Canada post ruins the ebay experience

[leogexx]

Recently I sold some items on ebay (I try this once a year usually) and with the shipping costs by Canada Post and the ebay fees ,it really doesn't seem to be  worth the time and effort to sell on ebay unless you have small envelope sized items or items you know will fetch a decent price. I find the high cost of Canadian shipping scares customers away or really effects the selling price . I have even had a customer (long time ago ) give me a negative for what the canadapost rates were.

[moderndaymadman]

This is the first time I've posted to an eBay forum and will likely be one of a few before I begin to wind down and eventually quit selling on eBay. It seems that eBay/Paypal/Canada Post have made a business decision to make Canadian sellers of smaller items (1 to 2 lbs range and appropriately sized small boxes) a thing of the past. It was always tough trying to have rates that were comparable to the money losing goliath that is USPS and I understand that Canada Post has a mandate to be profitable. But the actions of eBay and Paypal will only lead to a reduction in Canadian sales volume in my opinion.

Has anyone else noticed that USA Air Small Packet is now a thing of the past? I thought that it was only USA Surface Small Packet that was getting axed after it disappeared over a month ago. I had readjusted all my prices for smaller, low value items thinking that, though the cost would increase, it wasn't so bad if I used this service. Not anymore and now until the new, much more costly Tracked options become available on April 9th, Expedited is all we have to work with. Very poor implementation eBay and Paypal. Way to screw us small scale sellers who relied on these services to compete.

I wish I understood all the plans of the MBA's in eBay boardrooms who have never sold anything online before in their life. Why couldn't they just tell us the following point blank:

"We are going to start charging Final Value Fees on shipping because we want everyone to ship for free and adjust their prices accordingly. We need to compete with Amazon so your compliance is strongly recommended."

"We can now only offer tracked shipping options so we can be more like Amazon. Though it will be more costly to Canadian sellers, we'll be more like Amazon and somehow you'll reap the benefit. More importantly our shareholders will see us doing something and we will reap the benefit."

"Amazon is big and bigger is better so we want to be bigger too. If you are a Canadian small seller, well . . . it was nice doing business with you."

The last one is more of a personal opinion but it does reflect my overall opinion that eBay is in the process of trying to become something different than what they were and did so well for so many years. If there is one takeaway for any eBay admins out there, please do something and give us Canadian small scale sellers a chance to compete! Give us some sort of cheaper option for small items that doesn't cost us $15 or more!

I'd be very surprised if I received a personal response and I might send this post along to eBay/Paypal but maybe they can renew my faith and get back to me before I have the chance. Otherwise, this will be my two cents before I throw in the towel and begin to wind down my selling.

[tobyshitzu]

"Has anyone else noticed that USA Air Small Packet is now a thing of the past?"

"We can now only offer tracked shipping options"

false.  Only usa surface was eliminated.  Which caused a huge % increase for those that had been smart enough to pay the surface rate, but not as bad as you are making out.  And the weird thing is that change had no effect on many that are complaining about it being they had been voluntarily  paying for air before.   

Many of the posts complaining are people who are voluntarily shooing themselves in the foot over insurance/tracking paranoia

[kashka]

I think the majority of people complaining are those of the non-sheeple persuasion.And they are complaining of the rate increase and the manner of which it is being implemented.Do away with the economical rates of the past (Surface) with the promise of insurance..keep the more expensive rate (Air) minus the insurance and the new feature (Tracked) at yet a more expensive rate with the loosely defined "tracking".Yes..some people will bend over and take whatever is given to them like nice sheep...but there those who do get upset at these corporate implementations that,surprisingly enough keeping in theme,try to pull the wool over one's eyes.Also..the recent decrease in the discount for Expedited was another wool-puller.I think they want to go to one method..their new "tracked" method..and it won't surprise me if they eliminate all other shipping methods eventually.Baaaaaad for small businesses.

[pierrelebel]

" wish I understood all the plans of the MBA's in eBay boardrooms"

Those folks are in San Jose, California, at Head Office.  Their decisions are based on the experience they have with the American market and shipping methods and costs available to American sellers.

And do not expect that to change any time soon.

