Ups S*cks!!!

[Dr Teeth]

I was the last person on the HHP KV group buy. First I'd like to thank HHP for allowing me in past the deadline. Great guys, but like so many other US vendors they insist on using UPS for deliveries to Canada. First they had to wait a day longer than the US shipments for the UPS guys. The next day they try to ship them but UPS says they can't do it that day either. UPS finally accepts the shipment on the 3rd of April, 3 days later than all the US orders (which shipped via DHL). No fault of HHP, just UPS. Then I get a tracking number. When I check the UPS tracking website it says my package is "on time for delivery on the 11th". The 11th? Why it should take 8 days is beyond me! Anyway, I keep checking the website and they say that the shipment has been released by customs in Winnipeg on the 6th. I'm thinking great, it should get here soon. Nope. Every day the website says "on time for the 11th" even though there hasn't been another entry since the 6th. Finally yesterday there's another entry: "You're package has experienced an exception and has been rescheduled". I call to ask what an exception is and the UPS operator can't tell me, but he's sure it'll still be here by the 11th. Well today (the 11th) the website says "Your package has been rescheduled for the 13th"! Ten days to get a 55 lb box shipped from Delaware to Alberta? And that's assuming that it does arrive on the 13th. That's without even discussing UPS' famous $45 "Customs Brokerage Fees".

Could someone please explain to me why so many US suppliers are in love with this d*mn company? I'd buy a lot more stuff if I could just get someone to ship it by a faster and more reliable courier that doesn't charge $45 to fill out a one page form!!

OK, I feel a bit better now. I just needed to vent.

[lowriderman3]

As long was it does not arrive damaged after going through customs, I would be very happy! I friend of mine just bought a turbo for over $1500 from a seller in Canada..You should have see the condition of the parts after customs opened it and then repacked it poorly...Lots of damaged parts!

[locutus233ca]

I have the same problem when i order parts from the USA. I find that its better to ship via usps or canada post. You should even be-able to request express post as well which puts it in the same time frame as ups ground shipping which is what you get when shipping to canada via ups anyways. And you can go and pick up your package at the post office which often are in the local 7/11 and are open quite late.

I purchased something in italy when i was on vacation and had it shipped via dhl and frankly it was a joke and sounded much like your experience shipping via ups.

I've shipped things from canada to the usa and from the usa to canada and i must say fedex is about the same amount of money in actual cost and they don't charge you an arm and a leg in broker fees.

I think the primary reason is because most company use ups to ship things with in the country and its not an issue, but many american companies don't realise how bad ups is in canada and the problems they create bring stuff across the border.

I always request that UPS not be used to ship goods to me and if they do i refuse the package and phone my credit card company and advise them i'm disputing payment.

[Hemi Mag]

Whenever I do any transaction from the states, I ask for usps. It's cheaper for both parties involved, unless the seller pads the actual price for ins purposes.

AC

[BlackSunshine]

When my KW's arrived.. I got dinged for 150.00.. so be prepared for more then the 45 your expecting man... and mine were used! not worth the same at all. UPStards....

Chris

[silentsam_iv]

I feel your pain. I just got a $29.00 dollar part that end up costing me $65.00. Just in the past month I"ve had to shell out an extra $300 just in broker fees.

[FloridaRT]

What can BROWN do to you,,,err,,,for you?

Bob

[MooNDoGGie]

Did you ask HHP to NOT ship UPS? When ever I use a USA vendor I always insist on USPS. If the vendor won't accept my terms, I thank them and tell them I will shop else where. You don't have to buy it.

[RedAlert]

Every box I get from UPS is either crushed or has a footprint on it and they are always FILTHY. So far I've been lucky and haven't received any damaged contents....yet... I will not use them when I ship.

[Electrofied]

I know what you are talking about... I use to spend a lot of time in Canada and shipped items to myself and friends up there.

There are a few reasons why we use UPS for larger heavier packages, not that it will make it any better.

1. We have an account with UPS and have much better rates with them than the other parcel services for outside of the US. Plus it takes only a few minutes to fill out everything and have the driver pick it up.

2. USPS has given us trouble with shipping heavier packages or large packages... why? I have no idea but it is not fun dealing with them.

3. Doing a post office run does take a considerablee amount of time and we only do them once or twice a month due to the interruption in work flow. A post office run can take up to two hours just to ship a couple of packages.

I sincerely wish there were better more affordable options that would not require our valued Canadian customers to shell out more money than they should to get their parts.

