On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 17:12:53 -0600, Dave Balderstone wrote:

I refuse to have ANYTHING shipped from the US in Canada by UPS.

Quite right. And I also refuse to have anything shipped within Canada by
UPS or the other courier services. In my experience (Newfoundland,
New Brunswick & the Yukon) Canada Post has never failed to deliver
anything on time. But I can tell you a number of horror stories using
private couriers. They might be OK in major centres, but not in the
smaller centres I have lived in in the past twenty years.

--
Luigi
Replace "nonet" with "yukonomics" for real email
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/humour.html
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/antifaq.html

Perhaps Canadian readers will be interested in my recent experience.

I ordered some stuff from Woodsmith costing $42.90US and they were about to
charge me $21.49US for handling and shipping via UPS. I felt this was
excessive (50% of the value of the order) so I asked them to ship it USPS
instead. They agreed and said the charge would be $16.25US. I found this
still to be expensive but I agreed to the price.

I received the package today with a charge of $12.94CAN. This is $3.70
Federal Sales Tax plus $4.24 Provincial Sales Tax plus --- wait for it ---
$5.00 service charge!!

So now I have paid $16.25US plus $12.94CAN via the postal service versus
$21.49US for UPS. I don't know if there would have been additional charges
by UPS (taxes etc). Perhaps someone can enlighten me on that point.

Even without tax considerations, it cost me $16.25US plus $5.00CAN instead
of $21.49US. Not much of a saving considering the current exchange rates
and a big loss if UPS does not collect tax.

Best Regards,
Jack Fearnley

I received the package today with a charge of $12.94CAN. This is $3.70
Federal Sales Tax plus $4.24 Provincial Sales Tax plus --- wait for it ---
$5.00 service charge!!

So now I have paid $16.25US plus $12.94CAN via the postal service versus
$21.49US for UPS. I don't know if there would have been additional
charges
by UPS (taxes etc). Perhaps someone can enlighten me on that point.

You have to pay the taxes anyway regardless of shipper. The $5 service
charge is a bargain; UPS brokerage fees would have been many times more than
that.

Jack Fearnley wrote in
:

Perhaps Canadian readers will be interested in my recent experience.

I ordered some stuff from Woodsmith snip

What did Woodsmith have that you couldn't buy from Lee Valley?

Just curious.

Patriarch

Jack Fearnley wrote:
Perhaps Canadian readers will be interested in my recent experience.

I ordered some stuff from Woodsmith costing $42.90US and they were
about to
charge me $21.49US for handling and shipping via UPS. I felt this
was
excessive (50% of the value of the order) so I asked them to ship it
USPS
instead. They agreed and said the charge would be $16.25US. I found
this
still to be expensive but I agreed to the price.

I received the package today with a charge of $12.94CAN. This is
$3.70
Federal Sales Tax plus $4.24 Provincial Sales Tax plus --- wait for
it ---
$5.00 service charge!!

So now I have paid $16.25US plus $12.94CAN via the postal service
versus
$21.49US for UPS. I don't know if there would have been additional
charges
by UPS (taxes etc). Perhaps someone can enlighten me on that point.

Even without tax considerations, it cost me $16.25US plus $5.00CAN
instead
of $21.49US. Not much of a saving considering the current exchange
rates
and a big loss if UPS does not collect tax.

Best Regards,
Jack Fearnley

It's almost enough to make ya want to move to the US.

ray

AFAIK, UPS would have screwed you several times over the $5.00 that
CanadaPost charged you for clearing customs. The GST/PST would have been
charged in any case, and the initial costs charged by the seller have no
bearing on what happens after it leaves their door. The only exception to
having the seller pay/charge more for UPS or any courier is, I think, UPS if
they ship it expedited or express. In those cases, someone pays more up
front, but the brokerage fees are included.

Check out here
(http://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/shi...clearance.html
) for details on what UPS charges for brokerage. According to that chart,
you probably would have been paying $19.00 for brokerage. On top of those
fees, you'd be paying the GST/PST/any other customs charges for importing
your widgets.

