Canada is pissing me off.

I'm sorry for your pain. I have little experience with Canada- I once ordered an item from there and had to wait a month before it got through customs and decided to never order from Canada again after that.

You could always take a road trip to America once every six months and stock up on the gifts you want to get for people for upcoming birthdays and holidays that you can't get in Canada. Or see if someone in America will send you the gifts. (Although I'd give it at least a month before it actually arrived through customs)

Thanks PinkWeeds It's all very frustrating! I think the thing that adds insult to injury is that I live right on the Canadian-American border. I can see the bridge to the USA from my backyard and if I go to the river which is 3 minutes away by car I can see the American coast line across the water yet when I want to order something it seems like it's a world away.

Right now I'm trying to see if anyone I know has a US P.O box so that I could get the package shipped to it and just go over and pick it up. I called the US post office right at the border and asked about getting a package sent there through "general delivery" and the woman said she would do it one time only (because they encourage the use of a PO box) but when I called Amazon.com they said they were not sure if it would ship general delivery until I order it and the shipper is assigned because UPS wont do it but USPS will.

The only problem with this plan is that yesterday there were 8 items on Amazon that I wanted and today there's only 4 left so if I want one I have to act quickly.

Ugh, why can't it just ship internationally? Or better yet why can't Amazon.ca carry it?! hahaha

is there someone you can send it to in america who will then send it on to you?(or collect a few items then send them in a larger package) or is near you to drive it over?

Unfortunately there's no one that I can send it to in the US however there is a place called "Ship-it Shop" and they allow you to get packages delivered there for a fee but you have to pick it up yourself. So when it arrives I'm going to have to venture over the border to get it which is not a big deal.

So although I've ordered the item (it was a special edition vinyl record) and I've found a solution I'm still baffled at how much easier it would be if I could just get it shipped here.

Oh well, could be worse

Lo,

Girl...I feel your pain. I moved to Canada in 2007 and was shocked at the price of "things" in general. The second shock came when I found out that there are "things" you can not obtain here if you wanted to. I just found a ring on ebay I wanted. Guess what...they don't ship to Canada. When I asked the seller why, they said that Canada post is horrible for losing and/or stealing packages than any other country they deal with. The seller was from CHINA....and CANADA is worse! Unbelievable.

Even if you can get somethings shipped to you, the duties seem arbitrary and over the top. I have pretty much given up on getting things shipped to me. If it isn't the shipping fees and duties that keep me away, it is the poor service at Canada Post. Things just take far too long to get to me.

Hi Corvus! Canada definately has to be one of the worst places to shop! If you are shopping online it's a nightmare and as for shopping in stores, you are right about everything being more expensive or not carried.

It is very sickening to look at a price tag and see $7 US and $10 Canadian for the same thing.

If you don't mind my asking, where did you move here from? I'm very interested in hearing about other countries and where people are from.

Lo, I moved to New Brunswick from the USA. My husband is from Brampton, ON. We choose NB because we could buy a house here outright and still live for a bit without working. We both wanted to write novels (which we did.)

I lived on the US/Mexico border for 6 years, then moved to New Jersey (where I grew up). In 2006, I met my hubby and ended up in New Brunswick. I haven't been back to the States in about a year and a 1/2...but when I do I stock up on stuff. My Dad lives in a town with 3% sales tax...I feel happy just thinking about it LOL.

3% sales tax! Wow. That's amazing.

You've been all about the country haven't you? And now you're in Canada... That's very cool, I've lived in the same small city all my life (other than my 2 years away at University which I attended to be a writer. It's very cool that you and your husband have both written novels. I have nothing other than a few local newspaper articles published in my name yet but I plan on putting out a novel or two in my lifetime

Lo, I now have more reason to be pissed off at the Postal Service. My last two swaps went missing. $14 in postage down the drain. I can submit a complaint (and will). You can't get the time you put into the crafts back and that is a pain in the bum....

the time, and the love too, if i have to make something to replace i dont feel the same about it.

OHHHH good news, Libby got the first dotee doll I sent her. I did send a second one...but liked the first much better. It took over 2 months to get to her.

Nikki, I felt the exact way you described. My second dotee wasn't nearly as well loved as the first. I am now waiting to see if my jewelry swap package gets to its final destination.

I am only going to swap paper crafts from now on. I just can't trust the post to be efficient. It just isn't fair to the people on the other end of the swap.