eBay

triber · ‎09-02-2014

I recently purchased a bunch of Canadian made knitting yarn. I checked on eBay to find out how they were selling from Canadian sellers. There was not ONE from Canada. The shipping rates are so high. The US buyers were offering free shipping or charging around $3 to mail one skein, for me it would cost almost $8 to mail to the US, and up to $13+ within Canada.

The shipping prices have really killed this market. I used to sell $100 worth a year, now, unless it is a rare discontinued brand, almost nothing. It is sad that our own produce has to be sold only outside of Canada because of the shipping costs.

mr.elmwood · ‎09-02-2014

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service ended the 2013 fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2012 – Sept. 30, 2013) with a net loss of $5 billion. This marks the 7th consecutive year in which the Postal Service incurred a net loss, highlighting the need to continue to capitalize on growth opportunities, reduce costs, and enact comprehensive legislation to provide a long-term solution to the agency’s financial challenges.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service ended the second quarter of its 2014 fiscal year (Jan. 1, 2014 – March 31, 2014) with a net loss of $1.9 billion. This marks the 20th of the last 22 quarters it has sustained a loss.

The American government subsidizes the USPS by allowing massive losses.

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pierrelebel · ‎09-02-2014

In the meantime, in Hong Kong (China), the Post Office is raising prices substantially and is still losing money:

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1280509/postage-fees-rise-25pc

tobyshitzu · ‎09-02-2014

The US government doesn't subsidize USPS, the government caused those losses with the $5.5~ billion annual benefit prefunding that USPS can't pay. Canada post growing pension deficit doesn't impact the income statement the same way as USPS unique prefunding requirement

HK are complaining about increases (like letters from CAN 20 cents to 24 cents) like we get every year

I see my latest parcel from walmart who was always using CP has switched to UPS

mr.elmwood · ‎09-02-2014

Re-read what I said: "by allowing". I am fully aware of what is causing the loss. Still, that bill will come due.

Unfunded pension and health costs are pretty much what drove GM into bankruptcy. A lot of innocent people lost a lot.

Six day a week deliveries, home pickup of mail, money losing processing plants, unfunded obligations, decades old trucks. USPS cannot alter anything without approval of the government. They cannot remove services, raise prices, cut deliveries, anything w/o the approval of the federal government.

Hence, my remark "by allowing".

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38e_avenue · ‎09-02-2014

Is Canada Post really so expensive? I don't think so.

I sold a very heavy book to an US customer. I paid 22 dol for expedited with tracking number.

I also buy heavy books in US. Before the USPS rose the prices I paid around 24 dollars. Now, I pay 45.

A CP small packet to US (-0.250) costs 8 dollars. A similar service from US to Canada costs 10 dollars and more.

A CP small packet (-0.250) to UK or Germany - 9 dollars. CHEAP!

What is expensive here is the international tracking number.

Even after CP introduced Tracked Packet to some countries, it's still +40 dollars.

But is it really? Let us compare!

For a similar service from Germany I pay 30 Euro (43 CAD).

Heavy (a few kg) book shipped from UK - at least 80 dollars!

Last week 3 books shipped from Poland - I paid 150 dollars for the shipping.

pjcdn2005 · ‎09-02-2014

@38e_avenue wrote:
Is Canada Post really so expensive? I don't think so.

I sold a very heavy book to an US customer. I paid 22 dol for expedited with tracking number.

I also buy heavy books in US. Before the USPS rose the prices I paid around 24 dollars. Now, I pay 45.

A CP small packet to US (-0.250) costs 8 dollars. A similar service from US to Canada costs 10 dollars and more.

A CP small packet (-0.250) to UK or Germany - 9 dollars. CHEAP!

What is expensive here is the international tracking number.

Even after CP introduced Tracked Packet to some countries, it's still +40 dollars.

But is it really? Let us compare!

For a similar service from Germany I pay 30 Euro (43 CAD).

Heavy (a few kg) book shipped from UK - at least 80 dollars!

