Shippsy’s Guide to Dos and Don'ts

Shipping from the US to Canada can be exciting—but it can also get tricky if you're unfamiliar with cross-border shipping rules. That's why we've put together Shippsy's Guide to Dos and Don'ts.

Follow these best practices to avoid common pitfalls and make every delivery fast, affordable, and hassle-free.

Do’s and Don’ts of Shippsy

DOs

1. Shippsy Package in Proper Packaging

Here are the forms of packaging that Shippsy only accepts:

• Sealed Boxes
• Kraft Mailers
• Polybags
• Amazon's Recyclable Paper-Padded Mailers

The ones not listed above are otherwise unacceptable.

2. Shipments with a Valid Shipping Label

Your parcel must have a shipping label containing the Shippsy number and the recipient's name, as our warehouse team requires them for identification purposes. Note: Our warehouse team will consider your shipping label valid if you provide the following information:

• Valid tracking number from the carrier
  
  
• Address and name of both the sender and recipient (the recipient's name must show the same name registered on their Shippsy account)
  
  
• Complete Shippsy US address and SHP# shown on your 'My US Address' tab found on the right side of your dashboard.

3. Stay Updated with Shippsy’s List of Prohibited Items

Apart from what we mentioned in our prohibited items checklist, here are other products that you cannot import with Shippsy:

• Animal food, supplements, treats, including flea/tick prevention
  
  
• Herbicides, rodenticides, pesticides, plant growth regulators, anti-sprouting products, disinfectants, fungicides, or insecticides
  
  
• Live plants and seeds
  
  
• Firearms, ammunition for firearms & explosives. Gun and/or firearm parts, antiques, holsters, cases, scopes, and any firearms-related accessories

Remember that our policy on unallowed products is not a one-size-fits-all inclusion. Stay in touch with our customer support team if you have any clarifications about the US items you want to ship to Canada through Shippsy.

4. Check the tracking number on your Shippsy account

Purchasing multiple goods from US online stores causes clients to interchange the necessary information, and later on, they realize that they’ve declared the wrong contents.

To avoid this mix-up, be extra careful by double-checking the tracking page on your online store and cross-referencing it with the carrier tracking number uploaded to Shippsy before entering any shipment details.

DON’Ts

We’ve discussed how to do it right—now, let's make sure you avoid the common mistakes.

1. Packages placed in open bags or boxes

Items that arrive at our US facility packed in open paper bags, plastic bags or boxes do not count as the right packaging. This is not limited to paper bags, plastic bags, and unsealed boxes.

2. Shipping labels with incomplete information

Every detail on your label serves a purpose. Thus, incomplete details will end up hampering the usual process.

Delays in package processing are expected if your label does not contain either the SHP# or name.

3. Being unaware of Shippsy’s list of prohibited items

Shipping unauthorized goods into Canada is our biggest no-no. If you’re wondering why your US item is part of our checklist, Shippsy strictly follows the CBSA ruling when screening the entry of imported items.

To avoid putting your packages on hold and/or disposal, we highly advise you to keep an eye out for our Prohibited Items page. Our team frequently updates it to provide you with the list of goods we do not accept.

Pro tip: It’s best to consult with our pool of CSRs to check whether the item you’re planning to import to Canada is prohibited or not.

Additional notes:

• Shippsy accepts packages from Walmart, Wegmans, Instacart, and DoorDash as long as they are shipped by our recognized carriers and are packed correctly according to our regulations.
  • UPS
  • USPS
  • FedEx
  • Amazon Logistics
  • DHL
  • Lightspeed
    
    
• In case you shipped items covered by our prohibited items or sent goods you no longer want to our US facility, we have two options for you:
  • Opt to dispose of them for $2.50
  • Send the purchased products back to your online US retailer for a $2.50 processing fee + postage charge (Note: Return labels are provided by the sender/retailer and not by the Shippsy team)
    
    
• In case we process any prohibited item you request for import, a penalty and/or high customs fees may be applied.

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Keep in touch with us at hello@shippsy.com or call 888-744-7779 for further assistance from our CSRs with your queries on any information written in this article.

Jay Alagon

Jay Alagon serves as the business manager at Shippsy, where he aims to provide Canadians with access to all US retailers without worrying about high shipping costs, long delivery times, and complicated paperwork associated with cross-border shopping. Outside of work, he enjoys practicing martial arts and woodworking.

Read all posts written by  Jayson Alagon

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