Canada Surface Mail

[Tony T]

Has anyone had any experience with surface mail out of Canada?
There's a part over there that I want, but air mail makes the cost more than it's worth.
I guess that I'm just looking for some reassurance that I will get it in the end, even if it does take up to 6 weeks. 

[vmxken]

Hi Tony - I've had a few parts in the past come this way and yes, they always arrive.  Currently waiting on a hub/rim/spokes from Canada that was posted well over a month ago but I'm sure it will turn up soon.

[Canam370]

I've had a bit of stuff out of Canada. It usually takes forever but I haven't had anything not arrive. If you plunk for the priority service its a lot quicker. I do admit that my decision to purchase from Canada is tempered by the potential postal delays.

[Doc]

Yes. It will eventually arrive..but sometimes it's closer to 8 weeks

[PEZBerq]

Canada Post is one of the worlds slowest. I have has stuff take 10 weeks and even had one seller who said he wouldn't ship until the Canada Post workers came off strike! But as their airmail prices are outrageous you don't have much choice but to wait.

[Tony T]

Thanks gentlemen.
Unfortunately, it's something that I just haven't been able to find anywhere else and having blown most of my budget on the engine and other mechanical stuff, I'm trying to save few bucks when I can. 
Thanks for the reassurance that I'll get it eventually.

[TM BILL]

Once waited 9 MONTHS yep MONTHS not weeks for a cyl head from canada  I now avoid buying anything from there .

[Rossvickicampbell]

Canada mail is soooo expensive.

[Lozza]

I get a bit of stuff Dangerous Dave in Vancouver, prices and delivery times are close to west coast US. I would reckon time of year might have a lot to do with Canadian delivery times

[Stevo17]

Canadian Customs held me to ransom at the wharf when shipping a couple of bikes..... apparently they had to unload the container to do a random inspection and charged me $500 for the privilege

[firko]

All of the above..with gusto! Canada has the worst mail system in the western world, it's unbelievably inefficient, as expensive as shit and you never quite know if you'll ever get your item. It'd have to be an amazing deal for me to deal with anybody in Canada again, I never received the PVL ignition I bought from a bloke in Manitoba and Canada Post showed rude indifference to both the sellers and my enquiries as to the wherabouts of the package. Paypal reimbursed my money but I suspect he ended up out of pocket by the deal. Another time, because of one of the frequent Canada Post strikes the seller FedExed the item to a mate of his in New York who then mailed it on via USPS.

Despite what we may think, OzPost is considered one of the more efficient postal services in the world. They actually make decent profits(something rarely seen elsewhere in the world). and you can be pretty sure your item will arrive at its destination.

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/blog/business_briefings/28254--canada-post-s-inefficient-monopoly
http://www.citizen.on.ca/news/2009-12-16/mailbox/019.html

[crash n bern]

Yep. I paid $100 to get a Canam Sonic tank shipped.  I thought at that price it was airmail and started panicking when it hadn't turned up after a month.  I notified the seller that I have to start a Paypal claim before it expired.  He said it was the last time he'll ship to Aus. He then mentioned that he sent it surface mail.  It arrived after two months.  That same tank would of cost $45 airmail or around $20 surface mail out of the States.  It's probably cheaper to get things out of Canada sent to a mail forwarding company in the U.S. and then onto you.

[GD66]

Aha, so it's not just me !! A few years ago I was delighted to score some hard-to-get gearbox stuff for my CB350 roadracer off ebay, from memory a shifter drum with straight forks for $9.95 and a full gearbox cluster with bearings for $12.50, BARGAIN !! The postage cost was initially rather daunting, at a meagre $91 , but it was still a viable exercise....for the first couple of months. The bloke I was dealing with in Quebec seemed genuine enough, and eventually did caution me that Canada Post were fkn WOEFUL, and to get settled in for the long haul.
Finally the bits turned up, but it was only a day or two inside four months.... .
  A friend who worked up there for a couple of years as a roadrace mechanic said the postal system was so bad they more or less had posters in the post office saying, We're appalling, it won't be improving, seek other options...

[Tim754]

 Canada post Tony . Will arrive.... but AAARRRGGGGGGGGG the time and the cost is deplorable!   Ok just the same as all above that have answered . I avoid buying from Canada just because of the expensive but piss poor post/freight systems they have in place.

[XC83]

But, if you are willing to pay the premium rate for air express then it only took 5 days to get my box of stuff from BC to Coledale!