Calculated shipping costs to Canada and USA...

[arcadeblaster]

Hey guys!

Long-time eBay seller from the UK, recently moved to Canada and in teh process of starting to sell from Canada now.

One things that sticks out like a sore thumb that we cannot find the answer to...

We noted you can enter the dimensions and weights and there is an option for CANADA POST where the shipping is calculated for you depending on customer location using Canada Post prices.

However, our research is showing that Canada Post offers TERRIBLE value for the items we woudl ship compared to Puralator, UPS or Fed Ex.

Does eBay.ca offer automated shipping calculations for customers on any of these other services, or only for Canada Post???

[mrdutch1001]

Have you checked out PayPal's NetParcel shipping service that utilizes UPS, Fedex, Purolator, etc?

Is there a ChitChats Express outlet in your area?

[total_technik]

We have found both NetParcel and ChitChats, however I don't believe they integrate with eBay to show a customer the correct shipping price to his region BEFORE he buys the item?

I think you can integrate them to calculate and book your shipping AFTER a customer has bought something?

Hopefully I'm wrong!!?!?!?!!!??!!!

We are seeking to have automatic calculated prices for customers on eBay BEFORE purchase. eBay does it with Canada Post (automatically calculates shipping based on customer region) - but we cannot see they do it with any other couriers or suppliers on ebay.ca???

[pjcdn2005]

No there isn’t a way to set up the calculator for other services,,,just Canada Post. You could use flat rates or set up a shipping rate table but I realize that isn’t what you are asking.

[femmefan1946]

however I don't believe they integrate with eBay to show a customer the correct shipping price to his region BEFORE he buys the item?

The customer sees the counter price for the service.

We may get a better price or a better service, but the customer doesn't see that.

Most sellers use the (small ) difference as a cushion for the costs of packaging or insurance.

Have you found the Canada Post rates website yet?

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s1

Also, to get the best rates you will need a Small Business Solutions card for Canada Post, Paypal and Shippo shipping labels.

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpc/en/business/small-business.page?

You can get your card/number online or at the PO counter.

The most useful service for many sellers is Expedited Parcel, which does not appear at all on the website, since it is basically only a business service.

But as an example Tracked Packet USA will only handle up to two kilos and the maximum dimension of the parcel is 900mm with no one dimension greater than 600mm.

BTW, probably Royal Mail does this too, but Canada Post went metric in 1974 and using any other measures will lead to errors.

You can use the counter prices as a guide to setting your Flat Rate Shipping prices.

Your products (car parts?) are bulky and many will be larger than Canada Post handles.

You can buy courier/freight services through Paypal and Shippo. Your costs will vary depending on the amount of business you are doing.

When shipments are within the parameters handled by Canada Post, the postal system is generally cheaper than any private company.  Cheap enough that those companies sub-contract to Canada Post for delivery to unprofitable rural or isolated areas.

[total_technik]

Hey femmefan1946 - thank you so much for the detailed info, genuinely much appreciated and very useful!

So, having read through the info a couple of questions spring to mind...

For the Canada Post small business card - do you have to ship a certain number of parcels a year to qualify, or can anyone get one just by applying? Are the discounts the same for all cardholders, or do you get bigger discounts the more you send?

Secondly, yes as you said many (but not all!) of our items will be a little to large to ship with Canada Post cost-effectively. In these kinds of instances do Canadian sellers typically just get an 'average' price to send to USA via a courier service (Puraltor/UPS etc) by picking a state in the middle somewhere as their average price, and then set that as their flat rate for their items in that size/weight category to USA, and basically end up losing a bit on some and making a bit on others depending on where in the USA it ends up going to?

Thanks again!

[ypdc_dennis]

The Canada Post's Solutions for Small Business card is free, no minimum.

Discounts are larger based on dollar volume (labels bought through Shippo, PayPal or Canada Post qualify for the volume discount). The discount levels are $0, $2500, $5000 and $7500 or more per 12 month period (sales tax excluded).

For regular and expedited parcel in Canada you get 5% off if buying at the postal counter, bigger discount when label bought online.

-..-

[femmefan1946]

I'm on Vancouver Island, so not eligible, but ChitChatExpress, RedStallion, and  a few other forwarders  offer useful services in Mississauga, Vancouver and Calgary (probably others too).

ChitChat originally just took parcels to the USA and shipped from there via USPS. Nowadays they have expanded to both domestic and international forwarding, taking advantage of bulk rates that small sellers cannot even dream of.

As I say, I can't use them (even though I can see the USA from my back porch) so all I really know is that these services are much appreciated by those who can.

My stuff is small and DH is a semi-retired stamp dealer so I lick a lot of discount mint postage stamps and do better than most on my mailings.