# [Rant]Experience with Purolator Courier?



## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

Canada is a vast country and we need to ship stuff. Most people and companies would choose to use FedEx, UPS, or DHL, but we also have Purolator Courier.

At the moment, I am less than impressed (read: livid) with PC. I have shipped approx 9 packages with them, and not one single one has been delivered on time.

I have had three support incidents requiring two shipping interactions with Purolator each. Each one was at least two days late, with the latest being a week and a half.

I ordered a Dell Vostro. That package was one week late coming from Nevada. They tried to pin it on customs but it was only in customs for a day or two.

Apple had to replace my iMac. It shipped via Purolator. 4 days late.
Now, Apple has replaced my iPhone with a white 16GB. This was a special support case as it was handled by a higher-up Customer Care administrator. These cases work a bit differently, as they dispatch the new phone as soon as your outgoing one is scanned in to UPS's system, instead of waiting for it to get to a depot and have it tinkered with. 

Within the weekend of it not moving, Purolator has seemingly managed to lose my package. Nobody at purolator seems to know if it's in Toronto, Calgary, on a truck to be delivered, in Nigeria, or stolen, and sold so some crack addict can go... buy more crack, I guess. A "Lost Package" case is being done and I've let my Apple rep know.

What are anybody else's experiences with them? My experience is: Purolator *sucks.*


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## Dreambird (Jan 24, 2006)

Given a choice, which often I'm not... I would choose Fed-Ex. Never had a problem with 'em. A lot of companies "default" shipper of choice is UPS so... in those cases (too many) my choice is UPS. They are never as "on the ball" either with delivery nor trackability as Fed-Ex. Purolator I rarely get forced upon me and I wouldn't be likely to chose them, they fall into about the same level or slightly worse IMO, than UPS. 

These are my experiences anyway.

Apple *used* to use Fed-Ex more... I'd be asking what changed? Probably a cheaper contract.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

I agree with Dreambird. FedEx first, UPS second and Purolator a distant third.


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## Dreambird (Jan 24, 2006)

*thud**

Someone pick me up off the floor! MacFury agrees with me!!!


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## KC4 (Feb 2, 2009)

Dreambird said:


> *thud**
> 
> Someone pick me up off the floor! MacFury agrees with me!!!


:lmao::lmao::lmao:
Yup, you may wish to print that one off and frame it.


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## Macfury (Feb 3, 2006)

Some day, Dreambird, you might even agree with one of my posts!


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## Dreambird (Jan 24, 2006)

You never can tell, MacFury... I do hope to live for sometime yet!


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## FeXL (Jan 2, 2004)

Next thing you know, you two will be swapping war stories in a smoke laden bar over cold beers...


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

Purolator has managed to find the package, still in Toronto. The person I spoke to first this morning lied to me about everything. Apple was supposed to send it Air but it got sent out ground and it won't arrive for 3-5 business days. Tack on the Guaranteed Purolator Delay™ and we've got 9 or 10 days. 

THE INCOMPETENCE IS UNBELIEVABLE.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

I use USPS for US deliveries wherever possible. No fees, no wasted time, good service on both ends (CanadaPost takes over, obviously, after it crosses the border). After them, FedEx.

If it can't come by other means, I would rather (literally) have it sent to my US private mail box in Port Angeles than use UPS or Purolator. I know this is not an option for a some Canadians, but many of us live near enough to the US border to do something like this.


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## Sonal (Oct 2, 2003)

Hey, congratulations that they actually found the package.

We use Purolator a fair bit for sending documents, and mostly things have been fine. But a few months ago, they lost one.... it was full of rent cheques. And it *still* hasn't turned up.


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

Right now I'm pretty pissed.

