Comments from Canada Post about returned package

[triber]

I just phoned Canada Post. Now I am not sure about the knowledge of the rep, he at first insisted that letter mail was only up to 50g. I went over all the specs. for the one returned, he thought it must be a problem with my post office. I told him that I mail with stamps in the mail box. He told me to got to a corporate CP office and ask them, so I am going to get my husband to go and I'll write out the details. I am getting over appendix surgery, so I don't feel up to going myself. I have had to put my store on vacation again, I can't risk paying up to $8 for items over 100g if someone purchases them. I did tell him exactly what I was mailing and he thought it was alright, but as I said, I think he was a "remote" rep!

[northerngem3]

I'm having the same issue with USA shipments.

Was your returned package stickered with "Return To Sender - Temporary suspension of postal service"?

If so, I called the Canada Post 800 number last week and spoke to an agent who stated that she hadn't heard of this, but said she would check with her team leader. I was on hold for a bit, then she said they suspect it was mail returned because the transports could not get across the Ambassador bridge in Windsor, due to the protests.

I told her there is no update advising this on the Canada Post website, and I checked again today and still no update there, but I just had another sale returned today with the same issue. 

I had to temporarily go into "vacation mode" for the same reason.

Anybody else seeing this?

[triber]

No, I did put a picture of the label, I can see it, but I don't know where you have to click to bring it up.

[marnotom!]

@recped responded to this on your other thread.  In a nutshell, if you're sending merchandise outside of Canada it requires a customs form and can't be sent by lettermail. 

This is actually nothing new, but with the new customs declaration process this is probably being enforced more stringently now.

[femmefan1946]

Your label is attached.

Just click on the little paperclip.

Paperclips are another thing that cannot be sent LetterMail.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

For anyone who hadn't seen this, it may also be something that is  part of the equation. It "may" be a partial workaround for some sellers depending on what they sell.

-Lotz

[recped]

You are grasping at straws, those are the physical standards of an Oversize letter, they are not related to contents rules.

This whole matter was gone over 17 years ago, then as now your only hope is that Canada Post does the same thing this time which would be to give up on enforcement. I don't think that is likely given that the big change since 2005 is that postal services around the world now have the same rules and this is no longer a long term project for the future, we have already arrived at the conclusion.

[brettjet38]

...it is like flogging a dead horse, they cannot get used to the fact they are all selling "Goods" and have to put customs declarations.

[brettjet38]

TOPIC

Letter-post

Last updated: June 14th, 2021 

Acceptable items

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Items acceptable for the Letter-post service include:

• Items made of paper or other material with the general characteristics of paper (for example, photographs)
• Paper enclosures that meet the requirements for Letter-post (U.S. and International)

Unacceptable items

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Items unacceptable for the Letter-post service include:

• Small packets
• Goods
• Film, audio, or video recordings (for example, diskettes, CDs, or DVDs)
• Unsealed self-mailers and envelopes
• Items prohibited by law or defined as dangerous goods in Canada or in the destination country (see Non-mailable matter or International destination listing for more information)

Items unacceptable when attached to a postcard include:

• Photographs
• Cuttings of any kind
• Fold-back sheets
• Other items that stick out or are in raised relief

Postal Items are "letters" and everything else is not, you are not selling letters, you are selling "goods"...

[brettjet38]

Again taken from the Canada post site in regards to customs declarations on all items to the USA

Required customs documentation

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All services  

Online transactions

You can produce labels using Electronic Shipping Tools (EST) or a customer-developed or third-party shipping system. You must also complete a Customs Declaration CN22 or CN23, depending on the value of the item. 

At the post office (automated only)

The post offices RPS system prints an indicia and a barcoded label, which we use in combination with a 43-074-253 CN22 Customs Declaration for items with a declared value of less than CAN$500. For items with a declared value of over CAN$500, you must complete and affix Customs Declaration 43-074-172. 

Priority™ Worldwide

• Document
  • Priority Worldwide shipping label (43-074-277)
• Non-document
  • Commercial Invoice or Invoice Declaration (33-081-002)

Xpresspost™ – USA

• Xpresspost - USA Shipping Label 43-074-281 
• Xpresspost - USA shipping label 43-074-236 (includes the Customs Declaration) 

Xpresspost™ – International

• Xpresspost - International shipping label 43-074-244 (includes the Customs Declaration) 

Tracked Packet™ – USA, Tracked Packet™ – International, and Small Packet™

• 43-074-253 (includes the Customs Declaration - CN22). For items with a declared value of over CAN$500, you must also complete and affix a Customs Declaration - 43-074-172. 

Expedited Parcel™ – USA

• Expedited Parcel-USA shipping label – 43-074-243 (includes the Customs Declaration)

International Parcel (Air or Surface)

• International Parcel shipping label – 43-074-172 (includes the Customs Declaration)

Letter-post (includes letters, postcards, and Literature for the Blind)

• Documents of no monetary value 
  • No customs documentation required

The ONLY thing you can ship to the USA without customs documentation is Documents of no monetary value...

