Lite Packet is out for now. Anyone else aware of this.
Summary: luv4orphans is experiencing issues with shipping items overseas through eBay, discovering that the 'Lite Tracked Parcel' option is unavailable, leading to increased costs. reallynicestamps suggests that once a shipping rate is advertised, it must be honored, suggesting either absorbing the cost or canceling as 'Out Of Stock' and accepting the defect. Confusion arises when others mention that they have not encountered such issues, and the term 'Lite Tracked Parcel' is incorrect; it is actually 'Tracked Packet' that is causing confusion. luv4orphans confirms that eBay told them to change listings due to service unavailability, while 2nd-time-around-jewelry reports similar shipping label issues with China, pointing to a potential glitch. marnotom! and others confirm that the service is available through other platforms, indicating the issue might reside with eBay, possibly linked to a recent postal strike. Discussions continue about solving the discrepancy and ensuring proper communication from eBay to sellers.
I sold an item that should have shipped overseas as Lite Parcel/Pacquet. When I tried to purchase the label that option was not available. After 2 calls with ebay reps I now find out that this option is not available right now.
For this particular item it will cost about $18. more so I can either ask the buyer to pay the difference or cancel the sale and claim problems with shippers address.
Going forward all our listings need to be changed as that option is no longer available for now and ebay working with Canada Post to restore some of the options. Anyone else aware of this.
2nd-time-around-jewelry
·1 year agoI am having the same problem trying to get a label for International Tracked Small Parcel to China. The offer for that has disappeared. The only tracked option left is Xpresspost which is very expensive. I even went on Canada Post's site & can't get it there either. The message that pops up is "You may have selected one of our destinations experiencing delays or one of our suspended destinations". eBay really needs to let the sellers know that theInternational Tracked Small Parcel option isn't available.
marnotom!
·1 year agoInteresting. I just tried using "find a rate" for a 1.5 kg package to China and a rate for Tracked Packet showed up amongst the other options.
2nd-time-around-jewelry
·1 year agoI tried it again & only Xpresspost was offered for tracking & I still get the same message "You may have selected one of our destinations experiencing delays or one of our suspended destinations".
dinomitesales
·1 year ago@2nd-time-around-jewelry what are the dimensions and weight you are entering?
2nd-time-around-jewelry
·1 year ago23 x 22 x 8 cm - 360 grams
dinomitesales
·1 year agoWeird, must just be some strange glitch. Unless it has something to do with not being able to ship the cateogy of item you sold to China, but then one would think all shipping options would be disabled.
Thought it might be an issue with eBay calculating the rate and mistakenly using Volumetric Equivalent or something, but even the VE of that parcel is under 1 kg so that's not it.
Definitely let eBay know so they can have a data point of the issue.
2nd-time-around-jewelry
·1 year agoUpdate: I contacted eBay yesterday through their chat online (sent me a transcript later). I talked to an Account Specialist. He said that eBay is not offering International Tracked Small Packet for now. It may have something to do with the recent postal strike. I told him it would be nice if eBay would let us sellers know that the option is not available. He said he would forward the concerns.
I went on Canada Post's site & I now see that International Tracked Small Packet is available again. They offer a discount through Snap Ship & it would cost me around $45.41 to ship to China. eBay's rates were better. I am hoping this is just a temporary thing & eBay will once again add that option back for us sellers.
luv4orphans
OP1 year agoMaybe we can still use it as an option but when you go to print the label that option is not there.
luv4orphans
OP1 year agoYes that's what was happening with me. That option had disappeared when I went to purchase the label. It was either shipping without tracking or pay extra. It was an expensive item so didn't want to chance it.
lotzofuniquegoodies
·1 year ago@luv4orphans
@2nd-time-around-jewelry
Here are the current countries serviced by CP using Tracked Package (Approx. 40) and Xpresspost. The issue could be at eBay's end blocking some countries. Dated June 17, 2024
Norway and China are shown to be serviced by Tracked.
Note: CP no longer provides Small Packet Air Intl delivery standards. eBay still does. 6 to 10 business days to the UK 🤣🤣🤣
https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/support/articles/delivery-standards/international-destinations.page
Current alerts as per CP. Nothing for China.
https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/news-and-media/service-alerts.page
dinomitesales
·1 year ago@luv4orphans what country was the parcel going to that you were trying to buy postage for?
luv4orphans
OP1 year agoTo Norway.
marnotom!
·1 year agoOkay, I think you mean "Tracked Packet". Canada Post and most other postal systems use the term "small packet" to describe international packages that weigh 2 kg or less and sometimes travel through the letter-post stream rather than the parcel post stream. This would be a small packet with tracking, hence a "tracked packet" rather than a "tracked parcel."
The rep you spoke to likely has no knowledge of the Canadian postal system. Many years ago, eBay Canada did have a customer service centre that could be contacted by phone but like much of eBay Canada, it was eliminated and left to the US eBay or contractees of US eBay to deal with.
