a little story about Canada Post and your goods

Not to nitpick here (OK, maybe a bit), but Canada Post employees were LOCKED OUT over the summer, they did not strike.

That being said, their service is fine for day-to-day mail but while I have not personally lost anything in transit from recent memory, their tracking system really is a joke. (Really? 24 hours to update your tracking system?)
 
Have you called the embassy to ask them to over night you a second document via anything BUT Canadan Post on your dime? Could they ship it to the airport customs/imagrations group at your departure location? It's time to start pulling crazy ideas from anywhere and giving them a try.

Rebook the flight for three days later? Can you change your flight to go to Toronto for a day and pick up replacement papers in person? Could a friend in Toronto pick them up today and over night them to you, again by any other means?

Some airlines have special delivery services for documents where someone drops them off and the hold them for you at airport they fly them too. UPS had such a service for ULTRA critical stuff I used once.

Sorry to hear, do not worry about getting your pound of flesh now, focus on getting the documents and to the gig!

Good luck.

B2
 
After working for Canada Post in the mid-seventies, I refrained from using them as much as possible for anything important until about 5 years. Since then, I have found them reliable for delivering things from USPS (the mere sight of a UPS logo gives me a panic attack) and from EMS. I even started using Expresspost as a more convenient and economical alternative for next day or two day service. But then...
Earlier this year I sent a document to a government office in Vancouver, and it just disappeared in the tracking system. When I inquired of Canada Post, they said the government office would not confirm whether it was received for "privacy reasons". Fortunately, I had been able to fax the document as a back-up. Canada Post refunded the postage-- and they call that service. I have reverted to using Fedex for important stuff.

I'm sorry this is happening, and really hope that your documents are found in time.
 
I believe every other postal company is just as good, or bad. I got a lens shipped from Sweden last week using DHL to India. It's been stuck at the customs clearance for the past 3 days. The reason they gave me beyond hilarious. The invoice/waybill that was scanned by the Sweden DHL office is illegible. It's their own fault, and they are not doing anything about it, except waiting for new scans. Unprofessional service over all. I am terribly disappointed.
 
Canada Post

Canada Post

Sorry to hear about your problems with Canada Post - there's nothing worse than losing documentation like that.
My experiences with Canada Post and (when combined for a shipment) USPS have been excellent - never a flaw over many years. This has involved shipping packages all over the world and getting regular stuff from the US, UK, China and so on. The way the letter carriers round here, together with the Canada Post staff at the local depot, have dealt with problem shipments (usually mis-addressed labels) has been outstanding - personal service that surprised me. They've really gone the extra mile at times, I have to say.
Still, I hope you get your problem sorted out and your trip goes as planned.
Incidentally, FedEx Ground is very reliable for expensive items like cameras - once you've found their depot in case you have to pick a shipment up. They are often out in the boonies on some faceless industrial estate. It's very easy to track the shipments on the FedEx website.

Tony W
 
naruto said:
I believe every other postal company is just as good, or bad. I got a lens shipped from Sweden last week using DHL to India. It's been stuck at the customs clearance for the past 3 days. The reason they gave me beyond hilarious. The invoice/waybill that was scanned by the Sweden DHL office is illegible. It's their own fault, and they are not doing anything about it, except waiting for new scans. Unprofessional service over all. I am terribly disappointed.
Click to expand...

At least you know it's being stuck.

With Canada Post, you'll have no idea where it is once it's out of the country...
 
Richmond B.C.?!?

Wow, that wasn't even close.

Package has been found. As mentioned, about 5,000 miles away. Thanx to an awesome pair of depot employees, who actually REALLY cared about my problem, it is now at the embassy in Ottawa.

The embassy, and hold on to your seats here, are fast tracking everything so U can fly Friday!?!? Must be a full moon?

Customwr service at Canada Post is still trying to find it (package).

