They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

Grabbed my little cheatsheet at the post office today:  https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/kb/details.page?article=send_your_cards_and_&cattype=kb&cat=sending...

 

 

Usually, I make a big deal of these deadlines and add text to the bottom of all my listings for the holidays but, this year, I think I'm going to take a very abbreviated version and just slap it into my Payment Instructions. I've been adding text to Item Descriptions for about three years now but I'm not certain any buyer reads it and it takes hours to manually extract it again from the listings in the New Year. 

 

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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

They put those out about two weeks ago, up here in Dauphin. I guess the mail takes an extra two weeks from here, I dunno.

 

I said to Paulo 'Isn't this a little early?". He just looks at me and said "No" somewhat dismissively. Paulo, along with Doug and Katie are hysterical.

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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

Remember, these are from major urban centres , as noted at the bottom of the screenshot in the fine print.

 

If you live outside a major urban centre, you need to go to https://www.canadapost.ca/business/tools/ds/default.aspx?ecid=murl08002548 and calculate the number of days it takes to get from your postal code to a postal code at your sortation plant in the nearest major urban centre and subtract that from the deadline.

 

For example, let's say I live in Beausejour, Manitoba. R0E OCO to 

Canada Post Mail Processing Plant
Corporate Office
 
Address: 1870 Wellington Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3H 3H0

 

It takes one (1) expedited business day to get to the major urban centre, not counting the day it was mailed. 

 

Subtract that one day from Dec. 12 (why is there nothing quoted for Expedited?!) meaning it would need to leave my hands before last drop-off on Dec. 11 which is a Sunday meaning you need to back it up to the previous business day, Friday, December 9. 

 

If you live one day outside a major urban centre, you need to make Friday, December 9 your deadline. For Regular Parcels. You can probably play with the calendar to figure out your Expedited deadline but, remember, certain remote or northern communities need as many as 13 business days for delivery. 

 

Pssst. Mr. E: Maybe you got that sooner because your deadline comes sooner due to your location in Dauphin. Or they knew you'd be waiting with baited breath at the counter for it. 

 

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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

Remember to do a google search for your own nearest Canada Post mail sortation plant (not mine) when you're calculating your delivery deadlines. My mail sortation plant location will not give you the number you need. Unless you live around the City of Winnipeg.

 

 

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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

I've always found it interesting, I'm open and selling through the holiday season every year, and I have more delivery problems in late January/February* than I do up to and during the holiday season.

Of course now I've probably jinxed myself this year...

*Presumably a result of the PO dropping all the extra temporary help they hire before Xmas and until a couple weeks or so afterward....
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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

Yes, you're right. 

 

Although, I won't leave it to Dec. 21 to mail something even with Priority. I tried that a few times with no success. 

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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

I am closing Dec 12th AM and going for a two week vacation. I do not need the associated nonsense of the Christmas season.

 

35 years of working in liquor stores beat any sense of "joy" out of me.

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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines


@ricarmic wrote:
I've always found it interesting, I'm open and selling through the holiday season every year, and I have more delivery problems in late January/February* than I do up to and during the holiday season.


Hmm interesting. I had like three or four INRs all with shipments sent during late-December to early-February that I had to refund. I wonder if this could be why... and none of these buyers paid me back so it's either they decided to keep the late item for free or they really never received them. 

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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines


@mr.elmwood wrote:

I am closing Dec 12th AM and going for a two week vacation. I do not need the associated nonsense of the Christmas season.

 

35 years of working in liquor stores beat any sense of "joy" out of me.


Unfortunately, for a toy seller, my whole reason to exist is the associated nonsense of the Christmas season.

 

I start my own shopping Christmas Eve at 6 pm. Ho ho ho. 

 

 

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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

and  you stated........I start my own shopping Christmas Eve, December 24, 2016, at 6 pm. Ho ho ho.

 

and you are ready for December 25, 2017.....

 

Great Planning for 2017.....

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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

DH was sending a large heavy parcel to Ottawa (from Victoria) on Monday about 2pm.

He had a discussion with the PO clerk about whether to ship for $35 by XpressPost  or by Expedited for $82.

He went with Expedited and the parcel arrived in Ottawa just after 9am opening on Tuesday.

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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

$82?

Message 12 of 26
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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

I don't often recommend Xpresspost. Expedited tends to get stuff where it needs to go in time for me. Most often with two or three days. 

Message 13 of 26
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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

He had a discussion with the PO clerk about whether to ship for $35 by XpressPost  or by Expedited for $82.

He went with Expedited and the parcel arrived in Ottawa just after 9am opening on Tuesday.

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Expedited is cheaper than, and generally takes a tad bit longer than XpressPost. XpressPost is billed as 1-2 business days between major cities.

 

The quoted price of $82 and your indication of next-day delivery is in line with Priority services, not Expedited.

Message 14 of 26
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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

This was a heavy bankers box containing part of a 'name collection' we had travelled to pick up.

We carry our own insurance, but it went Expedited not Priority.

Along with the rest of the collection, it will be in the Sparks catalogue in January.

Very very nice material and well worth the cost of shipping.

 

The speed was what we wanted but overnight from Vancouver Island to the ON/QC border was unexpectedly fast.

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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

If Expedited was $82 then did you mean to say that Xpresspost was $135? 

Message 16 of 26
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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

I was in my local PO one day and watched a gentleman bring in 5 or 6 large bankers boxes FULL of papers. He proceeded to write an address on the lids and mailed them. Not even one piece of tape on them anywhere just the cardboard lids, and they were going across the country. I still wonder if they ever arrived with all the papers in them! Also, I was surprised that the postal clerk accepted them as they were not secured.

Message 17 of 26
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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

I imagine those papers are scattered from coast to coast.
Message 18 of 26
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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

Anything can be shipped unpackaged.... but it will cost more  to ship.... 

 

Just did a calculation on Canada Post's website and the extra cost was $10  on a parcel weighing 1.7 kg  and shipped Expedited.

Message 19 of 26
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They're heeeeere: Canada Post 2016 Holiday Mailing Deadlines

At my local postal counter, you get the stinkeye and a finger pointed at the wall of envelopes.
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