FWIW, if a US seller won't ship it USPS, I won't buy it. It takes a little
longer, and you still have to pay the tax, but at least UPS or the courier
company won't make a ridiculous profit for having the package stamped at the
border. I guess, to be fair, I don't know what's involved with being the
customs broker. And the UPS fees do tail off when you get to the more
expensive side of things, making it less painful. But for the $50 to $500
items I might be ordering, they're a bit ridiculous when USPS/CanadaPost can
do it for $5.00.

Clint

"Jack Fearnley" wrote in message
. ..
Perhaps Canadian readers will be interested in my recent experience.

I ordered some stuff from Woodsmith costing $42.90US and they were about
to
charge me $21.49US for handling and shipping via UPS. I felt this was
excessive (50% of the value of the order) so I asked them to ship it USPS
instead. They agreed and said the charge would be $16.25US. I found this
still to be expensive but I agreed to the price.

I received the package today with a charge of $12.94CAN. This is $3.70
Federal Sales Tax plus $4.24 Provincial Sales Tax plus --- wait for it ---
$5.00 service charge!!

So now I have paid $16.25US plus $12.94CAN via the postal service versus
$21.49US for UPS. I don't know if there would have been additional
charges
by UPS (taxes etc). Perhaps someone can enlighten me on that point.

Even without tax considerations, it cost me $16.25US plus $5.00CAN instead
of $21.49US. Not much of a saving considering the current exchange rates
and a big loss if UPS does not collect tax.

Best Regards,
Jack Fearnley

Patriarch wrote:

Jack Fearnley wrote in
:

Perhaps Canadian readers will be interested in my recent experience.

I ordered some stuff from Woodsmith snip

What did Woodsmith have that you couldn't buy from Lee Valley?

Just curious.

Patriarch

Just to satisfy your curiosity

I bought the CDROM versions of their shopnotes (three CDROMs for $29.95) and
while I was at it I bought the hardware kit for their box joint jig at
$12.95. I already checked at my local woodworking store in Montreal
(Langevin & Forest, a veritable Aladdin's cave of fine tools and exotic
woods) who hold most of the shopnotes for sale but no CDROMs. I suppose I
could have bought the hardware from Lee Valley (I just blew $200.00 there
last weekend) but it seemed convenient to get it all compatible in one kit.

Live & learn,
Jack Fearnley

In article ,
Jack Fearnley wrote:

Perhaps Canadian readers will be interested in my recent experience.
[snipperectomy]

That is an excellent tip. I consider myself a pretty savvy x-border
shopper, but to have things shipped USPS has never occurred to me.
*slaps forehead*
I have paid upwards CAN$ 100.00 for UPS to clear stuff through customs
for me..mostly things under US$1000.00. I changed to a proper broker who
charges me CAN$50 per transaction to $5000.00... still expensive on a
US100.00 item. USPS seems very reasonable.
To have stuff shipped to my "Mailboxes Etc." mailbox is PITA with all
the delays at the border these days. When I go to socialize in the US as
well as a pick-up, then it is okay...but I seldom know this ahead of
time.

Thank you, Jack!

*tips hat*

0?0

Rob

In article , Jack
Fearnley wrote:

So now I have paid $16.25US plus $12.94CAN via the postal service versus
$21.49US for UPS. I don't know if there would have been additional charges
by UPS (taxes etc). Perhaps someone can enlighten me on that point.


You bet there would have been. Not only the taxes, but UPS's own
special charge for customs brokerage (which is what the $5 charge was
for, BTW).

I refuse to have ANYTHING shipped from the US in Canada by UPS.

djb

--
"The thing about saying the wrong words is that A, I don't notice it, and B,
sometimes orange water gibbon bucket and plastic." -- Mr. Burrows

In article ,
Jack Fearnley wrote:
Perhaps Canadian readers will be interested in my recent experience.

