Ebay Canada needs to address with packages being returned by Canada Post

[33nhl]

Ebay Canada needs to address with packages being returned by Canada Post

Well sadly its now a reality anyhting sent regular mail to USA as we once did will be returned back to you with the following lables attached to the bubble mailer as now that so called regular mail cheap method of sending sport cards or other small itesm will have to be sent as Small Packets and cost from under $4.00 will now be double to $8-$10

So what buyer is going to purchase a $2.00 hockey card and then see that they have to pay $9.00 for shipping.

Hopefully Ebay Canada reps are in sinc and try to help in some way other wise they will be seeing less low end items being offered or sold on Ebay Canada

I know the rule existeded and now Canada Post is enforcing it and you be very lucky if a package now slips through the system as it once did.

Maybe this is why Ebay come March 30 is increasing selling fees as they know they will be seing less low end items listed sold thus they are going to recover on the higher end items by increasing the final value selling fee. 

[recped]

You think eBay can overule policies instituted by the Universal Postal Union that has 193 member countries?

There are LEGAL ways to get around this restriction. You are in Scarborough, not far from ChitChats or Stallion Express. You can send these cards via USPS Lettermail for less than $2/piece (USPS postage and transport to Niagara Falls NY) using either of those two companies.

Just slightly more than what you are paying for Canada Post and you will get delivery to anywhere in the US in about 3 - 5 days.

[vintagenorth]

That's a really good idea but not helpful to us sellers who are nowhere near a Chit Chats or Stallion. Just makes us feel worse. Although, I did email and ask Chit Chats about a drop off closer to me. Something under 1/2 hr drive could work, although with the cost of gas.....

[33nhl]

I will be looking at Chichats of how it works with printing postage lables and then having a decent scale to make sure weight package and also location of them as i mail out every day but post office is only 5 min drive or would then have to change my shipping to every 48 hours.  well nothing lasts for ever and maybe its come time to say good bye to selling cheap stuff online. i like to see those that sell 4.00 cards and ship in plain envelope for free shipping what they will do cause if bubble mailers are being returned sure enough plain paper envelopes be same thing to them.

[triber]

Many of us are really struggling with this and just not knowing what to do. I am mailing some leaflets lettermail to the US tomorrow and just hope they don't get sent back.

[recped]

@vintagenorth 

You are +/- 30 minutes from both Stallion and Chitchats (depending on traffic of course)

[triber]

I see that your mail also probably goes through Mississauga, I would be really interested to know if any other members here in other areas of Ont. or other provinces are having their packages returned.

[vintagenorth]

@recped 

I wish! Don't go by my postal code.  I'm in a rural area and the postal code we have to use is really the post office address for where our mail is sorted. I'm a good 20-25 minute drive from that post office although strangely enough there is also a post office only 8kms from my house. However, my mail doesn't come through that post office because it's in a village and I'm not.  Anyway, thanks for the suggestion.

[regs43]

Everyone I have seen with this issue (here, FB, reddit) is in the Toronto area / Mississauga Hub. Ottawa here and nothing back yet and my mail goes to Montreal.

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

You can send cards in a plain white envelope with Chit Chats via USPS First Class Lettermail. A single card will be 1.33 CAD. The weight limit is 99 grams. The price goes up as the weight goes up, the most expensive price is 1.93 CAD.

I assume you can send merchandise, but I don't know for certain. You would also have to familarize yourself with the size restrictions for lettermail.

If you send an actual bubble mailer, the average minimum price to send a small bubble mailer is about 6 CAD. 

The major problem with Chit Chats is like you said, they aren't as convenient as the post office. My advice would be to switch to 3 business days for handling. This is what I did when I started using Chit Chats, it did not hurt my sales. With 3 business days, you can usually expect to have to drop off packages 5 or 6 times a month. 

[recped]

I use 5 day handling and drop off at Stallion (an hour round trip if traffic not too bad). I go once a week or maybe a day or two sooner depending on how many orders I have. Combine with grocery shopping or similar so it's usually a multi-purpose outing.

My buyers at least could care less about my extended handling time and they are generally thrilled with the delivery times they get. I'm dropping off today (Tuesday), all packages will be delivered by Saturday except for Media Mail which will get there on Monday.

