International Shipping Info+Questions

[greenforrest]

Weeellll... I know I"m likely going to get demerited for this, asking another shipping Q and all.... but I swear up and down that for the past three/four weeks I can NOT find this info on any search, forum or BPAL homepage FAQs. SO:

 

Canadians- is your stuff coming across the border from UPS???

 

The reason I ask, is that I know USPS uses a secondary carrier to ship across the border. Sometimes Canada Post. But sometmes they hand it off to a carrier such as UPS or don't allow a company to send UPSP in the first place, so force them to use UPS.

I *know* there should be no duty (customs fees) on BPAL since it's made in the 'states.

BUT.. *any*thing that comes over to me from UPS comes with a minimum $30-odd brokerage fee.

 

I just got my first whiffs of BPAL thanks to a LUSH swap (yay!!) and am dying to try GEEK and many more direct from the lab, now. I just need to know if I"m going to get hit with the UPS charge. If so, my order will be in the 100$'s but if not, I can spread it out a bit more

[lohengrin]

UPS always charges horrendous brokerage fees, on anything.

 

You do, of course, have to pay GST on anything you import, and doing the paperwork for those charges is what UPS gouges for.

 

But my BPAL order (I've only received one direct from the lab, though I have more pending) was handled by Canada Post.

Edited June 20, 2005 by lohengrin

[Morrighana]

My BPAL orders over the past year have all been handled by Canada Post. Only one thus far was searched and charged GST...cost me about twenty bucks. That's one order in dozens, though, and it was a biggun!

 

Also...

 

Weeellll... I know I"m likely going to get demerited for this, asking another shipping Q and all.... but I swear up and down that for the past three/four weeks I can NOT find this info on any search, forum or BPAL homepage FAQs.

 

While I am going to merge this with the International Shipping thread in the FAQ (doing so keeps all the pertinant info in one place so inquiring minds like yours can find it easier, eh?), I'd like to point out that if you spend three or four weeks searching something because you really believe it should've been discussed already, you're searching too much! If you're worried, PM a mod. We'll check it out for you and either recommend an existing thread or give you the go-ahead to post a new one.

 

And, warnings aren't 'demerits', they're just reminders to search and to utilize the mods if you are unsure, so you guys really don't need to preface every post with disclaimers like this...we're really not going to hunt you down and bitchslap you for posting!

[chin]

Hello international peeps!

 

Gah, I just had to pay 40 bucks to UPS .... grrr ... Ishtar and I ordered shea butter lotion, and they dinged us.

 

The good news is that if you have the time, you may have the option of clearing the package through customs yourself. I fully admit that I am not sure about how this process works - for example, I was not offered the option, I just got the bill.

 

Does anyone know how to avoid the UPS brokerage fee?

[lohengrin]

Hello international peeps! 

 

Gah, I just had to pay 40 bucks to UPS .... grrr ... Ishtar and I ordered shea butter lotion, and they dinged us. 

 

The good news is that if you have the time, you may have the option of clearing the package through customs yourself.  I fully admit that I am not sure about how this process works - for example, I was not offered the option, I just got the bill. 

 

Does anyone know how to avoid the UPS brokerage fee?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

A ) Don't use UPS

 

B ) Use UPS Express rather than standard service.

 

Basically, if you use the more expensive UPS service, they don't nail you with brokerage charges. They get their money either way.

 

I personally refuse to use UPS, and if an etailer will not give me any other shipping options, I refuse to shop with them. I got tired of receiving packages worth $30 and having to pay $20 in brokerage charges.

Edited June 20, 2005 by lohengrin

[chin]

Sorry, I guess I should have been more specific. For those of you who use UPS for whatever reason, do you know how to get them to give you the option of clearing the packages yourself?

[greenforrest]

I guess the answer to my Q is, that BPAL will send USPS, and doesn't insist on sending UPS like many American etailers. (?) Good!

 

Right now, as far as I understand, UPS does not or does no longer offer a self-brokerage (at least that's what I was told here in Canada). There is a minimum $30-odd brokerage fee for anything coming over from US. They tell you it's for the paperwork etc, but even in cases where the paperwork would be *minimal* the 'service charge' is still $30-something.

I've spoken to them at length these past two years and never yet had a different answer... let us all know if anyone finds out otherwise!

[chin]

Thanks greenforrest! I'm in Canada too, BTW.l

 

FWIW, I've never had any of my BPAL packages come via UPS. And, knock wood, I've only ever had one package opened by customs.

 

cheers, chin

[maewitch]

Hey, I was trying to figure out if the international package days are regular (like every thursday or whatever) and if they happen every week, or if they happen a bit more sporadically.

 

Any clues?

[allamanda]

Hey, I was trying to figure out if the international package days are regular (like every thursday or whatever) and if they happen every week, or if they happen a bit more sporadically.

 

Any clues?

 

Afraid not. They're special surprises.

 

Unfortunately, as I understand it. Internationals involve at least one person stopping packing, wrapping etc. to stand in line at the Post Office for what can become an entire day. I'm *guessing* that they wait until there is a hefty batch for despatch, especially in view of staff shortages.

 

The best indicator is watching the click'n'ship thread.

 

ETA: They're worth the wait

Edited August 18, 2005 by allamanda

[maewitch]

Ah thank you!

 

I have no doubt they're worth the wait.

