In other news shipping from the US to Canada just got a lot cheaper.....

[froogal_electronic_parts_and_overstock]

Well I don't know about 'just' but I just found out.  Shipping to Canada using First Class international parcel is cheap and now has tracking under certain conditions. 

Electronic USPS Delivery Confirmation International service is available only electronically by using USPS-approved PC Postage vendors, Click-N-Ship, Click-N-Ship for Business, Webtools, and Global Shipping Software (GSS) or other USPS-approved software. The service is available only to the following countries:

Search google for 'us post first class international 252' to find the info. 

Unfortunately most sellers in the US are not familiar with shipping to Canada and the GSP is sold as a 'value added' solution when to us, it's a prohibitive cost. 

There is one negative is I don't think you can purchase insurance under First Class, so that will affect the sellers decision, but I do suggest that if you see an item you like and it has a high shipping cost via Priority, UPS, or GSP, just send a friendly email to the seller and point out they can get tracking on their package using first class and would they ship that way.

Many smaller  sellers will do this no problem. 

Just an fyi. 

[i*m-still-here]

A problem with First Class International for US sellers is that for some reason it's still difficult for them to access the information on the USPS website.

Yes, they can now create FCI labels on line..............  but new sellers get confused because they can't find the rates as readily as they can for Priority etc.

[pierrelebel]

"Shipping to Canada using First Class international parcel is cheap and now has tracking under certain conditions. "

I am glad you found out about it.

However, most American sellers - without prior experience shipping outside their borders - may not be aware of it.

Why?

Let's pretend you are an American seller and a potential Canadian buyer wants to buy from you and asks "How much to ship to me in Canada/  My postal code is "whatever"

First step by the American seller is to go to https://www.usps.com/

Then "Calculate a Price" and the seller enters "Canada" and the country of destination.

This is the information supplied by USPS at that point:  http://ircalc.usps.com/?country=10054

And that is where most seller stops.

Unless the seller enters a value, select "Package" or "Large Package" (lower selection row) and enters the weight, that seller will never know about the lower First Class Package International rate.

[jinglekell]

Please know the maximum weight for FCI is 4 lbs.  

Items over 4 lbs. must travel PMI, EMI, UPS, FedEx, GPS, etc.

[froogal_electronic_parts_and_overstock]

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@pierrelebel wrote:

 However, most American sellers - without prior experience shipping outside their borders - may not be aware of it.

And that is where most seller stops.

Unless the seller enters a value, select "Package" or "Large Package" (lower selection row) and enters the weight, that seller will never know about the lower First Class Package International rate.

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and that's why I suggested that if you find an item you like, to contact the seller and let them know. 

I am not saying americans are dumb but being the big kid on the block their knowledge outside of their own country is often lacking. 

When they have 10x the audience without having to do any extra work, it is up to the Canadian buyer to contact the seller if they want something and can get it for less. 

For me, it's a huge boon as I buy lots of items from the US and have it shipped to a freight forwarder. For one off items, it's worth mentioning it to the seller and saves money. 

[surplusdealdude]

I'm not aware of any US seller doing significant international business that doesn't know about First Class Mail.

The smart sellers haven't bothered with tracking for years.  The Delcon system will be nice, but not really necessary.

Don't expect a major change.

[pierrelebel]

"any US seller doing significant international business"

That is the very point I raised.  Many American sellers do not have substantial experience in shipping outside their borders.

[pjcdn2005]

The smart sellers haven't bothered with tracking for years.  The Delcon system will be nice, but not really necessary.

Don't expect a major change.

Some may not have used tracking in the past but I'm sure that the Delcon system is very important to sellers that use first class international as now they can use first class and retain their TRS plus badge.

[marnotom!]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

Some may not have used tracking in the past but I'm sure that the Delcon system is very important to sellers that use first class international as now they can use first class and retain their TRS plus badge.

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The TRS tracking requirement for US sellers listing on .com only applies to domestic sales.

[i*m-still-here]

What the heck is the Delcon system?  Ok.......... I can google it too but it sure isn't a word most people recognize instantly.

New sellers tend to have a hard time with FCI shipping costs.

They are very nervous and don't trust buyers at all until they get more experience.

I usually have to prompt them about First Class rates and still they don't feel comfortable until they actually go to the PO and have someone quote the FCI cost.

It's very common for a new seller to charge $30 or so to ship a $10 item because they can't access FCI rates.

I often just pay the $30 and they refund after they've shipped

They relax with a little experience but at first they're very nervous............and new sellers are so eager to please..............  Gotta Love Em!

