A Bit About Borderlinx: US Shipping Service To Canada

A Bit About Borderlinx: US Shipping Service To Canada

SchoolAs the end of the summer vacation is creeping slowly towards us, some of the moms and dads might be starting to think of the back-to-school purchases for their little terrors.

Visa Canada have contacted me to let me know that they recently did a survey about back to school shopping.

It came up with some interesting facts and figures, which caught my eye because of the nature of my blog (shopping & deals)! Check it out:

  • Canadians parents and students plan on spending an average of $600 online before Labour Day, with approximately 15% going towards school supplies
  • Of the online shoppers who plan to make an online purchase between now and Labour Day; popular purchases include books (49%), travel (36%) and computers (31%)
  • Canadian online shoppers made an average of 7.1 purchases on Canadian websites, 4.8 purchases on U.S. websites, and 0.5 purchases on international websites

I guess with the recession and all the doom and gloom in the financial world, people are looking for a bargain, and even those tech-shy folk are starting to turn to online shopping too.

Well, the main point of this post was to tell you about a service called Borderlinx, a new service which is working with Visa. I'll paste in this info which tells you a bit about it:

Borderlinx helps Canadian online shoppers take advantage of sales on U.S. shopping sites that don’t ship to Canada or are otherwise unavailable here. Borderlinx allows online shoppers to make purchases from U.S. shopping sites by providing U.S. addresses and shipping services. You can even consolidate purchases from more than one merchant and save on shipping costs. Until the end of the year, Visa cardholders will receive free registration and save 15% on Borderlinx shipping.

Borderlinx

This could be a handy service for those of you who purchase from the US .If it's free registration anyway, you might as well check out the service!

Sometimes, you need an item that is really difficult to get here in Canada. For example, my semi-uncle wanted a special lens for a camera, and he had to order it from a US based store. The shipping to Calgary was astronomical, but he had to pay for it, as he couldn't get this item elsewhere. I guess with the likes of Borderlinx, you could work out how much it would be through them, instead of paying the international shipping charges with the original store.SHopping

Now, I haven't used Borderlinx myself, so I cannot really offer an opinion on how good their services are. Have any of you used Borderlinx or any other similar shipping service? What was it like?

Comments

Reply to
  • Megan
    Thank a million times over for this info. I moved to Canada eight months ago from the US and find that I can't take advantage of the great deals or convenience of online shopping I used to be able to in the US because of the higher shipping rates to Canada or that sites just don't ship to Canada. I will be checking this out ASAP.
    • Anna
      Hi Megan, welcome to Bargainmoose! If you use Borderlinx, it would be great to hear your comments. Feel free to drop me a line any time.
      • Cédric R.
        Hi there, My name is Cédric Rainotte and I'm Head of Marketing & Communication at Borderlinx (base in the HQ of Borderlinx in Brussels). Don't hesitate to ask if you have any question regarding Borderlinx. I will do my best to help you. You can follow us on twitter @borderlinx and enjoy our blog (if you need inspiration ;-)) on http://blog.borderlinx.com There is a lot of great stuffs coming out at Borderlinx in the following weeks and I hope you'll like them. Regards, Ced
        • Rahel
          Hello Ced. I've been trying to get someone to ship my package since June 24, 2010. Every day that I "chat" online, I've been told my issue has been escalated and that my package should ship out in 1-2 business days. After reading the posts here, as well as on other online sites, I am almost sure my package will never be shipped. What kind of company is this if it does not ship according to what is stated on its site?
        • joyjoy
          Just a thought, many of the US sites require you to have a credit card with a US billing address for that card, not just a shipping address in the US. I've tried ordering items and having them shipped to my parents (who live in the US) and weren't able to since my card has a Canadian billing address. They have to order with their card and I pay them back.
          • 8675309
            borderlinx had suggested this in their faq https://www.www-card.com/Screens/UsersManagement/HomePage.aspx
          • rosie
            I tried Borderlinx for the first time last week - the product did arrive but the borderlinx charges where SO HIGH that it negated the reason for shopping on a US website in the first - I will not make that mistake again. If you use this service be prepared to double the price (at least!!) of the merchandise by the time you pay the borderlinx costs.
            • Leah
              I agree with Rosie, I ordered a bed in a bag which cost me $32.02 can after taxes etc, to ship it to Canada it cost me $122.00, think that is totally ridiculous!
            • Serge
              Borderlinx prices are enormous. People don't even try. It's not worth. Bisedes they are cheating. I've ordered a down jacket for my wife. The weight was 1.8 kg. When it arrived at Borderlinx they showed me that the weight was 5 kg. I argued with them but they told me the package was too bulky. They also have an estimated calculator. It's always wrong. In their favor of course.
              • Mandy
                I've been looking at similar services. one of them being borderlinx and the other being myUSAbox. Does anyone have any idea in terms of cost differences between the two companies? I'm trying to buy a pair of boots that only ship to the US.
                • caradoc

                  Well, myus tends to be marginally cheaper than borderlinx but you can sometimes be stung still due to their unclear pricing structure. Personally I'd go with viabox, as they have the cheapest shipping fees and offer a comparable service. 

