Question about international shipping

[Honu-Hugger]

I just sent the 50mm lens up to Frank, weighed in at 12oz. When I was more active with EBay, ~18 months ago, I sent a lot of items to Canada via insured Air Mail. I was shocked to learn that I could not send it "insured Air Mail" but had to send it "Global Express". The difference in price was $15! So if you want to mail from the US to Canada and insure the item, NOW the price is the same as sending ANYWHERE in the world! Drop the insurance, and it is a little more than sending within the US. Does not make any sense; but dem's the rules!

When did they change the rules?

Somehow you were given erroneous information. At 12 ounces the package probably qualified for Airmail letter rate, for which there is no insurance available (but it can be sent registered). If you had sent it Air Parcel then insurance is available. However, it pays to check the rates: some times Air Parcel with the additional insurance comes close to Global Express which includes the first $100.00 of insurance. The differences in price vary from country to country.

D2

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Air Parcel Post was almost the same as Global Express. BUT the item did not weigh Enough to qualify; 16oz is the minimum weight. Even so, it was $0.50 cheaper. I swear that I used to be able to insure items to Canada for not much more than the US about 2 years ago. It means that you pay almost $15 extra to insure any light package to Canada no matter what its value is.

 

[Honu-Hugger]

I don'y understand the high price to ship to Canada, either. You may have to educate your Postal clerk (I did) but you can send a package that weighs less than 16 ounces by Air Parcel -- you'll just have to pay the 16 ounce rate is all, regardless of whether it iweighs 1 ounce or 16.

D2

 

[Pherdinand]

Or you can stuff some large screws or stones next to that lens. 🙂

 

[denishr]

FYI, as an addition to the thread.
Yesteday (Nov. 24) I got the Leica M3 from Brian, who sent it on 18th, if I'm not mistaken, by Global Express.
This was fast as lightning! I've never gotten anything from the USA so fast... And they even delivered the package in the afternoon (not a usual thing here, the "regular" postal deliveries go on in the morning round only). The postman said it was because it was sent express...
I don't know whether it was much more expensive than the usual postage, but as a buyer (on the receiving end), I can only sing praises for this postal service....
Also, from my previous regular "air mail" USPS experience, the cost (postage) by regular USPS air mail to Croatia would have been approximately the same. I'm used to postage for packages from the USA being in $15 - $25 range (usually not very heavy stuff). To be honest, I was expecting this postage to be at least $35, if not more... So, all in all, this was a very nice surprise. Not very expensive, and a first rate service.

Read about the camera in another thread 😀

Denis

 

[Pherdinand]

hmm,denis, dunno where you live lately, but you're one day ahead of me🙂

 

[denishr]

hmm,denis, dunno where you live lately, but you're one day ahead of me🙂

Sheesh - talk about being careless about dates, days of the week, etc... Being home worker does that to you.. 🙂
I meant, yesterday, Tuesday, 23rd November... Which makes the shipment even faster! 😀

Thanks for correcting me, Pherdi - the two of us should be something like 1 hour apart, if I'm not mistaken.

Denis

 

[Pherdinand]

I'm CET. I think we are officially in the same timezone (although at opposite edges of it).