[froogal_electronic_parts_and_overstock]

sometimes i wonder why i bother posting. i am sure others do too(wonder why i post). 

please people read and understand what the whole point was. Nobody said volume sellers, nobody said the seller has to discover this themselves. etc. 

There are numerous threads about GSP and how it's hurting canadian buyers. Well, guess what? The US sellers don't know and don't care, because the vast majority sell within their own market.

BUT, if you....as a Canadian Buyer find something you like, it might behoove you to contact the seller and let them know you would llke to buy the item and would they ship it via first class package. Many sellers before would not, due to the number of items not received because there is no tracking. That has changed now. 

So I repeat, if you find an item you like and it has GSP, UPS, or Priority as shipping, you may want to contact the seller and see if they will ship first class because it now has delivery confirmation which was one of the biggest reasons why they wouldn't before. 

It won't work for everything, it won't change the world, it isn't the most spectacular news, but it might save you some money. 

[i*m-still-here]

froogal................ the changes to FCI took place a long time ago..........

Well before the GSP was introduced.

I've found that sellers are happy to ship without the GSP when asked and are eager to remove it.

Many have no idea what the GSP is even though their item is listed with that service.

I don't know what that's about but that's a recent change as well.

One new problem ................ (sorry to hijack the thread but it is related),..............

Now that eBay has implemented this thing where a buyer has to pay immediately for a BIN item........... it gets really wonky because the seller has to alter the listing for you quickly and RIGHT AWAY without delay.

Good items are snapped up while the buyer is waiting for the seller to change the listing.

It's frustrating because most of these sellers don't even know what the GSP is and while they flounder around eager to please.........

ZAP and it's gone!

[pjcdn2005]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

Some may not have used tracking in the past but I'm sure that the Delcon system is very important to sellers that use first class international as now they can use first class and retain their TRS plus badge.

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The TRS tracking requirement for US sellers listing on .com only applies to domestic sales.

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Oops....I knew that...I obviously wasn't thinking when I replied. 🙂

[pjcdn2005]

froogal................ the changes to FCI took place a long time ago..........

Well before the GSP was introduced.

The first class international package service with tracking  (Delcon) to Canada started on January 27 of this year.

I believe that the GSP was started about the fall or early winter of 2012?

I do know that some U.S. sellers have no idea that there is such a service now and I am sure that some Canadian buyers aren't aware of it either so I think that froogal's post was valid even though the service has been available for a while.

[i*m-still-here]

PJ. .  OMG : I am so sorry. 

Thank you so much for the correction.

I know that sellers have been buying online FCI labels for much longer and the perks must have been added later.

froogal"s post is 100% valid and right on the money............................ Couldn't agree more........................

[pjcdn2005]

Not that it really matters but just for info purposes...the service that started in January with del confirmation is a brand new service called First Class Package International. The regular First Class International still exists and doesn't have del. confirmation.

[surplusdealdude]

The Delcon system is the new international DELivery CONfirmation service.

Not that it really matters but just for info purposes...the service that started in January with del confirmation is a brand new service called First ClassPackage International

No, first Class International Parcel has been around forever.  The delivery confirmation is new since February for Canada and since the end of July for 13 other countries - it's not in effect everywhere yet.

[pjcdn2005]

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@surplusdealdude wrote:

The Delcon system is the new international DELivery CONfirmation service.

Not that it really matters but just for info purposes...the service that started in January with del confirmation is a brand new service called First ClassPackage International

No, first Class International Parcel has been around forever.  The delivery confirmation is new since February for Canada and since the end of July for 13 other countries - it's not in effect everywhere yet.

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It's called First Class Package International so they changed the name and added delivery confirmation...that's what I meant by a new service. I realize that it isn't in all countries yet.

But there is also a First Class International for letters, large envelopes etc. Are you saying that FCI and First Class International Parcel were 2 separate services before January? I've always been under the impression that there was just one service before...FCI and that covered both letter and parcels up to 4 lbs. 

[i*m-still-here]

The reason I thought that the changes to First Class International; mail occurred prior to the GSP was because it became possible for US sellers to purchase First Class International labels on line prior to the introduction of the GSP.

That was the change that really mattered as far as US sellers being willing to ship via First Class mail and concerned in my experience, and so that was the change that stuck in my mind.

The "Delcon" system matters as well, but that came later and US sellers were already more amenable to FCI shipping prior to that.

The two changes in tandem now make FCI shipping much more attractive to some US sellers.

[surplusdealdude]

Are you saying that FCI and First Class International Parcel were 2 separate services before January?

Yes.  2 parts of the same service, actually, but there was a price difference between them.

You always had to click a link to find FCI parcel, but it was there.  Same with US domestic Parcel for First Class - it's a separate service from the regular First Class, which did not used to come with tracking.