I ordered some stuff from Woodsmith costing $42.90US and they were about to
charge me $21.49US for handling and shipping via UPS. I felt this was
excessive (50% of the value of the order) so I asked them to ship it USPS
instead. They agreed and said the charge would be $16.25US. I found this
still to be expensive but I agreed to the price.

I received the package today with a charge of $12.94CAN. This is $3.70
Federal Sales Tax plus $4.24 Provincial Sales Tax plus --- wait for it ---
$5.00 service charge!!

So now I have paid $16.25US plus $12.94CAN via the postal service versus
$21.49US for UPS. I don't know if there would have been additional charges
by UPS (taxes etc). Perhaps someone can enlighten me on that point.

IIRC, UPS 'brokerage fee' (the equivalent to that Canada Post $5 service
charge) *starts* at $35.

shipped by UPS you would have been out the US$21.49, plus the CAN$3.70,
plus the CAN$4.24 *PLUS* (at least) CAN$35.

Jack Fearnley wrote:

Perhaps Canadian readers will be interested in my recent experience.

I ordered some stuff from Woodsmith costing $42.90US and they were about
to
charge me $21.49US for handling and shipping via UPS. I felt this was
excessive (50% of the value of the order) so I asked them to ship it USPS
instead. They agreed and said the charge would be $16.25US. I found this
still to be expensive but I agreed to the price.

I received the package today with a charge of $12.94CAN. This is $3.70
Federal Sales Tax plus $4.24 Provincial Sales Tax plus --- wait for it ---
$5.00 service charge!!

So now I have paid $16.25US plus $12.94CAN via the postal service versus
$21.49US for UPS. I don't know if there would have been additional
charges by UPS (taxes etc). Perhaps someone can enlighten me on that
point.

Even without tax considerations, it cost me $16.25US plus $5.00CAN instead
of $21.49US. Not much of a saving considering the current exchange rates
and a big loss if UPS does not collect tax.

The miracle here is that the USPS managed to locate Canada.

Best Regards,
Jack Fearnley

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

The miracle here is that the USPS managed to locate Canada.

The United States Postal Service does not operate in Canada. Mail shipments
into each country are handled by their own respective mail services.

I have been selling on ebay and via my web site www.vmtw.com for about
5 years. The first package that I sent to Canada went via UPS. The
guy refused the package after UPS asked for around $50 brokerage
fees/VAT for a $39 item. Every package since then has gone USPS. I
can ship a DVD or video for $3.95 by air to Canada and most customers
dont pay any additional fees on their end.
Scott

When I sell stuff on eBay, I refuse to sell to Canadians. Why? because
of a couple of bad experiences! The first one disappeared outright, no
reimbursement. The second one were some plans, appearently the mailing
tube "somehow" came open and a 1/2" thick of bound plans disappeared,
and only the tube and a few sheets of paper arrived. Never got
reimbursed for that one either, despite purchasing insurance beforehand
and filing a claim later.

John

I wonder if you could have gotten the cheap "book rate" for this. They
are, after all, electronic books...

Jim

When I sell stuff on eBay, I refuse to sell to Canadians. Why? because of
a couple of bad experiences! The first one disappeared outright, no
reimbursement. The second one were some plans, appearently the mailing
tube "somehow" came open and a 1/2" thick of bound plans disappeared, and
only the tube and a few sheets of paper arrived. Never got reimbursed for
that one either, despite purchasing insurance beforehand and filing a
claim later.

Who was the carrier?

Dave Balderstone wrote:

In article , Jack
Fearnley wrote:

So now I have paid $16.25US plus $12.94CAN via the postal service versus
$21.49US for UPS. I don't know if there would have been additional charges
by UPS (taxes etc). Perhaps someone can enlighten me on that point.


You bet there would have been. Not only the taxes, but UPS's own
special charge for customs brokerage (which is what the $5 charge was
for, BTW).

I refuse to have ANYTHING shipped from the US in Canada by UPS.

I recently had to pay a $40 brokerage charge on a $100 item to UPS.
"Worst company ever!"

