cut tracking costs?

[briar_rose_pixie17]

How do I cut the cost of shipping @ Canada post when eBay requires/recommends every item be tracked? I can't afford to deal with any more INR buyer claims that I know are false but can't prove without tracking. It costs me 16$ to ship BC - ON/QC and further in Canada for an item that's $7??? There's gotta be a better way. I need that barcode but don't want to have to ship item the size of a twoonie in a box just to get the barcode. It should be an available option on all bubble mailers.
Info: I have no computer stuff available to me. This is strictly via Mobile device

[mr.elmwood]

Tracking is NOT required or recommended. That is a myth. It is required in the event of a dispute.

I do not use tracking or insurance. I am tens of thousands of dollars ahead by not using these over priced, worthless, add-ons. Tracking would have benefited me, how, in the last thousand sales? Not at all. Zero. Squat. Diddly.

Allocate X% of your sales to losses. Every business does that. My loss experience is so low it is laughable, besides, I do not care. Losses are part of business and I do not make it personal.

However, You are confusing me. Barcode? I get that on discount by using Paypal Shipping. By using Paypal shipping I get a discount plus upgraded service. You need a printer.

[femmefan1946]

Gee, I hope you got that camera for free! Looks like someone is going to pay less than $12 for an item you want $133 for.

That's one item I would track, but I wouldn't bother with the necklaces.

When you decide what you are going to track, and I agree that tracking is usually a useless expense, think about your actual rate of losses over the past year or so, and also consider the demographic you sell to.

And of course the price you actually paid for the item.

If you sell to a demographic that is notoriously dishonest about purchases <slander alert! >electronics, sports cards, video games, dolls, horse tack, coins, fine jewelry- <close slanders> then, yes, track, unless the item was very cheap.

But if you don't track, then consider self-insurance. This just means adding a few pennies to your shipping price to cover the very occasional loss. The postal system is very good at getting stuff to the recipient. And I base this on having done mail order for over 30 years, everything from wood stoves to fine postage stamps.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Received an email last night after work inviting me to join the Canada Post Business Advisory Council.

Maybe I could help. lol

Anyone else receive this email ?  Spam ?

[ricarmic]

BB - Yes I got it too. I figured it came because of my venture one number, I get stuff because of that....

[bb_cool_stuff]

Did you accept the invitation ?

[briar_rose_pixie17]

I have a reserve on it, they're $249.00 new on amazon. Just saw 2 get sold for that in the last month, the only difference is they were factory sealed, I opened mine and then never used it!

as to the "barcode" reference I used earlier. I paid for tracking at canada post and then when I got home, I didn't have the stupid trackers barcode on the receipt for the 2 nd item i needed to track to the states. I had 1 but not the other but I paid for both, went back and the person said that parcel was already picked up... dammit

I need a better way to track packages without having it cost me $15 /pkg.

I pack the small bubble mailer and pay for it and address it and everything then I get to the counter and they're like "yeah it doesn't qualify for tracking" and I'm thinking **bleep**?? how does a package NOT qualify for tracking if I want to send it airmail or over the border... I don't understand canada post sometimes

[ricarmic]

BB - no I weighed now much time it would take vs what might actually change and decided not to. Not proud to say that but perhaps pragmatic about it.

[lukey9 · Accepted solution]

 I cut out Insurance on all my Parcel with the odd exception of a new E-Bayer  buying high price items or some body giving me a hard time before I even ship. I stopped shipping to all the usual problem countries and so far this year I have had no refunds as of yet. I think most Buyers are more concerned how fast they get  the item more so than the Tracking Number. I closed my  E-Bay Store out in January so I sell a lot less of course which makes it easier. With all the new rules coming from E-Bay and a course CRA the fun is not there any more.

[38e_avenue]

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@bb_cool_stuff wrote:

Did you accept the invitation ?

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I got it, too, and I accepted the invitation.

[38e_avenue]

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@briar_rose_pixie17 wrote:
@How do I cut the cost of shipping @ Canada post when eBay requires/recommends every item be tracked?

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For my last 1000 items shipped, 0 were lost - so is the tracking really needed?

Canada Post adds a free tracking number to every accelerated parcel (just print the shipping label from PayPal), so it doesn't raise the price.

[bb_cool_stuff]

I guess I will do the same.

Was not sure if it was spam.

[briar_rose_pixie17]

PayPal shipping is super confusing to me, I DONT do this as a business so why would I pay for monthly business shipping charges? I haven't been able to locate another alternative. most of my packages do get to where they are supposed to get to but it was the packages on feb 12th that I sent out that I got a whole truckload of issues. The reason for this is incompetent ppl at the one location in capri mall kelowna that don't follow regulations or mailing procedures I found out and as a result that why I got the bad reviews. every one of those people hadn't gotten their item from that round of shipping from the location. I learned never to go there again and called customer service and put in a formal claim. They couldn't do ANYTHING about the missing packages. The funny thing is, my aunt in Kamloops got hers from the packages and so did the one in conneticut, but none of the other 6 made it through canada or the US?? This is the reason why I go to the post office because I don't know how to do everything properly and they are supposed to know how to do it. Thought this place was like castanet or kijiji. advertise, sell, pack, ship, arrived, done! apparently not... had to learn the hard way I guess

[38e_avenue]

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@briar_rose_pixie17 wrote:
so why would I pay for monthly business shipping charges?

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There is nothing like "monthly business shipping charge".

[38e_avenue]

Shipping to Canada was always very expensive - to ship a 250 g package from Montreal to Vancouver costs much more than to Japan. Can you put your stuff into a letter? CP allows really big and heavy letters, however they must be only 2 cm thick. Using that method you will pay only about 3 or 4 dollars, no matter the destination postal code.  But still no tracking info.

[pocomocomputing]

The lettermail weight limit is 500 grams so depending on your items, that is not heavy, even if the fit the 2 cm thickness limit.

[38e_avenue]

500 g still not too bad. I had a customer who I had to charge 12 dollars for the shipping. Finally, I was able to send the item as an over-sized letter. I refunded him 8 dollars - how happy he was!!!! 😉

[mr.elmwood]

Well, Briar, tracking is not needed. There are no monthly charges. Paypal shipping is silly easy to use. Trust me on this one, if I can do it, anyone can.

The result is I get a professional label all laid out in exact format with exact and correct information. Since I started using Paypal shipping, fewer lost parcels and faster delivery times.

An exact government Customs label with the exact information the receiving country wants. Customer gets an email saying the parcel is sent. My "where's my widget" emails have dropped by 95%.

[femmefan1946]

I need a better way to track packages without having it cost me $15 /pkg.

Use Paypal shipping labels. You can choose your service and with the dimensions and weight and on some services a 5% to 18% discount from PO counter prices you're golden.

You don't even have to go near the PO, just drop the parcel into the nearest post box.

And the PP receipt gives you the 'tracking' and insurance number -- if there is one at all on the service you choose-- right on your half of the printed label.

You need only a tape measure, a scale, and a printer to use PP labels.

But watch out for that 2 cm measurement. That's where letter rates end and parcel rates begin. It is normal for me to charge an Alberta customer $12 to ship a paper back ( 17x10x2.5 cm and 230 gms) from Ontario. But it would cost him about the same from most of Canada and often more from the USA. Either he wants it or he doesn't.

[femmefan1946]

And, btw, it doesn't cost you anything but your time for shipping. The BUYER pays for postage and packaging. If you are not considering that when making your listings, you are doing it wrong.