Stallion Express charges up to 20% more for Canada Post Tracked USA than ChitChats
Summary: itolduandso discusses the difference in shipping charges between Stallion Express and ChitChats for heavy items, suggesting ChitChats is often cheaper. mrdutch1001, easoss, and others express concerns about the availability and convenience of using these services in their areas. itolduandso shares their experience using a private courier service to save time and integrate costs into profits. dinomitesales and others emphasize the pricing differences for eBay labels and their benefits over third-party platforms like Stallion and ChitChats. recped highlights the varying rates for domestic shipping, noting a preference for Stallion due to lower prices and convenience compared to ChitChats. Overall, participants share insights on the complexities of choosing shipping services based on costs, convenience, and specific needs.
Check both, for heavy items, Stallion Express charges often more than Chitchats.
Chitchats is close to Shippo. I use Chitchats for CP Tracked USA because of convenience. Shippo website sucks, it loads too slowly for me.
Check this out, same destination 83448.
recped
·11 months agoFor Tracked USA Stallion may be more expensive that ChitChats for heavy items (don't know never used ChitChats for domestic shipping).
One thing that surprised me recently, I was sending a 450gm package to Lake Louise a couple of weeks ago. Mostly these days I'm using Intelcom/Dragonfly from Stallion for this type of thing (great pricing and speed to urban locations). I wasn't suprised that it wasn't an option so I went tp use CP Expedited, the Stallion price was just over $14 which I thought was high so I went to check what eBay offered (it's been 20 years since I bought shipping labels from eBay/PayPal) I was a bit shocked that eBay/CP was $18 and change for that package, lost a few Dollars on that sale.
No worries, I'll make it up on another sales....for up to 454gm I charge a flat rate anywhere in Canada for $12, had an order this week going to the St Catharines (from Toronto), $4.99 via Intelcom. Left it at the Stallion drop off on Thursday, Intelcom had it Friday, there is a good chance it will be delivered today (Saturday) or Sunday.
The week before, a 580gm package going to Burnaby BC, drop off on Tuesday the 5th, delivered on Sunday the 10th, cost $6.48
It would take some pretty spectacular pricing to get me back to ChitChats, they are not quite as convenient for me. Stallion drop off is less than 15 minutes (with Toronto Traffic), 20 minutes by Subway ($2.25 there and back) or I've even walked there (35+ minutes each way). Sometimes wish I still had a bicycle, it would be as fast or faster than driving and the exercise would not be a bad thing.
I left ChitChats on a sour note in 2018, hesitant to deal with them again.
itolduandso
OP11 months agoSometimes it's worth to check Chitchats, some of their rates are in fact lower. I used to pay for emarketplaceservices before they hiked price for the basic account to compare price for Chitchats and Etsy without having to do once but now I have lower volume so I just do when I feel I should.
Chitchats never go anywhere close with Canada shipping rates, most are higher than Stallion and International are still higher even if Chitchats go PostNL on board, they still cloak the price under CHitchats international and either have higher wholesale price than stallion or they just increase their margins.
US urban locations are sometimes better with Chitchats expecially if it's further.
($2.25 there and back) - that makes you either junior or senior. It's 3.25 for most of us.
dinomitesales
·1 year agoeBay Labels has the best prices for Tracked Packet-USA.
What benefit is there to purchasing Tracked Packet labels through Stallion or ChitChats? I don't use cross-border shippers so I'm unfamiliar with any potential benefits.
recped
·1 year ago1 - Simplicity?
2 - Cannot access eBay shipping? A lot of sellers I encounter at the Stallion drop off do not sell on eBay. Many of the ones dropping off large quantities sell through Shopify, their own stand alone websites or other Marketplaces.
3 - Just because Stallion or ChitChats offer Tracked Packet USA doesn't mean people are using it much, Stallion never offered that service until the tariff issue started.
dinomitesales
·1 year agoThis is an eBay forum, so I would assume we're talking about eBay sales. I don't know how purchasing a shipping label on a third-party platform would be more simple than purchasing one directly on the site where the sale took place.
sapphyres-designer-jewellery
·1 year agoI find it cumbersome to log into eBay and track my orders when I want to check up on them.
On Stallion's site there's a big list of everything I shipped with filters so I can take a look and see what's in transit (I do this every few days to look for anything that's very outstanding so I can be warned an INR is forthcoming, or a message from the buyer). I like it for that, but I would use eBay's labels for Tracked Packet USA because they are a couple of dollars cheaper than Stallion, and when selling $15 items, saving pennies matters.
C.
itolduandso
OP11 months agoGive us a proof.
I don't believe what you saying.
Maybe under 2 kilogram.
dinomitesales
·11 months agoProof of what? I assumed this was a discussion of Tracked Packet-USA which by definition is a service for parcels only under 2 kg.
I'm not sure why you don't believe me. The eBay negotiated Tracked Packet rates have been around for a few years now and are widely known to be the cheapest option for the service.
eBay has a whole page on it here: https://www.ebay.ca/sellercentre/shipping/ebay-labels/canada-post-tracked-packet
Starts at $6.35 (plus applicable fuel surcharge) for parcels under 100g to anywhere in the United States. If you know of a platorm offering a cheaper price for "Canada Post Tracked Packet-USA" than that then I'd love to hear about it.
I now realize that you may have just been referring to tracked shipping services in general via Canada Post to the USA, and not specifically the Tracked Packet-USA service (and if so your wording was a bit confusing). But even then, it looks like eBay is giving a better deal on >2kg parcels. Your screenshot is showing $104-127 through Stallion/ChitChats for a 69x46x26 cm (5.85 kg) parcel. The rate through eBay Labels is $86.54 according to the eBay shipping calculator (feel free to punch the values in yourself if you want proof).
itolduandso
OP11 months agoGood to know.
