"Tell us what you think" ?

[bookilu]

Is there a place on ebay.ca where we can do that?  I know there's one on ebay.com, but should I use that for an ebay.ca issue?  Or somewhere else to do that (other than the once-a-week board of whatever it is)?  TIA

[mr.elmwood]

Do you have a "in regards to"? Odds are yer gonna be wasting your time.

What would your issue be? Perhaps we can give some guidance. Some of us have been here since scratching on slates.

[bookilu]

I'd like to make a suggestion re postage charges on ebay.ca (have done so before but never any response).  Most Canadians live not far from a border, not sure how many people use USPS but I know quite a few who do, I myself can use Canada Post or USPS, but there is no such option when listing an item.  It is like a nightmare listing on ebay.ca when it comes to postage.  If they would just allow a USPS option too life would be a breeze.

Any suggestions?

[mr.elmwood]

Will not happen and I will tell you why. Canada is not considered a country. We are an "adjacent market". To change anything for us, other places have to change.

We used to have a Vancouver and a Toronto office with many employees. We are down to a stapler and a water cooler.

Plus, it is not just eBay or Paypal, it is Pitney Bowes as they run the Paypal Shipping. Nevermind there is the buying of American postage from a foreign country.

eBay.ca is just not up there on their list of priorities..

[recped]

To integrate both Canada Post and USPS would require more skills than Pitney-Bowes can muster and of course I doubt eBay would want to pay for it. Only Canada and Belgium have multi currency sites, we are lucky to have that option.

For most sellers in your situation they either list on .com or do as I do simply use generic shipping service names and flat-rate charges. If you are shipping USPS First Class or Media Mail rates are the same for all of the USA.

I just use "standard International Shipping" and charge a flat -rate, one for the USA and one for the rest of the world. My US buyers probably think I'm shipping via some lame turtle like service plus I have a long handling time specified, mostly they are blown away when they get it in 4 or 5 days which is pretty much normal if you are shipping directly with USPS. My Media Mail takes longer of course but still 7 - 9 days from Canada is not too bad.

[bookilu]

Hey Mr. Elmwood,

  Thanks for setting out the hierarchy, it explains a few things.     

I didn't really think it would happen but I thought I'd suggest it anyway (not the buying of USPS postage but just an option to show it as a possibility).  I guess it's all so intertwined now that there's no way to separate it out, I don't buy my postage thru ebay so not sure how that works.   So guess I'll just keep selling on my ebay.com account (which I had long before there was an ebay.ca).

P.S.  I do remember the old days when you could call ebay.ca customer support and actually get some answers, and action.

All the best

[mr.elmwood]

eBay live Las Vegas 2006. Paypal booth swore up and down they were starting a Cdn site, with Cdn offices, dedicated to Cdns, any day now.

Shipping swore up and down they were meeting with CP and integrate the systems.

That was eight (8) years ago. I am still waiting.

Cdn population is roughly 1/10th the US. Are we 1/10th the eBay volume as well? Bet we are not. Bet we are way lower. Lower to the point of being an Idaho in comparison.

Americans believe ebay.ca means eBay California.

[treasure.hunter.d]

---

@bookilu wrote:

  Most Canadians live not far from a border,

---

Excuse me? I'm assuming you made a mistake and meant most Canadians live far from a border. Just take a look at a map and you will see how silly saying most Canadians live close to a border is. The only border that matters is the US one and the majority of Canadians are hours drive away from it.

[nan*55]

 Most Canadian live close to the border ...not according to my map

[reallynicestamps]

Here in Ottawa we are about two hours from the US border.

There are companies in Vancouver (bookstotheborder) and Toronto(chitchatexpress) that will, for a very reasonable fee, ship via USPS for Canadian companies.

None in Montreal. Or Winnipeg. Or Saskatoon. Or Calgary. Or Halifax.

[pocomocomputing]

2 out of 3 Canadians are within 100 miles of the border (straight distance, not driving).  I got this from a Canada government web page.  However, that does not mean they are a 2 hour drive or less (1 way) away from a US town with a USPS office. I could not find a stat on that. I would guess that only 2 or 3 of 10 people are within a couple of hours drive (1 way) to a USPS post office.

[mr.elmwood]

I am three hours round trip driving plus, stop at the border each way, stop at the PO, no other stops. Make it minimum four hours and $50 worth of gas.

Not worth it, no way Jose.

[rose-dee]

I guess if I were a really good swimmer, I could make it to Maine from SW Nova Scotia (in the summertime only, mind you).  Still, stuff would get a little damp.

Otherwise, it's at least a 10 hour trip by car.  I could fly to England faster.  So no, I'm one of those Canadians dependent on Canada Post.

[rose-dee]

---

@mr.elmwood wrote:
Some of us have been here since scratching on slates.

---

I just about fell off my chair laughing at that image.  Thanks for the LOL of the day!