Puerto Rico- Tracked Packet USA Glitch (with dimension calculation not the sub USA for Country Issue

[intimewithmusic]

Hi.

  Just wrapped up 30 minutes with an eBay CSR trying to print a CP Tracked Packet label to Puerto Rico. The package dimensions are 32 X 32 X 3 cms. The weight is 650 Grams. Error msg said the problem was either the package size or the customer's addy. 

   Looks like a regular buyer so the addy is likely fine. The CSR advised me NOT to change the country from Puerto Rico to the United States and not to put Puerto Rico into the State box. She said eBay is having trouble with parcels not arriving and the issue is a known issue so they aren't printing PR labels... 

  That said she said I should try to print the label off eBay. I went to my Shippo account and Shippo is saying they no longer print eBay labels for Canada Post.  I haven't yet tried to print the label from Snap Ship which is my next move but it will cost more.

  I'm really not sure I was getting accuacy from the CSR because I noticed the eBay format for calculating Tr Pkt dimensions seems to be wrong. It's using the Expedited Parcel format of Length plus Girth. See attached screen shot. 

    Am I missing something? I double checked the dimensions with CP and they are still max 90 cms based on L + W + H.  I told her that but, well, you know.... 

  Thanks for your assistance in advance. I will try Snap Ship. If that doesn't work her final advice was cancel the order due to problem with address.  

IT

[msau4301]

A few months back I had a buyer from Puerto Rico saying she was interested in bidding on some of my items but was getting "Seller does not ship to your location" messages. She has bought from me several times over the years with no problem so I don't know why she got the message (I had posted a question here about it.).

I told her I was fine to ship there, I had before and she ended up buying several of my items. I can't remember for sure the exact size and weight but it was a few Barbies and I'm guessing package was approximately 36" x 24" x 6" and about 700 grams.  I was able to send it with Tracked Package USA with no problems, when the label was actually done up I think it said Puerto Rico, USA with zip code.

Not sure why you don't think you can use Shippo for Canada Post (that's who I always USA for the US) as recently as last week. They did change some things over there though (message said they were no longer allowing PayPal as payment method) at start of July. I had to re-connect my Canada Post account, give a credit card number (same one listed on my Canada Post account) and have been using them at least 20 or more times since, same as always, and (though no idea why) still get my invoices through PayPal.

It's up to you if you want to try Snap Ship but I'd try Shippo again since you probably just have to re-connect your Canada Post if you haven't used them since the July 1st change.

[msau4301]

Just wanted to add that I always go to Shippo from eBay's purchase shipping label option, then once on page that shows rate, I go to the super small "Go to Shippo" button and all the info is copied over in case you get to Shippo by another means. This is where I got my initial "link Canada Post account" message.

[intimewithmusic]

Hi. 

  Thank you for your response.  I go to Shippo that way too. I haven't used them since May. I think I may need to reconnect my Canada Post connection. I had to do that once before. In this case I don't think that would help.

I also got the same issue when I went to Snap Ship. It looks like there's either a few different glitches or that some new shipping rules are in the works. I think it's easiest if I put it into some questions.

1. Why is eBay using Length plus Girth for Tracked Packet USA? (as shown in the prev attchmnt)

2. Why does the Canada Post Snap Ship error (attached) lead me to a new memo showing the weight allowance for Tracket Packet USA is now 1 KG (not 2)? I was quite surprised Sanp ship wouldn't print a label. 

3. Why doesn't that memo show any change from L +W +H to L + Girth?

4. Why did the eBay Customer Service rep tell me not to change the country from Puerto Rico to the United States and put Puerto Rico into the State box? (Like you that's what I've done with Shippo labels)

She told me packages weren't getting delivered in Puerto Rico.  US sellers were having trouble printing labels too.  She said if I did that they would withdraw my Seller Protection. 

  All I can make of this is possible changes are being implemented that are out of sync. My dimensions via the old way of L+W+H are fine but as you can see that's not the format eBay has implemented.  Of course  bad information is going around. 

  By the way, Snap Ship & eBay both gave me a price for the label. Ebay was about $21.50 and Snap Ship was about $23.00. Not much difference. I only have level 1 on Snap Ship. I would have thought the difference would have been greater. 

  I sent my customer a polite explanation and appology. He may have a solution. If not eBay advised me to o cancel the order  with "Problem with Address" for the reason.  If the issue isn't resolved I will exclude Puerto Rico.  I hate to lose them along with the waring countries and  Germany and France etc. Those are very musical countries I could be selling to. 