[northernsurplus50]

The prices Canada Post charges for shipping is outrageous .... To ship a 30 lb box from Niagara Canada to Niagara NY , by Canada Post  Priority , Canada Post wants $400 to go 8 miles ... Of the $400 there is a $40 fuel serge charge .  I took the 30 lb item ti USPS in Niagara NY and was charged $150 ......... Not to Niagara Canada , but to Singapore  !!!!!    If you are near the border , take your items to the USA to Ship ... I have even taken items to NY to ship back to Canada ... Canada Post wanted $75 yet USPS only charge $25 to ship the item to anywhere  in Canada

[bb_cool_stuff]

If you are running a Legit Business your postal charges are a write off along with you eBay & Paypal fees.

Why would it matter if there is any type of fee increase ?

[scorps007]

 bb_cool_stuff:

 First, not all of us are running a business. Some do this on the side, clear out older items, quick flip of some harder to find goods, etc. etc.

 So categorizing everyone as a business is a little... naive don't you think?

 So let's say I am a business, the costs are the costs. So if I sold a small packet sized item I have to now ship it uninsured and untraceable otherwise have to charge an additional $20. My US counterpart sellers have no such cost issues so can offer said item much cheaper. Who will the buyer go to? Unless you're trying to say sell at a loss???

 I guess your point is all these extra costs can be used during tax time as expenses, well sure you will not have to pay as much tax as these added costs reduced your profits... if you do have have profits. It still in no way compensates your added expenses and lost sales.

 Bottom line is it gives Canadian sellers a very uncompetitive environment.

[bb_cool_stuff]

So categorizing everyone as a business is a little ...naive don't you think ?

I don't recall posting that, i posted " If you are running a legit business...."

My US counterpart sellers have no such issues so can offer said item much cheaper.

There are many ways around this, add the additional shipping expenses to your item price. If that is not possible maybe that is not an item that can be sold online.

Check out competitors completed listings & price accordingly.

It still in no way compensates your added expenses and lost sales.

See above post.

Bottom line it gives Canadian sellers a very competitive environment.

"Sometimes you have to take your thinking in a new direction beacause circumstances & opportunities have changed. "  Richard Branson

Seems to have worked for him.

[thethingseller]

Did you notice that ebay is stealing some of your money by charging commission on shipping charges now.   Ebay is really going downhill and introducing policies that don't help either the buyer or sellers. Really stupid money grubbers managing it.

[pierrelebel]

"stealing some of your money by charging commission on shipping charges now. "

Stealing?

Now?

The policy of charging FVF on the transaction value started two years ago.  If you recall, at the time, eBay lowered FVF on most fixed price transactions. 

The result was that some sellers paid lower FVF while others paid more. 

In general terms, sellers then offering "free shipping" (shipping included in selling price) or thoese where the shipping charge is a small percentage of the value saw lower fees.

Since my FVF went down at the time (I saved about $1,000 a year with the new fee structure), obviously I approved! 🙂

[nuvistors]

Did you notice that ebay is stealing some of your money by charging commission on shipping charges now.   Ebay is really going downhill and introducing policies that don't help either the buyer or sellers. Really stupid money grubbers managing it.

You really should do some research before posting such outright lies !

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[kashka]

I agree with you,Scorps...not everyone is running a "business'.Some of us are small time and casual sellers who do not use the write-offs for a business.Those that do..good for you but there are others out there where fee increases affect their selling profit line.There are many kind of sellers out here and many forget that one size doesn't fit all.Those will keep accepting fee increases and buying the corporate line until it affects them..then they will sound like the ones who are upset now.I have watched over the years on many forums some of those who believed Ebay could do no wrong and when they were eventually affected they cried the loudest.Some adapted but many are gone.Be it Ebay or post office increases..there just comes a time when one has to make a decision...and many are making them now.

[cumos55]

After 10 years of selling on eBay,  Three realities have been identified

(1) eBay makes adjustments every year...

(2) Canada Post inceases the cost of postage, and/or its many postal options every year in January.... once in August

(3) Sellers adjust their selling options... They stay  or they leave...

It has been like this for 10 years  and will continue with each passing year..

"To adjust or not to adjust one's selling options... That is the question!

[alpaak]

Canada Post had not delivered two of my sale items in a period of a month and a half within Canada, while delivery time to the U.S. has been abysmal sometimes.  What's left?  Not much except to wait and see how often screw ups will occur in the future.  Should it become worse, I'll seriously consider not using ebay to sell off my sports cards.

I've listed some more valuable cards stating that I will only ship with tracking.  The $11.00 and $17.00 costs to Canada and the U.S. respectively are really high.  Sales will definitely suffer.