Apple got this whole mess started. I requested expressly that I wanted FedEx or UPS shipping, and she SAID she put it in the notes (the Apple Corporate Customer Care Administrator that handled my situation). They shipped it with Purolator. I would still be pissed but would tolerate it. Then, Apple shipped it out a day late. Instead of shipping it on Thursday as they were supposed to, it shipped late Friday afternoon. Purolator on Saturday says it's an Air shipment and will arrive on monday. Call at 8AM. They said as soon as the system updates at 10 AM it will show it's on the truck. 10:30 AM rolls around and it still says it's just "SHIPMENT IN TRANSIT" as of Saturday at 1:46 in the morning. I go to a more detailed package info screen and it gives me a bunch of gobbledigook that pretty much says it's "Shipment in Transit via Toronto". Of course, this doesn't say it's IN Toronto, it's just been there at some point. Not very useful. So, today, after it not updating, I call Purolator. This is around 10:45 AM. They insist it's a Ground package, and that it hasnt left toronto. I ask them to use the "Imaging Software" that takes pictures of the packages that the early AM rep said takes pictures of packages, and apparently she could see it was marked Air. I tried to tell her to look that up but she said she hasn't heard of such a thing. She initiates an investigation for a lost package. At this point, she sounds like she's making stuff up as she goes along, so I just agree to the investigation and hang up. An hour later, I try and call to get a different rep who basically refuses to talk to me insisting that they're doing an investigation and they'd call me in the afternoon. She was very rudely, IMO, trying to get me off the phone. A few minutes later, I get a call from the most obnoxious and loud representative at Purolator, although she was the nicest to me and the friendliest, I generally liked her. Unfortunately, she just asked me what the contents and value were of the package and said I'd get a call this afternoon. At around 5, I hadn't seen a call from Purolator, so I ring them up, and talk to a woman with a heavy French accent that says they've found the package (yay?) but it's Ground and left on a semi truck. They had just told me that morning it was an Air shipment. Liars.

I called Misty (my Apple Corporate Care thingy person) and left her a message earlier that day informing her that Purolator had lost the package. I sent her an email with more info. When it was found but shipped incorrectly, I phoned her, again with no response. 

This is where I am now. When I was supposed to only not have a phone for "a couple days over the weekend", I am now without a phone for at least a week and a half, including the fact I've been without it since Wednesday.

I think I'll be eBaying this new iPhone. I can't tolerate incompetence, whether it be Apple ignoring my explicit instructions NOT to use Purolator, and the fact I had to do this to begin with. I dropped $200 on a phone plus a $15/mo increase in my service fees switching from TELUS Mobility. I'm not prepared to have to replace my phone on a monthly basis. Any suggestions for something to replace my iPhone?


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

" ... Then, Apple shipped it out a day late. Instead of shipping it on Thursday as they were supposed to, it shipped late Friday afternoon. ..."

I take it you ordered it Thursday, sometime?

" ... Expedited shipping — Delivers within 2-5 business days after shipping. Service is currently provided by Federal Express and affiliated carriers. ..." -Apple Canada

That means Monday (2 days) to Friday (5 days), counting the day you ordered as day zero, even though they clearly state "after shipping" which really means Tuesday at the earliest. No courier or transport service counts weekends.

Or do you expect zero day shipping, arriving by Transporter Beam on Thursday? I hear it's Scotty's day off.

Hey, I understand you're pissed, but I also don't see what the problem is. Monday would be far above the delivery standard, and yet it's not good enough for you?


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

The AppleCare case was started Monday, I was contacted about it Wednesday and the order was put in then. This was not a simple "order", it is a highly escalated AppleCare case that is not simply Apple Store Expedited shipping. Purolator is not affiliated with FedEx. It was supposed to be send by the best of services (that's what I was promised, at least). That means FedEx Express that takes a MAX of two days to allow for customs, or UPS Express (next day by noon).


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

Don't they sell beer where you live?

Trust me, life's too short to lose it over a phone. ANY phone.


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## bsenka (Jan 27, 2009)

I've never had a problem with Purolator. Never an issue with anything sent from Apple for that matter. Things always arrive early, actually.

For cross-border shipping, Canada Post/USPS is the best by far if you want to avoid extra fees. 

Fed Ex is the best if you want to make sure that it gets there the fastest.

UPS is the best if you really hate the recipient and you want them to pay an exorbitant brokerage fee.


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

LOL. Too young to drink.


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

I know.


