Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

Hello,

 

I am a new seller based in Canada. I have been researching shipping costs for a while now and was wondering if any other Canadian sellers have better rates then the ones I found. I am shipping magazines (14"x11"x 1") (1 lb or less) and ads (14"x11"x .5") (less than 1 lb). The best shipping method I could find for DOMESTIC with Canada Post is Oversized Letter (registered) $12.55. For USA it would be Tracked Packet - USA with Delivery confirmation and Insurance $16.75. International rates were over $40. I have read articles from other sellers stating lower rates or flat rates but these don't include delivery confirmation or insurance. If anyone has  lower rates or other methods of shipping I would really appreciate your input. 

 

Thanks for your time,

 

Carol

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

I would go with Small Packet - USA Air, it's around $10 (no delivery confirmation) but now they have to scan bar code for acceptance.

 

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s3

 

If you will use paypal shipping labels, you can have extra discount on shipping

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

There is no paypal discount for small packet airmail

 

discount only applies to trackable services, such as tracked packet or expedited


@bestcheapfast wrote:

I would go with Small Packet - USA Air, it's around $10 (no delivery confirmation) but now they have to scan bar code for acceptance.

 

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s3

 

If you will use paypal shipping labels, you can have extra discount on shipping


 

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

Hey Carol, I looked at your listing. The first thing that came to mind is a lot of your items are like $10 to 20. Personally , and I know there is a risk to not sending items without tracking, but I wouldnt. Buyers are not going to like your shipping cost.

 

I would ( for those priced items), send them regular post.

 

Now you do have a few listing around $100. Those I can see sending with tracking. Of course its up to you but I think it will help in the selling dept.

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

Some of them would fall under "Light Packet" Canada Post (under 250grams I think) and would ship for $5 or so.
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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

I agree. On low value items, should an item be lost, you must remember you are not out the money you got for it.

You are out the amount it cost you + eBay fees+ PP fees.

And some of those would be returned to you if you set up the buyer's refund correctly.

 

 

On the FILE magazines-- those are early Canadian queer zines aren't they? I'd put 'gay interest' in the titles. Bit of LBGT history you have there.

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

Well...you are also out shipping fees. And if it is a readily replaceable item out it's replacement cost...but if is an easily saleable non-replaceable item you are in a way out the sale value. 

 

Still for low value items you should self-insure.

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

I have to agree with others that most buyers are not going to want to pay $12+ shipping  for a $5 or $10 item so you would better off using lettermail and/or light packet and then self insure.

 

 

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

If package is under 2cm thick, you can use lettermail for domestic postage. In my experience you can cheat a little but not too much. By that I mean; if the total thickness of the package is 22 mm, it should be ok. But if it is 3 cm, don't risk it.
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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

eBay has made it impossible to sell foreign, ...why? because if you don't charge for tracking, you can lose the entire amount (I did last week, $107US out of my pocket for an item I sold, shipped, packed..etc..etc)  and charging for tracking for foreign items puts the price out of  range and  you can't compete.  So? Block foreign bidders for your own safety, rely on US and Canadian buyers.  Just about all Canadian mailings will be with tracking, so don't worry about it, and the US shipping with tracking is a bit crazy in price, but often it's worth it if your item is a bit rare or collectible. Stop looking for affordable shipping, there is no animal, and if you find it, it'll bite you hard like it did me last week.

 

Good luck and welcome to eBay.

 

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

mail with no tracking? I'd agree in the past, but now eBay will refund the money to anyone that cries, "I didn't get it", if the seller has no tracking you will lose every, every, every, every single time against a buyers claim. You can not send without tracking without taking on 100% of the risk.  The buyer can just say what they want whether they got the item or not.  eBay still gets their fee, the seller loses the entire amount of the sale including the shipping, fees, very, very unfair  to sellers with a proven track record and buyers without one.

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

Hi, Carol.

 

If you live in Mississauga, Markham or the Pickering area there is a company called Chitchat Express which offers shipping to the US from Canada using USPS. Way cheaper than Canada Post, plus you have a tracking number and you can use Media mail for your magazines. Worth checking out.

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

USPS Media Mail can not be used to ship magazines, as they have advertisements.
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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

You can use the services of a third party insurer, such as Insure Post (a division of ShipInsurance) to insure non-trackable Canada Post Light Packet, Small Parcel Air and other trackable Canada Post items. Read the restrictions carefully, answered in the Q&A section of their website. 

 

http://www.insurepost.com/default.asp

 

They will insure to a great number of countries and their list is a good indicator of the probability of the reliability of the countries postal system. So, if it's not on their list (and their business is to be experts), why are you.

