Tuesday, October 5, 2010

About shipping

I wanted to talk about some of the shipping methods I use to ship my artwork.For North American shipments I usually use Expedited parcel(Canada Post), Express post , or UPS. Depending on size I've found Expedited Parcel to be one of the most reliable and affordable methods of shipping.It's considered a business class and sits between regular mail and Express.It usually takes about 4-6 business days to most major centers in North America. Insurance is also included up to $5000.There's also no issues with brokerage fees to the U.S. since it's Canada Post.

Express Post is another option I frequently use when a customer requires a piece faster than 4-6 business days.Express Post Usually takes 2-4 business days guaranteed in North America.It costs more than Expedited but Express post is a courier service.Canada post usually subcontracts these shipments to companies like FedEx or UPS.The main advantage being the lack of brokerage fees(crossing the border) and the ability to insure the artwork(UPS no longer insures artwork packed by the customer).If you miss the delivery the artwork will be left at the nearest postal outlet.

UPS is the last shipping service I use. There's just some pieces that are too big to be shipped any other way and UPS has a stronger base in Canada than FedEx. They're fairly affordable but I've found that when shipping to residential addresses they always come in the day when people are usually at work. If you miss the delivery you'll have to call the number on the yellow slip they leave and arrange a time for the next delivery attempt(they make up to 3 delivery attempts).
Then there's the issue of brokerage fees.Packages under $200usd are exempt from brokerage fees.After that there's a fee for bringing the work across the border.This is not a duty or tax(Original artwork is duty free).

Hopefully that shed some light on the confusing world of shipping.

0 comments:

Post a Comment