Shipping from Canada going too high?

**Peter Zack** · 10-20-2009, 10:01 AM

I thought I had a bit of a handle on shipping rates but it's been 5-6 months since I shipped to the EU.

Holy crap, what do I know about shipping??? I had a guy who wanted an A SMC50mm f2 to be sent to France. Now the lens in the box was not much bigger than the lens itself. If I made the box any smaller, the lens may as well be shipped in a ziplock bag. Just the lens and the caps, nothing more. I told him is should be around $45.00 including the cost of the lens. Not to really make any money, just unload a lens I don't use.

Surface: $43.00 CAD (Across the Atlantic with Thor on a reed boat and 4 guys on the oars). About 8-10 weeks
Express (air) $77.00 And that's 2 weeks plus customs!! Must be the Hindenburg at that speed.

Are they kidding? When did it get so expensive to ship to Europe? How's the cost for the USA guys these days? Sales might have to be restricted to NA only from now on.

Gooshin · 10-20-2009, 10:06 AM

what weight did you put down?

*wildlifephotog* · 10-20-2009, 10:10 AM

It is real expensive to ship overseas.
One pound box to UK>
First class...$10.76 who knows when it will arrive.
Priority International...$26.50
Express mail......$32.50
Global......$59.00

**Peter Zack** · 10-20-2009, 10:10 AM

I went to the post office itself so they could weigh it and measure the box. Honestly it waa the weight of just the lens and a little packing under 150 grams I'm sure.

**Peter Zack** · 10-20-2009, 10:12 AM

Looks like shipping is getting to the point of staying within your continent. USPS is cheaper and that might be volumes.

*wildlifephotog* · 10-20-2009, 10:14 AM

I've had to restrict my selling to the US. I don't like to send expensive items without tracking and insurance. And most buyers scream when they hear what that costs.

Gooshin · 10-20-2009, 10:14 AM

once it goes past a certain weight (0.5 pounds last time i checked), it enters a whole new "bracket", where the price goes up ridiculously.

i once had to sent a lens that weighted in with the box and packaging @ 0.631 pounds, and she wanted to charge me some ridiculous amount

so, what i did, was go on to the canadapost website, and do an electronic waybill and just labeled it as 0.5 pounds.

paid with a credit card and put the thing into the mail box.

it got to where it had to go with no problems.

Gooshin · 10-20-2009, 10:17 AM

check this out

10cm X 10cm X 15cm package from Toronto to France

0.5 lb

http://canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/f...execution=e3s3

0.6 lb

http://canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/f...execution=e3s4

Gooshin · 10-20-2009, 10:19 AM

if you want to save money, use the "small packet" option, you lose out on tracking but its insured up to 100 bucks...

Kguru · 10-20-2009, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by wildlifephotog

It is real expensive to ship overseas.
One pound box to UK>
First class...$10.76 who knows when it will arrive.
Priority International...$26.50
Express mail......$32.50

I have used all these 3 services to get things shipped to me in Australia. There is no more than 1-2 days difference in the time it takes, sometimes 1st-class is just as fast as Express.

The real diff between these services is insurance. First-class: no insurance possible; Priority includes $70 insurance & costs about $10 extra to insure for $700, whereas Express just $2 extra to insure for that amount.

Let me give this interesting tale. Couple years ago a US guy was desperately seeking a replacement hood for his DA21, we came to agreement to split a purchase. My brother bought it from Buydig, received, split the package & mailed USPS 1st-class from the midwest the hood to him (small California town) the rest to me in Australia. You guessed it, I received my bits first!!

Alfisti · 10-22-2009, 09:58 AM

Just use Small packet rather than parcel, Canada post has the weirdest pricing brackets though ... and I mean weird. Customer service are all minimum eage chumps to top it off.

ll_coffee_lP · 10-28-2009, 06:18 PM

I've done lots of ebaying to the EU and have only had problems with Italy and France (taking far longer than it should). I won't ship to either of those countries again. Prices are high though to ship overseas...

c[_]

*monochrome* · 10-28-2009, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by Peter Zack

I thought I had a bit of a handle on shipping rates but it's been 5-6 months since I shipped to the EU.

Holy crap, what do I know about shipping??? I had a guy who wanted an A SMC50mm f2 to be sent to France. Now the lens in the box was not much bigger than the lens itself. If I made the box any smaller, the lens may as well be shipped in a ziplock bag. Just the lens and the caps, nothing more. I told him is should be around $45.00 including the cost of the lens. Not to really make any money, just unload a lens I don't use.

Surface: $43.00 CAD (Across the Atlantic with Thor on a reed boat and 4 guys on the oars). About 8-10 weeks
Express (air) $77.00 And that's 2 weeks plus customs!! Must be the Hindenburg at that speed.

Are they kidding? When did it get so expensive to ship to Europe? How's the cost for the USA guys these days? Sales might have to be restricted to NA only from now on.

Ordinary $28 for a 2lb pkg. to France, Priority International.

2 rolls of Kodachrome to Vancouver was $18 though.

*Blue* · 10-28-2009, 06:45 PM

I got a Pentax 35-70mm f2.8 Zoom from Canada about 2 weeks ago and it cost about $22 and took ~ 10 days to get here. I wondered what was going on until I checked and saw it was the rates. I have got something from Greece ($10) and Ireland ($12) since then.

Barnster · 10-28-2009, 06:47 PM

Like everything else that is going up and up and up.Blame it on the rising fuel cost as they would say!Yeh right!!!