Scotweb kilts

[The Wizard of BC]

unixken,

ParcelForce is part of Royal Mail Group Ltd.
They handle the larger or heavier parcels for Royal Mail. They operate much the same as the USPS Parcel Post. Tracking numbers are used on almost every package. It is their internal system of handling the volume. What you pay for is access to their internal system. The average cost for a tracking number is about $1.50 if you want one. Frankly, don't bother. All a tracking number will tell you is where your package was the last time it was scanned. It is not insurance of any sort.

All the other services such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, Purolater, operate not as parcel services but more as publicly accessible courier companies and have much the same brokerage agent contracts. That is how a bonded courier works to insure contraband is not moved across international borders.

Yes, the courier companies do say that they can get your package there faster but you pay an arm and a leg for the increased rush. They figure if you want your kilt so fast that you are willing to pay extra for it, they will expedite the paperwork for you, and you won't mind.



The best apples to apples --oranges to oranges--- example I can give is this:

In the last 30 days I have received two, almost identical boxes sent between the same two locations. Glasgow, Scotland and Victoria, BC
Both had almost identical contents. The weight and volume difference between the two were negligible. One was sent via ParcelForce and the other was sent via DHL.

The shipper in Scotland paid £31.46GBP to send via ParcelForce and £89.93GBP via DHL.

On my end the DHL package was enroute two day less than the ParcelForce package.

Neither package was processed by my private import broker even though the Broker's name and contact info were plainly on both packages.

Import duty and taxes on my end were--- $115.62cdn for the DHL package, and $23.21cdn for the ParcelForce package..

I was given no tracking number by the shipper for either package.


Bottom line----
That is a real cost to me difference of $185.05cdn on top of the cost of the items in the boxes. For a savings of two days transit time. The additional cost to me I am forced pass on to my customers by increasing the cost of the products in my store.



I re-iterate. Stay with the postal systems if at all possible.