Shoppers seeking more variety and lower prices from online retailers in the U.S. are finding it's taking weeks for packages to be delivered to Canadian addresses.

'There's absolutely something gone wrong on the Canada-U.S. border. All of the sudden, it's taking weeks and weeks.'—Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, consumer

Toronto-based writer Stephanie Pearl-McPhee said she ordered yarn from a U.S. retailer in late September, and it took nearly three weeks before it was delivered. A package of yarn shipped from the United States typically arrives in Canada within four or five working days, McPhee said.

"It's a really long time," she said. "There's absolutely something gone wrong on the Canada-U.S. border. All of the sudden, it's taking weeks and weeks."

The Canada Border Services Agency said it has recorded an uptick in mail.

"The number of online purchases arriving by mail has recently surged, in part due to the strong Canadian dollar and the commencement of the holiday season — the busiest time of the year for postal services," Chris Williams, a CBSA spokesman, said in an e-mail.

Williams said that despite challenging circumstances, the CBSA is releasing the majority of incoming mail into the Canada Post system for delivery.

"Additional processing time may also be required for postal items that are subject to duties or taxes, or that require further examination by the CBSA or another government department," he said.

Yvonne Yoerger, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service, said service standards and delivery times remain the same on the U.S. side. But, she said, she's personally heard of some delays at the border.

"I have heard, just through personal contacts and anecdotes, that things seem to be taking longer to get through customs," she said.

Over the past few years, changing border security regulations along with increased volume have caused some border delays, said United Parcel Service spokeswoman Cristina Falcone. She said the rise of the loonie against the U.S. dollar over the past month may be affecting shipping times.

"We've certainly seen continued growth. I wouldn't be surprised if the strength of the loonie is adding to the volume," Falcone said. "But we've seen that over the past few years."

U.S. sellers complain of customs checks, border delays

In an online forum hosted by the auction site eBay, some U.S. sellers complain of shipping lags of up to four weeks owing to customs checks and border delays. Some sellers note there has been a marked increase in Canadian buyers recently.

Many consumers who have turned to online retailers in the U.S. say they are frustrated that Canadian sticker prices don't reflect the value of the loonie. In a CBCNews.ca forum, consumers have posted comments about bargains found for books, clothes and boots through U.S. vendors.

On Tuesday, federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty encouraged retailers to lower their prices but noted consumers should shop around for the best prices.

While some big stores including Zellers and Wal-Mart have lowered their prices on some items, other retailers have said price adjustments will take time.

But George Zotti, store manager of the Silver Snail comic book store in Toronto, said a pricing overhaul is long overdue. He said the Silver Snail began charging U.S. sticker prices on their comics three years ago because they recognized the markups were inflated.

"Even three years ago, the price was wrong. A comic book would be $2.50 US but they would put it out at $3.99 Cdn, which is totally off base," Zotti said. "So we decided, 'OK, let's give our customers a deal, let's show them we care about them and let's start charging U.S. prices.' "

Now, many consumers are visiting larger bookstores to check out the new offerings and returning to him to place orders, Zotti said. He said excuses offered by large retailers ring hollow.

"They say the reason there's a month lag time is because large book stores are just a large conglomerate, just moving [the stock] through the machine takes so long," he said. "But still, I think that's kind of unfair. If they really wanted to make a difference, they could."