I need a scotch.
 
that totally sux: If I remember your posts correctly, you are a working foto professional. Consequently, to me anyway, this is MORE detrimental than a hobbyist like me. I mean, my livelihood and income is not dependent on the losses you have incurred. So you are at more of a disadvantage here: not only losing the gear, but loss of income/reputation from your West African affiliates/supporters. Were'nt you going to have a show or something in Nigeria?
 
emraphoto said:
Richmond B.C.?!?

Wow, that wasn't even close.

Package has been found. As mentioned, about 5,000 miles away. Thanx to an awesome pair of depot employees, who actually REALLY cared about my problem, it is now at the embassy in Ottawa.

The embassy, and hold on to your seats here, are fast tracking everything so U can fly Friday!?!? Must be a full moon?

Customwr service at Canada Post is still trying to find it (package).

I need a scotch.
Click to expand...

even two would be appropriate ... have a good trip
 
It is interesting that you mention Canada Post and Richmond BC.. Nearly 2 years ago I had a Leica Iiic (Serial No. 477899) CLA'ed by Kinderman.

They shipped it to me with guaranteed delivery.... it reach Richmond BC but never made the short ferry ride to Vancouver Island. Vanished without trace.

Kinderman sourced and shipped a beautiful replacement within the month.. needless to say using an alternative delivery organisation.
 
Last edited:
Funny,I've used Canada Post for many years,sending and receiving packages to and from the US and have never had a problem with them.Never a lost package.A little late because of customs but that isn't Canada Post.I believe in Canada Post 100 percent.

Too bad they didn't work out for you Emraphoto.
 
Contact the Toronto Star

Contact the Toronto Star

Contact Ellen Roseman, consumer reporter at the Toronto Star. Corporations react to bad publicity and I think even Canada Post will.

Last year a friend of mine had travel insurance from a bank and suffered a heart attack while down south. He had some prior procedures that he declared and they refused to pay on the grounds that the application form was not correctly filled out. One of their tellers helped him. I assembled all the facts and she sent it to the bank for comment. Withing days a cheque for 30 grand materialized.

Now, the Canada Post may not react as fast but I don't think they like bad publicity any more than others.

I regularly receive letters directed at the same house number on a nearby street and vice versa. After a recent vacation stop, on the first day back, the mailman delivered mail for three different households to my doorstep.

They are completely useless and one should use couriers.
 
USPS is excellent - I adore them in fact compared to USPS and FedEx. My limited experience with Canada Post has been positive (I lived in Montreal two years).

Robert Lai said:
Even though the US Postal system is widely denigrated by Americans, I can say that it is quite good. This is in comparison to Canada Post. Consider: Saturday service (soon to be phased out), and very good package tracking ability within the US. I lived in Canada most of my life, but when we moved to the USA, we were amazed at the efficiency of the USPS in comparison.

Usually, we estimate that it takes 3-4 weeks to get anything mailed to Canada. We live in the Chicago IL area. My relatives are in Toronto, Ont. We last sent my mother-in-law photographs of her grandson on Sept. 24, 2011. As of today (Oct. 5, 2011), she still hasn't seen them. I'm pretty sure that they reached the border within a day, and then they have been in Canada Post's black hole since then.

Most efficient of all in my experience is Japan's EMS system. They track internationally. Moreover, I know that a package sent from Japan will reach me in 3 days flat. Sent Thursday, received by the following Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

I sympathize with your lost opportunity and frustration. The only thing that I could suggest is to always have a valid passport close at hand. You never know when you need to leave the country (family emergency, etc.)
Click to expand...
 
I'm no lawyer, but I seem to remember there is an old, UK, legal "Doctrine of Sovereign Immunity"--means you can't sue the government unless they permit you to. I expect Canada as a former, loyal colony still has this doctrine, but good luck!
 
I am glad to here that you have things straightened out, finally. I can say that no matter who you use to move parcels around, sooner or later you will encounter a problem with nearly all of them. When you do have a problem it will be at the most inconvenient time to have one. I have had nothing but good service from Canada Post and USPS sending and receiving parcels between Canada and the USA. I have had trouble with UPS within Canada and from the USA. Just saying that things can and do go wrong with nearly any such service. Have a good trip.

Bob
 
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