                • Nataly
                  I've paid for the shipment to Borderlinx on Jan 06. They told me that the shipment was dispatched. However the tracking # on their website is invalid. I've contacted them many times. The answer was - just wait. No tracking in and after 13 days they told me that my parcel was shipped via Canada Post. However if you look at their FAQ shipping sections. They promised to ship via DHL, with the tracking # and the shipment will arrive in 5-8 days. They screwed up everything
                  • teri
                    I paid borderlinx on around January 17. They also promise dhl service but shipped canada post. My package never arrived. I fought with them for over 3 months. Their replies were always the same you are high priority. They lied all the time I had to chase and chase them. Finally at the end of march they returned my money for shipping fees and $100 for the merchandise. My merchandise was way over 100 dollars They still owe me 290.00 dollars for loss of my package but they tell me that's my problem because it was my responsibility to insure the package with DHL. No where on their website does it even give you a choice to buy extra insurance and even if there was they never used dhl to ship they used canada post and they supplied me with the wrong tracking number. So they want me to insure the package with dhl but they don't even use dhl???? I don't understand how they can tell me it is my responsibilty to insure it with DHL when they don't even use DHL and they are the ones handling the shipping for you and they also know the exact value of what you purchased. They are liars thieves and people should just stay away from them. Not to mention their shipping fees are totally outrageous and they don't insure your package properly. They use the cheapest method to ship but charge you for the most expensive. They lie about what shipping service they use they lie when they give you a tracking number they have zero customer service. Their customer service center is located in India have fun trying to communicate with them!!!!! Clearly stay away from this company as they are totally unreliable and like to keep your money when they are at fault.
                    • Mike W.
                      Well, your account exactly parallels my experience so far. My $200 order was shipped via Canada Post, but this is nowhere indicated on their website. I discovered that the tracking # provided by Borderlinx corresponds to a Canada Post Reference Number and learned that my "item was successfully delivered" to a location 600 km distant two weeks earlier. The call centre is very competent...at making unfulfilled promises. I thought that with VISA promoting this service, it would be reliable and trustworthy. So far, I have no shipment, no compensation, and next to no help. I am going to describe this experience on Borderlinx's Facebook site, and try other means to get the word out. I hope others will join in.
                      • 8675309
                        ever tried myaxs?(is being permoted by tdvisa) i had bought 2 cineplex passes & only 1 was shipped so called customer service they said they would ship another 1 another week go by called again they forgot to ship it. so they shipped it that day came 3 days later
                      • KatrinaLianne
                        COMPLETELY AGREED!!! I have had the EXACT same problem... I am a military wife and will be spreading the word... fast... they are, in essence, COMMITTING FRAUD!!!
                      • 8675309
                        i 2 had an invailid tracking number. it took a month to get from the merchant to my doorstep. & they didnt even knock on the door they just droped on my door step no signature or anything. i assume standard shipping is usps then handed to express post not strait up dhl but then why use dhl dracking then. i had got them to give me a shipping credit but when they did they quoated me the incorrect amount.(sure the discount was better than the visa discount but still it should have been correctly quoated)
                        • KatrinaLianne
                          I just had this EXACT same problem. I used to ship with Borderlinx in Sept 2009 because of their fast and reliable DHL service... I have since started using another USA mailbox service after Borderlinx prices skyrocketed and they have been giving me invalid tracking #s with no way to track, telling me the parcel likely hadn't reached DHL yet... after I had already received email confirmation from them confirming my parcel had been delivered and processed with the delivery agent... their customer service is useless, and they have yet to offer any consolidation for any inconvenience caused. I was ordering something I needed to have in a particular time as my fiance was being deployed overseas (in the Forces), and the information provided to me about shipping was dishonest and unacceptable... I did not receieve my package and have had no help from them. I advise people to steer clear of them. If they are shipping through Canada Post, the prices they are charging are much higher than they should be... Their service for the past two experiences I had had has been SUBSTANDARD and I will make sure to warn anyone I have reccommended them to, not to use their service!
                        • Joy
