Hello MFC! I am hoping that you can shed some light on AmiAmi's Air Small Packet shipping option.
I recently purchased ITEM #78589 and picture/547216&..., totalling $160 CAD. I usually select EMS when I order items worth over $100, and every other shipment tends to get hit with $25 to $35 in customs fees. In an effort to save some cash, I've decided to explore other shipping options. I initially considered using Registered SAL since I'm not too fussy on the delivery timeframe at this point; however Canada Post tends to leave SAL packages in my mailbox. Seeing as the temperature this summer has been rising to way above 30 degrees celsius (it hit 40 today), I do not want to risk coming home to a melted Makise Kurisu figure.
Given the concerns above, I decided that maybe Air Small Packet is the way to go. Before going this route, I would like to hear about some of your experiences with this shipping option: the likelihood of having to pay customs? Signature upon delivery or left in your mailbox/by front door? Condition of package when it arrives? etc...
I am aware that CBSA randomly checks packages and can open any package that comes into Canada. With EMS being a priority item, packages shipped via this option usually draws more attention, hence the higher chance of having to pay customs (or so I've been told). Based on my experience, the size of the EMS package is not a factor when it comes to being flagged by customs, seeing as I didn't have to pay any fees on my gigantic Ultimate Madoka parcel, whereas my tiny Yuri Lowell parcel (also shipped via EMS) was hit with a $26 fee.
I am hoping that Air Small Packet won't be flagged as often.
In case you are wondering, below are the costs for the various shipping options:
EMS : 2,880 JPY
Air Small Packet : 2,320 JPY
SAL Small Packet (Registered) : 1,790 JPY
SAL Small Packet (Unregistered) : 1,380 JPY
SAL Parcel : 3,045 JPY
Your thoughts/comments are most appreciated!
I recently purchased ITEM #78589 and picture/547216&..., totalling $160 CAD. I usually select EMS when I order items worth over $100, and every other shipment tends to get hit with $25 to $35 in customs fees. In an effort to save some cash, I've decided to explore other shipping options. I initially considered using Registered SAL since I'm not too fussy on the delivery timeframe at this point; however Canada Post tends to leave SAL packages in my mailbox. Seeing as the temperature this summer has been rising to way above 30 degrees celsius (it hit 40 today), I do not want to risk coming home to a melted Makise Kurisu figure.
Given the concerns above, I decided that maybe Air Small Packet is the way to go. Before going this route, I would like to hear about some of your experiences with this shipping option: the likelihood of having to pay customs? Signature upon delivery or left in your mailbox/by front door? Condition of package when it arrives? etc...
I am aware that CBSA randomly checks packages and can open any package that comes into Canada. With EMS being a priority item, packages shipped via this option usually draws more attention, hence the higher chance of having to pay customs (or so I've been told). Based on my experience, the size of the EMS package is not a factor when it comes to being flagged by customs, seeing as I didn't have to pay any fees on my gigantic Ultimate Madoka parcel, whereas my tiny Yuri Lowell parcel (also shipped via EMS) was hit with a $26 fee.
I am hoping that Air Small Packet won't be flagged as often.
In case you are wondering, below are the costs for the various shipping options:
EMS : 2,880 JPY
Air Small Packet : 2,320 JPY
SAL Small Packet (Registered) : 1,790 JPY
SAL Small Packet (Unregistered) : 1,380 JPY
SAL Parcel : 3,045 JPY
Your thoughts/comments are most appreciated!
Comments18
PS: All 3 of them are releasing in the same month and hence would love if it came in a single package.
should be fine generally 2 nendoroids are around 2.1 pounds with packing and add a figuarts you might be fine.
PS: All 3 of them are releasing in the same month and hence would love if it came in a single package.
That's actually really weird. First of all, no matter what, so long as it's registered mail, so long as it's got tracking and you're supposed to sign for it, your local post office should not just be leaving that package in your mailbox. Or else there would be no point to the whole 'signing' deal. As for the Lettermail vs. Xpresspost thing, there shouldn't really be a difference in how they're handled. I've had tracking numbers turn to Lettermail status from Xpresspost (and vise-versa) the minute the packages arrives in Canada with absolutely no difference in how/when they get to me at all. I think you should just have a talk with your local post office about that. I got chided by my postal office a while ago when I asked them if they could just leave all my packages (Reg and UnReg) in my mailbox. They themselves said no for the Reg packages because they're not really permitted to do so.
If you go for UnRegSAL, size-permitting, they will more than likely leave it in your mailbox (one time I actually even had the mail lady come up to me and pass it herself).
Personally, unless it's a really expensive item, I like to have it shipped Unregistered. Mail for my area comes anytime between 4-6 in the afternoon and I can't pick it up till I get home from work at about 11 in the night. Even with the heat, I find that whatever's inside will more than likely be fine. I avoid customs fees pretty well this way too even in comparison to just RegSAL. Never been charged customs on UnReg, while I get charged maybe two out of five times for Reg.
That's odd.. I've shipped once with registered SAL via AmiAmi and it ended up at my postal office when they couldn't reach me at the door. Could it be a mistake? Maybe fire AmiAmi an email and see if they could include a message to ship to postal office. It's an allowed destination via: www.canadapost....
I used Registered SAL with both AmiAmi and Hobby Search before - it seems that SAL packages coming from AmiAmi are left in my mailbox, while those from Hobby Search are transferred to my local post office for pick up. I noticed a difference in the type of shipping service from Canada Post when I checked the tracking: AmiAmi's parcels were marked as "Lettermail" and Hobby Search's parcels were "Xpresspost" even though both were shipped by Registered SAL. I am assuming that in this case when I go with AmiAmi's Registered SAL, my package will once again be marked as Lettermail and simply left in my mailbox along with the rest of my regular mail. I'm not sure why Canada Post treats my Registered SAL parcels differently though...
Unless im forced to go by ems ..
Which costs me a handful.. Like 4-5k while SAL is only 800-1800 usually