There may be a glitch that's preventing Tracked Packet-International from showing up as an option through eBay labels, but the service is certainly very much available through Canada Post and probably other providers of Canadian postage.
luv4orphans
OP1 year agoYes that's what I meant. Tracked packet. I'm hoping that's what it was a glitch of some kind. Sales are slow enough without going back to high cost of shipping on some items.
No one else seems to have been made aware of this so far.
luv4orphans
OP1 year agoIt could be a glitch on ebay. I sold a couple of items on another site and the
Tracked Packet option was available on there.
Why not say that then. She really stretched the story when she told me to change my listings that had that option or I could pay for more expensive options going forward.
reallynicestamps
·1 year agoWhy didn't the ebay rep tell me this instead.
"tell"?
If you were on the phone, the rep was a poorly trained subcontractor in Utah or the Philippines.
At least a Philippino likely has a cousin in Canada working in senior care.
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/filipinos
"In the 2021 census, 957,355 people reported being of Filipino ethnic origin. Filipino Canadians are the largest group of Southeast Asian Canadians."
luv4orphans
OP1 year agoSo you are saying that what the rep gave me is the wrong information. She talked to someone and came back on the phone and said that the Small Tracked Parcel option was no longer available for now as they were working out something with CP.
I put that option when I did the listing as it qualified for Small Tracked Parcel but when I went to purchase the label that option wasn't there. That's why I called them.
So according to what you are saying she gave me the wrong information? It seemed pretty possible to me considering the option had disappeared. A glitch as that happens often on ebay maybe. But why would she come up a cooked up story like that?
chicweb
·1 year agoI'm not aware of an international shipping method with "Lite" in the name.
There's a lite option for shipping with tracking within Canada only (200 gram or less).
I only know of: Tracked packet International, International small packet air (non tracked) and International small packet ground (non tracked).
luv4orphans
OP1 year agoThat's what I should have said. Got my wording mixed up. Small Tracked Parcel under 2 kg is what I meant. Sorry.
marnotom!
·1 year agoluv4orphans
OP1 year agoMy mistake here. I should have said Small Tracked Parcel. I made another thread on this with the right wording.
According to the last ebay rep I spoke to Small Tracked Parcel option is not available right now and to update our listings. This was my first sale since reopening my shop after the strike. I imagine this happened after the strike. They are trying to work something out with CP.
reallynicestamps
·1 year agoTL/DR - This could be a warning that it is time to review your listings and update your overseas shipping charges .
luv4orphans
OP1 year agoWhy didn't the ebay rep tell me this instead. I have been shipping lite tracked parcel for awhile and never had a problem until now. I made a mistake in the way I worded this post. Not Lite Packet but Lite Tracked Parcel it should read.
I understand its never a good idea to ask a buyer for extra money after a sale but in this case its Canada Post that decided to take the option off. Not ebay and not me. That option was available and now its not. Until you sell something you don't know and no announcements have been made regarding this.
I've had cases where I made a mistake in my calculations and when that happens I cover those and don't have a problem with it.
This is what I was advised to do by ebay this morning. I get what you are saying though.
flipistics
·1 year agoSometimes I think it's better just to eat it (within reason), even if it's not your fault. It's definitely not the buyer's fault. I had one a few days ago where eBay undercharged the buyer for a label by a decent amount, and definitely eBay's mistake. I sent the parcel off and reported the bug. I'm not risking potential strikes on my account, negative feedback and an upset buyer over $10 for something that wasn't the buyer's fault.
luv4orphans
OP1 year agoYes I agree and that's what I usually do too when its my fault. This was $18.
Maybe you're missing $10 was part of this? What I'm trying to find out here is if anyone else has heard that the Small Tracked Parcel is discontinued for now. If so, anything with the option in our listings needs to come off. Back to Expedited which is really expensive. Sales are slow enough for me anyways, high shipping costs will just make that worse.
I have been pretty sick for the last few days so this is my first day looking at this thread and no one has answered that yet.
reallynicestamps
·1 year agoYou can choose neither.
Once you have advertised the shipping price, that is the most you can charge the buyer.
Since there is no problem with the buyer's address, you can only cancel as "Out Of Stock" and accept the Defect that goes with it.
I looked up "canada post lite packet international" and was redirected to Small Packet International.
https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/small-business/ship-internationally/compare-services/small-packet-international.page
I used 10 Downing St UK as the address on SnapShip, and got a price of $22.99 for that service.
But Light Packet has not been available for some years, since 2018. Did eBay give you that choice recently? How long have you been basing Flat Rates on a non-existant service?
https://chitchats.com/blog/small-changes-to-canada-post-means-big-changes-for-canadian-ecommerce
Is your shipment small enough to fit in an envelope and inexpensive enough for the tiny risk of shipping LetterPost?
If you choose that, write the VAT code and the HS number on the envelope, for UK customs.
luv4orphans
OP1 year agoMy mistake here. I should have said Lite Tracked Parcel. Its under 1 kg. Anything under 2kg and we have had option for some time now. I talked to 2 ebay reps and also to Canada Post. They couldn't explain why its not available right now. The second rep said it has to do with Canada Post that took it off for now. Maybe renegotiating something I would think.