 

I'm keeping an eye on the click-n-ship thread, and my nerves are about to give out since I'm seeing all these notices from folks who ordered near the same day I did.

[fragipani]

i placed my first order on 27.07 and paid through paypal as i am from the u.k.thing is i havent had any confirmation of order exept from paypal and the money has come out of my account.i am starting to wonder if i included shipping info in with order or can bpal obtain this info from paypal???i have sent Bpal an email just to confirm i had done everything right but i havent had a reply my initial excitement is shrivelling..........can anybody smooth my furrowed brow.......?

[allamanda]

i placed my first order on 27.07 and paid through paypal as i am from the u.k.thing is i havent had any confirmation of order exept from paypal and the money has come out of my account.i am starting to wonder if i included shipping info in with order or can bpal obtain this info from paypal???i have sent Bpal an email just to confirm i had done everything right but i havent had a reply    my initial excitement is shrivelling..........can anybody smooth my furrowed brow.......?

 

Your shipping info will have been provided from PayPal along with your payment. Although usually you receive a confirmation email from Bpal, once in a while you don't.

 

They tend to be pretty swamped, so it can take a while before someone is able to answer the emails.

 

Unfurrow your brow It'll be ok. Give them a few days to answer your email and then keep an eye on the click'n'ship and order threads, that will enable you to judge when other international orders placed around the same time are shipping.

[KasaMadhuri777]

Hey everyone....

 

I am a Canadian BPAL fan, awaiting my first order.... and awaiting, and awaiting, and awaiting....

 

I haven't heard anything from the postal service, nor BPAL, nor UPS or any other special carrier. I ordered in mid june, and my payment (through paypal) went through on june 30th. I ordered three sets of imps.

 

The site said 45 days... it's been 60 since the payment went through! I'm happy to be patient for a while longer, but I'd love to know if anyone has an approximate projection on when I might see my oils? It's just that the imps were a birthday gift for my girlfriend, and her birthday was four days ago.... heh....

 

I hope I can get some help from you many sweet BPALers!

 

Allison Bulley

Toronto, Canada

[Orodemniades]

Hola!

 

I think the current delivery time is 6-8 weeks, or thereabouts?

 

For immediate love, try the sales and swaps forums, and don't forget to post your wishlist!

 

 

Oro

[Mrs.Black]

International orders take longer to ship because someone from the Lab has to go and pretty much spend the day in the post office to mail them all out. I am in Australia and still waiting for June 10 and June 22 orders. I e-mailed the Lab and got a reply saying that the June 10 order will ship some time this week. My orders are always huge so maybe this contributes to the delay as well.

[inbigtrouble]

Hi

 

There are a couple of preexisting threads that may be of help/interest to you:

 

the where's my order thread and the international shipping info thread.

 

I know it seems like an inordinately long wait, but I don't think you should be worried that it won't show up or that it hasn't gone through, yet. I'm sure that it will be just fine, but if you want extra peace of mind, you could email the lab with your order info as indicated in the first thread I linked to.

 

Sorry that you are worried and I know that it will be worth your wait!

[pranashakti]

And just to quickly note...it's "business" days - so only Monday-Friday count towards that total (which is 42 days today ) even though the lab seems to be always working...

 

If it will rest your mind, email Sara at Customer Service after 45 days. She's a great help. Don't worry, the precious will be there soon.

[starrykitten]

Just in case, too, did you use the paypal server provided by CCNow, or just paypal the order in separately?

[Medici]

If it helps any, I'm from Montreal and still waiting on my June 10th Carnival Noir order.

 

They do Canadian orders in batches, since shipping international usually requires manual delivery and waiting in line and such at the post office. I wish I could give you the thread where I read that originally, but yeah - that's how it works.

 

Have no fear

[carolsag]

in the U.S. it usually takes about 2 months to recieve an order, in Canada, the wait time is about 2& half to three months.

[KasaMadhuri777]

Thanks so much, everyone. Even though I originally put my post in the wrong place ( ) I knew I'd get the reassurance I needed from you guys.

 

I'll have to reassure my girlfriend now... which is altogether a different story!

 

I can't wait for 'the precious' to arrive....

[maewitch]

International orders take longer to ship because someone from the Lab has to go and pretty much spend the day in the post office to mail them all out. I am in Australia and still waiting for June 10 and June 22 orders. I e-mailed the Lab and got a reply saying that the June 10 order will ship some time this week. My orders are always huge so maybe this contributes to the delay as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Does the lab ever combine pending orders for international customers? Since they have to wait for there to be the time and an accumulation of orders to make it worth the time, it would seem to make sense to combine orders that are no more than a couple of weeks apart and send them together. Especially when they are earlier orders in the queue than those already going out, no?

[Mrs.Black]

Does the lab ever combine pending orders for international customers? Since they have to wait for there to be the time and an accumulation of orders to make it worth the time, it would seem to make sense to combine orders that are no more than a couple of weeks apart and send them together. Especially when they are earlier orders in the queue than those already going out, no?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In the past I have sometimes received combined orders from the Lab, but within the last nine months or so, my orders have all come packaged separately, even when they were shipped the same day and placed only weeks or days apart.

[Nemesister]

as far as pumpkin patch is concerned i take it for shipping purposes it counts as 5 items and not 1? i have 4 bottles and pumpkin patch to order so presumably i add shipping for 9 items not 5?......wouldn't it still be $11 for both?

 

[/confused]

Edited September 3, 2005 by Nemesister