Brambleberry Shipping to Canada?

[CreativeWeirdo]

Hi all,

I'm very new here, and to soap making in general. I've been lurking here for a bit and finally decided to formally join. I hope this is the right sub to put this question.

Any Canadians have experience ordering from Brambleberry? Did you end up having to pay C.O.D. after you received your shipment? There are a few molds on the Brambleberry site that I can't find a Canadian supplier for. I've been screwed with surprise C.O.D. too many times in the past, that I decided a while ago to stop ordering from American sites that do not ship from Canada. (There are some American companies that have fulfillment centers in Canada to accommodate Canadian customers.) Any advice, or personal stories you'd like to share, is greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
CW

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I don't know which American suppliers ship to Canada, but here's a January 2020 list from @Dahila who knows all the suppliers in Canada.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/canadians-where-do-you-buy-your-supplies.77842/#post-808489

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

View attachment 61049
I don't know which American suppliers ship to Canada, but here's a January 2020 list from @Dahila who knows all the suppliers in Canada.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/canadians-where-do-you-buy-your-supplies.77842/#post-808489

I had already checked those suppliers and I guess what I'm looking for is very specific to Brambleberry. But thanks for the thought anyway! I am wondering if anyone has had experience with shipping from Brambleberry to Canada. Between the exchange rate and C.O.D. I've ended up paying twice as much as the retail price of the product. I will need to factor that cost in if it is there.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Between the exchange rate and C.O.D. I've ended up paying twice as much as the retail price of the product.

Unfortunately, this is true for small orders in general. It's next to impossible to order just one thing and not expect to pay an equal amount or more for shipping.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I guess what I'm looking for is very specific to Brambleberry.

If you don't mind my asking, what are you looking for?

 

[earlene]

I had already checked those suppliers and I guess what I'm looking for is very specific to Brambleberry. But thanks for the thought anyway! I am wondering if anyone has had experience with shipping from Brambleberry to Canada. Between the exchange rate and C.O.D. I've ended up paying twice as much as the retail price of the product. I will need to factor that cost in if it is there.

Do you have any friends near the border that you can cross-over and visit? Oh, not so sure that's as easy these days as it used to be. In the past, some soapmakers have had things delivered that way, then picked it up on a visit or had the friend send to them from there.

 

[esterling]

I share your frustrations about this! I have ordered from Brambleberry and WholesaleSuppliesPlus and yes, the shipping and exchange rate is a killer. I just made sure I ordered as much as I could afford and only colorants that never expire. Why hasn’t New Directions started selling more in the way of colors?? I’d like to know! Once the border opens to car traffic from Canada, I plan to make another order from one or both of these suppliers and ship to 24/7 parcel pickup in Bellingham. It’s a quick hop across to pick it up. I’ve seen Canadians avoid the lineup even by crossing on foot pulling a wagon to bring back their parcels! Smart! Is this an option for you?

 

[josianeg]

I've been told that to go the the USA you'll just keep proof of your 2 doses of COVID vaccine, but that you will need a negative COVID test to get back into Canada!

How are you supposed to do that while you're in the USA? Does anyone know? It must be expensive...

Also, it means that a "quick hop" isn't an option, since getting result for a COVID test takes some time? You probably would need to stay at least overnight?

Does anyone from Canada know about all this? I wanted to order from BrambleBerry and have it shipped to an 24/7 address near the border, but even when the land border opens on Nov 8th it seems that they want to make it impossible for us Canadians to go back to the USA.

Sorry for ranting...

 

[earlene]

I've been told that to go the the USA you'll just keep proof of your 2 doses of COVID vaccine, but that you will need a negative COVID test to get back into Canada!

How are you supposed to do that while you're in the USA? Does anyone know? It must be expensive...

Also, it means that a "quick hop" isn't an option, since getting result for a COVID test takes some time? You probably would need to stay at least overnight?

Does anyone from Canada know about all this? I wanted to order from BrambleBerry and have it shipped to an 24/7 address near the border, but even when the land border opens on Nov 8th it seems that they want to make it impossible for us Canadians to go back to the USA.

Sorry for ranting...

In this link are some testing sites on the US side: COVID-19 Testing for Travel to Canada - Discovery Health MD

But if I'm reading the regulation correctly, a test showing negative within 72 hours of return could be taken in Canada if you do only a 'quick hop' trip, right?

Quote:
Short trips that are less than 72 hours

Canadian citizens, people registered under the Indian Act, permanent residents and protected persons travelling to the United States are allowed to do their pre-entry molecular test before they leave Canada.

• If your test is more than 72 hours old when you re-enter Canada, you’ll be required to get a new pre-entry molecular test in the United States
• Before leaving Canada, verify that you meet the entry requirements for your destination country

End Quote

Reference link:
https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/t...IR_IaAqqoEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#getting-tested

 

[josianeg]

In this link are some testing sites on the US side: COVID-19 Testing for Travel to Canada - Discovery Health MD

Thank you. That's correct, I've called the border information line and they told me that for short trips you can do the PCR (they don't accept the rapid antigen) test in Canada as long as you're coming back within 72h of having done that test.



But if I'm reading the regulation correctly, a test showing negative within 72 hours of return could be taken in Canada if you do only a 'quick hop' trip, right?

Yes.

Quote:
Short trips that are less than 72 hours

Canadian citizens, people registered under the Indian Act, permanent residents and protected persons travelling to the United States are allowed to do their pre-entry molecular test before they leave Canada.

• If your test is more than 72 hours old when you re-enter Canada, you’ll be required to get a new pre-entry molecular test in the United States
• Before leaving Canada, verify that you meet the entry requirements for your destination country

End Quote

Reference link:
https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/t...IR_IaAqqoEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds#getting-tested

Sorry, I had missed that reply (it's weird, I don't receive emails notifications from the forum anymore but I don't remember changing any settings).

That's correct, I've called the border information line and they told me that for short trips you can do the PCR (they don't accept the rapid antigen) test in Canada as long as you're coming back within 72h of having done that test.

The test has to be done in a private facility and costs 200 CAD (antigen detection is 120 CAD but Canada only accepts PCR tests), which pretty much defeats the purpose of driving 4-5 hours to and from the border to pick up the package (especially with the cost of fuel lately)...

I hope Canada will eventually do like most other G8 countries and stop asking for the test (to enter the USA you only need to show proof of your 2 vaccine doses).

 

[earlene]

Sorry, I had missed that reply (it's weird, I don't receive emails notifications from the forum anymore but I don't remember changing any settings).

That's correct, I've called the border information line and they told me that for short trips you can do the PCR (they don't accept the rapid antigen) test in Canada as long as you're coming back within 72h of having done that test.

The test has to be done in a private facility and costs 200 CAD (antigen detection is 120 CAD but Canada only accepts PCR tests), which pretty much defeats the purpose of driving 4-5 hours to and from the border to pick up the package (especially with the cost of fuel lately)...

I hope Canada will eventually do like most other G8 countries and stop asking for the test (to enter the USA you only need to show proof of your 2 vaccine doses).

I've had 2 PCR tests myself; both times of no cost to me, thankfully. At the current cost, I probably wouldn't have bothered, but the first time it was early in the pandemic & the Texas Health Dept was testing anyone who wanted a test and was willing to wait in long lines to get them. The second one was a pre-op requirement, so my health insurance covered ti 100%.

You'd have to buy a heck of a lot of products to make it financially worth your while for that price of return! It'd have to be a major buying trip, which could be fun, of course, funds allowing. Plus it would raise your bottom line cost of your soap & any other products, too. Maybe that's part of the reason so many things are going up in price?