$5 Manual Manifest Charge by CP

[amberwoodottawa]

My CP rep has informed me that the $5 manual manifest charge began in January. I have not yet received my January bill to verify this but he said that it will definately be on my account.

He said that the warnings have been out since October and that the start date was January, it is automatically charged by their system.

Here is something that irks me about it:
I used to use one manifest to ship to Canada and the US but was informed by CP in December that I must use a Single item manifest for Canada and a regular Manifest for US Expedited. That means that I now use 2 manifests each shipping day so that they can collect $10 from me instead of $5.

I am certain that the reason they made that change was to double charge for using manual manifests.

So even though my warehouse is not where my office is, CP believes that it will be better for me to have a computer in the warehouse and pay for an internet connection there to use their online system.

The good news is I still have my Level 3 discount with them although technically my rep is not my rep due to my volumes not meeting the shipping levels.

Malcolm

[brcyclesalvage]

It isn't per manifest per say. When you ship your orders (I ship 70 or parcels at a time) just label the pages 1 of say 4, 2 of 4, etc. That way it is only one manifest but multiple pages.

Ryan

[amberwoodottawa]

Ryan
Right however using 2 different manifests, one being a Single Item Manifest (form 33-086-564(01-08))for Cdn and US Express Post and Cdn Expedited and then a regular Manifest (form 33-086-565 (01-08)) would constitute 2 manifests and not a continuation of the Single Item Manifest (eg page 3/4 etc).

I will check this out and see how they billed me when I receive my next CP bill which should come tomorrow for my January shipments.

I hope they are treated as a continuation as I can live with $5 per shipping day charges but $10 is way too much.

At $5 per shipping day (twice per week) it is less expensive than setting up a computer at the warehouse and getting an internet connection etc etc. and finding space to put it.

Malcolm

[your-chic-shopper]

I have asked about this, your Rep is mis-informed . The $5.00 charge is for bulk mail . This is what was going to start to be charged in January not packages . Cp has been telling customers whom bulk mail there will be a $5.00 charge per manifest

Ask to produce the memo he speaks about ..??? Also the single manifest , that he speaks about . You can writen Canadian addresses on it . Holy the dam manifest has all the same info the other manifest has

Just ask your Rep to produce the letter that states packaged items shipped through Canada Post with a maniifest will be charged an addtional $5.00 per manifest .

Tell him to reread the inhouse memo he is reading from , and tell hime what I told you

Then see what he has to say

[rd1000]

yes that is the big problem. It costs more to ship many of the items than it does to purchase them. In Canada at least.

Well I am glad the CP employees are getting a weekend away. Poor babies are worked to death. Maybe they put their collective heads together and figure out why I can ship to a remote village in China cheaper than I can ship to downtown Ottawa.

Maybe I should send my next weeks parcels from Canada just to help out their trip. My contribution so to speak.

Rob

[amberwoodottawa]

Todd
I am going to wait until I get my next bill from CP.

You know the best 5 months I had with CO started when my rep was called off my account and I sit in a pooled account.

I have a level 3, ship far less than a level 1, deduct like crazy and have about $1,700 outstanding in deductions, some going back 10 months and for the most part I am not bothered by them.

I get billed every 5 weeks giving me up to 7 weeks to pay on some shipments.

My rep wants to get me back under him again but why should I rock the boat? I mean when he was my rep, I would get calls every week from him and faxes and emails and propaganda and now I get nothing which seems to be the better of the two options.

Malcolm

[amberwoodottawa]

Sorry I meant "CP". Im typing in a poorly lit room as my eyes are getting very, very tired.
Malcolm

[www-labels4less-com]

"technically my rep is not my rep due to my volumes not meeting the shipping levels"

I ship betweeen 300 & 350 parcels per month for Ebay. My "regular" business ships closer to 1000 parcels per month. Same rep. I was just told by my rep that there are no longer assigned reps. All businesses are to call the business help line at CPC with any questions regarding shipments/accounting

[amberwoodottawa]

Not according to my rep.
I was informed that there was a big shift in what they called territories. New reps were assigned to many businesses otherwise everyone else was pooled.

I was told to call the CP Help Line and find out who my new rep was or if I would remain in a pool without a rep.

Apparently alot of the reps dont know who their cutomers are (bad internal communication) so the owness is left to the businesses to find out through the CP Help Desk.

I guess the memo telling the reps who there customers are was mailed to them using last year's postage rate and has been returned to head office.

The only difference is that my rep wants my business as he belives in my long-term business plan and sees opportunities for CP to make money 'long term'.

Its really funny. I dont have a rep but I have spoken with my "old" rep twice a week over the last 3 weeks with the shortest call being 30 minutes.

When he was my rep, we would talk maybe once per month for no more than 5 minutes.

Is it possible CP's commercial business has really dropped off that much?

I know that if I was a large company, I would be moving my parcels down to the US to be mailed out every day.

Malcolm

[www-labels4less-com]

It never ceases to amaze me how all of our reps provide different information. Incredible.

[amberwoodottawa]

Just received my CP bill.

I am absolutely loosing my bloody mind with these CP loosers and think I am going to pull the plug in giving them any more business and find an alternative.

No $5 per manifest charge which is great (completely contrary to what my rep said). They do post how much I would save if I used automated shipping tools. I would have saved a total of $14 over a 5-week period. For $3 per week savings I should install a compter where I ship from and get an internet connection, I dont think so.

Here is where I am totally pi$$ed off.

