What's up with the postage rates today?
Summary: sapphyres-designer-jewellery is frustrated with the fluctuating postage rates on Canada Post's website, observing different prices for shipping letters and packages. transtraders suggests possible reasons like dynamic pricing or fuel surcharges. sapphyres-designer-jewellery later identifies the issue as GST/HST being added unexpectedly. reallynicestamps explains that taxes are often included in online quotes to avoid surprises at the counter. sapphyres-designer-jewellery finds this information helpful but inconvenient for applying correct postage and plans to print a chart for reference.
I forgot how much to ship a letter to Australia, so I looked it up on Canada Post's site, find a rate, it says 4.12.
This is different than before, so I thought I'd look up other rates, like US up to 30 grams. Used to be 1.75. When I looked it up on find a rate it says 1.98. I was questioning this and went online (because I was using my phone before), and tried again. I got 1.84. Then on some other Canada Post page it says 1.75.
What's going on? Can't they give the same answer to the question every time? How am I supposed to know how much postage to put on if they keep giving me different answers?
My Expedited Lite also went up today, by about 50 cents (regular customer, his package is usually 8.86, it was 9 something today).
C.
reallynicestamps
·3 weeks agoTaxes.
For most people, they want to know how much they will pay at the counter for their shipment.
Better from the seller/Canada Post point of view to say $1.98 than to say $1.75 plus tax. Especially since many will not "see" the "plus tax" part and be upset at the PO clerk.
As a stamps on the cover person myself, I usually put what I think should be the postage on the shipment, take it to the counter and have the clerk give me a receipt. They will also let me know it I need to make a payment adjustment, which is usually under $2 and represents a fuel surcharge . (Because the taxes on stamps were paid at the original purchase, often 50 years ago.)
sapphyres-designer-jewellery
OP3 weeks agoIt makes sense what you say, it just wasn't very helpful when I'm trying to put postage on envelopes. I have a small chart on the computer but wasn't near the computer when I was packing yesterday. I will print it out to put in my book of stamps that I use to make postage. There used to be a site I had bookmarked where it was online, but when I went to the page on my phone the format changed and I couldn't find it.
reallynicestamps
·3 weeks agoI don't ever trust anything online to still be there when I need it. But then I am old and cranky.
My (printed) list is taped to my shipping desk under the scale.
transtraders
·3 weeks agoDynamic pricing?
Fuel surcharge fluctuations?
Website glitches?
sapphyres-designer-jewellery
OP3 weeks agoApparently GST/HST being added to the price. I wanted to know how much the stamp was so I could put stamps on my letter, I don't care about HST, if I pay that I get it all back anyway.