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

Funny Saskatchewanian. 

Purolator and Apple don't drive me to drink, they drive me to BlackBerry.


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

gordguide said:


> Don't they sell beer where you live?
> 
> Trust me, life's too short to lose it over a phone. ANY phone.


I'm not losing it over the phone, I'm just frustrated as Apple and Purolator royally screwed up an iMac and Purolator has screwed up countless other packages so I'm unsurprised but frustrated equally. I want to end my business relationship with Apple, to be honest. At least for phones. I think the quality issues at the moment with the iPhone are unacceptable, but this little extra bit of incompetence is just that little bit to end it. At least for phones.


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

Hey, you're free to do as you see fit.

I could say that your story doesn't really jive; Apple would not be delivering via Purolator from the USA, for example. It seems to me they tried to get you something as fast as they could (from Canada somewhere) and you're angry about it. But, that's not really important, and it's guessing anyway.

But, think about this for a moment ... you are talking about a smart phone, a contract with a cellular provider that will last years, and you are making decisions about whether to choose one over another based on ... the mail? The delivery method? The courier?

You should maybe take a step back and figure out that the one has nothing to do with the other.

I know this: You are going to spend thousands of hours with the phone/computer/college/wife/life you choose, so don't base it on incidental trivia. That would be punishing yourself. At least try the phone first.

As for incompetence, well, let me tell you ... get ready, because you ain't seen nothing yet. The world is full of people and organizations and companies that will make this little experience seem like the "good old days when everything just worked".

Which is why I say take a rest and let it ride a bit. It will take a comic-book superhero to punish all the incompetence you are going to experience in your life, and there is even worse news than that ... there aren't any comic-book superheros available for the job.


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

gordguide said:


> Hey, you're free to do as you see fit.
> 
> I could say that your story doesn't really jive; Apple would not be delivering via Purolator from the USA, for example. It seems to me they tried to get you something as fast as they could (from Canada somewhere) and you're angry about it. But, that's not really important, and it's guessing anyway.
> 
> ...



Unfortunately, Purolator does ship from the US. What angers me is that Apple, and for part of the time Purolator didn't know where the package was coming from and how it was sent. Apple said "I think it kinda-sorta-maybe-could be from the USA, but we don't really know, which doesn't say "We're thinking of getting you the package as FAST as possible". Am I overreacting? Probably. I know this is hardly incompetence. But I'm still frustrated. 

Oh, and Apple does ship Purolator from the US to Canada. Make sure you have your facts straight before telling people to calm down.

Post that matters below:
__________________
Good news: 

Purolator came through for me. This morning when I checked Purolator tracking, it had revealed a lot of information that makes this situation more understandable. I thought this was an Apple package originating in Toronto, as it said "Picked up by Purolator via TORONTO SORT". Then, later that afternoon, it said it had somehow been picked up again and that it was again In Transit via TORONTO SORT. Then, very late I had to get up to go to the washroom, and I bumped my computer desk which had the Purolator tracking page up, and I refreshed it. It said it was in transit via Mount Hope, ON which almost always means it's going through Air as they seem to have a large Air shipping hub (it seems like most inter-canada UPS packages go through there too). Then, this morning, I checked, and there was a very useful piece of information that would have been REALLY useful about 24 hrs ago - "In transit via US GROUND LINEHAUL". Purolator tracking generally sucks but I've made piece with that, it's useful enough. This was sort of a vital piece of information that no one seemed to know. However, there was one thing that mattered to me a little more than a bit of frustration over origin: In Transit via *glory music* CALGARY! Those rude CSRs were wrong, it was sent air. Or, a really, really fast truck driver that somehow makes it from Ontario to Alberta in one drive, but I'm not one (okay, yes, I am) to argue. I called Purolator and it's confirmed *gasp* out for delivery and will show up when the public system updates. 

I still don't think Purolator is a great courier, but I guess I must congratulate them on their first ever somewhat ontime delivery.


