eBay

terri_lynn_macdonald · ‎05-24-2013

Am I doing something wrong in my listing? Or, is there something wrong with the shipping module?

I just sold a laptop for parts to a buyer in Greece.

I clicked on the "print postage label", and inserted all the dimensions and weight.

It gave me a quote of over $114.00 to ship the item.

I thought this was a crazy amount, so I sent a message to my buyer showing that this was apparently the only option (there were 3 small packet choices and xpresspost international parcel only), but none except the xpresspost option would work. as item weighed too much).

I was attempting to give my buyer the option to decline the purchase since I thought the shipping amount made the purchase not feasible, but I did not explain myself well enough I guess, and the buyer naturally got very upset and pointed out to me that the shipping rate in the listing, when choosing Greece as destination... showed only $64.xx.

I responded to buyer that I would find the answer.

I went back to listing and tried again to print shipping, but this time it displayed error, stating that shipping module was no available & suggesting to reload the page later.

I just went directly to Canada post international rate page, and plugged in all the values again, and I got correct amount same as buyer had.

This is crazy. I am supposed to get cheaper shipping by printing out my own labels but this thing tried to charge me almost double.

Not only does this make me wonder how many other times I have overpaid for shipping but I am very upset that my customer had to go through this, as it made him very angry because he thought I was trying to do something bad to him. I try very hard to keep my 100% positive feedback. I will even lose money if I have to just to keep my customers happy, and this is very frustrating.

I think I will just go to the post office from now on to be certain.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks

pocomocomputing · ‎05-24-2013

Your eBay listings have International Parcel Surface at $64.

PayPal shipping does not offer International Parcel Surface. You have to go to the post office to use that service. The price you got on PayPal was for Xpresspost.

You are not comparing the same Canada Post service. Nothing wrong with eBay calculated shipping or PayPal shipping.

pierrelebel · ‎05-24-2013

The rate of $64 is approximately correct for shipping a laptop from Ontario to Greece according to Canada Post website. XpressPost would be about $102/$110 (I am guessing the measurements and weight)

So, at first sight, the problem is not with the Canada Posr rates but with the selection/printing of a postage label through PayPal.

If you cannot print a postage label through PayPal for "international parcel surface" for $64 or so, take the parcel to your nearest post office or postal counter and mail it from there.

pocomocomputing · ‎05-24-2013

You may be able to use the Canada Post Venture One card to get a 5% discount on International Parcel.

Question for cumos55, since you use International Parcel Surface and have much experience with it, do you have and use the Canada Post Venture One card to get a 5% discount?

pocomocomputing · ‎05-24-2013

When using International Parcel Surface, the estimated delivery time on the Canada Post web site is 4 to 6 weeks. Often it can take longer (8-12 weeks). You buyer may not be happy with the delivery time.

pocomocomputing · ‎05-24-2013

Here is the Canada Post web page describing International Parcel Surface.

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/business/productsservices/shipping/international_surface.jsf

I do see on that page that International Parcel surface does have a 5% discount for Venture One card holders.

terri_lynn_macdonald · ‎05-24-2013

Thanks for all the quick replies everyone.

I still don't understand if I made a mistake in choosing international shipping choice when I created the listing, or if there is no proper choice to do what I was trying to do.

I do have Venture One account, however, everytime I tried to use it at the post office in the past, they said whatever I was trying to ship or buy didn't have any discounts associated with it lol. So I just gave up trying to use it.

pocomocomputing · ‎05-24-2013

The only "mistake" (inexperience) is not knowing what Canada Post options are available on PayPal.

When you use PayPal shipping, it has the same or better shipping discounts as using a Venture One card at the Post Office. In this case of International Parcel, you can finally use the Venture One card!

You should check if you can get signature confirmation for International Parcel surface so that you get proof of delivery. Greece may be supported.

Forum poster cumos55 had a very interesting and informative discussion on International Parcel Surface and used signature confirmation to help prevent Item Not Received claims.

It might be good to have this as it provides some limited tracking as the item is in the mail. Your buyer might get nervous over the long delivery time and file an item not received claim early. The tracking might calm calm the buyer.

toff3 · ‎05-24-2013

Terri,

Tracking/delivery confirmation is not guaranteed with International Parcel Surface (IPS). You get it only if the receiving country bothers to provide it. I don't know if Greece is one of those countries.

I am 99% certain you cannot purchase signature confirmation for an IPS. Certainly Canada Post makes no mention of it.

Tom

pocomocomputing · ‎05-24-2013

The only "mistake" (inexperience) is not knowing what Canada Post options are available on PayPal.

When you use PayPal shipping, it has the same or better shipping discounts as using a Venture One card at the Post Office. In this case of International Parcel, you can finally use the Venture One card!

