Indio, California: I will be the first to admit with this view to greet me each morning since we have been in Indio, work isn't the first thing on my mind.
But, I have a business to run. I designed and sell a RV log book. It is a blank book for RV travelers to track their campsites, fuel use and maintenance. The Camping Journal is handy, dandy, neatly organized and very useful. While this log book will never make the Amazon Top 100, quite a few are shipped each month. Many to Canada. But after today, no longer to Canada.
The shipping situation to Canada becomes less reliable every month. Now, approximately 18% of the books I ship to Canada never make it to the purchaser. Nearly ONE IN FIVE are lost! I can only track the package until it crosses the US border, usually the next day. After that the international Priority Mail envelopes go into a vacuum for ten days to two weeks. Sometimes they reappear at their purposed destination. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes the books are delivered smashed and unusable. (In comparison, in the nearly six years I have been shipping Camping Journals in the US, one book has been lost in space and two books have been delivered damaged.)
I charged $10.60 to ship a book to Canada - exactly the cost of the international Priority Mail stamp. No handling fees. A two week delivery window is simply ridiculous service at that price. My Canadian customers deserve better. If I weren't such a polite and politically-correct person, I would say Canada Post sucks. But, of course, I would never say that because I love Canada and Canadians.
With the possible exception of their postal service.
No longer willing to accept the delivery odds, and no longer willing to absorb the costs of shipping replacement books, we have temporarily suspended shipping to Canada. I feel terrible about this decision. Hopefully the situation will improve and we will be able to again ship to our friends north of the border. I apologize to all of Canada.
I was wicked brutal this morning, wasn't I?
A terrible way to start the day.
Then I ran three miles in the sunshine. (Dave was in University of Oregon Trustee meetings all day.)
Luckily, the afternoon view from this campsite is nearly as lovely as the early morning view.
And looking back, I know my decision can be reversed.Until my next update, I remain, your brutal businesswoman correspondent.
RV Park: Motorcoach Country Club. Without a doubt (to me - and don't forget, it's my website) the finest RV Resort in The World. Every available amenity. Golf, tennis courts, 3 pools, 3 spas, bathhouses, 2 laundries, fitness center, club houses, restaurant, bar, gated security, 2-mile waterway and wifi.