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## ertman (Jan 15, 2008)

In my limited uses, I have had no problems with purolator myself. UPS seems to be the most reliable, Fedex seems ok, but I do not like DHL. It once took them a week to deliver a package from apple to me via a third party courier (a guy with a van), from only about 45 minutes from their depot. They had lost track, despite it being checked in a few times to their depot. The reason they used a third party, is because I live to far in the boonies, and during this time I had 2 dhl trucks drive past my place.

UPS and Purolator regularly travel by my place. 

Also, after phoning dhl about why my parcel had not been delivered yet, they told me about the the 3rd party system, and that they have no responsibility with delivery times etc.


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

Well, they've delivered it. Congrats on their first ontime delivery with me. I saw that this package is coming from the USA so I am fine with it being here today. That still doesn't explain the rude representatives and the fact that shortly this package was lost.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

> Oh, and Apple does ship Purolator from the US to Canada. Make sure you have your facts straight before telling people to calm down.


Purolator has absolutely no operations within the US. Apple contracts various third parties to get the freight to Purolator for intra-Canada distribution. That is why Purolator can not show any package tracking while in transit from the US. So it is you who needs to get the facts straight and that is also why UPS and FedEx are better choices for shipments originating in the US or elsewhere.


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## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

> Canada Post Corporation owns 94% of Purolator.


 FYI

Purolator Courier Ltd.


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

I'm sorry, kps. Their policies on the US seem to vary, I did not know Apple contracted someone. Purolator still provides US service, just handled by UPS. Used to be DHL but they switched. What I thought (usually the case, as with Dell) is that Apple ships it via Purolator, handled up to the border by UPS and changes to Purolator in Canada. Apple is out of the ordinary stuff. Thanks for the info, it'll be really useful in the future 

Ottawaman, yes, I knew that, and it explains LOADS. LOL!


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## macintosh doctor (Mar 23, 2009)

Love/Hate said:


> Canada is a vast country and we need to ship stuff. Most people and companies would choose to use FedEx, UPS, or DHL, but we also have Purolator Courier.
> 
> At the moment, I am less than impressed (read: livid) with PC. I have shipped approx 9 packages with them, and not one single one has been delivered on time.
> 
> ...


I will weight in our experiences in..As an Apple Retailer:
we used them all, Air Canada Cargo, DHL, FEDEX, UPS, PURO, USPS, CANADA POST. ( ALSO MIDLAND )

They all have anomalies.
take Midland for example, I ordered 20 xerox printers - they showed up in a snow storm in december in a refrigeration truck, Mean while my wife's father who owns a sobeys in PEI, specifically asked for a refrigeration truck, they came with a regular cube van with rotten food.. you just can not win.

UPS: ultimately the worst of the worst, leaving packages that are worth over $1000s at the front door or on the lawn. The Brokerage fees that they force you to pay when you specifically request, that you will clear it, is financially nuts. when they do delivery : they send the most illiterate driver they can find - say fragile both written and icon : he still drop, drags packages to front door. they are always late.

DHL: they are just on their own schedule..

Purolator: is know for being late but it does get there, they are the cheapest, but i do not expect much from them because they are owned by Canada Post.

Fedex :is great slightly on the pricy side but on time...has the fastest US/Can clearance department ever... also they are great for international deliveries too.

stick with FEDEX if you can afford it, otherwise use Puro knowing that it is cheap and will get there..

the only bouns i can add is if you use them

Air Canada Cargo - unbelievable cheap, but no time promises, open 24/7 also you have to drive to them..

for Canadian shipments we Purolator 
for international fedex and air canada cargo, but mostly fedex.

if you do have a problem it is best to have them refund the delivery - not much else they will do for you, if you continue to have issues find a new carrier.

we get fedex/puro deliveries every day.. every Christmas they get gifts from us..
now we have regular drivers, now they come by twice a day in case they missed us the first time..

not much advise in my reply just my experience: i hope it helps.
side note: if you deal with apple just request fedex.. for service apple uses fedex with its dealers.. they dropped purolator.


