eBay

rd1000 · ‎08-12-2004

The worst part of this business is having to deal with Canada Post. Increasingly I am finding them more and more expensive with worsening service and policies.

I just sent an Expedited parcel to a customer who has bought from me previously. Her old address was in my system, and I did not pick up on her new address. She moved a couple blocks up the road and the address is almost identical.

Her mail is being forwarded, yet the ever so accomodating Canada Post has returned the parcel to me. Apparently when you pay all that money to have your mail forwarded, it is just that. Mail! No parcels. Letters only. Thank you Canada Post.

The tracking information stated that it was re-directed to the new address, but apparently someone changed their mind and decided to send it back to me.

I have had my mail forwarded several times, and I was never aware that parcels were not included.

I guess in the mind of Canada Post it is more economical to return it half way across the country then to send it 2 blocks up the road to the new address. No wonder they have to charge so much.

If I quit this business, it will not be because of non-paying customers, ebay or paypal. It will be due to Canada Post.

Rob

shoplineca · ‎08-12-2004

I went on vacation last March and paid$6 for them to hold my mail for a week.

As CP wants people to use their ONLINE tools, I did all of this on-line and paid with a c/c. The online system asked how many days I wanted to have the mail hald and when I wanted the mail to begin being delivered and I entered 5 business days and Monday, March XX, 2004.

We came home early, arriving Friday night only to find a week's worth of mail sitting in our mail box.

CP told me that there was a problem between how their online system worked and the manual system. Apparently, someone actually fills in the old forms after I complete the online version (now that's progress).

When I indicated online, I wanted mail to be held 5 business days, their printed form asks when mail is to begin and they filled in '5th business day, which was Friday.

SO they delivered a week's worth of mail early and had I not come home that day, it would have sat there all weekend with bills, credit card statements and payments from customers.

CP told me that I was the first to discover this loophole in their system and I got my $6 back.

So Rob, yes they are useless and inefficient but also they are the only kid on the block.

Malcolm

rd1000 · ‎08-13-2004

"they are useless and inefficient but also they are the only kid on the block"

Yes you are right. I know it is no good to complain, but they are just getting worse all the time. When I first started taking expedited parcels in, they would put them on the scale and if they were under 1 kg, she would ring it up as 1 kg and put the postage on. Well, someone from Canada Post called her and told her she has to measure every package in case it cubes over 1 kg. That slows things down.

Now they are measuring every small packet!! It takes forever. When I go to the US, I ususally have about 100 packages and envelopes. The package goes on the scale, a couple buttons and its done. I am out in 20 minutes. I go to the outlet here with 8 or 10 parcels, and I am usually at the counter 15-20 minutes while they punch buttons, scan and measure the parcel to death. It is rediculous. Meanwhile, the people behind me that just want a stamp are fuming.

It is crazy.

Well I am just glad that good old Mr. Oullette turned Canada Post around and made it a lean, mean, efficient, profitable crown corporation. I am sure he was worth every bit of the $400,000/year. I just wish he had used a little of the $2,000,000.00 in travelling expenses to take a trip to Ogdensburg and have a look at their Postal system. Geez, he could've even jumped in with me for free.

OK I have had my rant. Thanks for listening.

Rob

shoplineca · ‎08-13-2004

Rob
The funny thing is we have a far superior system than the USPS in reality. While I would prefer the standard rates that they offer, they do not have commercial accounts with discounts for volume nor 30-day billings.

Their loss and breakage rate is higher than that of the Canadian system and they had a worse record in paying off claims.

The theft rate amongst USPS workers is greater as is the number of wrong deliveries causing some shippers major problems when their customers claim they havent recd their product and USPS says they have.

My son works for a company that ships out DVDs through a membership arrangement that was experiencing a major theft of its DVDs. They are all sent via CP. Following an extensive investigation by private detectives, local police and RCMP, it was discovered that less than 1 1/2% of the lost DVDs fell onto the shoulders of CP through loss or damage or wrong address delivery.

So in the end, we get what we pay for. For all the bad things about CP because we see it daily, the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence, but just go to the US Power Seller discussion board and you can read all about the various problems with USPS.

