Ordering from Northerner

[D_Struct]

Which shipping company did you use, and what are the benefits/drawbacks to the different choices?

[smokindeuce]

I can't remember off hand, but I think I just used their standard shipping which took around 4-5 working days from Sweden to the UK.

[D_Struct]

Thanks.

I just used the standard shipping, as well. I'd heard talk on snuson that there were issues with shipping, at times. Payment needed, slow shipping, etc.

I am waiting on 2 orders from them, currently. Should be in by Saturday or early next week, hopefully.

[Elwin]

My order was a split shipment. The General products that are already in the US are being sent from the stateside warehouse. The rest will be shipped to the US and then forwarded via USPS priority. I'm hoping the US shipment is here either tomorrow or Saturday and the rest next week.
If it goes well, I'll be making my next order that same night.

(as he crosses his fingers)




The only disadvantage that I've read about is that when you select UPS, they (UPS) have been more apt to report the shipment so that an "import tax" arrives with your package. But truthfully, I don't have first hand knowledge - this being my first time ordering from them...

[smokingclam]

I've ordered both ways of shipping from Northener. I don't suggest the UPS method unless you need it in a hurry. It was pretty expensive and then I got hit with a duty fee from ups on top of it.

[Mohave]

The cheapest choice is also the best choice for this.

Originally Posted by smokingclam

I've ordered both ways of shipping from Northener. I don't suggest the UPS method unless you need it in a hurry. It was pretty expensive and then I got hit with a duty fee from ups on top of it.

Exactly, I wouldn't choose UPS for this unless I was running really low and needed it in a big hurry.

1. Advantages of regular Swedish Post: least expensive; unlikely to have an issue with customs, as regular international mail is rarely inspected. Disadvantages: takes about a week, and you can't track it.

2. Advantages of upgrading to first priority post: about one day faster than regular post. Disadvantages: a few dollars more, and no tracking.

3. Advantages of UPS: faster by about three days; and you get a tracking number so you can follow the journey of the order through the efficient UPS system online. Disadvantages of UPS: almost four times as expensive; much more likely subject to being held for payment of customs duty fees.

In my experience regular international mail normally just stays in the envelope or box from the country of origin and is rarely inspected or scrutinized in any way without some particular special reason on the part of the countries it is passing through, and it isn't reshipped, just forwarded on as regular mail within the destination country. In this case, it just stays Swedish mail all the way, though delivered by a US postal worker at the end, as it would be if you sent mail the other direction, same as when I send something regular USPS to Manila it's just simply handed off to Philippine postal workers for final delivery, unless one of them decides to steal it. I use UPS (or FedX) when I'm shipping to/from a country where mail theft is common and/or I really need speed, or a tracking number for documentation.

Just don't order so freakin' much at once that it triggers a default to a different method. If it does, you'll see it during the ordering process if you pay attention. I know that as much as two rolls isn't a problem that way. I don't know exactly how many more than 20 tins of snus is the threshold before that becomes an issue, but there is some point at which an order becomes large enough that it won't ship regular mail and you have to deal with the customs crap.

[linkav7]

I've done the split orders from Northerner. The one from the US warehouse gets to me a couple or three days sooner than the one from Sweden. I'd say most of the time it's pretty quick with the standard shipping. The only time I had to wait more than several days was when one item was back-ordered. Even then, they waited to ship for a couple of days, then mailed all but the back-ordered item and shipped it a couple of days later.

[walkstheplanes]

I ordered on a Friday night and got it the Monday after the next (5 Business Days). I used the cheapest "Swedish Post" shipping.

[faith]

I've used standard order from Northerner and had no problem with it, the shipment got to me quit fast.