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

I totally agree with you! I have not used ACC, but FedEx rips through customs like theres no tomorrow. I must differ that although UPS does suck, they have a problem for being overzealous with signatures. They refuse to take a note asking to leave an empty box on my doorstep. A little frustrating, IMO. I must say FedEx is my favorite but sometimes they have vague tracking. I like UPS tracking a lot. It's very straightforward: "In transit to Calgary". "Departed Edmonton". "Package delayed due to an aircraft mechanical failure." "Package delayed: delivery truck attacked by ninjas." Simple as can be.

I did request Apple send my iPhone through FedEx (actually, I said FedEx or UPS, just not through Purolator). They said they'd try but no promises. I can't blame them.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

So wait, I'm confused ...

This entire threat started off as a rant against Purolator and Apple, but now you say Purolator delivered on time and Apple can't be blamed?

Huh?

Might want to lay off the Red Bull for a while ...

PS. To those discussing Purolator's presence or lack thereof in the US, I can verify that DHL sorta morphed into Purolator for a while there ... don't know if that's still the case now, but I definitely received packages (late as usual) from Purolator in the states.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

Purolator and DHL always had a relationship for international shipments in and out of Canada...until DHL decided to enter the North American "domestic" market. Then things changed and now that DHL couldn't hack it here against FedEx and UPS it's pulling out and slowly shutting down it's NA domestic operations. UPS took over DHL's domestic air movements for now, they retain their own international air movements.

DHL is huge (owned by the German Post office) they bought out a lot of 3PLs but couldn't crack the North American courier market. They remain huge in the 3PL market and here in Canada, they own the company that does all of Walmart's Canadian distribution.


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

chas_m,

Yes, i know it doesn't make sense. I was ranting to Apple for using Purolator at all, as their customer service is way below industry standard.

As for Purolator itself, the timeline is messy. While I was ranting, there was information neither Purolator nor I knew which was info we needed to know. This was info that a shipping company should ALWAYS know. it should be visible on the tracking page (it is with FedEx and UPS). That info is whether it's coming from the USA or not, or if it's sent Air or Ground. Maybe I'm expecting too much from a little company. However, it turned out to be sent how it should have been, and the information that the CSRs told me on Monday (takes 3-6 business days) was incorrect. I know Purolator to hold packages in their depots too long, and the drivers really deliver the packages they want to and just say Attempted Delivery for the packages they skipped. I congratulated them for managing not to skip my house and for managing not to leave it in the depot for days for no understandable reason. They managed to deliver it on time. I guess my rant now is just more about the bad customer service I've gotten from this company. Usually DHL and FedEx reps are friendly enough but Purolator reps have a "I don't give a damn, thanks" attitude towards my frustration. The last time FX delayed something, they were very apologetic. Purolator, not a damn word. They managed to do it on time though, so I guess my complaints are just kind of with the customer service. That's all.


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## imobile (Oct 6, 2007)

*Here we go......*



chas_m said:


> I use USPS for US deliveries wherever possible. No fees, no wasted time, good service on both ends (CanadaPost takes over, obviously, after it crosses the border). After them, FedEx.
> 
> If it can't come by other means, I would rather (literally) have it sent to my US private mail box in Port Angeles than use UPS or Purolator. I know this is not an option for a some Canadians, but many of us live near enough to the US border to do something like this.



Tis a long swim in frigid waters across Juan Dah Fuca Strait .....

As for Puree latur .... their tracking is third rate compared to UPS and Fed Ex.
In my experiences Puree has offered 'on truck for delivery' and NOT specifying whether truck was in Sacramento, Toronto, Victoria or maybe Kabul?

Fed Ex is excellent. When order a new Apple, it even documents the coffee break in Anchorage whilst en route from China to Memphis! 


And for chas_m ...a little locator for his mailbox! 
( looking south from beautiful Mt Tolmie, Victoria BC)


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

Purolator only delivers within Canada.
UPS is the only courier that has ever left items sitting on my lawn. I was home at the time, by the way, nobody knocked. I noticed it hours later when I happened to check the tracking # and saw "item delivered".
Air Canada cargo can be great; in fact dealing directly with any airline for Canada-to-Canada deliveries us usually great and fast.
UPS is also not bad for Canada-to-Canada, unless of course your recipient has a lawn.

