Looking For A Little Reassurance...

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

gervais

Lifer
Sep 4, 2019
2,237
8,044
40
Ontario
So this hopefully isn't a big deal or anything to worry about, but I placed a rather large order that included a nice pipe, nice lighter, and quite a bit of tobacco that is 4 days past the delivery date. Normally I wouldn't worry about this because I normally keep orders small, but this one was alot of money. I order from this place on a regular basis and have never had a late delivery, in fact it's always a day or two early. It is not held up in customs, it definitely passed through and was in transit. Should I be worrying about my stuff, or is this common to have a delivery held up this late? Thanks
 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,541
26,875
50
Las Vegas
I wouldn't worry too much. If your tracking number doesn't show anything it probably is actually still in customs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gervais

gervais

Lifer
Sep 4, 2019
2,237
8,044
40
Ontario
I wouldn't worry too much. If your tracking number doesn't show anything it probably is actually still in customs.
Well it says that it is through customs and currently in transit within Canada now. I'm almost 100% sure that it went through customs just fine, because the tracking info would have stated that it was being reviewed by them
 

redglow

Lifer
Jan 7, 2019
1,850
4,668
Michigan
You never know. Could just be a weather related delay. Or a truck broke down, or someone called in sick and things didn't get out on time.

Try calling them if you don't get it on Monday.

I've been in this spot before. A supplier mailed out a big selection of tobacco and forgot to put in one of the tins. They mailed me the missing tin and I still did not get it. Not sure if they screwed up or it was stolen off of my porch. I called again and told them that I still hadn't received it and they overnighted it to me at no charge. Things happen. But, it'll get worked out in your favor eventually.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gervais
Mar 1, 2014
3,665
4,974
Living in Alberta I've never had a tobacco order disappear. If it's late then you've probably just got some nice surprises taped to the box.

Personally I wouldn't bother ordering tobacco from the states anymore. Pipe Tobacco may not be easy to come by inside the country but Cigars are surprisingly available.
I know we're not in the Cigar section but fact is if you're going to have any tobacco experience at all your best options are either to find an excuse to drive to the states and bring back a few tins of Pipe Tobacco and a box of Cigars, in which case you're still not getting much use out of the pipe, or just order cigars from the local online shops.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: gervais

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,211
60,666
I don't know if it is on the way to you via the mail or a courier. If it has tracked going through customs, that is probably where it is by now. Since it is not my order, I feel fairly confident that it will get there soon if a little late. But it wouldn't hurt to start contacting the postal system or courier to express concern. That should bring it right to your door ... just because life is ironic that way. I try to take reading material to wait in line because that insures I won't have any time to read.
 

canadianpuffer

Can't Leave
Oct 8, 2017
301
488
I wouldn’t worry. I only buy from the US, it will eventually show up.
Calling Canada post is useless btw. They only see what is online. If 30 days passes, then your vendor can start a claim on the US side. The receiver can’t really do anything.
as long as after customs, it says item processed “insert whatever city” it’s on it’s way to you. If it doesn’t, then it’s still being processed by the cbsa and it will be released when they feel like it lol
 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,194
15,072
The Arm of Orion
Best purchasing practice: if buying from outside the country, never buy pipes and tobacco in the same order; tobacco is likely to cause delays and/or high duty fees and/or loss of the parcel. Keep those things separate: better to pay for shipping twice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Casual

gervais

Lifer
Sep 4, 2019
2,237
8,044
40
Ontario
So just an update. My package is still floating around "in transit" for almost 2 weeks now....less than 2 hours from my house. I hope it just fell off a sorting machine somewhere and they find it. Have alot of good stuff in that box :cry:
 
  • Sad
Reactions: lightmybriar

lightmybriar

Lifer
Mar 11, 2014
1,315
1,842
I’m in the US, and after three hours on hold with USPS, I was told a MarTelo pipe I’ve been expecting is being returned to sender due to an address issue. I told them I would provide the correct address for them, and that there’s no need to send it all the way back to Brazil. They told me they’re sorry, but they can’t flag the box. I don’t know how that is, seeing as it’s scanned anytime it arrives or leaves anywhere.

I watched it through online tracking go from my post office in Ohio, to Chicago, then to Atlanta, and now back to Brazil.

It’s a bummer you’ve still got a box on the loose! Mail issues are always a pain! Hopefully we’ll both be happy and in possession of our boxes very soon!
 

gervais

Lifer
Sep 4, 2019
2,237
8,044
40
Ontario
I’m in the US, and after three hours on hold with USPS, I was told a MarTelo pipe I’ve been expecting is being returned to sender due to an address issue. I told them I would provide the correct address for them, and that there’s no need to send it all the way back to Brazil. They told me they’re sorry, but they can’t flag the box. I don’t know how that is, seeing as it’s scanned anytime it arrives or leaves anywhere.