You should check if you can get signature confirmation for International Parcel surface so that you get proof of delivery. Greece may be supported.

Forum poster cumos55 had a very interesting and informative discussion on International Parcel Surface and used signature confirmation to help prevent Item Not Received claims.

It might be good to have this as it provides some limited tracking as the item is in the mail. Your buyer might get nervous over the long delivery time and file an item not received claim early. The tracking might calm calm the buyer.

I meant delivery confirmation.

Too distracted by the eBay flag non-issue discussions, LOL.

cumos55 · ‎05-24-2013

International parcel surface...

Checked Canada Post website, went through a calculation for a parcel to Greece, and Venturone gives a discount.

Insurance and tracking, but no signature with International Parcel Surface

for signature you have to go to Xpresspost International....

Also

About Ventureone and the optons where the discount applies..Link to

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/business/solutions/ventureone.jsf

cumos55 · ‎05-24-2013

Signature is used based on the Paypal value , item plus postage price $325 in Canadian dollars.

If the item is insured and has tracking... Canada Post has to follow through with an insurance claim if buyer did not receive the parcel.. and tracking does not show delivery.

and sometimes tracking can show delivery and buyer did not receive the parcel... Becomes a Canada Post insurance problem in tracking the parcel... Canada Post will investigate....

cumos55 · ‎05-24-2013

Tracking works to show when the parcel arrives in the destination country.

International Parcel Surface took 49 days to get delivery in Czech Republic.

Parcel arrived in destination country after 37 days.... customs and delivery took an additional 12 days.

With tracking the buyer can see where the parcel is.. and there should be no claim of non-delivery

cumos55 · ‎05-24-2013

The laptop plus shipping are less than $250... No signature required....

International Parcel Surface will work...

cumos55 · ‎05-24-2013

Delivery to Europe is usually 6 to 7 weeks... and as one can see with the Czech Republic parcel, the parcel arrived in the destination country well before 45 days.

It was delivery to Australia that sometimes took 10 weeks and more... small packet surface

One also gets the impression that a fully insured parcel with tracking gets a "priority" treatment.

There have been several situations where the International Parcel Surface option was paid for... but the parcel got airmail delivery....at no extra cost... three parcels got this airmail delivery over the last two years...at no extra cost... paid for surface option

toff3 · ‎05-25-2013

Terri and others,

Before you get too carried away with all the wonders of Canada Post's International Parcel Surface service as touted by Cumos, remember that tracking/delivery confirmation is not guaranteed and is provided solely at the discretion of the receiving country, as per the following note on the CP website:

And because more and more countries are now providing delivery status information electronically, you can check the delivery status of your items online anytime.

Which countries provide this "free" delivery status information can only be determined from experience. The Czech Republic appears to be one, according to the one example that Cumos keeps dredging up. Maybe Cumos could enlighten us as to which other countries, in his experience, oblige with delivery status information for International Parcels Surface or Air.

The fact remains that if you want tracking/DC guaranteed you have to go with Xpresspost, which is horrendously expensive.

A useful summary of what CP's International shipping services do or do not provide is to be found in the following table:

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/business/productsservices/shipping/shippingdestinations.jsf#Internat...

Another handy chart, which is hidden away in the Canada Postal Guide, is the International Shipping listing:

http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/prices/RCRZ-e-ISC.pdf

Tom

toff3 · ‎05-25-2013

The final paragraph of my last post went walkies, due to some mysterious computer glitch.

It read something like:

From the International Shipping Chart, you will see that our everloving Canada Post has fixed it so that, for parcels weighing more than 2 kg, the Canadian shipper never has a choice of more than two shipping options (not counting Priority Worldwide): International Parcel Surface (very expensive and very slow) or either International Parcel Air (outrageously expensive) or Xpresspost (horrendously expensive).

To take one example, Singapore's airport is served by 110 airlines flying to and from more than 240 cities in some 60 countries, yet you can't send an International Parcel Air to Singapore. The only airmail option provided by CP is Xpresspost.

Tom

toff3 · ‎05-26-2013

Terri,

Your situation is not clear to me. Did you promise the buyer that you would ship by air? If so, it seems to me you have to comply and absorb the difference in cost. However, now that the laptop is in pieces, perhaps sending them in two Small Packets Air would be cheaper than Xpresspost.

If you did not undertake to ship by air, you can use International Parcel Surface and your buyer will simply have to wait until the parcel arrives.

In any case you cannot charge him more than what he paid for shipping.

Tom

diminuativedesigns · ‎11-15-2013

On the topic of price, paypal shipping USED to be cheaper cause they gave a discount, but you might be better to go to the post office and get a venture card, it is free and you get the same small discount, give your money to Canadapost and keep it in Canada instead of Paypal, they are getting enought of our money, including final value fees and paypal fees on shipping...IMO