Korean Job Discussion Forums

PEIGUY · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Location: Omokgyo

I went to the post office today (with a Korean) to send some stuff home. I was going to mail a package for my co-worker via surface mail to Canada and the postal worker said that Canada doesn't accept surface mail anymore? that is what was translated to me plus i figured it out through my shotty Korean what she said. I thought that was really weird? anybody else know about this?

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

BULLCRAP with a capital B!

Lazy monkey probably didnt know how to send it so he lied~!

neandergirl · Joined: 23 Jun 2005

I could find nothing about it on the Canada Post site
http://www.canadapost.ca/personal/offerings/parcel_post_surface/int/default-e.asp

I sent a small package a little less than 2 weeks ago, but it was at a post office I've used for the last 4-5 years (so they're used to doing it).

Rugged · Joined: 20 Jul 2005 Location: Daegu

Hey peiguy,

I sent a package home by surface mail maybe 6 weeks ago. A friend of mine was at the post office on Friday (the 5th) and the post office employees showed her a package of mine that had been returned and got her to contact me. I went to the post office on Monday to find out what was up and learned that they sent the parcel back to Canada by surface the same morning (the 8th).

From what I can gather there was a strike at the Vancouver port and they weren't accepting anything from anywhere. It had nothing to do with Canada Post. The strike lasted two weeks so you should be able to send your package by suface now.

Hope this helps!

The Man known as The Man

palkorea · Joined: 29 Mar 2003 Location: Jeonnam

nope. it's not bs...i've heard it too...the poster who said there was a strike at the vancouver port was correct....even now. as of yesterday at the post office, they still weren't sending packages by surface. air mail is okay for now, though.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/news/national/2005/08/01/vancouver-port050801.html

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I sent my sister her birthday present on Monday, no problems.

No L · Joined: 17 May 2004

The Vancouver port strike lasted about 5 weeks and is still not completely resolved. Truckers were striking because increased fuel costs are cutting into their bottom line. There's a temporary, 90-day solution in place, but no one's terribly happy with it so not all the trucks are back in operation. It's supposed to take up to 6 weeks to clear the 25 000 cargo containers stacked up at the port.

This sucks for me because I'm heading home for good and I have several large 20 kg boxes to ship. Is Korea Post really going to be able ship anything before the backlog of Vancouver Port is cleared? There's no way that I want to pay air mail prices.

_Craig_ · Joined: 09 Oct 2004 Location: Ilsan

Just discovered this today, after hauling two 12kg boxes to the post office. I was shocked when one box was going to cost W108,000. It should only be W30,000 surface(ship). This is a bitch and a half for sure! I'm leaving Korea in 3 weeks, with a 3 month travel plan before actually getting home. Won't be enough time to resolve this whole deal. Not many options:

1) Store the boxes with some kind co-workers and have them ship it when possible
2) Try to send it to a relative in the U.S. and pick it up from there
3) Pay air fares.

AHHHHH! No way I'm paying Air rates, ridiculous. At least I'm not one of the poor businesses paying $100/day to have their stock sit on the ships not being unloaded.

Anybody know if there's an easy way to get a P.O. Box in Buffalo, NY and ship to there?

_Craig_ · Joined: 09 Oct 2004 Location: Ilsan

P.S. This is the most recent article I found on the dispute:

Globe and Mail

Gopher · Joined: 04 Jun 2005

Yes, only last week I shipped a box of books to the States.

At first the postal clerk just kept making the x sign with her arms, saying "Canada, no," "Canada, no," and she also said something about Vancouver, so the strike thing must be true.

But she saw the big "USA" on my box and accepted it. I didn't understand and was a little concerned until now. Canadians have my sympathy on this. It would be sucky not to be able to ship a package or two home and feel confident about it...

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Gopher · Joined: 04 Jun 2005

No identity crisis. I think that Koreans are more used to dealing with Canadians than Americans, that's probably all it was.

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

I must be clueless, this is first time I've ever heard the term "surface mail"... honestly.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Ouch, that sucks... I sent over a dozen 20Kg boxes home that way and would have been up shit creek without a paddle if this had happened then- hope it clears up for you guys.