RE: Carpal Tunnel

[topsidefarm -at- mva -dot- net]

> Now, does the .... um, ability, yeah ... to read a 
> complaint about a single practice by a single company 
> (that just happens to reside in the US) as "another baseless 
> anti-American screed"... does that fit well with a job 
> that requires discernment and objectivity, not to mention 
> the occasional need to hold sharp pointy objects?
> 
> Kevin

I knew when I fired off my first reply, it might stir up a storm. It has,
both on and off list. The things I said are based on my experience. If
people don't like what I have to say, so what. I'm not saying that I like
the situation, I'm just stating the facts from my experience, and facts
are facts! I wish it wasn't so, because I could do a lot of business in
Canada (as well as Mexico). However, the costs and other hassles
associated with shipping to either are just too much for me.

Some points in rebuttal: 

1. Generalization based on limited information. Wrong! I have shipped to
and received from all over the world, for a long time. For me, Canada has
always been a problem. As soon as I quote a Canadian buyer a shipping
cost, I get accussed of being a "greedy" American. This is usually because
they have looked at the shipping chart on my website (based entirely on
shipping within the U.S.) and quickly figure out that I am charging them
double or triple the shipping costs. Too bad, that's what it is costing
me: no greed involved! BTW, it is only the Canadians that I get this much
BS from: not the Irish, not the Brits, and (believe it or not) not even
the French <vbg>. (And I was getting this attitude pre-Iraq and pre-9/11, so
it's not something recent.) They just don't seem to understand why it
costs so much more to ship to Canada than to ship within the U.S. That's
why, for me, it was yet another Canadian taking a shot a yet another
American company. If my saying that upsets people, so be it. It is based
on my experience over many years.

2. Not Canadian government's fault. Wrong again! International postal and
shipping rates are driven by the higher priced of the two countries
involved. This is because the "sending" country must pay the "receiving"
country to deliver the mail. In this case, the receiver is Canada, and it
pockets the majority of the postage. It won't negotiate lower rates with
the United States Postal Service. The USPS has publicly expressed dismay
with how high some international postal rates remain despite the number of
concessions it has made to the postal services of other countries. This
was even the subject of some congressional hearings a few years back. For
private shippers, the issue is the taxes in Canada. They are a lot higher
than in the U.S., and they have a heavy impact on costs. BTW, if you don't
believe me that Canada is higher priced than the US, just look at the cost
to ship within Canada. Sometimes, it is even higher than it is to ship to
the US.

3. Shipping rates to Canada not double/triple/quadruple those with the US.
Wrong again! I did a quick analysis involving a 4-pound package shipped
from SW New Hampshire to both Montreal and Philadelphia (comparable
distances). I used both USPS and UPS rate calculators. USPS to
Philadelphis was as low as $5.20 and takes 2 days. The lowest postal rate
to Canada is $15.25 (USD), and takes 4 - 6 WEEKS (time quoted from USPS &
Canadian customs). You can get it in 3 - 5 days for $19.25. Going UPS does
a bit better, but it is still no bargin. UPS to Philadelphis was as low as
$6.40 and takes 2 days. The lowest UPS rate to Canada is $11.20 (USD), and
takes 3 - 5 days. BTW, the prices for shipping inside Canada: postal is
$8.20 (USD), while UPS is a whooping $18.20 (USD). There it is! The
numbers speak for themselves. The difference between the lowest US vs.
Canadian shipping is over double. The difference between the lowest US and
the closest Canadian equvilent is almost quadruple. Now this was for a
small, uncomplicated shippment. The larger or more complex the shipment,
the more extreme these price variances can get. It should be noted that I
have yet to even address the extra paperwork involved, or the lost
shipments (one out of every four or five for me: another reason I stopped
doing business in Canada). These last two may seem insignificant to
someone who doesn't do a lot of shipping, but they add up if you have to
deal with them regularly. Concerning lost packages and shipping, insurance
only covers the cost of the shipment itself, not the shipping costs. If I
have to replace a lost insured shipment, I have to bill for shipping on
that second shipment, or I lose money.

4. Some American companies mark stuff up 50 - 75% for Canadian orders.
Maybe! I will concede that there are some merchants (and not just American
as one person claims) that do add a considerable markup on the product
price when selling internationally. If an American business is being paid
in US funds, either through an international money order or a credit card,
there should be no markup. If the CC processor charges a currency
conversion fee (which a few still do), then the merchant has the right to
recover that fee.  However, I have never seen such a fee amount to the 50
- 75% as one person claims to have seen US merchants charging for Canadian
orders. If what this person claimed is true, then they were dealing with a
sleazeball, and that merchant would be a sleazeball whether they were
American or Canadian. On the other hand, some merchants have just found
that shipping to Canada causes more grief than it is worth. So (since they
don't want to just say no) they price products and shipping at a rate that
they feel covers the extra expense and work, or discourages Canadian
orders.

In the end, this still leaves us with the simple reality that, despite all
the rhetoric about NAFTA (by both governments), it is still considerably
more expensive and complicated to ship from the US to Canada than it needs
to be. The problem is that too many people still don't understan that
simple fact. So before a Canadian criticizes an American company for being
"greedy", they should check out the facts behind the prices. They may not
always be justified, but very often they are.

<chastized mode>Now cooled down and trying not to read so much into simple statements,</chastized mode>
Jason Czekalski

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