Yes, I meant the travked CP Expeded USA post in this case, not specifically the tracked service, my falt. I thought Ebay only has CP labels for up to 2kg.
I punched the numbers, shipping cost via Ebay is same as Chitchats. US postal code is 83448.
It's more convenient to go with Ebay labels of course and being able to drop off at CP office. One thing is not clear however, does the quote include insurance coverage.
I would have to switch to Ebay.CA so this is still a difficult step for me. I was kind of looking to validate my assumption I am not losing money with Chitchats.
But the CP rates are still nuts overall. Look even UPS Canada to US is by 40% less. It's not far away from what I would have paid if I was shipping by Stallion UPS which is kind of direct US UPS and not via UPS Canada.
dinomitesales
·11 months agoI guess you live somewhere a bit more off the beaten path if it's quoting you $104 - it's only $86 for me here in Winnipeg.
Regardless, if the price your seeing on the eBay Labels shipping calculator is the same as ChitChats then they're both getting the same Level 4 Solutions for Small Business discount on Canada Post services.
Tracked Packet, Expedited, and XpressPost service to the USA includes up to $100 insurance coverage for free. You're supposed to be able to purchase additional liability coverage for $2.75/$100, but for some reason eBay doesn't offer that option for parcel services to the USA. If you require more than $100 insurance, and ChitChats can offer that to you at the same base shipping rate as eBay Labels, then yes, that would be an example of where ChitChats would be a better option than eBay (if you must ship through Canada Post).
lotzofuniquegoodies
·11 months ago@dinomitesales
With eBay labels the insurance limit is based on the selling price as a trigger. If it sells for 75. The insurance coverage is 75. You don't qualify for 100. If it sells for 125 you qualify for the free 100 plus would pay the extra 2.75 for the 25.00 at your discretion. I believe with CP online or at the counter you can purchase extra without any problem. Unsure how that works if there is a claim. (Do you need to prove value when you make a formal claim? Probably.) It happens all the time where something sells for less than what it is worth. As a seller protection they could purchase extra insurance at their discretion. You can also add the add on for signature service as per system rates.
I have a current shipment I am processing worth under 50.00. It will not let me buy any extra even if i wanted to with eBay labels.
tab gives the following: (Your parcel will already be protected up to 36.50 by the coverage included in Canada Post Expedited Parcel).
If you recall with the old eBay calculator tool you could add in a handling fee at your discretion and compare discounted to non discounted. New tool has no additional options like extra insurance or shipping tubes as examples and discounted rates are MIA.. When compared to the CP online tool it gives you all available options including crazy things like tax, shipping tubes and fuel. If you print a label at CP those charges display on the shippers receipt. MIA with eBay Labels.
As a side I believe the limit for expedited lite is 75.00. Unfortunately insurance is imbedded when label prints. As it has been passed in previous other discussions, most likely easier and quicker to make a claim (shipper only) with CP directly vs going thru eBay channels.
As per everything eBay your results and mileage may vary.
dinomitesales
·11 months agoI haven't had a US order over $100 in a while to test it.
But for less than $100 orders, when Canada Post is selected, the "Package Protection" options don't even show up. You'd think if they were an option (just not available due to value) that section would still show up, but would be greyed out. They do show up for FedEx though, even if the value is less than $100. So I'm not sure why the FedEx options are coded differently than the Canada Post options.
If anyone has a current or past (just select "get another label") >$100 order to the States, can you confirm that the "Package Protection" options show up on the label printing page? And that it gives you the option to purchase additional liability coverage?
lotzofuniquegoodies
·11 months ago@dinomitesales
See number 15 from March 2024. - Insurance
https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Community-eBay-Site-Issues/ebay-Labels-on-ca-and-defects/td-p/506037
Original post on regarding eBay label issues was June 2023.
https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Community-eBay-Site-Issues/eBay-Label-Concerns/td-p/496069
Number 12 - Insurance.
Majority of original concerns has never been actually addressed or corrected.
Heaven knows we have pushed for that to happen.
itolduandso
OP11 months agoNo... the rate shown is from TO, ON, the US is across the lake, 2 hours drive.
flipistics
·11 months agoOut of curiosity I punched this into EasyShip and Click Ship (sending from my postal code, which is relatively rural). eBay's price via Canada Post is showing as $97.49, eBay via UPS $60.30, EasyShip via Canada Post is showing as $97.27, EasyShip via UPS is $63.60, Click Ship via UPS is $57.93 (or $71.69 with the higher tier option that usually includes brokerage fees). The nice thing about UPS via Click Ship is that they offer free pickup for many places.
Just thought I'd throw it out there for people looking for alternatives.
mrdutch1001
·1 year agoI don't use Shippo, I don't use Stallion and I don't use Chit Chats(neither of the latter 2 even available in my area, anyway)....
easoss
·1 year agoI'm with you on this. I'm in Edmonton and stallion and chit chat locations are both on the other side of the city which makes it too inconvenient for me to use. Back to my close local PO.
itolduandso
OP11 months agoI use a private courier to take package to Chitchats or Stallion. I pay 12.99 per package and it's same day delivery to Stallion or Chitchats. That's cheaper than driving (not to mention saved time) and I am still making profit as I add the cost of private courier to my shipping I charge buyers. Depending on how regular of a shipper I am, the rate per package can go down to 8 dollars or so. For 12.99, it's a bargain, if I consder my time to be worth at least 20-25 dollar an hour.
fh991586
·11 months agoYou add $12.99 to the real postage cost just to get your package to the shipping station?!? How can it be a viable option for clients?
john_koenig99
·1 year agoI'm not sure what's the point of your comment? You don't use them. Neither do I.
But I'm sure that plenty of people in the Community do, so this is relevant information to them.