Ken Muldrew

(remove all letters after y in the alphabet)

USPS in both cases. The paperwork wasn't fun either.

USPS in both cases. The paperwork wasn't fun either.

Bummer.

J. Clarke wrote:
Jack Fearnley wrote:


Perhaps Canadian readers will be interested in my recent experience.

I ordered some stuff from Woodsmith costing $42.90US and they were about
to
charge me $21.49US for handling and shipping via UPS. I felt this was
excessive (50% of the value of the order) so I asked them to ship it USPS
instead. They agreed and said the charge would be $16.25US. I found this
still to be expensive but I agreed to the price.

I received the package today with a charge of $12.94CAN. This is $3.70
Federal Sales Tax plus $4.24 Provincial Sales Tax plus --- wait for it ---
$5.00 service charge!!

So now I have paid $16.25US plus $12.94CAN via the postal service versus
$21.49US for UPS. I don't know if there would have been additional
charges by UPS (taxes etc). Perhaps someone can enlighten me on that
point.

Even without tax considerations, it cost me $16.25US plus $5.00CAN instead
of $21.49US. Not much of a saving considering the current exchange rates
and a big loss if UPS does not collect tax.


The miracle here is that the USPS managed to locate Canada.


Best Regards,
Jack Fearnley


I send mail cross border constantly (mostly small packages) and Canada
Post/USPS always gets it there eventually. The only glitch I've found
is that when comething is shipped to Canada, the USPS tracking system
still thinks that it is at the origin, until it actually gets to the
destination. It doesn't seem to know that it is sitting in customs at
the border until after it hands off to Canada Post.

Other than that, it works for me.

On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 21:04:36 -0500, Rob Mitchell
wrote:

I send mail cross border constantly (mostly small packages) and Canada
Post/USPS always gets it there eventually. The only glitch I've found
is that when comething is shipped to Canada, the USPS tracking system
still thinks that it is at the origin, until it actually gets to the
destination. It doesn't seem to know that it is sitting in customs at
the border until after it hands off to Canada Post.

The USPS tracking system thinks that a package that I received several
weeks ago is still in transit. I'm wondering if they will ever notice.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

J. Clarke wrote:

The miracle here is that the USPS managed to locate Canada.

I can do one better. I once mailed a postcard to Slovenia, and they
actually got it there. I still don't know where the hell Slovenia is.
Score one for the USPS. Their overall average is still pretty dismal
though. Strains of why are we funding an incompetent operation to compete
with our own private industries in the first place.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

In article , mp wrote:
The miracle here is that the USPS managed to locate Canada.

The United States Postal Service does not operate in Canada. Mail shipments
into each country are handled by their own respective mail services.

Excuse me, but how do you think it got _to_ where Canada Post could
handle it? Canada Post does not operate in the United States. grin

Silvan writes:

J. Clarke wrote:

The miracle here is that the USPS managed to locate Canada.

I can do one better. I once mailed a postcard to Slovenia, and they
actually got it there. I still don't know where the hell Slovenia is.
Score one for the USPS. Their overall average is still pretty dismal
though. Strains of why are we funding an incompetent operation to compete
with our own private industries in the first place.

How exactly is the USPS taxpayer subsidized these days?

According to USPS.com, 1982 was the last year for taxpayer subsidies. The
federal government certainly pays for mail delivery, but they have to pay
someone to do it.

Brian Elfert

I have mailed thousands of packages via USPS over the last 5 years, and
have yet to have 1 that was lost or damaged. USPS is an amazing
organization and is superior to UPS for package delivery as far as I am
concerned.

On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 01:55:09 -0500, Silvan
wrote:

J. Clarke wrote:

The miracle here is that the USPS managed to locate Canada.

I can do one better. I once mailed a postcard to Slovenia, and they
actually got it there. I still don't know where the hell Slovenia is.
Score one for the USPS. Their overall average is still pretty dismal
though.

