Canada Post Mail Delays?

[gemaddict]

 Just wondering if anyone else has seen the notice you get when checking tracking on CPC website:

*Due to the busy holiday season, we are seeing higher-than-expected volumes. We’ve devoted extra resources to serve Canadians throughout this peak time. We apologize to anyone who experiences a delay.

So does this mean eBay will also put up a notice to buyers stating CPC is experiencing some potential delays in delivery times? Or are we sellers going to pay for this as usual? Bah humbug!

[momcqueen]

I saw it too on the top of the CPC page and wondered what it really meant. While it's true that more of my parcels than usual have not met their delivery standard, Canada Post parcel delivery trucks are out full-force since last weekend with double shifts on Saturdays and Sundays. We should raise the question at the next Board Hour. 

[ypdc_dennis]

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@mjwl2006 wrote:

I saw it too on the top of the CPC page and wondered what it really meant. While it's true that more of my parcels than usual have not met their delivery standard, Canada Post parcel delivery trucks are out full-force since last weekend with double shifts on Saturdays and Sundays. ...

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Means exactly what it says "higher-than-expected volumes" which in turn means delays. You plan for a certain amount of work and if you don't have the extra staff/trucks available then you start falling behind.

One of the women at my local postal outlet told me last night it's the busiest they've been in the 12 years she's worked there. They've been stacking parcels on the floor after they ran out of shelve space in their back room storage area. Something that rarely happens (although Canada Post's new parcel redirect service could be contributing to this issue).

My brother has also seen several of his parcels delayed with delivery times extended by one or two days. So his usual 1-3 days for a parcel has risen to 3-5 days for the same store (although some stores are also slower in shipping from their warehouses as well).

[canadian.tree]

Thanks for this . The same delay  did happen last year.  Online buying is only getting more popular .

[mr.elmwood]

I quit as of yesterday. It is going to be a lot worse next year, combo of Black Friday and Christmas mailing.

There are only so many people, buildings, and trucks that can be accessed.

On-line selling has met it's Waterloo.

[mr.elmwood]

I stopped for this December, I should say. I will re-start Dec 24th.

[canadian.tree]

I might be right behind you . 3 people asking were there item is this week , not 1 person in 3 months before this.

[mr.elmwood]

CP, USPS, Couriers are all over loaded beyond what they can handle. Talked to one of the local Purolater guys yesterday. He put in 70 hours last week.

When not enough trained people are trying to do too much, bad things start happening.

[canadian.tree]

Ya I know a ups guy who is putting 12 hours a day in . They found someone who would work with him for the month but the kid quit after 2 days because they are only paying them minimum wadge and he is working the same 12 hours a day ..

[Anonymous]

I had one buyer saying that he expects to receive his item in time for Christmas.  I told him it is not possible and that he needs to pay extra for XpressPost (I knew Expedited or Tracked Packet won't arrive in time, as it usually take 2-3 weeks for USA from Canada) and to my surprise he was willing to pay extra ofr XpressPost.  I will be mailing it tomorrow (Monday).

I had 2 other buyers wanting the same things but won't pay extras for XpressPost and then I declined their offers and told them to try again in January.  I may lose them but no loss to me if no patience or understanding about the mail service.

[femmefan1946]

Sounds like the recession is over and consumer confidence is back.

Are we seeing more 'in-Canada' sales with the plunge in the loonie?

I closed for a week (went to Cuba for our fourth vacation in 48 years of marraige) and sold one item within minutes of listing it.

And I just realized that I didn't switch the listing to US dollars. Poot.

[momcqueen]

Also, make certain that you watch that tracking to see when your delivery dates have not met delivery standards if you have used Expedited or Xpresspost within Canada. If your order arrives at its destination late, open a ticket. 

https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/kb/details.page?article=request_a_refund_for&cattype=kb&cat=receivi...

And flag it for yourself so that you may follow-up to see you get your money back for postage paid. The refund won't include fuel tax etc.

As I wrote on another thread, I have a significant number of orders in transit which is a source of some anxiety for both myself and my buyers due to the likelihood of those orders being 'presents' from Santa for small children. Most parcels are arriving RIGHT on time, as in the very day they are guaranteed to arrive, with another ten to 15 per cent split between getting to their destinations significantly early and getting to their destinations fairly late. 