Last week 3 books shipped from Poland - I paid 150 dollars for the shipping.

The U.S. international prices have definitely gone up in the last couple of years but many of us compete with U.S. sellers so we often compare our prices to what U.S. sellers pay to ship within their own country.

For example, a package under .250 gr can be shipped from California to New york for under $4 with delivery confirmation. A 1.5 kg book would cost $4 via media mail.

If I use Paypal shipping, a 250 gr package that is more than 2cm thick costs at least $8 to ship from Edmonton to Calgary. A 1.5kg book would cost between $11 and $12. To ship from coast to coast is extremely expensive.

A U.S. seller can send a small packet size package to Canada for about the same price as it costs us to send them a small packet but their service includes delivery confirmation. It costs them about $14 to send that same package to Germany with first class delivery confirmation.

I suppose each service has its good and bad points although I think that our major 'bad' points are that it is so expensive to ship within Canada (especially smaller items) and that international delivery confirmation is so expensive. That never used to bother me but ebay puts such emphasis on del confirmation now that many people seem to expect it.

mr.elmwood · ‎09-02-2014

I "think" it is not so much competing against Americans internationally as it is competing against their domestic market. What would we all like? We would like to ship to the US at the same cost the Americans ship to each other.

Either CP is making loads of money off of parcels to the USA, or, domestic USA rates are way below cost.

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femmefan1946 · ‎09-02-2014

Canada Post, and most postal systems worldwide, are very good at delivering in a reasonably timely manner.

I get Air Mail parcels to Europe delivered within 10 days, sending or receiving. Twenty days or less from the USA.

What I have on my wish list is cheap Delivery Confirmation, like that offered by USPS. Less than a quarter for domestic DC and the option to include it on any service from LetterMail to SuperSpeedyExpressPreviousDayDelivery.

Since the cost is basically a bar code and supplying posties with a bar code reader, it might be possible. Canada Post could use the money they save by not delivering to homes any more. It would give the posties something to do.

So that address for Santa is North Pole, H0H 0H0? Gonna get my letter in early.

38e_avenue · ‎09-02-2014

Tracking, tracking ..... I remember as in 2005 Canada Post cancelled the registered small packet service. It was a real disaster - I needed to re-define my business.

Hopefully Santa Claus will get your letter and have a serious talk with Canada Post! 😉

I CROSS MY FINGERS!!!! 😉

rockp5233 · ‎09-03-2014

EXPENSIVE It is CPC... Last Thursday I bought a book (85 gr - 15 x 24 x 5 cm) from seller in France, shipping cost 2,13 Euro ($ 3,05 CDN) AND I received it yesterday !!! ... I was really surprise.

The cheapest with CPC is with Int'l-Ground at $ 7,53 with 4 to 6 weeks delivery time... What our cousins from France know that we do not ???

atvds1210 · ‎09-03-2014

I disagree with the 4-6 week shipping time to Europe, as I assume that is Surface shipping. More like 6 weeks to infinity, with defects and refunds to be expected = not worth the risk.

As for the original post, there may not be any identified Canadian sellers in the category, but I bet there are a lot that are shipping out of the US. Those are sales that would not occur without the seller being competitive on shipping, as the dollar value is middling to low, so no loss to Canada Post.

USPS may get $10 billion a year in subsidy, but that may also be a policy decision that for the size of the US economy there is a benefit to having cheap, reliable and trackable shipping for its citizens. With every size package tracked, even a 2 oz. thing amig jig, there is a security aspect that is addressed as well.

dipmicro · ‎09-03-2014

@mr.elmwood wrote:
I "think" it is not so much competing against Americans internationally as it is competing against their domestic market. What would we all like? We would like to ship to the US at the same cost the Americans ship to each other.

Either CP is making loads of money off of parcels to the USA, or, domestic USA rates are way below cost.

