Thread: Rant: The USPS and International Shipping

Dunno Alex, if you're not happy with uspe, I think ups and fedex would be happy to deliver your package. USPS does have a monopoly but that's on first class mail within US only and that's not what you're doing anyways.

Yes the insurance part does seem confusing, I wonder what is the insured amount good for. As glen said in US you have to prove the value of the item, either that you paid that much or that you sold it for that much, sentiments don't cary monetary value with them. Seems odd, because wen they're taking the insurance money they don't ask for proof.

On the other hand yes, there is the anomaly that for few oz, international express is cheaper than priority, I think it has to do with the way insurance is structured into it. If you go beyond very light packages you'll find out that priority is cheaper.

hhmmm.... Canada Post is worse. And slower. And, ironically, it's often cheaper to ship to the US from here than to fellow Canadians.

I think our American cousins have got a pretty good postal service.

FWIW, I refuse to have items shipped FedEx or UPS. My understanding is that each of the companies can and will re-asses the duty value, and charge brokerage fees to pay GST. I've been charged $20.00 in additional fees to have them pay less than $2.00 in GST on my behalf.

They both have this game of tag they like to play as well... I've had a package arrive in my city within a couple of days, but then it will spend 3 or 4 days riding around on the guys truck since, typically, no one is home during the day to sign for the package and it will require a trip to the depot to pick it up.... and pay my brokerage fees.

ya'll ain't got it so bad....

Well, they are not a monopoly as there are a number of alternative methods for shipping package, documents etc. If you are so unhappy, why not use someone else?