Using regular parcel services to ship belongings?
 

Hi everyone. I was recently granted a permanent residence visa to move to Canada and therefore will be a British Expat as of February 24th! I figured it would be a good idea to read about various related things and one of these things is shipping.

I was granted my visa as a result of being married to my wife. I have only just finished uni and therefore have no furniture etc to my name and having calculated what I need to ship, it will be in the region of about 7 medium boxes and one suitcase.

I spoke to representatives at TransGlobal and DHL about this situation and I was given some... well almost cryptic information. TransGlobal told me that they think that for the volume I am sending, it would be cheaper and faster to use regular DHL shipping. Admittedly, it has always been very good when I have used them for one or two parcels before. However, I have a nagging worry that customs will be a headache this time.

I am going to declare all my stuff on a "goods to follow" form so I don't pay any import duty. Now I know that I have to collect these goods in person, which is absolutely fine- except DHL said that they have no facilities to store packages. Also, I believe the DHL hub is in Hamilton rather than Toronto. Essentially, I am wondering if anyone can provide me with any information on the legalities and logistics of shipping my stuff through DHL.

The reason why I used cryptic before was because DHL said that they believed Canadian customs have a large amount of warehouse space and are happy to keep stuff until it is cleared. The Wiki on this website however, seems to suggest that it is the responsibility of the shipping companies to hold any items in bond.

Are DHL just saying whatever they can so I part with my money, no matter how it affects me? Or could I actually follow all the laws and regulations to the letter and still use a regular courier service?

Any advice would be gratefully received. I am landing in Toronto on the 24th February and will be staying until the following Sunday 27th. I am happy to ship my stuff well in advance if it will take a good while to get there, I just need to make sure it is there in that period because where I intend to live is a good 7 hours drive from Toronto.

Thanks in advance for your help and I will make sure I try and help others as much as possible in return!

Re: Using regular parcel services to ship belongings?
 

Air freight would probably be the best bet. Some companies will pick up from your home and you collect from the airport in Canada, though others will expect you to bring the packed boxes to the airport in UK.

Re: Using regular parcel services to ship belongings?
 

I am in a similar position and looking to ship only a few boxes, mostly of books. I Googled 'luggage shipping' and got a few companies. As canmoreskier said, some will do door-to-door, others only airport/seaport to airport/seaport. In either case, you may have to go in person to customs to have the boxes cleared before you can get them.

Ray

Re: Using regular parcel services to ship belongings?
 

Hi MattDF

I have used DHL via Transglobal to ship 8 boxes last Oct so I know exactly how it works......can I ask one question first, who are you flying with on Feb 24th?

Cheers

JB

Re: Using regular parcel services to ship belongings?
 

Hey,

Just wanted to update anyone searching the same thing as me. I spoke to the Canada Border Agency and they informed me that any holding in bond of items must be done by the shipping company. Since DHL were clear that they do not have any such facilities, I have decided that Air Freight is the way I will be going.

I spoke to TransGlobal on the phone today and they will be letting me know what the storage charges are like depending on who I ship with. I will hopefully be able to update people with relevant information tomorrow.

Thanks for your help and thought on this matter and I hope that I can in turn help back!

Re: Using regular parcel services to ship belongings?
 

Does DHL have a depot at the place or near the place you are going to live in Canada? I shipped with DHL and it went UK - Toronto - Ottawa without my input. It was moved between Toronto and Ottawa via DHL under the bonded goods route. I got the customs paperwork when the goods arrived in Ottawa and got the customs clearance using my goods to follow list. The goods were then released by DHL, who offered to deliver them but I decided to throw them in the car instead.

I asked about your airline as if it is Airtransat then you can pay them to take it as Cargo on the same flight as you and the rate is better then DHL etc.

Cheers

JB

Re: Using regular parcel services to ship belongings?
 

I think the nearest DHL hub is North Bay, still a good distance from where I will be moving to. Apparently I can get Air Freight for under £1.50/kg so around £200 to ship my life abroad is not something I will complain about!

Also, I am not flying Air Transat but Thomas Cook. I wanted Air Transat but they do not have any flights that day. Also, I am already going to be staying in TO for a few days once I land so it is convenient to get my stuff from there.

Re: Using regular parcel services to ship belongings?
 

Thats cool.

I would have used the Air Freight service to the airport but we landed on a Friday afternoon and would not have had enough time to clear the goods through customs before they closed for the weekend. We were only in Toronto for a night before we travelled around and was in Ottawa by the following monday, hence the "to home" route via Transglobal/DHL
Cheers

JB

Re: Using regular parcel services to ship belongings?
 

Ah... see I will be landing on Thursday and although my stuff will arrive before me, I should be getting a quote tomorrow for what they charge per day for storage. In an ideal world, my stuff might go on a flight leaving Wednesday- which would be ideal. If needs be though, I will send it to be shipped on the Sunday flight. A little more cost, but cheaper than an extra 14 hours driving because I missed my stuff the first time!