Item stuck in Canadian customs?

filtered vanilla

filtered vanilla

berry good
O.G.
May 9, 2007
119
0
#1
Hey everyone,

I recently sent a package to a buyer in Canada from the US. It's been 3 weeks, and they still haven't received the package. I sent it by First Class International mail, and it should have taken only a week to get there. I'm assuming it's been stuck in customs for the past 2 weeks but I'm not sure if that's a normal time or not. How long does it take for them to release the item?

I'm starting to get worried. I do still have my receipt from the post office and the customs form number (but not sure if this does any good). I gave the buyer the customs form number and they are in the process of contacting customs and asking about it. Is there anything I could do from my end?
 
#2
The customs number can be entered into both the US and Cdn postal website's tracking system and it will tell you where in the process it is. If it is sitting in customs, it will tell you. Nothing can be done to make customs process it faster though.
 
#3
i had a little bottle of nail polish take a month to get to me in canada when it was sent first class, but a shirt take a week.

i'd only be worried after 4 weeks... a month is the max i've seen.
 
#4
I recently read on yahoo because the canadian $$ is so low that alot of Canadians are e-shopping from the US and that the postal service has a huge backlog. I recently bought something on ebay from a seller who I always buy from. Usually I receive the parcel within a week, this time took over 3 weeks. If the item is stuck in customs, the tracking no. on the postal site will say so.
 
#7
Does anyone know if it`s better to have two items sent together that is valued at around $600, or have them sent separately (ie. $200 and $400) with respect to custom fees?

They will both be declared full value but I`m wondering if this makes a difference? Would the lower value item get by so I would only be charged for the higher item, etc.? Anyone have any experience with this?
 
#8
^ I think you you get them shipped into Canada (via normal post) you'll save the handling + the extra postage (so $5 handling from Canada Post + whatever the 2nd shipping charge is). You will be stuck paying GST and Provincial Sales Taxes no matter what. HTH!
 
#11
I guess Ontario is not so bad - I received a parcel first class mail from San Diego just before Christmas in five days! Average is seven business days for both first class and priority. Customs does do random checks on parcels - it has only happened to me once - and that does slow things down. I would imagine that the higher the declared value, the more likely the parcel is going to be inspected.
 
#12
I just received an item from the US within 5 business days, shipped via First Class USPS.
Last week, I received a bag from LA that was shipped on dec. 22nd by Priority mail. It took a little over 2 weeks because of the holidays. But the delay was USPS's fault. The bag arrived at Customs 2 days before it came to my door.
So basically, USPS took over 10 days to get the bag here in Canada.
 
#13
I'm waiting for an item from Canada right now...it was mailed on the 4th via Expedited USA and the status hasn't been updated since then. It just says:
2008/01/04 20:00 MONTREAL, QC Item processed at postal facility
2008/01/04 11:02 MONTREAL, QC Item accepted at the Post office


Tomorrow will have been 10 business days...how long does Expedited usually take anyway?
 
#14
^ I think Expedited takes a week or two. Not very "expedited" to me!

From your experience, what amount would warrant a customs check? I'm trying to figure out whether or not I should ship all my items together (around $800) or separate them into separate parcels with a low value so that they will pass by easier? TIA!
 
#15
You would have to break your parcels down a lot for it to make any difference. Even if you sent eight parcels of $100.00 each most of them would attract fees so the bottom line charge to the buyer would be the same.
 
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