Shopping Discussion

Purolator shipping is super fast when buying from the States!

  • Last Updated:
  • Nov 17th, 2011 4:33 am
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Deal Addict
Apr 11, 2011
1127 posts
53 upvotes

Purolator shipping is super fast when buying from the States!

In the last several months, I've bought stuff from B&H Photo Video (located in NYC) and NewEgg.ca (my stuff from them shipped out of New Jersey). All of those times I've chosen Purolator as both merchants offer the option.

Funny enough, it's also the cheapest option with $7-$9 as the shipping cost.

I've always got my items within 2 business days of the order if ordered early during the day before 12pm.

Even if I ordered on a Wednesday at say 8am, it would ship out at 1pm same day. Arrives on Friday afternoon.

Did I mentioned I never had to pay duties either?

Just some info for you guys if you ever order from the States, use Purolator if it is an option to! :)
13 replies
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May 22, 2005
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GTA
I've never had a problem with Purolator, quick shipping and local pickup at their depot is great, always a line up but the girls that work there are always friendly and helpful.


I hear stories all the time here about how bad Purolator is, but I've never had a single problem, and I get about one Purolator package a month, and have been for a few years now.


Of all the carrier services, I rank Purolator first.
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Aug 19, 2010
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Vancouver
That's because Purolator uses a third party (usually UPS) for international stuff.
Deal Guru
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Aug 20, 2005
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Nowhere
This hasn't been my experience or the experience of others who have posted here. Purolator has been super slow from the US particularly with Newegg orders. My orders were shipped out of California so perhaps that explains the different experience.
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Sep 3, 2006
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sandy_beach wrote: That's because Purolator uses a third party (usually UPS) for international stuff.

Not necessarily. They have several depots in the US. All the Dell stuff goes via Puro.

EDIT: Sorry, I believe Puro does direct shipping from the sellers warehouse - not from their own facilities.
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Deal Expert
Jan 7, 2002
29710 posts
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Waterloo, ON
It depends. I've had good success in the past in getting stuff that was shipped by Newegg from NJ. Any delays were always at the border, which isn't really their fault.

Even as recently as 24 hours ago I was raving about the cordless phone I'd ordered in the morning that was shipped the same day, on a Sunday: "Nov 13th, 2011 04:51 PM: That was fast. I just got an e-mail from Newegg that says my order has shipped ("Shipped from Edison, NJ. Shipping Time: 11/13/2011 1:33:50 PM.")"

Well that was then and this is now. All day today my package has been going nowhere fast:

Code: Select all

Scan Date        Scan Time       Status
2011-11-14	 02:06 AM	 Address Correction Required via METRO NY TERMINAL depot
So I suppose, going by RFD practice, I should now start a new thread about how I badly I've been screwed by Newegg and/or Purolator, and how I've ecided to swear off using them forever and why y/'all should do that too :cheesygri :razz:
veni, vidi, Visa
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Aug 16, 2007
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If you live in a condo or building, avoid Purolator like the plague. I've had 5+ shipments with them that they didn't even try to buzz for, just left a pickup slip. It got to the point where I made a big sign that said "PUROLATOR - BUZZ XYZ FOR MATDWYER" and still nothing. It's actually ridiculous, and if you don't have it delivered then you're driving out to etobicoke to pick it up.

I'd pay more to have it Canada Post just in case they screw up the delivery and I need to go get it!
Deal Guru
Oct 3, 2006
10493 posts
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Toronto
Purolator is pretty fast whenever I use it but they never deliver it to me because they can't seem to understand the concept of buzz # in an apartment. I always have to go to their depot to pick it up.
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Jan 7, 2002
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bylo wrote: It depends...
Hmmm... I take that back. The Purolator guy just delivered the above shipment to may neighbour. (I was out this morning and left a note asking the driver to ring a couple of doors down the street.)

Anyway I'm puzzled by the routing. The invoice says it was shipped from the US. The shipping label says it came from Mississauga. The tracking says:

Code: Select all

Scan Date        Scan Time       Status
2011-11-15	 10:56 AM	 Delivered to ********** at RECEPTION via GUELPH, ON depot	
2011-11-15	 07:33 AM	 On vehicle for delivery via GUELPH, ON depot	
2011-11-14	 11:02 PM	 Left via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot	
2011-11-14	 10:45 PM	 Shipment In Transit via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot	
2011-11-14	 10:44 PM	 Picked up by Purolator via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot	
2011-11-14	 02:06 AM	 Address Correction Required via METRO NY TERMINAL depot
Does anyone know what happened between 02:06am and 10:44pm on 14Nov? Did the the package really leave from NJ/NY and get across the border the same day? If so, I'm really impressed [IMG]http://forums.redflagdeals.com/images/i ... sup-32.png[/IMG]
veni, vidi, Visa
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Jun 2, 2008
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bylo wrote: Hmmm... I take that back. The Purolator guy just delivered the above shipment to may neighbour. (I was out this morning and left a note asking the driver to ring a couple of doors down the street.)

Anyway I'm puzzled by the routing. The invoice says it was shipped from the US. The shipping label says it came from Mississauga. The tracking says:

Code: Select all

Scan Date        Scan Time       Status
2011-11-15	 10:56 AM	 Delivered to ********** at RECEPTION via GUELPH, ON depot	
2011-11-15	 07:33 AM	 On vehicle for delivery via GUELPH, ON depot	
2011-11-14	 11:02 PM	 Left via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot	
2011-11-14	 10:45 PM	 Shipment In Transit via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot	
2011-11-14	 10:44 PM	 Picked up by Purolator via TORONTO SORT CTR/CTR TRIE, ON depot	
2011-11-14	 02:06 AM	 Address Correction Required via METRO NY TERMINAL depot
Does anyone know what happened between 02:06am and 10:44pm on 14Nov? Did the the package really leave from NJ/NY and get across the border the same day? If so, I'm really impressed [IMG]images/icons/new/thread-thumbsup-32.png[/IMG]

Sounds like it may have boarded a flight in NY for Toronto early morning and once at the Toronto depot, the rest was gravy. Interesting. I've always found the tracking updates to be very cryptic.
Deal Expert
Jan 7, 2002
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c-ditty wrote: Sounds like it may have boarded a flight in NY for Toronto early morning and once at the Toronto depot, the rest was gravy. Interesting.
That's my theory as well. Usually their stuff seems to go by truck with a 2 or 3 day delay in Ft Erie.

I wonder if the use of air is temporary (as in Christmas)?
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Deal Addict
Apr 11, 2011
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Glad you got your stuff bylo.

One thing about their tracking is it takes a super slow time to update. I emailed their customercare a few times before to get an estimated delivery and 95% of the time they were correct, especially when the tracking information isn't updated. It would show like, shipped out of NY METRO and then all of a sudden, a few days pass and it's OUT FOR DELIVERY... There would be no transitional updates so you can do a "guestimate" ETA on your own.
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Sep 3, 2006
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bylo wrote: That's my theory as well. Usually their stuff seems to go by truck with a 2 or 3 day delay in Ft Erie.

I wonder if the use of air is temporary (as in Christmas)?

It doesn't go by air, it's all expedited trucks. It only takes 10 to 12 hours to drive up.

Distribution centres are a whole other matter.
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Deal Expert
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Jun 27, 2004
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The two times I ordered from Newegg, and the packages were from LA -> Vancouver, were pretty quick, via Purolator (three days or so). Faster than from Amazon.ca.

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