Not many options out there.  Canada Post has a monopoly on letter mail while couriers charge insane rates.

Looks like it may be time to set up a table at local card shows and use Kijiji and Craigslist  to sell locally.  Fortunately I live in the most densely populated area of Canada.  Actually meeting buyers and talking with them may be a more pleasant experience than selling through a faceless online venue.

My thoughts and opinions are based on being a casual seller who is out to make a few bucks for pocket money.  I feel for you guys who have an actual business on ebay....must be tough at times.

[bb_cool_stuff]

I'm not sure if i would blame Canada Post.

Seems odd that two would go missing in forty five days.

You could try listing your valuable cards in a lot, add the tracked shipping charge to the lot price.

Not an expert on cards but had a friend who sold cards years back on eBay & grew tired of the "Where Is My Item messages." 

He finally decided eBay was not a venue to sell valuable trading cards.

Too many shipments, supposedly, went missing.

[alpaak]

good...i'll start shipping in these turtles packages......ha, ha

[bb_cool_stuff]

Turtle packages are known to move very slow.

[scorps007]

BB_cool_stuff:

There are many ways around this, add the additional shipping expenses to your item price. If that is not possible maybe that is not an item that can be sold online.

Check out competitors completed listings & price accordingly.

This contradicts itself, first you say add the expense to the item and then to price accordingly with the competition?

 Do you not get this is the main gripe many have including me? Take the Niagra Falls post, for him he was lucky to be close to the border but many do not have that luxury. How do you add the extra $300 to your item when your competitor doesn't have to?

See above post.

 See above post as well.

"Sometimes you have to take your thinking in a new direction beacause circumstances & opportunities have changed. "  Richard Branson

Seems to have worked for him.

 What is that suppose to mean? You keep preaching adapt and find that great accountant, I have explained to you why that doesn't fly. You come back with no practical solutions, no examples of how to work around it and now you're posting quotes... okay then.

 Once again, business expense write-off or not the large gap in shipping makes it very hard to compete in Canada vs a US seller. These changes are just a bigger kick in the teeth.

 Tack Pack is a huge rip off, an extra $25+ for delivery verification? The cheapest shipping option to the US has been removed, the next now has no insurance...

 I even told you as a business this is an expense and it takes from your profit levels and you have to pay less tax.

 Do you think if it really wasn't an issue there would be so many taking their shipments to the US? An entire business has even emerged due to shipping prices.

 You can't argue that if Canada Post brought their pricing closer to that of USPS their sales volume will increase dramatically. Raise prices sales will drop as many can no longer compete and will compel many not to send anything unless they have to.

[scorps007]

 Here's another problem with this new program, some countries you are not even able to get 'Track Packet' so have to ship small packet air... which is now uninsured or just lose sales by not selling to those countries.

 If the CEO of Canada Post had a brain he would bring in more competitive pricing which will increase shipments dramatically, from those that can compete in selling and those that run to the border for shipments.

[1dreamcatcher1]

Canada Post is ruining the experience for every Canadian user on Ebay and I, for one, have had enough.

I spent more than 2 hours on the phone a few days ago, being bounced between Ebay and PayPal, with both of them protesting that it wasn't their fault, even tho' this questionable issue is being perpetuated on the Canadian public through their system.

I had one package going to another location in Canada..  The calculator automatically put the shipping in for the Buyer at one price.  When I went to print the label, even though NONE of the info had changed, it was suddenly 75 cents more for me to ship the item!  

It gets better.  When the Ebay supervisor and myself both checked on the Canada Post website, independent of Ebay, a package that size & weight to that location should have actually been several dollars cheaper for both the Buyer AND the Seller.  There's an ugly word for that.

In light of the fact that it's been occurring for at least 4 months that I know of, and neither Ebay or PayPal seem willing to do more than say, "It's not us", I've asked certain branches of the Canadian government to conduct their own investigation into what's going on here.  As I said... there's an ugly word for what's taking place here.

I find it interesting that Ebay will automatically end someone's membership for "misrepresenting" certain things, yet, they allow this overcharging to occur on a massive scale like this through their system?  When I asked, "Who's pocket is my money in, because I'll be pursuing this.", no one could answer me.

I would advise all Canadian Ebay users to do what I'm doing.  Beat at your MP's door mercilessly, until they do something about it and keep writing those letters to the Editor.  They help.