...the items you are "selling" have a "monetary" value, you sold them, they are "Goods" it's very clear and well explained.

[brettjet38]

Customs declaration

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All mail containing merchandise must have a customs declaration form completed when sending the item to the U.S. or an international destination (see Completing customs documents). The customs declaration is part of our shipping label and also includes the addressee and sender names and addresses.

It’s your responsibility to make sure you provide all customs documentation and item content information and certificates for the goods you ship.

You must also make sure that the documentation and information is complete, accurate, and legible. Failure to do so may cause us to return the item to the sender at your expense. It could also result in delays, non-delivery, voided guarantees, or fines or customs seizure in the international destination (if applicable).

If you "Sold" it on eBay it's "Goods" aka "merchandise" and is not "Letter Post"

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@recped 

FWIW the information in the previous post was passed on for reference purposes only from a company that sells mailer boxes in Canada to assist sellers selling smaller items and ship them safely and as economically as possible.

There are currently 2 companies I've recently stumbled across that sell these mailers at a reasonal price. Personally I have never risked "cheating the system" with anything that required customs documents by sending using letter rates. Anyone that has been, was either taking a chance or making an HONEST misinterpretation of the rules. Ask eBay for clarification from 5 reps and you will get 5 different answers.

This is additional information from 1 of the mailer sellers:

                                                                                                *******

4)         Does the box have to go into an envelope when mailing? - IT IS RECOMMENDED BY CANADA POST TO DO SO.

According to Canada Posts website: "Cardboard boxes may have difficulty entering our mail processing machines. In certain cases, boxes are acceptable if enclosed in an envelope or wrapper that covers the sharp edges enough to enable a smooth entrance into the machines." If you wish to skip the envelope, the CP website asks you have a Canada Post representative assess  if the box is acceptable.

- it is considered "Other (Non-standard/Oversize)" since it is not paper. It still qualifies as regular post (instead of the expensive parcel rate) but the box will be subject to a postage rate based on weight. "Other" (Non-standard/Oversize) regular postal rates range from $1.94 - $5.47 based on weight up to 500g.  Over 500g and it must be sent as a parcel.

"Based on the above CP website information, I recommend you place your Slotbox in an envelope if you plan on skipping the post office and mailing with your own stamps."

                                                                                        *****

This sudden change made by Canada Post to start rigidly enforcing the published rules was unannounced  and most likely caught many sellers off guard.    It will take time for them to adapt and update many listings.

-Lotz

[recped]

That information would be applicable to DOMESTIC mail!

The only issue I have is that when it's posted in this thread some readers will not understand that it is not relevant to mail sent out of the country.

[movie_galaxy]

I have received approximately 20 packages returned from the USA that I sent by Oversized Lettermail over the past 30 days. It seems the change in policy on the part of the USPS started at the very end of January 2022.

I just discovered today, March 4th, why I was getting so many returned packages. I thought it was Canada Post's error, but now I realize it is the USPS that is refusing to accept anything other than documents that is sent to the USA by Oversized Lettermail.

Anything not classified as paper documents has to be sent with tracking and a declared value/contents described or it will be returned to the Canadian sender.

Just an fyi. 

[triber]

Does that mean that letter post mailed through ChitChats or Stallion will also be returned if they don't meet the requirements? It doesn't seem that they will be much of an advantage.

[pjcdn2005]

If you are sending items through a company like ChitChats, the lettermail that they mail in the US is domestic, not international mail.  As far a I know the restrictions on US domestic lettermail (first class flats) is based only on size and flexibility (can't be rigid).  But, I've never used the service and there might be restrictions that I'm not aware of. 

Keep in mind that you might be able to send mail via first class package with tracking for not that much more than what we pay to send oversize lettermail from Canada to the US.

[triber]

I guess you couldn't put a Canadian return address on it.

[msmaggie060]

---

@triber wrote:

I guess you couldn't put a Canadian return address on it.

---

That's a good question. Does anyone know what return address you use when you send via Chit Chat's?

[recped]

They provide you with a US address.

[islandcanuck86]

I will tell you right now. Canada Post for such a large corporation has the absolute worst Service I have ever seen. Their employees whether the over the phone customer service agents or the in-store employees have no idea how to do many different things. There is absolutely no way to get a hold of anyone higher up that actually knows what’s going on. Their phone customer service agents all work from home and have scripts to read from and have no idea about how anything works. Their store employees are so poorly trained I keep running into the same issue over and over and over and there is actually no way to file a complaint about it and have it dealt with because it goes right to the customer service agents over the phone Who are clueless themselves. I’ve never seen this in a company before where you actually can’t get a hold of anyone that knows what’s going on or that can implement changes or provide information that helps the staff. It’s a revolving door of cluelessness. I am not doing a good job at explaining what I mean but it’s actually insane.