Statistically, the USPS is one of the most reliable delivery services
in the world. They lose a far smaller percentage of the items
entrusted to them than UPS does, for example.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

"tall_corn" writes:

I have mailed thousands of packages via USPS over the last 5 years, and
have yet to have 1 that was lost or damaged. USPS is an amazing
organization and is superior to UPS for package delivery as far as I am
concerned.

Unfortunately, my record hasn't been as good. I mailed a $180 circuit
board last year via USPS Priority Mail to the maker for upgrade. The
maker never got it. I didn't use delivery confirmation, so I don't know
if USPS didn't deliver or the guy simply lied about it. The guy is always
extremely slow, so several months went by before I called him. I filed a
report with USPS but was not suprised to never hear anything.

I always use delivery confirmation or insurance now. I only ship maybe 5
packages a year via Priority Mail.

Brian Elfert

"Tim Douglass" wrote in message
...

Statistically, the USPS is one of the most reliable delivery services
in the world. They lose a far smaller percentage of the items
entrusted to them than UPS does, for example.


Very true about the volume Tim, but there is more to reliability than just
delivery. My wife just received something for my daughter that was shipped
USPS. It was raining on the day that the mailman delivered the item. The
mailman put the item in a plastic bag and hung it on the outside of the
mailbox, open end up so that it collected the rain. It ruined the contents.
My wife went to the PO and sought remedy and was promptly informed, with all
of the disinterest that only a postal employee can display, that the PO is
only required to deliver the goods, not ensure their condition. Now that is
what I consider to be unreliable. Why bother? If it has any value we use
UPS or Fed Exp. The Post Office just does not care and you're SOL when they
screw your stuff up. But... they delivered, as promised...
--

-Mike-

On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 15:01:30 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:


"Tim Douglass" wrote in message
.. .

Statistically, the USPS is one of the most reliable delivery services
in the world. They lose a far smaller percentage of the items
entrusted to them than UPS does, for example.


Very true about the volume Tim, but there is more to reliability than just
delivery. My wife just received something for my daughter that was shipped
USPS. It was raining on the day that the mailman delivered the item. The
mailman put the item in a plastic bag and hung it on the outside of the
mailbox, open end up so that it collected the rain. It ruined the contents.
My wife went to the PO and sought remedy and was promptly informed, with all
of the disinterest that only a postal employee can display, that the PO is
only required to deliver the goods, not ensure their condition. Now that is
what I consider to be unreliable. Why bother? If it has any value we use
UPS or Fed Exp. The Post Office just does not care and you're SOL when they
screw your stuff up. But... they delivered, as promised...

It varies. Both UPS and FedEx have left things in the weather for me,
but the Post Office never has. When I am expecting a package,
especially around Christmas when the substitute drivers are working, I
check every probable and some rather improbable places where they
might leave a package. I've still missed some that have sat for a
couple of days.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

Mike Marlow wrote:

only required to deliver the goods, not ensure their condition. Now that
is
what I consider to be unreliable. Why bother? If it has any value we use
UPS or Fed Exp. The Post Office just does not care and you're SOL when
they
screw your stuff up. But... they delivered, as promised...

Hafta agree there. I've gotten boxes from FedEx and UPS that had obviously
not been coddled, but never anything completely mangled. The USPS OTOH has
delivered things mangled almost beyond recognition. They've also pulled
the tie it to the mailbox in the rain trick on me, or the jam it in the
mailbox leaving the door open to the rain trick.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

In article . com,
jtpr wrote:
I wonder if you could have gotten the cheap "book rate" for this. They
are, after all, electronic books...

Short answer: No.

Officially the book rete is 'bound printed matter'. Section M 720 of the DMM.

It _could_ qualify for "media rate" (DMM section M 730), maybe.
There is a 1 lb minimum for that rate.

On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 08:13:03 +0000, Robert Bonomi wrote:

Excuse me, but how do you think it got _to_ where Canada Post could
handle it? Canada Post does not operate in the United States. grin

Ackshally, it does.

http://www.purolator.com/usa_custome...purolator.html

--
Luigi
Replace "nonet" with "yukonomics" for real email
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/humour.html
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/antifaq.html

"Jack Fearnley" wrote in message
. ..
Perhaps Canadian readers will be interested in my recent experience.