Who's next?

IT

[msau4301]

Sorry IT can't help much with those 3 questions - above my pay grade but to respond:

1) No idea why they are now using Length x Girth?! (What?) I've never seen "girth" used in any shipping description - guess this is something new? (I think I hear Steve Carell saying "that's what she said")

2) As far as I know the weight limit is still 2 kilograms for Tracked Package (and eBay's shipping calculator still shows it when I tried plugging 1.5 kilograms in just now).

3) I googled the fomula for girth and it says: Width + Height x 2 (so your 32 + 3 x 2 is 70 as they are showing) but would this change mess it up? My math skills are lacking, someone will explain.

4) The rep saying you can't "change the country" from Puerto Rico to US but US IS the country (when I investigated it before was told it was a territory of the US). In my case it just put the US in on it's own based on the buyer's address. But perhaps something has changed, but like you I hope not.

Please post if it gets worked out (and how), I will check back, as well to see what others say. Good luck.

[intimewithmusic]

Hi.

re 1.   I sell a lot of large items and girth is used for large items shipped expedited Parcel. Basically girth is the "waist measurement".  You add the width and height and measure by two.

2. You're right  the weight is 2 kg however the nasty error message links sent me to a CP brief memo saying TP USA was now 1 KG. Like I said bad info out there. The CP guideline dated Aug 1 says it's stil 2 KG.

3. Yes badly. If you have an item 32cm x 32 cm x 2 cm using Girth in the equation as eBay seems to have done results in 32 + a girth of 70 + 102 cm putting the Tr Pkt item 12 cm over the limit.  That's the eBay glitch. 

4. You're not talking eBay. You're talking politics. Seller Protection Policies are always in the wind. Here's what eBay said about that;

"eBay"

03:09:44 UTC intimewithmusic : Are you sure I can't just edit the buyers address to United States for the country and Puerto Rico for the state?

03:10:48 UTC M****y:And we appreciate you for doing everything possible for your buyer.

03:11:39 UTC M****y:The address should be revised by the buyer upon purchasing the item. For this one, you can cancel the order and have your buyer correct their address.

03:12:15 UTC M****y:Because if ever you'll make changes on the address upon purchasing the label, it may affect your seller protection.

03:12:44 UTC intimewithmusic:OK. Thanks you M****y. I'll contact the buyer. If I'm not able to get the label I will cancel the order using "Problem with Address"

03:12:55 UTC M****y:And of course we don't want that to happen. We want to protect you as much as we can.

03:13:09 UTC M****y:Yes, that is correct.

03:13:53 UTC intimewithmusic:I understand the issue with changing the address. That's what eBay used to get us to do with order to PR before they had there own lables though.

03:13:56 UTC M****y:After the buyer changed their address, you can recreate the sale with the buyer.

It comes down to this,

Should you listen to the CSR or dismiss her/him as ignorant of the real answer? Lately so many changes regarding security and protections are occuring (asking for your Drivers License and 2 step verifications etc) I'd rather not take the chance.

  If eBay wanted "United States" to appear in the country box and Puerto Rico to be in the State box you would think they would have done that a very long time ago. I'm not saying not to do it or to do it. I'm saying old habilts may not be acceptable. In the case of  selling online  old habits are things we did a year ago. 

  You have to decide for yourself based on the risk. I finally shipped off my item via Snap Ship.  I don't want to say how I did it  LOL... but I will say my level 1  cost was $23.17 and  eBay's level 4 cost was  $21.94.  A whopping $123 difference. I'm not sure who to believe about label discounts any more but I know the item never would have shipped with an eBay label. 

  The mistake is right there on the first picture I posted. Girth...  Let's see if it gets fixed. 

Thanks for bending me an ear!

IT

[msau4301]

Glad to hear you got it shipped off any ways, as long as you got it done that's what counts.

[byto253]

WIth the current Small Packet and Tracked Packet costs from Canada Post, is it much more $ to use Snap Ship or have the label done at a counter?   

The flat rate packet service is fantastic to ship to PR or US territories. 

[intimewithmusic]

I'm don't have an answer to that. I haven't tried buying labels at the counter. I assumed it would be the same cost with the small business discount card as buying it online. 

I didn't know you could buy flat rate international packets to Puerto Rico and the territories either. I thought CP only had domestic FR packs. You're a wealth of info! I'll check it out.