CP p/u my stuff 2X per wk. If the wkly p/u is less than 8, I am to pay $15, if over 8 but less than 16 I pay $6.
Otherwise it is free.

I had never been charged in 2003 if I fell short of the wkly quota.

My new bill however is charging for weekly p/u no matter hom much I ship and I was never informed of this:
Wk ending 6/12 I shipped 11 and was billed $15
Wk ending 13/12 I shipped 20 and was billed $6
Wk ending 20/12 I shipped 31 and was billed $6
Wk ending 27/12 I shipped 5 and was billed $15
Total shipped for December 66 or 16 1/2 items per week.

In addition, CP only picked up one time the week of 27/12 due to their being closed. I had stuff ready but they got it the next week.

Here is my old CP rep trying to get me back under his wing and CP is charging me for services that I should be getting for free as I have been meeting their quotas.

Loosers, thats all I can think of calling them.

Hello USPS for 2004.

Malcolm

[amberwoodottawa]

Sorry total shipped was 67, I hit the wrong key. Darn typing. Malcolm

[www-labels4less-com]

Is UPS really going to be cheaper even when you look at all the p/u fees?

[amberwoodottawa]

Not UPS,USPS.

I sell a guitar to someone in California. CP Shipping cost (by cubic weight) is $85+ = No Sale. USPS cost about $20.

I ship a guitar to NYC. CP Shipping cost (cubic) $45 US (50% chance customer will purchase).
USPS cost about $14.

And with CP now charging me for pick ups even when I am shipping 15 - 30 parcels per week (at about $30 shipping average per unit) and fuel surcharges and "not using electronic shipping tool" surcharges etc etc the costs are getting totally out of control.

Plus they continually error in their favor. I shipped a 3" X 3" X 2" package expedited to the US and was charged $48.

Yes I am ranting. How can one run a business when you dont know what it is going to cost you for a service because the rules keep changing, the contacts keep changing, the fees are different for everyone, even if you are the same level and on and on.

I am flooded with manuals and flyers and advertising from CP almost on a daily basis for all their new services such as bill payments through CP online and buy your domain name through CP and purchase these special limited edition gifts from CP.

My CP rep tells me what he thinks he knows about a product or a charge or policy while another one tells someone else something completely different. Its like night and day within their own organization.

UPS is out of the question for me as they wont insure my products. Fedex has a deplorable reputation.

Driving to the US to send out via USPS may be the way to go. If only I shipped small packages instead of something that can weigh close to 100 lbs (like a set of drums).

I mean how do I drive 15- 30 large packages down across the border every week without buying or renting a truck?

Malcolm

[muminlaw]

"how do I drive 15- 30 large packages down across the border every week without buying or renting a truck?"

Geez Malcolm, maybe the truck is cheaper!!???

I shipped a 3" X 3" X 2" package expedited to the US and was charged $48.

What in the world did that weigh??? I mail that size package regularly and they NEVER cost much more than $10.00 (of course I don't have an account, nor a rep -- maybe that's your mistake?? LOL )

Glenda

[amberwoodottawa]

Glenda

Good one. There are times I consider just taking stuff to the local PO and dealing over the counter and paying on the spot. Its great to get billed and get upwards of 7 week terms but not the surprises.

ON THE OTHER HAND, I don't pay for all their mistakes. In fact I don't pay one red nickel. So when they charge me $48 for a 3" parcel that weighs .9 kg going Expedited to the US, that ends up being a deduction and they don't even get regular postage out of me for the delivery.

When they charged me on more than 2 ocassions over $150 to deliver guitars, voila another deduction. So rather than collecting $35 or $45 from me, they bill me an outrageous amount and don't get paid anything.

I'll go to court before I ever pay them one plug nickel for that type of gouging and I have told them that.

Problem is, I can handle those one or 2 or 3 per months oddities, now it is nickel and diming on every shipment and every bill and I am growing somewhat weary and don't enjoy having a CP account that looks like mine with deductions amassing with every bill.

Malcolm

[muminlaw]

Malcolm, between you and a couple of the others on this board, I'm so happy about being a small-time powerseller using mostly less than 2cm, 1Kg packets! I know right from the start where I stand with mail charges, my buyers know where they stand (although some prefer not to admit they know).

I guess that's an advantage of being old enough to collect CPP and just needing an income supplement (which eBay has been supplying quite nicely). Don't let anyone tell you it's hell getting old! It's definitely not -- it's great fun and beats the alternative hands down!!! Now if I didn't have to keep track for GST, PST and income tax (which was supposed to be temporary to pay for WWI !!!) .... Wouldn't you think they'd let us seniors off the hook? Everyone knows we're "over the hill" and we can't think clearly enough to look after our own finances! Yeah, right! I've got a hope ... !!

Glenda

[amberwoodottawa]

Glenda
I usually embark on things that become challenges. I am not one to do anything small even though that may be my intentions atthe outset.

But not unlike yourself, I started this last year to build something for myself to supplement an income. Mine is from consulting where I may work 5 months in a year or I may work 12 months on a contract or more.

In addition, being an independant business person, I dont have a company pension nor do I have the resources I once had. That comes from enjoying life, you know the cruises, champagne etc etc.

So I am hoping to create a perpetual type income from this business in what I am starting and have my 19 year old son, who is my partner, take over the reigns and run it entirely in a few years as I get everything in place.

So again like yourself, I am hoping that my business than began with eBay lat February will provide me with some additional Do Re Mi ,when I get too tired to do any more consulting work.

My forte is restructuring, starting businesses, buying and selling businesses and running them however I no longer have the patience to run a business.

Malcolm