OK, so today was the BIG day. Greg and I were going to head on down to the UPS store in Sweetgrass Montana to pick up my fancy new tires and grab a few skinny motorcycle tires for Chris. So it's -24 C but Greg and I are game, off we go at 9 am in a partial blizzard. We smile pretty for the Yankee boarder guy and head into Sweetgrass. What a hole, not a town that you'd visit for it's natural spendour.

We find the UPS warehouse...it's locked. Greg goes into the post office to see what's up (the website lists them as being open all day on Saturday and part of the day on Sunday). Dude at the post office says they will open the warehouse, but there is a $30 fee. No problem, we are down there anyway, so WTF. Into the UPS buisness office we go (after finding it),they're open - great. We were greated by the friendliest customer service rep...wouldn't look up from her work when we first enter the building. When I tell her what we are there for, she tells us that they are only open Monday - Friday 8-5. I mention that we were told that they would open the warehouse (it is right across the "street") for $30. I may as well have asked to have intercourse with her daughter. She's taking names of the guy at the post office - he's in BIG trouble.

I mention the website information is incorrect - get another tongue-lashing from the UPS Nazi - NO Package for YOU. Head office has been told about the problem with the website repeatedly. Lord help us all.

So I'll have to make a second trip - there was no way that warehouse was being opened. We turn the corner and head back to Canadian customs. Nice boarder guard dude - he asks how long we've been in the USA - I say 15 minutes...explain what happened. He advised we come back when it's open.


Long and short, if you're hoping to have Greg or I get parts from the UPS store in Sweetgrass, we are not going to be able to do it - we have jobs. Special arrangements can be made for holidays etc...but no regular traffic. Sorry guys. One day my car purchases will workout...but when?

Craig

Ugh...

Can you rent a box so they have no choice but to give you your stuff?

I passed your issues onto my friend Pat in Lethbridge who owns the UPS franchise there. There is probably nothing that he can do but I let him know just in case there is a way to let the UPS head office know. ... but please Craig, don't hold your breath

Thanks Ian - The whole thing was really quite funny. Greg and I were cracking up most of the time. We ended up with at least one lesson learned, don't trust what you read on the corporate website and call ahead.

That would make the shipping a heck of a lot easier, but some of the larger things I'll still do at the UPS store (lots of US suppliers do the free UPS shipping thing) it will just mean a morning off work - which is pretty tough to fit in most weeks.

Yeah, it really is too bad its not open on weekends. Best case scenario would be going on Canadian holidays when Americans still have to work, but really, I'm gone most of those weekends. Its only 85km to the border from Lethbridge. Given a clear day, getting to the border and back over my lunch hour is a distinct possibility....

Its pretty stupid, as that lady cared not for her job, or for us. The warehouse was within spitting distance of the office, but there was clearly no way it was gonna be open for us. That would mean getting out of her chair. In the end, most of that town's business is dealt via shipping and brokerage. A FedEx and UPS depot in a town of 100? The only money there is coming from shipping between the U.S. and Canada. Being open on a Saturday would be a nice gesture.

Still a fun trip though!

The reply from Kim, some good information, just don't know if it will help us.

Hi Ian!! (and Joan)

Just a quick note in regards to the email you forwarded: there is no The UPS Store in sweetgrass - only a UPS warehouse. Lots of people would like to see The UPS Store go there, but unfortunately, there is nothing there except a few hundred people, which is not enough to sustain the franchise. Plus, most of it is only incoming packages, which is definitely not enough to sustain the franchise. UPS is usually pretty good about people picking up the packages there, but I guess only during the week. We have a lot of customers who go down and pick them up on a regulare basis. They would like to see a private courier come up from Sweetgrass with their packages, but we are having some legal issues getting that started.

Some advise for those people: Have the packages shipped directly to Calgary! While it may seem to cost more, the hassle is substantially less (and it may cost less than 2 trips to Sweetgrass). The only time I would advise using Sweetgrass is if the company will not ship directly to Canada. Even then, I would suggest having it sent to The UPS Store in Great Falls, and then arranging with them to have it forwarded to Calgary. If they don't want to pay brokerage charges (they will still have taxes and duty on all items coming in), they can have it sent Express Service from UPS. It they are not home during the day to accept the package, they can arrage to have it sent to The UPS Store near them, and there is usually a $5 charge for that - but at least the package will get delivered and they will not have to go visit the warehouse by the airport.

If they want to try using the United States Postal System, products sometimes come up from the US with no brokerage, duty or taxes. Sometimes. It depends on what the product is, how big it is, and various other factors.

Craig,

Thanks for trying. What a pain. Back to the drawing board...

I'm going back very early on Tuesday morning...that way I can pick up our stuff and get back to work before 10am. It really is that close. How frustrating.

Craig, you may have a PHd and stuff, but you still haven't learned not ever, ever, ever, ever to use UPS - EVER.

I have snatched parcels out of the greedy hands of UPS employees and run off with them, locked them out of my house with the parcel inside, and given bouncy cheques to cover for their "service fees"

UPS will never EVER get a cent of my hard earned money, ever.

Thanks for the chuckle Raz...don't hold my letters against me - shipping via UPS is always to be avoided, but in this case the buisness has sold their sole to UPS and will only provide their free shipping offer for UPS - so UPS it is. Bouncing cheques and running from the delivery guy just isn't my style. Having you anarchist around makes life amusing for the rest of us

raz - i hereby dub thee Billy Badass

Yeah, lots of times companies will only ship UPS, or will ship free UPS to the lower 48, so you do what you have to do. Some people are also terrified of shipping things cross-border, even if they're willing to ship things anywhere within the 48 via any carrier. The goal was to get somewhere in the states that is close, so that we could send our troublesome stuff to a shipper-friendly location, and pick them up at our leisure.

Shipping UPS to Canada rarely pays off but sometimes it does.

shipping to us pays off if you're ordering from viccy see for any of you boys buyin stuff for the girlfriend (we all know its for you come on

for some reason, all of their sale deals on the catalogue only work to orders to the US.

I made the second trip down to Sweetgrass this morning...deal was I had to be back in the office for an 11am appointment. So up at 5:30 and off for the boarder an hour later. I was first up when the UPS warehouse opened and was welcomed into the warehouse by a most hospitable young lady (that absolute antithesis of the battle axe Greg and I encountered on the weekend) who promply got my order and Chris's bike tires as well...didn't even need the paperwork. In fact the entire trip went like clockwork. No inquisition at the boarder either coming or going. Just a simple "what is the purpose of your visit" and I was on my way.

On the way back in, I paid only the GST, no duty (tires were made in the US) and no Alberta tire fee. So the Beetle was filled to the brim with tires - got lots of weird looks, but no trouble.

Too simple. Total cost, fuel for both trips (400km) $40. Fee at the warehouse $8 for each order ($16 total) and $29 total in taxes.