[33nhl]

Got a second package returend today for same reason and went and resent out as small packet cost was extra $6.95 on top of what i had already paid for as regular mail. This is nothing more then a cash grab by Canada Post as with Small Packet  Canada Post charges $0.85 or more as fuel charge so imagine if  1 million packets are to be sent week in week out across canada thats an extra $1 million in Fuel Charges revenue for Canada post.  Some have recommended Chichats which would be cheaper by just $2.00 or less but it comes down to will buyers purchase now a $5.00 sport card or majic or pokemon card and pay $10 for shipping.  If they do it is beneficail for seller to use Chichat atleast package will have tracking and does not require costums form to be filled if card is under $300.00 in value as Chitchat takes the packages across the boarder to be mailed off at a USPS office. but also tracking wont be uploaded to Ebay showing well after min of 24 hours when mailed off on the USA side.

Some buyers want next day shipping so using Chichat if not near by then S/H times may need to be 3/4 days and some buyers dont want that and seen in many sellers feedbacks, so if buyers dont understand and agree to these now enforced rules then no point selling and shipping to USA  

[richardcm]

Not a cash grab. Canada Post is enforcing the rules for international Lettermail. These rules CP is required to follow as a member of the Universal Postal Union.

[zee-chan]

Don't use bubble mailers and printed address labels. They scream "merchandise"... or use small packet air as you're supposed to.

[33nhl]

Im wondering if USPS is doing the same with shipping to Canada if not then it only leaves one thing $$$$  and I know Canada Post had stopped DVDs being sent as regular mail back in mid 2000s  so makes me wonder why took them 20 years to now act enforce not only on  sport cards but also knitting templates and other small items. It cant be no other then they see large profit margins cause that $2 and $3 regular mail package now becomes a $8 and $9 and $10 package thats 500% profit mark up with out price increases and again if USPS is aloowing cards and other items  to be sent with low option service and Canada Post is not its then $$$$ grab.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@33nhl wrote:

Ebay Canada needs to address with packages being returned by Canada Post

Well sadly its now a reality anyhting sent regular mail to USA as we once did will be returned back to you with the following lables attached to the bubble mailer as now that so called regular mail cheap method of sending sport cards or other small itesm will have to be sent as Small Packets and cost from under $4.00 will now be double to $8-$10

So what buyer is going to purchase a $2.00 hockey card and then see that they have to pay $9.00 for shipping.

Hopefully Ebay Canada reps are in sinc and try to help in some way other wise they will be seeing less low end items being offered or sold on Ebay Canada

I know the rule existeded and now Canada Post is enforcing it and you be very lucky if a package now slips through the system as it once did.

Maybe this is why Ebay come March 30 is increasing selling fees as they know they will be seing less low end items listed sold thus they are going to recover on the higher end items by increasing the final value selling fee. 

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@33nhl 

@zee-chan 

@triber 

@vintagenorth 

@ilikehockeyjerseys 

@regs43 

Is anyone seeing a pattern to type of items/packaging for items being returned. Are they bubble envelops, CB Mailers or Kraft envelops? With 1 or 2 pieces of CB for re-inforcement? Packages with inconsistent thicknesses?

-Lotz

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

Is anyone seeing a pattern to type of items/packaging for items being returned. Are they bubble envelopes, CB Mailers or Kraft envelopes? With 1 or 2 pieces of CB for re-inforcement? Packages with inconsistent thicknesses?

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If all a seller uses is one particular type of packaging, they're not going to see a pattern.  You'd be better doing a "roll call" of sorts and have these sellers share their packaging techniques.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Yes but we might be able to from their responses. Find out what is or isnt working.

-Lotz

[mrdutch1001]

Some of that has already been discussed here:

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/Packages-being-returned-no-longer-able-to-go-letter-mail...

[marnotom!]

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@33nhl wrote:

Im wondering if USPS is doing the same with shipping to Canada . . .

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This doesn't just affect mail to and from Canada and the US, but all international destinations.

When eBay first started, USPS made no distinction between international letter post and what Canada Post (and many other countries' postal systems) calls Small Packets as they go through the same mail stream.  In 1999, they called the service Air Mail (or Surface) Letter Post, later renaming it First Class Mail International (and dropping the surface option at the same time). 

Some years ago, USPS refined this and started making a distinction between letters and packets and now US sellers shipping smaller items internationally have to use a First Class Package International service.  If you experiment with the USPS rate calculator, you'll find that it also requires a description of the nature of the item and its packaging before the calculator can give you a rate:

https://ircalc.usps.gov