Thanks!

[intimewithmusic]

Thanks you. 

It was a very rare LP record. All it has to do now is survive the heat between BC & PR! 

The buyer was very glad to hear I made it through the shipping gauntlet and got it out the door.

[pjcdn2005]

I'm glad that you got a label done.  I will read your posts more carefully later on but a couple of comments...

I doubt that the majority of eBay cs reps have any idea of how Canada post shipping works on eBay so I wouldn't put too much trust in what they say.  

AFAIK there is no problem with delivery to PR.  On the US site there was a problem with Military address labels and I think that has somehow caused a problem with usps labels to US Protectorates too. But that is just a eBay usps label problem and shouldnt affect us. 

I have always changed the country to US if the buyer entered PR as the country.    I don't think that I've had to change it on eBay labels but a few years ago on Shippo it would charge me for international rates if PR was the country.   Seller protection goes by the zip code for US addresses so changing it should not cause a problem.

[pjcdn2005]

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@byto253 wrote:

WIth the current Small Packet and Tracked Packet costs from Canada Post, is it much more $ to use Snap Ship or have the label done at a counter?   

The flat rate packet service is fantastic to ship to PR or US territories. 

---

In the past the counter rate was slightly more than the level one online rate. That may have changed. @ricarmic  might know the answer. 

[byto253]

AH, sorry, I better clarify.   What I meant is that the small packet rate is flat regardless of location that USPS delivers to.   So for an item that weighs 251 grams to 500 grams and within the 90 cm L+W+H limit the cost is  $17.61 Tracked Packet or $15.79 small packet with the SB card whether it is going to New York, California or PR. Same rate online or at the counter. 

Which I am sure you know!!! 

[intimewithmusic]

Hi pj

  Thanks for your input. I hope you're right about Puerto Rico. I didn't want to quote the whole transcript so here's the part relating to your comments. 

________________________

(eBay)

02:59:05 UTC M****y
Alright, upon checking. I can see here that due to the buyer's Shipping address, Puerto Rico. Because some of the packages ships to this country were not being received.

02:59:10 UTC intimewithmusic
OK our msgs are out of sync. Did you mean that eBay is not printing labels to Puerto Rico?

03:01:15 UTC M****y
Yes that is correct, ****e, even US seller's are having issues when purchasing Shipping Labels for Puerto Rico addresses.

_____________________

I got a "destination" warning from Canada Post too but not a block. These days a destination that was fine last week could be innaccessible today. IE: Maui. 

 This was not a big risk for me being a $40 item. Puerto Rico is important to me because of my niche so I need to know what's going on in case the next sold item is valuable.  It's worth the effort of reaching out to eBay, Canada Post and the eBay Community to stay in the loop. 

In my title I indicated this is not about the PR country/US State workaround but others have brought it up so here's my rant....

   Canada Post is VERY negligent in not fixing that. For years CP has directed online label purchasers to select Puerto Rico  as an international country.  Everyone (except Canada Post ) knows this doesn't work and that Canada Post secretly offers the "State of Puerto Rico" solution.   Maybe CP is too polite or too political to remove Puerto Rico from the Int list? I think most Puerto Ricans are tired of online orders from Canada with shipping issues.  It's been like that for years and it's not acceptable. 

I feel much better now, thanks!     As for the credibility of an eBay employee;

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

"I doubt that the majority of eBay cs reps have any idea of how Canada post shipping works on eBay"

After 10 years I still hear sellers dismiss CSRs every day. Even eBay employees dismiss their own CSR's. (IE: Griff)  As a Canadian seller I'm with you. We don't get the support or the features we need. I use them to stay in the loop because that is all we have for support but I agree,  you need to take their info with a grain of salt.

Thanks again for your input.

IT

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[regs43]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

---

@byto253 wrote:

WIth the current Small Packet and Tracked Packet costs from Canada Post, is it much more $ to use Snap Ship or have the label done at a counter?   

The flat rate packet service is fantastic to ship to PR or US territories. 

---

In the past the counter rate was slightly more than the level one online rate. That may have changed. @ricarmic  might know the answer. 

---

There was some recent changes, the counter rate when you show your Solutions for Business card at the counter now atually applies the online level 1 price. Before my understanding was it didnt.

I have level 3 now but I don't think I would be able to access that at the counter but I might be mistaken. I think I recall level 1 was the largest discount you could see at the counter.