At this time of year, the moment an order is placed, I take the buyer's postal code and check it against Delivery Standards to confirm the  chosen service will get it to them no later than the 23rd. I have a few packages in transit that will be squeaking in, under the wire, so those had better meet their standards for delivery.

Starting the first of December, I add a special block of text to all my 800+ listings to ensure everyone is aware (if they chose to be) of the deadline that Canada Post sets for certain services to select destinations and, since I offer same-day shipping, I make it mine too. Then I end ISV upgrades and shift to Tracked Packet from Small Packets Airmail wherever possible. Soon, I will consider switching to Xpresspost as my first shipping choice on all listings domestically, but that is SUCH a pain in the butt because it ends all Markdowns at the same time. 

I dearly wish ebay would help to facilitate stuff like this. The 'one to seven business days' for calculated shipping via Expedited doesn't cut it. A buyer in Newfoundland sees it and thinks, 'I'm feeling lucky. Maybe it will arrive overnight' not 'Oh, I better chose Xpresspost because the seller is in Winnipeg' and by allowing calculated costs to show, one would assume it is also demonstrating accurate delivery times.

The only buyers choosing Xpresspost from me right now are the ones who could still get away with Expedited.

[gilliankehler]

I was at the post office the other day dropping off some parcels, and I overhead the clerk saying Canada Post is apparently processing 38,000 parcels A MINUTE in Canada. Phew!

[momcqueen]

I'd read on their twitter page it was some number that was record-breaking but I'm still feeling twitchy about it. I've ten open tickets for Late Delivery and/or Vanished with another two or three to be added to the pile before the week is over. I'm anxious on behalf of my buyers; they need these toys in time for Christmas. Children are the one demographic that should never be disappointed at this time of year. People started online shopping LATE this year, later than in previous years. 

[amya4295]

If it's any consolation, I have been watching a tracked package that I shipped from Toronto to rural Alberta. The tracking was really odd. I had it scanned on the 11th just outside Toronto and it showed it didn't get scanned into the Mississauga warehouse ( less than and hour from me) until the 14th. Once scanned in Mississauga it determined delivery of the 23rd but by the next day it showed delivery for the 24th which was cutting it really close for Christmas. This morning I checked and it still showed the 24th but about an hour ago, I received a call from the recipient, as this was a personal package not ebay, to say that the postman had just dropped it at his door. While I was talking to him I checked the tracking and it showed out for delivery today. Not sure what happened here but it all worked out so maybe we shouldn't sweat what the tracking is saying because it certainly doesn't appear to be accurate. Hoping the same good luck for all of you with packages still out there. Merry Christmas everyone.

[reallynicestamps]

While I was talking to him I checked the tracking and it showed out for delivery today.

The postie is not supposed to mark it Delivered until he gets back to the terminal. So that's normal.

[momcqueen]

Eleven open tickets now and I don't think I've ever had this many last-minute domestic purchases ever. I'm upgrading everyone to Xpresspost from my own pocket at this point, regardless of what they paid for, just because I have a bad feeling about what may or may not happen with the last three/four business days before Christmas. Monday is Day Zero. Tuesday is Day One, Wednesday Day Two and Day Three is Dec. 24 aka Christmas Eve.

With the way the calendar lands this year, nothing delivered on the 24th will be received until the 29th as the Boxing Day Stat substitute is Dec. 28. 

As per the posted deadlines for Canada Post, this is what I have published at the bottom of each one of my listings since early November:

IMPORTANT 2015 HOLIDAY ORDER DEADLINES

United Kingdom, Germany, France, Europe and Australia:

• Canada Post Airmail Small (or Tracked) Packet midnight (CST) Tuesday, December 1
• Canada Post International Airmail Light Packets midnight (CST) Monday, December 7
• Canada Post Xpresspost on request prior to purchase and payment midnight (CST) Thursday, December 10

United States of America:

• Canada Post USA Airmail Small (or Tracked) Packets midnight (CST) Wednesday, December 9
• Expedited Parcel midnight (CST) Wednesday, December 9
• Canada Post International Airmail Light Packets midnight (CST) Monday, December 14
• Canada Post USA Xpresspost on request prior to purchase and payment midnight (CST) on Wednesday, December 16

Please note only Xpresspost is guaranteed for on-time international delivery whereas airmail is merely a standard. Canada Post counts your parcel received DAY ZERO. Only when sorted and processed does the countdown begin. Please remember mail may be delayed at incoming Customs for processing, inspection or tariffs; this is beyond anyone's control

