a fellow Canadian Member and regularly use USPS and Canada post and have for probably 100 cross border transactions. I have never had a package go missing, the worst case is it gets tied up at customs for a couple days. Of all my packages only one item was opened by customs and it was a 50lb 3hp electric compressor duty motor and they delivered that without question.

In fact I have had more problems with exorbitant bills from Fedex and UPS for all there duty taxes and "fee's" also UPS likes to route my packages all over the place and they always seem to take the maximum allowable time to do so. Im currently staring at a bill for $24.37 for items declared at $33.00 USD and thats after paying $27 for shipping

Regarding your packaging and shipping fee's I personally wouldn't have a problem paying $25-30 for a package. Rarely does anything cost less than that anyways. The norm for stuff received  seems to be excess packaging, always small boxes NEVER padded envelopes! Alot of times i get stuff and have to ask myself "what the hell is this its way to big to be X?"

A good example for your situation is when I order stuff from superbrightleds. Regularly i buy $20 to $70 worth of bits which typically would fit in the palm of my hand. They will ship it in there standard small box thats about 3" x 5" x 7" and run about $20 for shipping. that seems to be business as usual for them and Im happy with it because you simply cannot source that stuff up here in Canada. (you can't source jack #$%* up here. Its friggen annoying!)

I would look into your issue further because your ignition is a low production, home built, non commercialized, electronic device it is possible the customs has some concerns of its function or authenticity to its claim of being a electronic ignition. To them its just a little silver box with wires hanging out possibly with "ignition" on the customs declaration. Definitely worth looking into!



 

Good post. I have shipped many, many packages to Canada through the mail service with no problems. Everything from heads/cylinders to small items. No problems. UPS sucks for foreign shipment......extremely expensive especially for anything with weight.

[rotortiller]

One thing I have noticed in all the "success stories" above is: they are all [much] larger packages than mine.

I got a 3X1 inch flat bracket in a small envelope. 6 small rubber dampers for my H1 clutch basket, H2 regulator small like the Hondaman ignition box, 6 instrument LEDS, 4 spark plugs, and the list goes on and on each from different vendors. For the bigger stuff crankshafts sent to the US for rebuild and return with never an issue. The only time I had a long delivery wait is from China but that was posted at the time of the order. The fact of the matter is you may have a local issue since you seem to be the only one complaining about continuous lost product. There many fish in the sea so you may well be driving people towards other merchants. If you ship UPS or Fedex you will loose cross border shoppers due to hefty charges in brokerage fees leveed at the door, cost you don't see. That will price you out of the Canadian market directing people elsewhere bet the local auto store or your competition. Got all my Christmas cards too! LOL Maybe someone as the USPS has a super seecreet fleet of SOHCs, sounds as plausible 

rt

[ekpent]

 Never a problem here either shipping to Canada through the regular Post Office or USPS on E-bay transactions. I have only ever had one item 'lost' and that was a vintage boat light to Australia.

[HondaMan]

I have to say this is a RECENT problem: I have been sending stuff to Canada since the 1990s when I started doing this stuff again. It's only been since last year that (most of) these packages have gone missing. And, knowing what happened to me here in the States after the 9/11 attack (i.e., anything with wires got opened, inspected, sometimes returned or simply "lost" in shipping), and knowing Canada has had some recent terror attacks (bombings, shootings), has me thinking it is the same problem, but in a different Post Office. I don't understand how this could lose 2 envelopes with O-rings in them, however...but for the other items, all of which have a bunch of wires in them, I am suspecting it is a 'lack of expertise' issue within either Customs, or Canada Post, that is preventing them from getting to their destination.

Maybe if they get better at it, or if someone stops the attacks there, the problem would go away? Just musing...the fact that the Tracking simply stops at the border seems to point to Customs, for now. But, the USPS also deletes the Tracking to Canada after about 30 days (while they keep the ones within the US for over a year, I have recently discovered), making further investigation almost impossible, now. Grr...

[Imago]

Im a fellow Canadian Member and regularly use USPS and Canada post and have for probably 100 cross border transactions. I have never had a package go missing, the worst case is it gets tied up at customs for a couple days. Of all my packages only one item was opened by customs and it was a 50lb 3hp electric compressor duty motor and they delivered that without question.

In fact I have had more problems with exorbitant bills from Fedex and UPS for all there duty taxes and "fee's" also UPS likes to route my packages all over the place and they always seem to take the maximum allowable time to do so. Im currently staring at a bill for $24.37 for items declared at $33.00 USD and thats after paying $27 for shipping

Regarding your packaging and shipping fee's I personally wouldn't have a problem paying $25-30 for a package. Rarely does anything cost less than that anyways. The norm for stuff received  seems to be excess packaging, always small boxes NEVER padded envelopes! Alot of times i get stuff and have to ask myself "what the hell is this its way to big to be X?"

