I debated posting this thread or not because I have liked working with Coppersmith in the past. But, I would also like to hear other people's experiences/opinions, and know if there is someone else I should be considering for clearing agent in the midwest area.
I used Coppersmith Chicago when Laura (I believe) was there. She was very pleasant, knowledgeable, eager to help and lend advice. She seemed very on top of things.
I had a shipment go through when she was leaving, about a year and a half ago, and my shipment was handed off to another person at Coppersmith when she left and I felt like they were not as on top of things as she was, and personality wise, seemed disinterested. I felt like I had to prod a bit to get them to pick up my shipment when it hit Chicago so it didn't sit and collect fees at the airport. At first they said it hadn't arrived, but I had received shipping alerts that said it was there. After some urging, they then saw it had arrived and picked it up.
I have called there since then to inquire about future shipments because I should have maybe 4 shipments in the next year or so coming in. And again, I got a person that I feel like was pretty disinterested, not the most eager to help etc. The prices also seem to have gone up from around $1,000 to about $1,400 for them to do clearing. When I asked if there was any specific reason the price went up so much the person said "Everything has gotten more expensive". Which I agree it has, but it felt like a weird way to respond. They then said "a lot of it has to do with everything sits at the airport longer" or something along those lines. But, part of paying a clearing agent is so my stuff doesn't sit at an airport longer. And it just reminded me of when my shipment came in and they weren't going to pick it up and said it wasn't there when I could see it was. It feels frustrating as a customer when that cost of $250 a day airport holding will just get passed onto me, and feels like something they should be on top of, in my opinion.
What I like about Coppersmith is that they have a USDA approved warehouse in the Chicago area. So that hopefully I would avoid extended holding fees. I don't know if other shippers have that in the Chicago area. When I have called it seems like the imports for other import agents would come into places like New York, and then I would have to pay shipping from New York to the Midwest, which raised the price.
Has anyone else noticed issues since Laura left (Sorry if I am getting her name wrong, I am terrible with names). Is there a better shipper in the midwest to use that has a USDA approved warehouse?
Any recent experience and advice would be appreciated.
I used Coppersmith Chicago when Laura (I believe) was there. She was very pleasant, knowledgeable, eager to help and lend advice. She seemed very on top of things.
I had a shipment go through when she was leaving, about a year and a half ago, and my shipment was handed off to another person at Coppersmith when she left and I felt like they were not as on top of things as she was, and personality wise, seemed disinterested. I felt like I had to prod a bit to get them to pick up my shipment when it hit Chicago so it didn't sit and collect fees at the airport. At first they said it hadn't arrived, but I had received shipping alerts that said it was there. After some urging, they then saw it had arrived and picked it up.
I have called there since then to inquire about future shipments because I should have maybe 4 shipments in the next year or so coming in. And again, I got a person that I feel like was pretty disinterested, not the most eager to help etc. The prices also seem to have gone up from around $1,000 to about $1,400 for them to do clearing. When I asked if there was any specific reason the price went up so much the person said "Everything has gotten more expensive". Which I agree it has, but it felt like a weird way to respond. They then said "a lot of it has to do with everything sits at the airport longer" or something along those lines. But, part of paying a clearing agent is so my stuff doesn't sit at an airport longer. And it just reminded me of when my shipment came in and they weren't going to pick it up and said it wasn't there when I could see it was. It feels frustrating as a customer when that cost of $250 a day airport holding will just get passed onto me, and feels like something they should be on top of, in my opinion.
What I like about Coppersmith is that they have a USDA approved warehouse in the Chicago area. So that hopefully I would avoid extended holding fees. I don't know if other shippers have that in the Chicago area. When I have called it seems like the imports for other import agents would come into places like New York, and then I would have to pay shipping from New York to the Midwest, which raised the price.
Has anyone else noticed issues since Laura left (Sorry if I am getting her name wrong, I am terrible with names). Is there a better shipper in the midwest to use that has a USDA approved warehouse?
Any recent experience and advice would be appreciated.
