Posted Thu Apr 18, 2002, 11:31am Subject: Small efforts (or lack of) = big impact
I have to think that Canadian customers represent a significant enough market, for mail order vendors, to make it worthwhile developing a little extra awareness of the small details that can make a big difference. I have fought repeatedly with people about using USPS, etc. and it seems to be a constant struggle, I guess UPS is just too convenient for the shipper. In the past month I've added to my ongoing litany of bad cross border experiences. ESI in Seattle sent me some cups via UPS after assuring me that they would be sent USPS, so I paid a brokerage fee almost equal to to the value of the cups themselves! Unfortunately a call to them to bring that up didn't produce any results. I am certainly an inconsequential customer for them with my small order of cups but all the same I am soured on the company. Josuma uses UPS as their shipping company and I had to wait over 30 days for a bag of Malabar Gold to make its way from California to Calgary. It was in Canada (Vancouver) for a brief while but ended up back in Seattle and then Chicago. UPS wasn't open to refunding any part of the shipping cost but they were not shy about charging a $45 brokerage fee for an item (green beans) that has no tax or duty on it. So now I will think hard about ordering more MG when this 100 lbs runs out. Thankfully there are people like the Smithfarms folks who know about small tricks like the USPS International Priority service, and they actually suggest it to customers in Canada. Small things like that make a big difference to me when I decide who to go back to for repeat business.
Posted Sat Apr 20, 2002, 12:15am Subject: e-Commerce in Canada is non-existant
I'm wondering what's the problem with e-Commerce in Canada. I'm a student recently arrived from the south, and I find it incredibly frustrating to conduct business with Canadian suppliers over the Internet. They often have web sites with pretty pictures and descriptions, but no online stores. Is there some arcane Canadian law that makes e-Commerce difficult for businesses?
Whew -- I've been waiting to get that off my chest for a *long* time. :)
It's true that e-com and cross-border shopping sucks, here but a dose of perspective: we're a market of only about 30 million people. What's that -- 5% of the US population? I'm not happy with it, but I can understand how people would forget us.
Side note: sometimes Canadian prices are actually better: I saw a brushed nickel Gaggia Classic for $509 CAD recently at a Linen Chest (www.linenchest.com).
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