I was not sure how to title this blog because I am so angry.  I order stuff all the time on the internet and get ticked off when American companies charge a huge premium to ship into Canada.  But a recent order just took me over the top.

For the Victory I need some Linen thread.  Linen is better than cotton or polymer for ship models because it does not stretch and is closer to the real lines (at the scale I am working with)

Unfortunately Linen thread is not carried at any of the fabric shops in our town.  I could get it in Victoria or Vancouver but not here.  So I went on the internet and sure enough there is a company in the US that sells the spools of linen thread that I want.  I could have ordered from the UK where it is made but thought the US would be available quicker.  Price of the 4 spools I want is about $10.  But then they want another $10 to mail the spools.

Think of a little package with 4 spools of thread.  But I said OK it is still cheaper than driving down to Victoria.

I wait 2 weeks and ask the company what happened with the order.  They reply that they did not realize I was ordering from a foreign land and needed another $15 to airmail to my country and furthermore because they did not have faith that the postal service in my foreign country could be trusted, required that I buy insurance.   This would be $40 for a product that must have cost them $4

Now I understand the issue.  The company is based in North Carolina and given the American education system, they must think Canada is an Island off the coast of Thailand if they know it at all.

I told them to just put it in the mail and I would take the chance on the Canadian Postal Service.    No wonder I have most things I order in the US sent to Janine.