 

Anyways, insurance is $1.50 per hundred dollars insurance and you can insure the amount of postage.

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

Hi Anderson,

 

Thanks for your reply, I had no idea Light Packet existed because it doesn't come up in the "Find A Rate" section of the Canada Post site. You are right my ads would fall into that category, just concerned about the length of time it takes to arrive and no tracking or insurance. The price is definitely much better internationally though.

 

Thanks,

 

Carol

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

Hi Femmefan,

 

Thanks for your reply, so you are suggesting that regular mail for Canada and USA would be acceptable for the lower priced items and don't worry about tracking, delivery confirmation or insurance? You mention setting up buyer's refund correctly to have some of the money returned if item is lost, could you explain a bit about that, I understood that if I don't have tracking or insurance I would not be eligible for reimbursement.

Thanks for the heads up on the FILE magazines, wasn't even thinking about "gay interest" in the titles, indeed they are a bit of LGBT history.

I had a look at your site, you have a great collection !!! I noticed you offer Free Shipping to the Canada and the US and your item prices are similar to mine. I would love to do the same and was wondering what shipping method you are using. At the moment I am using Lettermail for Canada, USA and International. I got the rates from the Canada Post site and set a flat rate on my listings. Since I haven't sold anything yet, I have no idea if my rates are way off or not. Anyway sorry for such a long reply, 

 

Thanks for your time,

 

Carol

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

HI Shopping,

 

Thanks for the reply, unfortunately I'm in Montreal so ChitChat Express is out :(. Thinking about Lettermail at the moment, such a nightmare this shipping.

 

Thanks,

 

Carol

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

Hi Scotty,

 

Thanks for your reply, this makes Light Packet an option again, I will check out Insure Post.

 

Carol

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.

I actually use stamps, because I have a source for mint discounted postage.

 

Have you checked out Paypal shipping? It doesn't support LetterMail, nor does Canada Post shipping, but it will print out labels, including customs forms, and on some services offers discounts of 5%-18% off PO counter prices.

 

For some Canada Post services, go to the Business section, rather than the Personal. Some services are only in Business because they are rarely used by the general public.

 

Anything under 2cm and 500 grams I send LetterPost.

 

You'll run into mentions of Cookie Jar Insurance from time to time.

This means that you add a few pennies or even a quarter, to each S&H fee, to cover the occasional loss. These virtual pennies go into a virtual Cookie Jar. If you have a claim you pay out from the Cookie Jar.

Also known as self-insurance. One poster claims to have made over $11,000 from his Cookie Jar over the decade or more he has been selling.

I think he is including money not spent on postal insurance and tracked services.

 

Keep in mind that selling books, dress patterns, and postcards is very safe on eBay. The buyers tend to be able to read and to follow directions. I'd be more cautious if I was selling video games, horse tack or dolls. Or anything electronic. Or clothing, new or used.

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Hi, I am a seller based in Canada, trying to find best rates for shipping.


@femmefan1946 wrote:

I actually use stamps, because I have a source for mint discounted postage.

 

Have you checked out Paypal shipping? It doesn't support LetterMail, nor does Canada Post shipping, but it will print out labels, including customs forms, and on some services offers discounts of 5%-18% off PO counter prices.

 

For some Canada Post services, go to the Business section, rather than the Personal. Some services are only in Business because they are rarely used by the general public.

 

Anything under 2cm and 500 grams I send LetterPost.

 

You'll run into mentions of Cookie Jar Insurance from time to time.

This means that you add a few pennies or even a quarter, to each S&H fee, to cover the occasional loss. These virtual pennies go into a virtual Cookie Jar. If you have a claim you pay out from the Cookie Jar.

Also known as self-insurance. One poster claims to have made over $11,000 from his Cookie Jar over the decade or more he has been selling.

I think he is including money not spent on postal insurance and tracked services.

 

Keep in mind that selling books, dress patterns, and postcards is very safe on eBay. The buyers tend to be able to read and to follow directions. I'd be more cautious if I was selling video games, horse tack or dolls. Or anything electronic. Or clothing, new or used.


That would be me. AFTER pay-outs, I am about $11K ahead.

 

Losing parcels is a red-herring. Like any business, anywhere, ever, I have a loss budget.

 

Tracking and signature are the biggest wastes of money in this game. The only time I use either is when size or weight moves me into Expedited. Out of the last 3,000 untracked parcels, I have lost three or four. Not 10%, not 1%, .1%. Because I have nothing invested in what I sell, all I can lose is the postage. In the last 3,000 parcels, I have lost about $35.

 

Insure myself against a loss of $35, over 3,000, parcels, in a time span of years? Why?

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