So bottom line, for small light weight packages we DO ship USPS and for heavier larger packages we use UPS for now.

I am more than willing to look at other options... Please feel free to post some to look into.

Thank you,
Jason

[Dr Teeth]

Thanks Jason. I wish I knew who might be better. Locutus233ca suggests FedEx. I don't have any personal experience with them but he seems to think they're a bit better. If I hear of any other options I'll let you know.

[Token]

My $0.02:

Believe me, this is no way in defence of UPS, I’m not a fan of their international services either.

UPS has a very good, and competitively priced domestic service within the US. How they subsidise their low domestic rates is by charging high fees for everything else.

In the case of brokerage fees, it’s not like those are regulated so a carrier can charge whatever they want.
This way UPS makes money, and their customers are not billed, nor do their cheap rates increase, because the consignee pays this fee. UPS has no affiliation to the consignee for a shipment; their loyalties are to their customer (The shipper)

By the description you gave 0657, the shipment was sent ground. To realise economies of scale UPS is going to move your package into a stream that is already headed for the next stop. It’s not point to point direct. Again, this is how they keep their shipping rates so low for their customer. It adds time to the delivery, but they would argue, “What do you expect for such a low rate?”

The Customs paperwork is sent in advance of the goods to effect pre-clearance by CBSA for goods entering Canada. That’s why you saw “released by Customs in Winnipeg”

Then you got the dreaded “Exception”. What this usually means is that Customs decided to have your package pulled from the shipments entering Canada, for further inspection.
There are many reasons why this is done. Most likely it is either because something wasn’t completed properly on the Customs paperwork, or the description doesn’t make sense.

In this case you have a product that was Made in Germany, and being shipped to you from the USA. There are different rules for auto parts manufactured in Germany than the US. For obvious reasons, Germany is not part of NAFTA.

In addition to the brokerage fees that UPS will charge you for your shipment, you will be responsible for taxes on it as well. You’re in Alberta, so no Provincial tax for you, but you’ll have to pay GST. The good news is that suspension parts from Germany (MFN Most Favoured Nation) are Duty Free. There are a lot of items that carry duties from Germany, so it’s likely CBSA wants to make sure of what the contents are.

Having said that, pulling your package did not stop the flow of the other packages that were being moved at the same time, now yours will have to wait for the next stream to jump on. Just like being on a train, or a bus. Get off; you have to wait for the next one. UPS is not going to move this package alone, that’s far too costly.

Final thought. This one has me a little stumped. You said:

First they had to wait a day longer than the US shipments for the UPS guys. The next day they try to ship them but UPS says they can't do it that day either. UPS finally accepts the shipment on the 3rd of April, 3 days later than all the US orders (which shipped via DHL). No fault of HHP, just UPS.

I have never seen UPS refuse a shipment, or say they can’t handle a shipment.
They move millions of packages a day across the world. That’s what they do.
I know if I call them, they come to pick up; the destination has absolutely nothing to do with it. The driver is just going to take it to the closest depot that will handle the rest.
Even if a driver showed up with a full truck and couldn’t fit the items in, he would call for another truck.
UPS is very aggressive with their pickups; they handle them much more stringently than their deliveries.
That’s how they get paid, by picking stuff up, not by delivering. 90% of their package movements are “prepaid” by the shipper.

Something smells funny here.

[Netsrac]

I am more than willing to look at other options... Please feel free to post some to look into.

Thank you,
Jason

I get all my stuff shipped to Erik...


Now UPS

Funny because I just had it out with them this morning.

I had ordered some software from Texas for the company ($1,900 CDN)

Well UPS shows up today and wants $358 for the delivery - WTF

Well we have a brokerage company that takes care of all this (Go figure it is UPS), plus we have a account with UPS Brown (Brown is the courier company) BTW UPS Brown and UPS Brokerage fly under the same banner, but work as completely seperate companies.

Well some idiot did not see our comany name that was printed on the invoice, and flagged it as a personal shipment.

Personal shipment charged $90+ brokerage fees, plus GST & PST

Well after chewing some people out, it turned out that I did not have to pay brokerage fee, nor was I supposed to pay PST, so I ended up having them charge our account only the GST and should receive our package tomorrow.

Problem is, how many people end up paying all this when they should not have to?

[Hemi31]

I get all my stuff shipped to Erik...

SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Token]

SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ROTFLMAO