Insisting on any courier exclusively is a fool's game ... the business is very competitive and is constantly changing. A service might be fine for years and then for no reason obvious to you, it changes.

Prices are always in flux; you need to check and re-check from time to time, and it's probably better to check on an individual package basis if you truly want the best price; a few ounces can make huge differences. The rate schedules are deliberately set up to mask areas where the courier fails to compete well, and the service classes are constantly being massaged for the same reasons. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can be taken for granted or assumed to be "the same as the last time".

Companies use specific carriers because they get service guarantees and prices based on contracts ... your idea of the "best way" may cost twice as much and take twice as long, compared to when you, the retail customer, ships your stuff.

ALL couriers have agreements with others to handle some of their packages, and ALL couriers will give items to their competitors if there is an issue with the delivery they cannot or don't want to handle.

You can ship anything via anybody and find it delivered by someone entirely different anywhere on Earth. That does not mean they shipped it via that company, or that company even has service to here or there.

I've had packages that were sent FedEX Next Day Air (the guy paid $90 for a small package) that were delivered by Canada Post regular mail a week later. And we both were happy ... FedEX simply do not go where I was, no one except Canada Post via a weekly DC3 cargo plane does. It made it across the border and cleared customs in a day, however.

There are certain places where it's impossible to get next day service, period. There are places in Saskatchewan where Canada Post simply cannot send anything sooner than two days (and no, they are not in the north ... they are near the North Dakota border, a hundred miles from the Trans-Canada. Some things just are what they are).

If you send it with any other courier, they will just hand it over to Canada Post, because they don't go there either.

What do you do then? Why, you send it the most expensive, most insured, fully guaranteed next day-way, of course. Why? Because it will be free, that's why. How do you beat Guaranteed Free?

If someone sends something to you, and it gets there, be happy. 90+ % of the time everything is rosy, but blaming the sender because your Dutch Tulib Bulbs from Amsterdam were foolishly sent DHL against your instructions (by far the best courier in Europe) instead of UPS (the favorite courier in the US) because you had a problem on another continent with DHL is silly.

Last month a FedEX cargo plane burned to the ground, with everything in it, including the crew. Everything got to Tokyo same day. It just never left the airport once it got there.

There is no perfect choice all the time, and to whine about something that is already in transit is silly. Gone is gone. A phone can be replaced. A father cannot.

" ... The last time FX delayed something, they were very apologetic. Purolator, not a damn word. ..."

Let me get this straight. You praise a company for failing to do what it promised, and deride one for doing what it said it would do?

Apple gets market share and we pay the price, I guess.


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## Love/Hate (Apr 27, 2009)

gordguide,

I guess I was unclear. I apologize. I guess after the beginning of the thread things changed and I should have explained more. In the beginning, I was told by a Purolator rep that she "checked her imaging software" and she could see the package marked Air and it would be delivered Monday. When it was not delivered Monday, I contacted purolator and asked what happened. That person said that she's never heard of this "imaging software" and said she didn't know where the phone was so she initiated an investigation. This rep was OK - she was pretty rude sounding though.

I then get a call from a rep from Purolator asking me about the package: sender, approx. value, contents. I tell her the info she needs. She says "We'll call you this afternoon."
Purolator closes at 8PM, if I'm not mistaken, and I did not get any calls. I called them earlier that evening (6PM) and asked them if there was any change. The rep said they had discovered it was sent via Ground and it would be 3-6 business days. 

Then in the morning I find it's in Calgary with the online tracking. I call and ask about it. They said it would be delivered today. 

So you see, I was not ranting about them delivering it on time. I praise them for delivering on time. I am ranting about them not being able to tell me the straight, correct information that should be right on the representative's screen. I guess Apple's out-of-the-ordinary US shipping confused the reps. Either way, I over-reacted. I'm not angry anymore. I was angry when it was supposed to be overnight and it was sent 4-6 businessdays. However, I praise Purolator now for delivering it on time, but I find their tracking and customer service to be lacking. I'm not angry anymore, let's leave it at that.

I resent your comment at the end.


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