[snip]
Not much of a saving considering the current exchange rates
and a big loss if UPS does not collect tax.

The dealings that I have had cross-border by UPS would have been laughable
if they hadn't been so expensive. They charge at least $25 as a service
charge, plus a percentage of the monies collected, plus tax on the whole
shebang.

*AND* they don't pay any attention to their own time standards for
deliveries, you can't talk to the same person twice when trying to resolve a
problem, and the US side of things doesn't seem to have a clue about the
Canadian side of things.

There are a couple of times I've tried to buy stuff in the US, and when they
seller informed me that they only ship by UPS, I have done without. Way
fewer headaches.

Dave O'Heare
oheareATmagmaDOTca

"Dave O'Heare" oheareATmagmaDOTca wrote in message

The dealings that I have had cross-border by UPS would have been laughable
if they hadn't been so expensive. They charge at least $25 as a service
charge, plus a percentage of the monies collected, plus tax on the whole
shebang.

I agree 100% with you. Only problem is when you buy something, tell them
that you want it shipped USPS and then they ship it UPS. A few years back, I
bought a used DSL modem from someone on Ebay. Told him I'd pay his asking
price as long as he shipped it USPS and put the value as less than $50. The
idiot shipped it UPS and put the value at $100. It was held up at the border
until I paid duty and UPS brokerage charges. I'd already paid the guy with
paypal for it, so I was stuck and had to pay those extra bogus charges if I
wanted to get my modem. None of that crap aside from a simple $5 service fee
when I use USPS.

I agree 100 % . For me I avoid UPS unless it's only service. I purchase
most of my stuff over internet, and the shape of packages from UPS
delivery is just nightmare, from open boxes and contents missing to
holes kicked in boxes and or crushed boxes just barely holding the
contents inside. Unfortunately they just leave packages on front
doorstep and run off otherwise I'd refuse the delivery on boxes that
have been opened or are in bad shape. Although lately UPS has been
delivering my packages to wrong address, maybe that explains boxes
opened. SO far they have been 2 for 2 in 2 weeks delivering to wrong
address. Don't even let me get started on reporting a complaint or lost
package they are friendly but totally useless.


tall_corn wrote:
I have mailed thousands of packages via USPS over the last 5 years,
and
have yet to have 1 that was lost or damaged. USPS is an amazing
organization and is superior to UPS for package delivery as far as I
am
concerned.

Luigi Zanasi wrote:

On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 08:13:03 +0000, Robert Bonomi wrote:

Excuse me, but how do you think it got _to_ where Canada Post could
handle it? Canada Post does not operate in the United States. grin

Ackshally, it does.

http://www.purolator.com/usa_custome...purolator.html

Huh? When did Purolator Courier become Canada Post? That's like saying
that the United States Postal Service operates in Canada and then
referencing United Parcel Service site.


--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Silvan wrote:

J. Clarke wrote:

The miracle here is that the USPS managed to locate Canada.

I can do one better. I once mailed a postcard to Slovenia, and they
actually got it there. I still don't know where the hell Slovenia is.
Score one for the USPS. Their overall average is still pretty dismal
though. Strains of why are we funding an incompetent operation to compete
with our own private industries in the first place.

They seem to have less trouble with Eastern Europe than with the US. I
never will forget the Premiere of the Soviet Union with the little
schoolgirl who sent a letter to the President of the United States with the
correct address only to have it returned to her by the USPS marked "address
unknown". Apparently they _were_ able to find Russia to return it to her.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Tim Douglass wrote:

On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 01:55:09 -0500, Silvan
wrote:

J. Clarke wrote:

The miracle here is that the USPS managed to locate Canada.

I can do one better. I once mailed a postcard to Slovenia, and they
actually got it there. I still don't know where the hell Slovenia is.
Score one for the USPS. Their overall average is still pretty dismal
though.

