Shipping to Canada Questions/Problem

[Atomic08]

Hello...
anyone from Canada??
I had a forum member purchase some Typhoon H items from me..
4 Typhoon H batteries, the Wizard, Battery Charger kit, and backpack.
Took it to our local US post office unsealed, for inspection, and weighted shipping fees.'
taped it all up and labeled and filled out the customs forms. This was on June 12.
The lady at the post office said shipping the batteries will not be a problem.
I found out this morning that it failed US Customs and is being returned to me.

I have sent to the UK with no problems.

Does anyone know why this failed US Customs?
or did it fail Canadian Customs?
The package never left the US.
I am told by the Post Office that I will not get any postal fees back, and that is a lot of Money to have to resend !

Thanks !

 

[PatR]

Just curious, was the word “drone” used in any part of the export declaration?

 

[Atomic08]

Just curious, was the word “drone” used in any part of the export declaration?

Yes...it was labeled with Drone Parts...
as suggested by the postal worker.

Just looked at the Customs label
I had to Itemize the package contents
Checked "Other" Wrote "Drone Parts"
Description of Contents
4 Batteries plus declared value'
1 Remote
1 Charge Kit
1 Backpack

 

[PatR]

“Drone parts” stopped it.

Be a little smarter than the postal worker and call the shipment radio control hobby supplies. You can break down the parts list from there without ever using the word “drone” as batteries, chargers, wiring, and other things like landing gear, servos, controllers, etc., are generic to the RC hobby. A backpack is a backpack and used for anything.

As the shipment was stopped on the U.S. side I suspect the Post Office chose the side of caution and refused to export “drone” technology out of the United States. We have an International Trade in Arms (ITAR) regulation that prohibits any export of drone technology, be it hardware, software, or intellectual property unless and until it is approved by the Department of State.

Government employees are not paid to think or reason, they are required to comply with rules, and refusing to ship “drone” parts meets that requirement to a “T”. They don’t know the stuff is commonly sold over the counter all over the world and they aren’t going to step back and read several hundred pages of a federal law that most drone/aerospace, DoD companies have full departments dedicated to ITAR compliance to figure it out.

 

[HHammoud]

I’m the buyer of these accessories and by following the tracking I’m amazed by the package trajectory. Today, it says that it has been released by us customs and the package is in New Jersey.

The tracking history so far is:
Released from US Customs
Your item has been released from US Customs.
June 21, 2019, 6:09 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 21, 2019, 1:24 pm
Departed USPS Regional Facility
JERSEY CITY NJ NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 21, 2019
In Transit to Next Facility
June 20, 2019, 6:59 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JERSEY CITY NJ NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 20, 2019, 4:05 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
NEWARK NJ DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 20, 2019, 9:29 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
NORTHWEST ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 19, 2019, 4:55 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
NORTHWEST ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 18, 2019, 9:58 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
METRO NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 18, 2019, 9:55 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
METRO NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 14, 2019, 1:53 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 14, 2019, 12:53 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
NEWARK NJ DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 13, 2019, 5:51 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
NEWARK NJ DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 13, 2019, 9:45 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
NORTHWEST ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 13, 2019, 3:44 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
NORTHWEST ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 12, 2019, 1:23 pm
USPS in possession of item
ENDICOTT, NY 13760

The guys in Rochester must be tired to see this package going back and forth.

 

[ChuckBridges]

I have purchased parts out of the US to Canada and can tell you the Customs thing can really foul you up. Some gave sat in Customs for weeks. Even my landing gear got held up

 

[PatR]

HHammond,

That routing has it looking like nobody knows what to do with it so they keep kicking it to the next station in line to make it their problem.

 

[Atomic08]

UPDATE:
Well it is back in Rochester, NY !
Here is the route as of 3PM today !

June 26, 2019, 2:29 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
NORTHWEST ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
Your item arrived at our USPS facility in NORTHWEST ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER on June 26, 2019 at 2:29 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination.
June 26, 2019, 5:58 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
METRO NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 25, 2019, 10:57 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
METRO NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER
June 21, 2019, 6:09 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Today I had many calls to the Postal Offices it visited with no help until I call my shipping Office.
Before that I called our Local US Customs office and asked about customs procedures with the package contents.
She told me that once it cleared US Customs, it was good to go ! It was cleared at least three times.
LiPo batteries where OK to ship.
It appears that the problem is with the USPS , NOT US Customs.

My local USPS office looked into the matter and called me back tonight at 4:30 and said it was denied because it had more than two LiPo batteries. Weird because I just took delivery of my New Autel EVO and I got the Rugged Bundle with 4 batteries in the package with the EVO.

So I have to wait for it to be returned to me so I can reship the package.
I want to thank HHammoud for his patience and understanding !
Here is a Scan Photo the Post Office sent me:

 

[PatR]

I was not aware our USPS had a 2 lipo limit.

 

[Atomic08]

UPDATE # 2:
....so I just got back from the Post Office after picking up my returned package.
We opened the package to review the contents and
Had a Long talk with three of the Postal Employees and they where confused as to why the package was returned.
One of the senior employees made some phone calls and came back with this training page.



Notes on the right side state:

For International mail, the lithium batteries MUST be installed in the equipment.

Not to exceed 4 cells or two batteries per package.

Lithium batteries alone, or lithium batteries packed with (but not installed in) equipment, are not acceptable for international mailings.

Please note that this is for United States Postal Service !

...so I am off to UPS to see about how to ship thru them.
I'll post back when I find out.

Please note that I am posting these findings so that other members don't have to go through what I have.
A Learning experience for all !

 

[PatR]

Use FedEx Ground. They are easier to work with and understand lipo regs and shipping practices. Usually ends up a couple bucks cheaper too. Take the time to obtain their info about lipo packaging and labeling.

 

[Atomic08]

Hello Pat...
First...the Fed Ex office is 30+ minutes from my home, vs 5 minutes to USPS !
Second...Fed Ex Ground shipping is A LOT more expensive that UPS or USPS
ARRIVES ON
Jul 3, 2019
Wednesday, July 3, 2019

• DELIVERED BY
  8:00 PM
  FedEx International Economy®
  $177.85

I shipped UPS today for $42.00 insured delivered by Jul 2 2019 vs $64 for USPS Can't ship LiPo Batteries !
But thanks for the suggestion !
I hope this again helps the forum on delivery procedures and costs.

 

[PatR]

That’s incredible!

 

[Jagerbomb52]

I had had a friend in Chicago ship me batteries for my Parrot Anafi as Parrot will not ship to Canada anymore. He used USPS and there were no problems at all other then the package took the scenic route and if I was getting air miles for all the places it went to before it got to me I could have a very nice vacation.