eBay

zee-chan · ‎09-19-2018

Just in time for the (potential) strike!

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpc/en/business/shipping/free-shipping-tuesday.page?ecid=murl|pdn|cd|164

Free shipping Tuesdays are back – and as epic as ever! Members of Canada Post Solutions for Small Business™ program can ship for free every Tuesday in October.

All you have to do is sign in to our simple online shipping tool, Canada Post Snap Ship™. Then send a package (up to 5 kg) for free anywhere in Canada using our Xpresspost™ or Expedited Parcel™ service using a unique promo code every Tuesday in October. We'll even come pick up your package for free!¹ It's that easy – and it's how we're thanking Solutions for Small Business members.

The best part? There are 5 Tuesdays this October! Not yet a Solutions for Small Business member? Sign up now – it's fast and free. Remember to come back every Tuesday in October for your free shipment.

femmefan1946 · ‎09-19-2018

Well that's even cheaper than my discounted mint postage stamps.

I may actually be using labels next month.

And most of my shipping is on Mondays and Tuesdays in any case.

Woot!

By the way, I was walking down to the Oak Bay Avenue postal outlet with a (labelled) package, when I spotted the Canada Post truck emptying the corner box.

He was happy to take it from me, even thanked me for "using our service".

I told him I hoped he wouldn't be going out on strike any time soon, and he said he didn't want to miss any paycheques.

I didn't mention that he was emptying the 9am deadline box at 2 in the afternoon. My daily latte was calling me.

momcqueen · ‎09-19-2018

Glad to hear it, I’ll make sure I mark it in my calendar.

ypdc_dennis · ‎09-19-2018

The Canada Post free shipping Tuesdays details:
* one (1) free parcel per Tuesday
* maximum weight of 5kg (volumetric weight applies)
* Expedited Parcel or Xpresspost service
* Canadian addresses only
* must be purchased using Canada Post's SnapShip (credit card and Canada Post's free Solutions for Small Business membership needed)
* codes will probably use the same style as last year: OCT2, OCT9, OCT16, OCT23, OCT30

With 2 handling, anything sold from the previous Friday can be delayed to ship for free on Tuesday -- except for Thanksgiving weekend, when it's the previous Thursday. And those with same day shipping can have a very enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend as the entire weekend qualifies.

If you have no parcels to ship, but do have lettermail (regular or oversize) then upgrade to Xpresspost for free.

Parcels do not need to be mailed on Tuesday. If you have no sales that qualify, you can buy a free label to ship weeks/months later (like for Xmas or a birthday).

-..-

ypdc_dennis · ‎09-23-2018

If you don't want to rely on potluck to see if you have a package to send on a free Tuesday, a couple of strategies:

1. Custom create an auction of a heavy weight (actual or volumetric) under 5kg. Have 2 day handling, and end the auction on the weekend. For the first Tuesday (October 2) use a 7 day auction this weekend, or a 5 day auction starting Monday or Tuesday.

...

I was lazy tonight and just modified an old listing BIN to auction (shipping was about 40-50% of a Canadian buyer's price) and knocked the Canada ship price down to free. I left USA and the rest of the world unchanged -- so if it sells outside Canada I can at least save the FVF on shipping.

2. Similar to 1, but you set up something as BIN -- but you would need to make sure the handling time for the item allows you to ship on the free Tuesday.

3. Put together a backup plan of shipping a package to a friend, a relative, a business. You buy the label on Tuesday, but have many weeks to use the label (not sure if there is an expiry time limit, but labels are at a minimum good to the end of the year).

4. Check out chitchatsexpress and see if they will accept boxes sent to them the "free" way. Chitchats is a mail forwarder, that allows you to send in a box of packages if you are too far away to visit them. Postage for each individual package in the box is bought in advance via chitchats. They open the box on arrival and then forward the packages (often for a big savings, depending on destination).

5. any other ideas ...

zee-chan · ‎09-23-2018

@ypdc_dennis wrote:

4. Check out chitchatsexpress and see if they will accept boxes sent to them the "free" way. Chitchats is a mail forwarder, that allows you to send in a box of packages if you are too far away to visit them. Postage for each individual package in the box is bought in advance via chitchats. They open the box on arrival and then forward the packages (often for a big savings, depending on destination).

You lost me on this one. How does Free Shipping Tuesday have anything to do with CCE if you're just sending that parcel for free domestically with Canada Post?

ypdc_dennis · ‎09-23-2018

@zee-chan wrote:
@ypdc_dennis wrote:
4. Check out chitchatsexpress and see if they will accept boxes sent to them the "free" way. Chitchats is a mail forwarder, that allows you to send in a box of packages if you are too far away to visit them. Postage for each individual package in the box is bought in advance via chitchats. They open the box on arrival and then forward the packages (often for a big savings, depending on destination).
You lost me on this one. How does Free Shipping Tuesday have anything to do with CCE if you're just sending that parcel for free domestically with Canada Post?

When you have no parcel to ship in Canada and are not near a Chitchats location, but do have some packages to ship to the USA or the rest of the world.

https://support.chitchats.com/getting-started/using-chit-chats/i-dont-live-near-a-branch-can-i-still...

rose-dee · ‎09-23-2018

@ypdc_dennis wrote:
The Canada Post free shipping Tuesdays details:
* one (1) free parcel per Tuesday
* maximum weight of 5kg (volumetric weight applies)
* Expedited Parcel or Xpresspost service
* Canadian addresses only
* must be purchased using Canada Post's SnapShip (credit card and Canada Post's free Solutions for Small Business membership needed)
* codes will probably use the same style as last year: OCT2, OCT9, OCT16, OCT23, OCT30
With 2 handling, anything sold from the previous Friday can be delayed to ship for free on Tuesday -- except for Thanksgiving weekend, when it's the previous Thursday. And those with same day shipping can have a very enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend as the entire weekend qualifies.
If you have no parcels to ship, but do have lettermail (regular or oversize) then upgrade to Xpresspost for free.
Parcels do not need to be mailed on Tuesday. If you have no sales that qualify, you can buy a free label to ship weeks/months later (like for Xmas or a birthday).