                          Hi all, I'm Joy form the Marketing team of Borderlinx. I've read your posts regarding the amount you paid and the Borderlinx pricing. Just to bring some explanations on why a 1.8kg item is invoiced on 5kg. The reason is that the pricing is based on the volumetric weight. If your item is packed in a huge box instead of a smaller more suitable one, the volumetric weight will be higher than the real weight and yo will pay more. This is written on our website and that's the reason why the Cost Calculator gives only an estimation because we don't know in advance how your item will be packed. This is not our decision and we are depending on our carrier rules. Almost all competitors base their shipping price on volumetric weight. For your next order, check first with merchants their packing options, since we are not responsible for that. Regarding the shipping rate, Borderlinx is bringing a new solution in Canada and reduced up to 30% on Standard Shipping. I invite you to check on our Cost Calculator and get an estimate. Joy
                          • Vancouver, B.
                            I just used there Ebay tool for :Coraline 2-disc Special Edition Blu-Ray Item Price USD 8.50 US & International Shipping USD 24.00 Customs, Duties, Taxes USD 4.00 Product price including shipping, duty & taxes USD 36.00 The original price is great!
                            • Kristen
                              I used Borderlinx in late 2009 and was extremely frustrated. I had product shipped to Alberta and was charged not only GST but also PST - we have NO PST in Alberta. Took several weeks and many frustrating conversations and emails to try to explain this to Borderlinx as well as to try to get their math corrected when they tried to rectify the situation. In addition, as each day passed, the charge for customs/duty kept rising. I was just bout to brave using this service again today but after reading this blog will just not bother as it seems they have not improved on their service and the cost of doing business with them still seems to be too high. Too bad, was a great idea they had going...
                              • Steven
                                I shop online at us online stores using paypal as my payment agent which takes it right out of my canadian bank account. I have the items shipped to a parcel service in Pembina North Dalkota who charge me $ 5.00 us per shipment. They hold the shipments for me and i pick them up when visiting the us. I live in Winnipeg and have driven to Pembina which is 60 miles and pickup the shipment and declare at customs and pay the duties. Quite often the shipment do not have sales tax from the state they were purchased from and also have free shipping. Other times i stay in the US for 48 hours and am able to bring the items into canada duty free. You are allowed 400.00 Canadian for 48 hours in the US. This works well for me and many people from Winnipeg cross border shop this way. It is convienient being close to the border. I am not sure if other provinces have parcel delv services on the us side of the border.
                                • JR
                                  I've been dealing with Borderlinx for a year now, and while it' can seem to be the only work around for ordering from US sites, they are devastatingly expensive and, as I've found lately, inept when trouble strikes. I had two items in a Pod -(That's what they call the items in your mailbox once shipped). I had a few more items coming,but it was November and these were items family members had asked me to get them for christmas presents, Usually it takes about a week to ten days, but it's now been a month and a week and they have nothing to say except; 'We;re looking into it and will get back to you in the next day or so'. They never get back to me and so it's back on the phone to their Phillipino call centre where I never get any satisfaction. Last week, I received a parcel mostly marked to another person in another city, except for a small delivery slip with my name on it. I opened it only to find a large toddlers toy. Well,I though, this poor little girl won't be getting this in time for Christmas. So, once again, I call Borderlinx to tell them of the snafu regarding the woman's package. They take down her Borderlinx address, name (none of these resembles mine in the least). They then tell me they will contact me to have DHL pick up the package the next day. The next day comes and goes. Nothing. So, I could easily read the woman's name and email address on the package and contacted her. She was relieved and we have made plans to send the package to her. I still have not recieved any word on my packages yet, they have happily charged me almost $100 for two small items. Beware, do your homework and find a reputable company. Borderlinx is sloppy and outrageously expensive. Not to mention inept.
                                • Andy
                                  I have been signed up with Borderlinx for a while but never used the service until recently was thinking of trying it out for a few things from the US. before I did googled for some feedback on them and happy I did, found this blog and another forum. I will be steering clear of this company and letting others know the same. I had a feeling it might be expensive that destroys any chance on savings from buying cross border. But there was a few items I couldn't get in Canada at least not even close to the same price. Even if there was savings not worth dealing with a company that seems to have such a nightmare reputation when it comes to customer service and it's service in general. Thanks all for sharing your experience, removing my self from their mailing list.
                                  • bozy65

                                    L'avantage avec Viabox est qu'il est le seul transitaire a accepter les Bitcoins.