A year ago I used to get totally pi$$ed off with CP too but as I see how others are having problems with USPS, UPS, Fedex etc., I have come to realize that for the most art I have a pretty good arrangement with CP.

So I spend my time trying to work within the system and use what they give me to my advantage and it has been alot smoother ride since then.

Try going to a different Post Office. When I ship now, I go to a different postal outlet every week so they all know me, but not too well. As I am billed all the counter staff do is weigh my items and stamp my manifest and away I go.

All measurements for cubing are done mechanically by CP in their main terminals whereas last year they were done manually.

Malcolm

niko_and_co · ‎08-13-2004

I use a system similar to Malcolm's - different kinds of parcels go to different post offices or outlet. When it comes to the grey area of small packet that fits through the letter slot, I always go to an outlet as opposed to a post office. $2.85 vs $5.05. I find outlets like drug store much faster. Our shoppers has one student who works evenings and weekends who is lightning fast. The lady at my post office, though sweet, takes at least 2 minutes per package with my helping her.

I am still considering going to the US to mail when business picks up but haven't made up my mind yet.

shoplineca · ‎08-13-2004

I am lucky because I dont ship anything via small packet. I know that is where alot of the problems begin when comparing rates and whether it can be insured or not as the extra costs make up the biggest spread between our rates and that of the US.

The fact that USPS has something called Media Mail with such a low cost is definately a major advantage over what CP offers.

Someone on the US Power Seller board reminded me yesterday that what I sell, in terms of selling price and that it requires special handling, allows me to request more money from my customers for shipping without raising any questions from them.

So for many other Sellers, I know that shipping from the US using USPS is probably the most preferable. I have managed to avoid being uneccesarily dinged like I was last year when shipping items for cubing by using multiple postal locations and a couple of other tricks.

I have a very expensive digital scale that compares with the ones CP use. I found that if I brought in an instrument for mailing with the weight already on my manifest and bill of lading, the counter staff wanted to measure what I was shipping.

So I now bring in the instruments without using my high-end, expensive scale and tell them "All you have to do is weigh it for me, I didnt have time to do that at home today". They proceed to weigh it, fill in the weight and NEVER measure it.

As I said before, CP uses a mechanical cubing device now within their main postal facilities however I have totally avoided the much higher cubing costs I was being charged a year ago.

Its just a matter of playing a better game than they do within the system to make it work for you.

Malcolm

sunset_sports_cards · ‎08-13-2004

I send a large amount of bubble mailers. CP has lost so many of them on me and I have no other means of econimical shipping methods where I live. Half the time my mail makes it to a sorting centre, and I seem to always get some back wanting more postage on it. The strange thing about that is...MY POST OFFICE WEIGHED IT AND PUT THE POSTAGE ON IT! UUUUGGHHH!!!! What is a person to do? It is brutal at best!

rd1000 · ‎08-13-2004

I understand what you are saying Malcolm. No system will perfect I guess. I suppose I am only looking at what I have to send. I just find that some things are difficult that really shouldn't be.

When we pay $30 or so dollars to forward our mail, is it really to much to ask to include parcels?

I can get a tracking number on anything in the US for $0.50. Canada Post has tracking infrastructure. Why can't we get tracking numbers on small packets?

MEanwhile they seem to be getting their hands into all these ventures unrelated to delivering mail.

I wish they would focus on mail delivery and get that right first.

shoplineca · ‎08-13-2004

Many of the other ventures arent making any money for them either. I have the inside track on one and the revenue it generates for CP and its partner is not worth the time for CP to have it as an extra feature.

CP has 2 big problems. The first is it is managed like all government departments and the 2nd, the union.

Malcolm

vintagevenueco · ‎08-16-2004

Malcolm

I just recently started a business through ebay. I have shipping around 400 packages in the first 3 months. I was wondering if you know about getting discounted rates for volume. When I talked to a cp rep they told me I would have to show that I can deal with 500 packages per year before a price break. Do you have any suggestions for a new selling trying to move up the rewards ladder?

Also is it really worth it to get a postage machine?