Googling for "USPS most profitable service", e.g. WashingtonPost: ... But the gains this year were partially offset by a revenue decline of 0.05 percent in first-class mail delivery, which remains the Postal Service’s most profitable product ...

I don't think domestic USA rates are below cost, they have been stable agency until congress used them as ATM. I also don't think CanadaPost is making loads of money off parcels to USA because cross-border couriers are popping up and eating CanadaPost lunch plus the higher the prices, the less will people ship. CP knows this, but higher mgmt is driving the post to the ground so they can privatize it later for pennies.

momvbookandstuff · ‎03-13-2023

$30 to ship a 600 gram package that is 19mm x 14mm x 55mm within Canada is expensive. It is Canada Post. A package same size shipping from Canada to UK it twice the price than going the other way. From UK to Canada half the price. Canada Post is the issue.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎03-13-2023

@momvbookandstuff wrote:
$30 to ship a 600 gram package that is 19mm x 14mm x 55mm within Canada is expensive. It is Canada Post. A package same size shipping from Canada to UK it twice the price than going the other way. From UK to Canada half the price. Canada Post is the issue.

@triber

@momvbookandstuff

Sadly a discussion started in 2014 is still relevant today due to the steady increases of postage in Canada/USA, lack of competition options (for all), any sort of an attempt for a negotiated discount for eBay sellers vs the push by eBay for sellers to ship tracked or bite the bullet and cross fingers going commando/hoping for the best.

-Lotz

RIP shipping cost discussion!!!

rosscd57 · ‎03-13-2023

I can ship one of the radios I sell to Florida for $45 Canadian. If I buy the same radio from Florida I will pay anything from $100 to $150 on that stupid, greedy, fake boarder charge Global Shipping Program. There used to be a few US sellers who opted out of it - but not any more. It also takes three times as long to get here.

This post is as old as the hills - Pierre LaBelle is on it.

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Old enough to know better. Young enough to do it again. Crazy enough to try

marnotom! · ‎03-13-2023

@rosscd57 wrote:

I can ship one of the radios I sell to Florida for $45 Canadian. If I buy the same radio from Florida I will pay anything from $100 to $150 on that stupid, greedy, fake boarder charge Global Shipping Program. There used to be a few US sellers who opted out of it - but not any more. It also takes three times as long to get here.

The Global Shipping Program is being phased out and replaced by the less-interestingly named "eBay International Shipping" service, scheme, whatever you want to call it. eBay International Shipping doesn't add "import charges" as those get paid at the time you receive your item, so you may prefer that aspect of it. Unfortunately, so far it seems that the shipping speed is no faster than that of the GSP and may be worse.

What's important to keep in mind with both services is that they're essentially forwarding services, which means that you're paying not just the GSP's or eIS's shipping charge, but also the seller's charge for shipping the item to the forwarding hub. I've generally found that in the past year, at least, that the GSP's shipping charges aren't that bad if the seller offers "free" shipping within the US and gives enough information for the GSP bot to calculate an accurate shipping estimate.

@rosscd57 wrote:

This post is as old as the hills - Pierre LaBelle is on it.

So is @mr.elmwood. 🙁

reallynicestamps · ‎03-13-2023

ZOMBIE THREADFROM 2014.

Theproblem with zombie threads is that the information may be out of date and misleading.

It is nice tosee old friends avatars.

Start anew thread and get current advice and condolences.

triber · ‎03-13-2023

You are correct, VERY old, but how lovely to see Pierre's name again, he was always so helpful, I really miss him. Thankfully other kind members have taken over.

fine-eclectic · ‎03-14-2023

i used to offer International Surface, which included tracking, for large, heavy and (often expensive) items when customers were not in a hurry to receive because the size/weight limited to Xpress (often costing hundreds). No probs, even had the odd one delivered in days! However, they removed tracking so it is no longer viable (no insurance, item not received, etc.).

Never had problems with Light / Small Packet, the former being ditched and the latter shunned now because of no tracking, where Tracked Packet is often cost prohibitive.