Help: Sending letter mail with tracking? | Selling

phoenixhobbies · 2023-03-07T15:27:23.445000Z

Hello, I am trying to figure out and find answers to shipping hand made custom art standard sized trading cards... I'm hoping you can help...I have heard in the last couple years, Canada Post is cracking down on anything not paper in stamp letter mail and returning to sender because you have to declare what is inside with tracking?I make and sell hand made custom art standard size trading cards and am currently sending via "Snail Mail" letter mail with stamps. 1 stamp within Canada, and 2 stamps to the US. I am having multiple complaints about buyers not receiving their card after 15 business days from when I put it in the mailbox, from Canadian and US buyers. I read that even letter mail commonly gets held and delayed for weeks. None have ever been returned to me, thankful, -knock on wood-...I would like to use tracking, but the cheapest rate within Canada is usually around $18.00 even with a small business/seller account discount. No one would buy my cards at that rate... Is their some how such a thing as cheaper tracking for letter mail? I know about "registered mail" but unsure how that works or how to create it online.(Off topic, why is shipping more expensive within Canada than shipping to the US? I understand location, but an average of $18.00 within Canada and an average of $9.00 to the US, I've noticed in the past from selling and shipping lots...) But, I digress...I use 5x7/A7/(invitation) envelope and use red "Do Not Bend" stickers on them, under the destination address far apart to hopefully not confuse the sorting and for the barcode that gets printed at the bottom of the envelope. I use printed sticker address labels, and another red "Do Not Bend" sticker on the middle back of the envelope (To show the buyer I'm putting care into my packaging/save my bacon lol)...I make sure, what I believe the machine would read, the address is in correct order to not confuse sorting, ("House number">"Road name">"City"> "Province/State">"Postal/Zip code">"Country") all line by line. I use packing tape on the back outer part of the envelope to give it a secure seal, but I've been doing that for years and never had an issue before.I do put my cards in a thin plastic trading card "top loader" to prevent bending/folding upon arrival, but the thickness different is not much. The end result thickness of my envelope is approximately 3mm? Again never had issues in the past with that. People seemed to receive the envelope within 7 business days.Any ideas on what I can do, or am I at a loss and their is no such thing as cheap letter mail tracking and nothing you can really do to fast track letter mail delivery?Thank you for your time and help, much appreciate.

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Help: Sending letter mail with tracking? | Selling | eBay Canada EN