DOMESTIC ORDERS to Canadians via: 

• Canada Post Expedited Parcels midnight (CST) Friday, December 11. Depending on your location within Canada, you may have your order in as little as two business days or as long as 13 business days to remote or northern locales 
• Canada Post Xpresspost midnight (CST) on Tuesday, December 22
• Canada Post Lettermail due midnight (CST) Thursday, December 17. Lettermail offers no delivery time guarantees whatsoever

LOCAL CASH PAY ON PICK-UP BY APPOINTMENT 11:59 pm (CST) on Wednesday, December 23. If you are willing to brave a windchill of minus 65 degrees to pay for and pick-up your order, McQueen and Mo Mater will discuss details once you have made your purchase

As the postal deadlines outlined above incrementally expire, McQueen and Mo Mater will close its doors to holiday orders and kindly requests that you refrain from making any holiday-related purchases at that time. As many of you are parents who have turned to ebay to find gifts for the children in your lives, let us not collectively contribute to a situation where little hearts may be broken come Christmas morning because a last-minute order placed by post did not reach you in time. If you are NOT making your purchase for Christmas and are willing to accept a potentially lengthy delay as post offices are closed and mail delivery is suspended through to the New Year, we are pleased to fill your order and it will be dispatched with all due haste but you must understand there are no guarantees, implied or otherwise, that the postal system will be able to deliver them as quickly as you desire. Please also note that McQueen and Mo Mater may itself be closed December 24 to 26. Again, your order may be accepted during that time but, as the store is closed, there will be a delay prior to fulfillment

And this is what I am writing in the 'ship' message and packing slip for each order out past the deadline:

Greetings from Canada! Thank you for choosing McQueen and Mo Mater. PLEASE BE REMINDED THE PUBLISHED DEADLINE FOR HOLIDAY DELIVERY TO ______ BY YOUR CHOSEN POSTAL SERVICE WAS ______ DAYS AGO ON DEC 1. Your _____________________________________ dispatched SAME-DAY and within _____ hours of payment (at cost of postage with NO additional packaging fees) via __________ which has a delivery estimate of __________, not including the day it is received by the post office for processing, weekends or holidays. Please note that while this is the most affordable and reliable option that CANADA POST offers for service to __________, the tracking number issued on shipment is a postage receipt with Customs declaration. Please also note that any customs fees that may be due _______ on arrival cannot be confused with additional shipping charges. As per ebay policy, duty or tariffs or taxes on import are the responsibility of the buyer........

The domestic variation is similar. 

I hope all this is not in vain. I really don't want to hear little kids the world over crying because Santa's order didn't come on time. 

[momcqueen]

argh. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/canada-post-parcels-1.3372816

Canada Post expecting record year for Christmas parcels

'We've had extremely good weather,' says Canada Post spokesperson John Caines

By Natalie Dobbin, CBC News Posted: Dec 19, 2015 7:40 AM AT Last Updated: Dec 19, 2015 11:33 AM AT

Mild temperatures may not put you in the Christmas spirit, but they will help get your parcels under the tree.

"We've had extremely good weather," said Canada Post spokesperson John Caines.

There have been no significant delays of any length of time, he said.

"The only two areas I'm aware of so far that we had any delivery problems for any length of time at all, was one day in St. John's Newfoundland and maybe half a day in Winnipeg, but other than that it's been great."

Canada Post is expecting to have a record year for the number of parcels it ships this Christmas season.

It delivered 36 million parcels in November and December 2014, but that number should be up 20 per cent this year, said Caines. This would work out to about 43 million parcels.

"Online shopping is really taking off in Canada. It started to a couple of years ago, but our holiday season starts with cyber weekend, basically Black Friday and Cyber Monday," Caines said. 

"We've been delivering about a million packages every day since then, so that combined with the good weather for transportation services, it has been an incredible time for us right now."

It's no longer possible to send parcels by regular mail, but you still have a shot at getting your gifts to their rightful owners.

The last day to send Christmas cards locally is Dec. 21. The cutoff for sending Xpresspost parcels is Dec. 22. The deadline for priority parcels is Dec. 23.

Canada Post is delivering on the weekends and up until about 9 p.m. on the weekdays to keep volumes down.

"Our target is to have a clean floor come Dec. 24," Caines said.