Shipping Materials Internationally - Any Problems?

[Burl Source]

I was wondering about experiences other people have had shipping materials to other countries from the US.

Also, those of you who live outside the US, what have been your experiences buying materials from other countries?

What brought this subject to the point where I decided to post a thread was this;

I shipped a package USPS Priority Mail back on October 5th. I received an email from the customer stating that he had not received the package and asked me if it had been mailed. I use paypal to pay for the postage so it is easy to go back when the package was mailed and to track the shipment. The USPS site verifies that the package was processed through their facilities but does not provide further tracking once it has left the country with Flat Rate Envelope or Small Flat Rate boxes. When I called USPS they were able to tell me that Priority mail packages will reach the country where the package was addressed within 6 to 10 days but they have no control over what customs does when it arrives.

I ship this same sort of package internationally about once a week.
So far the packages have averaged getting to the international addresses in about 2 weeks. But there have been a couple countries in South America where it regularly takes in excess of a month.

I am curious are their certain countries where this happens regularly?
Or has it just been a coincidence?

I have to look at things from the perspective of the buyer. They pay for something and expect it to arrive in a timely manner. I am debating whether there are some countries where I just should not ship to? Or, are residents of those countries used to this occurring and plan accordingly?

 

[Larry D. Davis]

How you pay postage is irrelevant to tracking international USPS packages. The US Customs form unique serial number can be used to track it. Many countries can be tracked to address delivery, but many countries the USPS can only track to the receiving countries custom office. Just input the custom form tracking number into the USPS tracking block and it will provide tracking data as far as possible. It may only be the point it was handed to "their" customs department. Different countries have different rules and the USPS only claims responsibility to and ceases when it's delivered to the foreign customs authority.

Foreign customs looks closely at some shipments if they feel it's being under valued or shipped as a "gift" and can and will hold up delivery. Not to say anyone ever tries to beat the tax man I've shipped international for 20 years and you just roll with it making no promises you can't have control over.

 

[unky_gumbi]

I doubt this applies to what you are talking about, but I remember a few years back while I was working at the Polaris warehouse that we had to stop using wood pallets between Canada and the USA. Something about the wood pallets possibly transporting insects. I wonder if the customs in these other countries are putting things in quarantine for a period of time for a similar reason.

 

[KnifeMaker.ca]

As many of you know, I have had quite a few problems shipping internationally. I tell people to expect delivery somewhere between three weeks and three months. To be honest, the countries and the post offices have not been a problem. The buyers have been the biggest problem. They get furious at me for the duties and fees applied by their own country (sound familiar fellow Canadians?) They are impatient even though they've been told to expect it. One guy put the parcel on hold at the post office while he disputed it as "item not received".

This is NOT the norm, but it happens way more with European orders and Russian / Baltic etc orders than anywhere else in the world. We have lots of existing customers that we continue to service happily and appreciate their business so much. We've just backed off new customers from those areas. Tired of being yelled at.

We continue to ship to Australia, Africa, Thailand, Japan, Brazil and yes, even the USA without a single incident I can recall.

On the note of the USA, I am bumping into a very significant problem. We have grown to the point of wanting small business insurance and when the companies hear we do business with US customers, they are just refusing to even quote. Apparently, the US is the most litigious society in the world and it strikes fear (or is that shock and awe) into the hearts of others.

Might be an effective strategy. I doubt many cruise missiles return an out of court settlement.

Rob!