@dinomitesalesmight know

[dinomitesales]

Level 1 Counter rate and Level 1 Online rate were merged a while back, so you get the same discount regardless of where you purchase your postage (assuming you don't have a SFSB savings level greater than 1).

I remember this "tracked packet using girth" issue coming up some time in the recent past - I can't recall who was having the issue or how long ago it was, but I've seen this message before. This is 100% an issue with the coding of eBay Labels Canada and how it's supposed to calculate the rates. It's been brought to eBay's attention but clearly they haven't fixed it yet (just like they haven't fixed the country of origin glitch, or allowed us to see a tax breakdown, etc.).

However, since Small Packet / Tracked Packet are flat rates and don't take volumetric equivalent of weight into consideration, I would just fudge the dimensions a bit to make it go through. As long as the weight is correct, and the actual dimensions of the parcel are within Small/Tracked Parcel specs, then it doesn't really matter what you enter for the shipping label. It might get re-rated in transit because the dimensions entered on the label don't match the actual dimensions, but it isn't going to matter because it's still the same rate.

As for the whole "Puerto Rico as a country" thing is concerned, the only reason it exists as a country in Canada Post's system was because of the Priority Worldwide service that CPC offered in conjunction with FedEx. Something with the way that FedEx's systems worked where it wouldn't accept "United States" as a country specifier for the US territories. However, as of August 1st CPC has ended the Priority Worldwide service so I imagine they will be removing the option of "Puerto Rico" from the country list soon. I have no idea what the rep was talking about regarding not being able to print labels to Puerto Rico - that doesn't have anything to do with the error messages you were receiving.

[intimewithmusic]

Hi. Thank you for your input.

  Before the introduction of eBay labels the "country/state" switcharoo was the only workaround required. I ran into a 2nd workaround when a PR buyer purchased a large xylophone from me. It had flat rate shipping to the continental US.  eBay Canada doesn't filter those directives in the front end.  eBay USA does.  Canadian sellers have to dive in after the fact and negotiate with both the buyer and eBay or else cancel the order.   Those two issues were fairly simple and commonplace. 

  This issue with eBay labels is totally different. eBay allows you to edit the label however, as shown in the transcript, they policy says if you do that they withdraw Seller Protection. The fact sellers do it with eBay labels is probably because buyer claims for items of low value are rare. In other words if you get away with something you tend to repeat the process protected or not. You have to read the reports from sellers who lost breached policy claims to realize you're playing with fire. 

  Ebay Canada's labels don't have the built in workaround Canada Post has. You don't have the option to use USA as the country for a label to PR. Ebay simply provides the completed address which is the wrong address. Then you have the wrong dimensional formula.  Then you add Customer Service into the mix.

   If you read my entire transcript an seller could see I was dodging around mis directions trying to get the seller protection I need to expedite the order. You're really working with two CSRs at the same time. You're chatting with one and waiting for her to talk to another rep to answer the questions. The delays cause the chat to go out of sync which can confuse the "junior CSR".  Expereinced sellers know this is going on.  They just want to get a yes or a no in the transcript and without the "help" you make your decision. 

  I don't know how much harder eBay could possibly make something so simple. Using the wrong formula (girth) instead of L + W + H. the wrong address on their own labels, and customer service saying "PR is off our delivery map, use a different service, if you change the label we won't help you in a claim" is beyond me. 

   Losing Puerto Rico would hurt the music niche a lot.  Europe and Latin America were a large part of our music market.  I've already lost Germany, France, the Ukraine, Russia, Belarus etc.  Except for Belarus the rest were large buyers. Russians tended to use 3rd party forwarders before the war but now that's gone too. If more Eu countries drop off eBay Canada's  market international will mean the USA ...period. This recent twist nearly caused me to drop Puerto Rico. I've noticed other musis related sellers have. I'm going to stick it out (no pun intended) but only if eBay backs me up in the event of a claim due to all these workarounds. 

  Thank you for your insight into the Canada Post plan to fix their addressing issue.  I can't wait!

  Their autofill feature will need a tweak.  It automatically tries to bring up the addy in the Country of Puerto Rico  Int section. I don't see how they can fix that. Sellers need to copy and paste the eBay addy in the meantime and that can be tricky if the eBay addy is on more lines than the CP is set up for. (Like a hotel room or a complicated condo addy.  Hopefully the correct postal code will overcome any line errors.

  Thank you for your input!

IT