A good example for your situation is when I order stuff from superbrightleds. Regularly i buy $20 to $70 worth of bits which typically would fit in the palm of my hand. They will ship it in there standard small box thats about 3" x 5" x 7" and run about $20 for shipping. that seems to be business as usual for them and Im happy with it because you simply cannot source that stuff up here in Canada. (you can't source jack #$%* up here. Its friggen annoying!)

I would look into your issue further because your ignition is a low production, home built, non commercialized, electronic device it is possible the customs has some concerns of its function or authenticity to its claim of being a electronic ignition. To them its just a little silver box with wires hanging out possibly with "ignition" on the customs declaration. Definitely worth looking into!



 

Good post. I have shipped many, many packages to Canada through the mail service with no problems. Everything from heads/cylinders to small items. No problems. UPS sucks for foreign shipment......extremely expensive especially for anything with weight.

I agree. My other hobby, besides these SOHC Honda's, is vintage hi-fi audio, (tube type) from the 50's and 60's. I have bought and sold hundreds and hundreds of items over the years cross border, mostly to/from the US from Saskatchewan, Canada with only 2 problems... a turntable that didn't arrive in L.A. which Canada Post promptly paid me for, (I had sprung for insurance) and once  I didn't receive a $1500.00 McIntosh MC-275 tube amplifier, (the holy grail of vintage audio, sort of like a Sandcast) from a fellow in New York, (he simply ripped me off). I should have known the McIntosh deal was too good to be true... an expensive lesson learned.

I've found that almost without exception, vintage audio folks and vintage bike folks are a very honest lot.

Over the years I've also found that, for me, Canada Post and the United States Postal Service are the way to go... both have been extremely reliable, reasonably priced and at least when I send things Stateside from here, insurable. I ALWAYS ask sellers to send ME things from the US using the least expensive USPS. The Canada Post brokerage fee, if it's applied when it gets here, is only $5.00 vs the $35.00 or more I get charged by UPS Ground, FedEx Ground and others. Duty is as well normally paid and our currency exchange rate now sucks, (about 70 cents on the US greenback) but such is life. I remember pumping gas as a teenager when our dollar commanded a 25% premium against the US dollar and most recently after the financial collapse in 2008/9. It seems to goes both ways depending on the economy.

Prices have gone up for both of my favourite cross border services in recent months. I'm not sure why. Nothing to be done, however, and often the parts I need for my SOHC's simply can't be found in Canada.

I've bought a thing or two from Mark in the past and hope to do so again. Please don't give up on us here in the frozen North!

Oh, and if you need a Canadian distributor, I'm your man...

[BPellerine]

one thing that annoys me is the min shipping from a lot of places,ie 1 carb jet,35.00 min wth!one ebay item cost 15.00 us by the time I got it ,it was about 75.00!so my buying has subsided for awhile now.bill

[Imago]

One thing that really gets me is eBay's "Global Shipping Program" through Pitney Bowes.

It always costs WAY more than the regular USPS, but once sellers have agreed to it in their listing, there doesn't seem to be any way for them to get out of it.

[HondaMan]

I'm considering getting a "professional" box made for the Ignitions that I have to ship out of here: maybe that would help the 'image' of the parts when they get inspected (or maybe it's my imagination...?). Right now, I don't have any idea what this might add to the cost of them (which really bugs me...), but I'll try to find out.

[drumstyx]

I'm considering getting a "professional" box made for the Ignitions that I have to ship out of here: maybe that would help the 'image' of the parts when they get inspected (or maybe it's my imagination...?). Right now, I don't have any idea what this might add to the cost of them (which really bugs me...), but I'll try to find out.

If they really are disappearing at CBSA (contact them -- seized items have notices sent to the recipients) then I'd bet an official/mass produced looking box would help. I'm still just shocked at how bad your experience has been. Tracking numbers don't get 'translated', we use the same tracking numbers on the Canada Post side as the outgoing country does, since it's a worldwide standard (something like XX#########US, where the last 2 characters are the origin country). If it's not showing up on the other side, that's definitely worth investigating hard.

[Garage_guy_chris]

I was kinda thinking something along the same lines. Put a little printed sticker with reference to your website right on the module so someone questioning it could look it up. For packaging it could be as simple as getting a rubber stamp made up, or a printed sticker and a generic white box. 

The only other thing that crosses my mind is how are they being declared? Are they being declared as "electronic ignition" because that can be mis-read / understood / blown out of proportion quite easily. If it was me i would do the declaration something like "Vintage Honda motorcycle electronic ignition upgrade"

[HondaMan]

I was kinda thinking something along the same lines. Put a little printed sticker with reference to your website right on the module so someone questioning it could look it up. For packaging it could be as simple as getting a rubber stamp made up, or a printed sticker and a generic white box. 

The only other thing that crosses my mind is how are they being declared? Are they being declared as "electronic ignition" because that can be mis-read / understood / blown out of proportion quite easily. If it was me i would do the declaration something like "Vintage Honda motorcycle electronic ignition upgrade"

Yeah, maybe just a sticker label might work? The fuseblocks are declared as "Fuseholder for vintage motorcycle", the Ignitions as "Electronic Module for vintage motorcycle".