Statistically, the USPS is one of the most reliable delivery services
in the world. They lose a far smaller percentage of the items
entrusted to them than UPS does, for example.

The problem with them is not that they lose the items, it's that they lose
the destinations. Sent a card to someone I've known for 20 years, living
at the same address for 20 years, it came back "address unknown". Funny
thing, UPS had no trouble finding the same address within a week of the
time that the USPS failed to locate it. And she's still living there years
later.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

In article ,
J. Clarke wrote:
Tim Douglass wrote:

On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 01:55:09 -0500, Silvan
wrote:

J. Clarke wrote:

The miracle here is that the USPS managed to locate Canada.

I can do one better. I once mailed a postcard to Slovenia, and they
actually got it there. I still don't know where the hell Slovenia is.
Score one for the USPS. Their overall average is still pretty dismal
though.

Statistically, the USPS is one of the most reliable delivery services
in the world. They lose a far smaller percentage of the items
entrusted to them than UPS does, for example.

The problem with them is not that they lose the items, it's that they lose
the destinations. Sent a card to someone I've known for 20 years, living
at the same address for 20 years, it came back "address unknown". Funny
thing, UPS had no trouble finding the same address within a week of the
time that the USPS failed to locate it. And she's still living there years
later.

On the _other_ hand, many years ago, the U.S. Postal Service used to lose
my address, on a *medium-regular* basis. I was in my 1st apartment, and
you can imagine the fun, when my mother sends me a note with _her_ travel
schedule for a trip, gets backs from said trip, only to find the letter in
_her_ mailbox, marked "moved, left no forwarding address". Or, when the
monthly checking-account statement from my bank got similarly returned as
undeliverable -- "no such address".

Now, I was living on this "little" _4-lane_ street, just outside of downtown.
There was a dead-end stub of the street in the low 500s, the stretch
I was on, started in the mid 600s, and went to the 900s. (where the 4-lane
pavement changed direction, and 'migrated' into a different street name)
Where the street 'would have been', there was the Freeway, a major diagonal
feeder road, etc., and the street didn't take up again until about the 1400
block. Further, there weren't _any_ addresses on the East side of that
stretch -- in the 600s, it was the 'back side' of properties that addressed
of the west side of the next street east. The entire 700 block was the
grounds of an elementary school, that addressed off a cross-street. 800s
and up were the back edge a large housing complex, that all addressed of
'internal' streets. Then, on _my_ side of the street, the 800 block was
a park, what there was of the 900s didn't have anything addressing on
it (both properties addressed from the cross-street). this left 3 buildings
in the 700 block, and I think 5 (might have been only 4) old houses in the
600s. Oh yeah, this street is also the boundary-line between ZIP codes.
Now, this same _numbered_ (not 'named') street in the adjacent suburb
("_West_ foo", where I lived in the center-city "foo"), is a very upper-
scale neighborhood. but the street there _starts_ in the 800s. I *know*
that some of the returns were because the mail went to "West Foo", instead
of "Foo" -- the 'undeliverable' marking had the zip-code of the PO that
did the 'return to sender'.

I *finally* found a way to beat the system, however. I started using the
ZIP code for the _other_side_of_the_street_. The one where there weren't
any addresses. Apparently, this routed it to a different P.O., where they
kicked it over to the 'right' one, *but*, by going in the 'back door', it
bypassed 'wherever' the intermittent mis-sorting was happening.

Of course, getting the 'address changes' in with the various places was
an *interesting* task -- call the bank, tell them a 'change of address',
"only the ZIP code is changed". Their computer insists that the ZIP code
I'm giving them is incorrect. Which *is* accurate. I say "I know that,
use it _anyway_." Computers can be *STUBBORN* I think they had to get
programmers involved, to change the programming -- to _allow_ manual input
to over-ride the programmed look-up.

On 2-Mar-2005, "J. Clarke" wrote:

When did Purolator Courier become Canada Post?

Canada Post owns Purolator in Canada.

Mike