Thanks for these details, very helpful to have it all in one place. Sadly, I have an important (and expensive) commission that I could ship on the first Tuesday in October (it would have had to go via Expedited or Xpresspost anyway). I would have been thrilled to save the cost. However, my customer is in a hurry to get it and would not be amused if the parcel got caught up in the strike before delivery (or delayed due to slowdowns, etc.).

What I didn't understand about your 2nd post was how a seller could purchase a label on a Tuesday in October and use it later (unless a seller has a regular customer to whom tracked parcels are shipped, and that name/address can be used on the label). In other words, you need to know the recipient's details in order to purchase a free label, correct? Or am I missing something? Is that what you meant by using the free labels to send parcels to friends instead?

Since sales are so sluggish, and the postal strike looms, I can't predict when I might sell something, even with the blandishment of free shipping on an auction listing as you suggested. You had a good idea, but I just don't trust this "assurance" from eBay (received today) about parcels that don't arrive due a strike or slowdown. It's not Feedback or defects I really care about anymore, it's having to refund for INRs, then having the item actually arrive weeks late due to the strike/slowdown, but not getting repaid by the buyer for the refund. This message isn't precise enough to be of any real comfort. What exactly does "monitor and adjust estimated delivery dates and MBG timelines mean? Does that mean to adjust timelines even if a strike/slowdown lasts for weeks? For the time being, my store is "on vacation" until things are clearer regarding strike.

"Should a work disruption occur, eBay will ensure that sellers are not penalized for the delayed arrival of shipments originating or terminating in Canada. eBay will monitor and remove defects associated with shipping delays caused by any Canada Post disruption. eBay will also monitor and adjust estimated delivery dates and eBay Money Back Guarantee timelines."

I suppose I'll just send something nice to my elderly auntie in Ontario again in early October, and buy a second free label to send her something at Christmas.

ypdc_dennis · ‎09-23-2018

@rose-dee wrote:
@ypdc_dennis wrote:
Parcels do not need to be mailed on Tuesday. If you have no sales that qualify, you can buy a free label to ship weeks/months later (like for Xmas or a birthday).
What I didn't understand about your 2nd post was how a seller could purchase a label on a Tuesday in October and use it later (unless a seller has a regular customer to whom tracked parcels are shipped, and that name/address can be used on the label). In other words, you need to know the recipient's details in order to purchase a free label, correct? Or am I missing something? Is that what you meant by using the free labels to send parcels to friends instead?

I suppose I'll just send something nice to my elderly auntie in Ontario again in early October, and buy a second free label to send her something at Christmas.

My second post, suggestion 3 was the backup plan if you have no eBay sales. You already know the addresses of friends, relatives and businesses. As long as you have the size of the box and weight (round up to 5kg if not sure) you can buy the label ahead of shipping it.

...

I, for example might have documents to ship to the Canada Revenue Agency later this year or something to donate to the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy or perhaps some materials for the York University Computer Museum (I've got a lot of ancient computer ~~junk~~ stuff).

ypdc_dennis · ‎09-25-2018

1 week and counting...

momcqueen · ‎09-26-2018

I know that I’m excited: I think I had occasion to use the label each Tuesday in October last year.

ypdc_dennis · ‎10-02-2018

Just after midnight here and I just bought my free shipping label for today.

Today's free code for Canada Post Snapship is OCT2

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpc/en/business/shipping/free-shipping-tuesday.page

-..-

musicyouneed · ‎10-02-2018

Is express post free to or does it have to go expedited?

musicyouneed · ‎10-02-2018

I tried it and it works for Xpresspost, bonus.

momcqueen · ‎10-02-2018

I used it for Xpresspost this morning. Such a bonus!

lucitabby · ‎10-02-2018

What fun.
I used it to send a very heavy blanket, Calgary to Edmonton , and then sent the buyer a refund on shipping.
He sent me a thank you email and also said "marry me."

kosmic64 · ‎10-02-2018

So I've been trying to get my free shipment today. Been trying to log in to my account since 11:30 this morning and it won't let me log in. Called CP customer service. Waited on hold for half an hour for them to tell me the site is down?!?! How convenient that it's down on Free Ship Tuesday : (

cdbasement · ‎10-02-2018

What a joke! Last year 2 Tuesdays it did not work and on another they charged my credit card the full shot. I did eventually get my money back but after 2 hours on customer service lines over 3 calls. Hardly worth the 10 bucks? And of course today, it's down as well. I've wasted an hour of my time again for friggin' Canada Post!! Total JOKE!! (can you sense I'm a little miffed!!!)

teenytrinkets · ‎10-02-2018

Yeah, they should honour it again tomorrow if their site isn't up in time for me to ship out Xpresspost today. This seems like a rotten gimmick...

rose-dee · ‎10-02-2018

Well, I was tempted to try Xpresspost, but reading the updates on this thread about issues on the Canada Post site tells me I made the right decision in sending my expensive parcel today via UPS.

My customer will be so pleased to get it on time, before the long weekend. I'm not sure I could have guaranteed that even with Xpresspost, as it was going from here (semi-rural Nova Scotia) to BC. This was a significant project for me, and it would have been a total disaster had the parcel got caught in a CPC lockout or slowdown. There's not much point in free shipping if it loses me a important client.