I watched it through online tracking go from my post office in Ohio, to Chicago, then to Atlanta, and now back to Brazil.

It’s a bummer you’ve still got a box on the loose! Mail issues are always a pain! Hopefully we’ll both be happy and in possession of our boxes very soon!
Sorry to hear you are going through same problems. Mail issues are absolutely a pita
 
  • Like
Reactions: lightmybriar

pipestud

Lifer
Dec 6, 2012
2,012
1,771
Robinson, TX.
I can't count the times over the years that a delivery posted on a carrier's website didn't match up when shipping overseas or to Canada where customs is often stricter and wackier than many other countries that are actually on different continents. I've even had packages returned to me from Canada that I declared as "second hand collectible pipe tobacco tins" that they said were returned because they were "under valued." Now how the heck can they justify that?
 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,194
15,072
The Arm of Orion
I can't count the times over the years that a delivery posted on a carrier's website didn't match up when shipping overseas or to Canada where customs is often stricter and wackier than many other countries that are actually on different continents. I've even had packages returned to me from Canada that I declared as "second hand collectible pipe tobacco tins" that they said were returned because they were "under valued." Now how the heck can they justify that?
There's no rhyme or reason to their modus operandi. I got to-day a parcel from SPC for which I chose super saver, which means no tracking, you just cross your fingers and try to forget about it (it'll be here when it does, kinda thing). Ordered on Feb. 1st, it arrived on Feb. 13. Not bad. Again, no rhyme or reason: contents were fully declared and customs decided to assess no duties—I'll drink to that, maybe they've still some Christmas spirit left—, whereas other times they ding me. It's a crapshoot every time.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: gervais

F4RM3R

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 28, 2019
567
2,517
39
Canada
Depends if you package says "arrived" at customs or if it said something like completed customs. First it can arrive in customs in Toronto and then be sent somewhere else and customs completed. I had some whole leaf stuff take at least a week at customs.
 

Casual

Lifer
Oct 3, 2019
2,579
9,444
NL, CA
I've even had packages returned to me from Canada that I declared as "second hand collectible pipe tobacco tins" that they said were returned because they were "under valued." Now how the heck can they justify that?

Because there is so much lying on customs forms, the customs officers have broad leeway to use their own judgment. This leads to lots of inconsistencies, and it’s why I dislike when a vendor tries to do me a favour and mislead about the package on the form.

Once I ordered fountain pen ink from Japan. The vendor did me a “favour“ by labelling it as empty bottles. Customs opened the package, saw the bottles weren’t empty, but couldn’t read the Japanese label to know what it really was. So they decided it was perfume and tacked on a huge $100 duty as though it was perfume. On a $20 bottle of ink.

Hard to blame Customs in that case. Everyone lies to them.
 

mikethompson

Lifer
Jun 26, 2016
11,972
26,208
Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
placed a rather large order that included a nice pipe, nice lighter, and quite a bit of tobacco that is 4 days past the delivery date

I know you are in my neck of the woods. Something to consider is all the freight train delays on account of the pipeline protests (that is NOT political bait some of you). That could affect your delivery times.
 

pipestud

Lifer
Dec 6, 2012
2,012
1,771
Robinson, TX.
Because there is so much lying on customs forms, the customs officers have broad leeway to use their own judgment. This leads to lots of inconsistencies, and it’s why I dislike when a vendor tries to do me a favour and mislead about the package on the form.

Once I ordered fountain pen ink from Japan. The vendor did me a “favour“ by labelling it as empty bottles. Customs opened the package, saw the bottles weren’t empty, but couldn’t read the Japanese label to know what it really was. So they decided it was perfume and tacked on a huge $100 duty as though it was perfume. On a $20 bottle of ink.

Hard to blame Customs in that case. Everyone lies to them.

I don't think I would be so all inclusive, Casual. Everyone does not lie to customs. No system is perfect and I believe that customs officials do a great job overall, especially considering the monstrous volume of packages that must be evaluated every day. However, when my declaration of contents and value was 100% accurate and I still had the package refused and returned, that was very aggravating. Especially because I was simply trying to service one of my customers. I've had other issues with Canadian customs (such as their propensity for holding packages forever before releasing them). I do ship perhaps 20-30 packages a month to Canada and am totally satisfied 98% of the time, You used the words "lots of inconsistencies," and while I'd revise that to "some" inconsistencies when referring to Canadian customs, that is indeed what bugs me.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.