$1255 Sodasorb: The Ecuador nightmare continues

[BigJetDriver]

Tek,

I am impressed that you received some help from our embassy. I've spent a lot of time overseas and, like most, formed the opinion long ago that if you need help as an American in a foreign country you should go immediately to the British embassy. Forget our own!

I had my own nightmare with equipment going to Ecuador for a re-breather expedition to the Galapagos, but in my case it was as a result of the airline not shipping my gear. Fortunately, the organizer had shipped the kitty litter in bulk ahead of time.

Sorry you are having such a rough time.

Cheers!

 

[kidspot]

...First off i would find out if that stuff was really sent via airmail-- i mean a month for airmail--comon!.. If it wasnt sent airmail i would have your sorb place refund you the cost of shipping it air when they really shipped it snail mail and kept the money...

Just a comment (since teksimple implied it was sent via US airmail) In Hawaii we frequently face the same time frame for "airmail" because even though the company may send an item airmail, the post office frequently (6 out of my last 8 "priority" mail packages) ends up putting the package into the "slow boat" bin. Which can take as long as 4 months to arrive over here (and we are still in the U.S.) there is no recourse because it is not guaranteed. The packages arrive stamped for airmail, but due to misshandling on the USPS side, things get mixed up. Of course if the company failed to send it airmail, then you have a valid point.

Just offering a bit of info for those who need something to arrive guaranteed... and shipping outside of the U.S. I would assume gets even worse.

Sorry to hear about your troubles though ...

Tim

 

[DesertEagle]

Maybe "next time" ship it with UPS, DHL or FedEx. And ship to an Equadoran friend.

 

[fdog]

...the post office frequently (6 out of my last 8 "priority" mail packages) ends up putting the package into the "slow boat" bin. Which can take as long as 4 months to arrive over here (and we are still in the U.S.) there is no recourse because it is not guaranteed....

Yet another reason to stay away from the USPS...

I always shudder when a eBay seller insists on using USPS instead of UPS or FedEx. You wait for weeks and wonder what shape it will arrive in.

All the best, James

 

[scubafanatic]

On Friday, I heard that my Sodasorb had finally arrived in Guayaquil, Ecuador, after taking more than a month to arrive via airmail. All I needed to do was fax a copy of my passport with a letter of authorization (in Spanish) to release the Sodasorb to Ecoventura, the operator of the dive vessel Sky Dancer. Oh, and pay $10.00 handling fee. OK, so it would be a grand total of $655 for those three kegs. I had already paid the money, so I had basically resigned myself to the cost.

Recall my previous thread:

$450 to ship 3 Sodasorb kegs to Ecuador!

Today, I get this e-mail from Ecoventura saying that the customs officers want an additional $600 to release my Sodasorb.

$600!!

Holy crap! What kind of corrupt country is this? Now my Sodasorb will have cost me $1255. I lost it this morning at work. I swore in front of my coworkers and everything. There is no way I am going to contribute to corruption like this. I could have bought a first class ticket for my Sodasorb and served it champagne all the way to the Galapagos, for that price. Those Ecuadorian Customs pigs can shove that powder up where the sun does not shine. I will just have to bring it with me in my baggage, on top of my Mk 15.5 and cameras and lights. Infuriating!!!

..........maybe next time pack your Sodasorb within a protective layer of cocaine.......that way it's guaranteed to speedily traverse all South American borders like **** through a goose!

Karl

 

[FreeFloat]

Yet another reason to stay away from the USPS...

I always shudder when a eBay seller insists on using USPS instead of UPS or FedEx. You wait for weeks and wonder what shape it will arrive in.

When I buy things from eBay, I now insist on having them shipped to me via USPS. Being in Canada, I've been soaked by UPS. I bought an $18 item and paid the seller $12 shipping - then had UPS hold my item and demand a further $25 from me for "brokerage" fees! If I had had the same item shipped USPS it would have been an $18 item with $6 for shipping, total of $24, and would have arrived only about 4 days later than the UPS-shipped item had. As it was, it cost me $55 and was held for several days because UPS insisted on stopping in during the daytimes when I was at work and leaving delivery-attempt labels on my door.

I've seldom had to wait longer than 10 - 14 days for USPS shipped items.

And it gets worse, apparently........ there's an entire thread on TDS as to why you don't want to ship to Canada via UPS.

Now back to your regularly scheduled topic.......

 

[fdog]

When I buy things from eBay, I now insist on having them shipped to me via USPS.....

Well, yes, when getting stuff to/from Canada I prefer FedEx. I agree UPS is waaaaay wrong for hopping across the border.

Anything in the lower 48, and I stay away from the Postal Service like the plague.

All the best, James

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Anything in the lower 48, and I stay away from the Postal Service like the plague.

Me too. We recently got a notice from the post office that we would have to come down and pick up a package. Funny thing is that my wife was in the apartment all day on the day they left the notice. When I called and asked why it wasn't delivered they told me that they are not required to deliver above the 2nd floor if there is no elevator. We lived on the third floor. The package weighed about 3 pounds.

Nor rain, nor sleet, nor dark of night... BUT stairs are a different story.

 

[KrisB]

Yet another reason to stay away from the USPS...

I always shudder when a eBay seller insists on using USPS instead of UPS or FedEx. You wait for weeks and wonder what shape it will arrive in.

All the best, James

[composed before seeing FreeFloat's post]

Living in Canada, I always shudder when an eBay seller insists on using UPS or Fedex over USPS. In fact, there are only two couriers work shipping through in Canada: Purolator and Mayne Logistics (formerly Loomis). CanadaPost is relatively reliable, but doesn't provide an overnight/2-day service.

You see, USPS turns over their cargo to CanadaPost on this side of the border, and the duty and taxes charged are often nothing (i.e. they don't bother charging)... UPS and Fedex like to charge a brokerage fee (I've seen it for $50) and always have the taxes and duties on there.

So, there are two sides to every coin, it seems.