Small packet International rates

[triber]

Would someone give me the 3 rates for small packet International please? I find Canada Post website very user unfriendly.

[73rhc]

I took a look at one of your listing (Lionel tracks).  It reads: 'Shipping is actual cost"

From Boisbriand QC to Belleville ON it shows a shipping cost of Cdn$ 17,48

Now, what does $17.48 represent? The cost determined by CPC

Your actual cost?  Including or not including packing material? All of my packing materials are recycled. Cost to me $0

Is this the fee charged by Canada Post at the counter? YES

Does that amount include the tax payable by shipper when purchasing postage? YES

Does that amount include the 9% or 10% fee payable to eBay on the shipping charge? No, but this can easily be added to the listing. The fact that I don't use it , doesn't mean it cannot be done!!!

Is this the price you actually pay when purchasing the postage? YES

Do you buy the postage through PayPal?  Sometimes. Do you get a discount? Sometimes, and it's quite easy to credit the buyer for any overages.

Or do you use postage stamps to frank your parcels?  NO How big a discount do you get when you purchase the stamps? N/A  25%?  30%?  Is that discount accounted for in that $17.48? Is it "actual cost"?

There are so many variables, how can you say $17.48 is "actual cost"?  READ ABOVE!!!

It would be nice if people had their own opinions, instead of the clique mentality!!!

[73rhc]

"We never collect actual. Actual is a myth.

Those of us who use postage stamps are often buying those at a substantial discount from PO prices. But then we add labour cost as we try to make up the rate (Lessee- to make $17.58 I'll need 21of these P stamps currently valued at 85 cents which I bought at a 20% discount when the P stamps were valued at 60 cents, but it takes me 10 extra minutes to peel the backing off the @#$% diecuts at 18 cents a minute....)."

It seems that you explained, in detail, how you could calculate actual shipping. All it takes is a little effort and a calculator. And voila, you can easily count all of the necessary variables.

Now, it seems to me, that it's more like no one is interested in doing this. So it's easier to say, "actual shipping I a myth"

[73rhc]

Are you saying that you couldn't calculate actual shipping selling stamps???

[pierrelebel]

"Are you saying that you couldn't calculate actual shipping selling stamps???"

No, that is not what I am saying.

[pierrelebel]

"Any just about everything that I ship has the price on the sticker. Pretty hard to hide the shipping costs"

What does that mean?

If you charge the buyer (for example) "actual costs" of $11.20 but the postage label shows postage paid $9.90 does that really affect the buyer?

[73rhc]

"No, that is not what I am saying."

So then actual shipping is possible and not a myth!

[73rhc]

"If you charge the buyer (for example) "actual costs" of $11.20 but the postage label shows postage paid $9.90 does that really affect the buyer?"

What that means is, even with your discount you can't hide it from the recipient. Unlike postage from the U.S. which sometimes arrives with no price on the label.

Also there is something called communication. If questioned, a buyer can be informed of any hidden charges. I.E. Fees, materials.... Or one may want to refund the buyer any overages. At any rate, actual shipping can be calculated. And that is no myth!!!

[zee-chan]

Might be irrelevant. Small packet air to UK (and some other European countries) tends to be cheaper than Light packet standard rate.

[zee-chan]

(Can't edit with phone) that refers to 250g and 500g mark.

[mr.elmwood]

What did I miss?

[goldenstonebazaar2]

"It is just that I keep getting buyers from UK, Australia, Norway etc. asking "iF i purchase this amount of yarn, how much is shipping, how about if I add 2 more skeins, 4 more skeins etc?" I was just looking for a quick way to give shipping rates for small packets without going all through the measuring and weighing on CP site."

The only way I know is to take a box or mailer, unused label, piece of paper, if there will be packing list, add one skein of yarn, weight it, write down dimensions and weight (both metric). Add second skein of yarn, write down weight again. Add third, repeat weighting and making notes. Same for 4th, and so on. Repeat for a different kind of yarn.

Make a spreadsheet or do it on a paper. Then use Canada Post website, preferably Find a Rate, to get shipping costs. Add to your spreadsheet.

International pricing for 2015 contains zones, all Europe belongs to the same zone 2, the shipping will be same for UK and Norway, you will see this in Find a Rate too. It will be different for Australia, which is in zone 5.

Do that once, take your time.

You will have to refresh numbers again in next January, when Canada Post changes prices again, but measurements of your products will be the same.

[rose-dee]

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@goldenstonebazaar2 wrote:

The only way I know is to take a box or mailer, unused label, piece of paper, if there will be packing list, add one skein of yarn, weight it, write down dimensions and weight (both metric). Add second skein of yarn, write down weight again. Add third, repeat weighting and making notes. Same for 4th, and so on. Repeat for a different kind of yarn.

Make a spreadsheet or do it on a paper. Then use Canada Post website, preferably Find a Rate, to get shipping costs. Add to your spreadsheet.

International pricing for 2015 contains zones, all Europe belongs to the same zone 2, the shipping will be same for UK and Norway, you will see this in Find a Rate too. It will be different for Australia, which is in zone 5.

Do that once, take your time.

You will have to refresh numbers again in next January, when Canada Post changes prices again, but measurements of your products will be the same.

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Good idea.  You can then decide whether to use the chart to charge your buyers, or simply use it as a means to judge what discounts you offer buyers of multiple items (in which case you can use it to keep track of any losses you may incur and want to claim on your tax return).

I never charge my international buyers what Canada Post states for any particular region.  I've picked one region (Europe) for Light Packet and for Small Packet international, and that's the rate everybody everywhere else gets (outside of Canada and the US of course).  If they buy an additional similar item I just add another small flat charge; if they buy 5 items they get 50% off the combined shipping.  

I figure that encouraging a multi-item sale is worth losing a few dollars on shipping now and then.  This method also saves me a lot of time looking up the international rates in Canada Post's maze of tables that change every year anyway.  On many of my listings I've also just left the rates as they were last year -- for my situation it's too much wasted time and aggravation to change them every January for the sake of a dozen sales per year.  I suppose it depends on how big a percentage of international sales you have.