eBay

rose-dee · ‎08-11-2015

Sellers who are not also eBay buyers might not know what their U.S. competitors pay in terms of international shipping. I thought I'd post this experience as a comparison, since many Canadian sellers (although not me actually) do complain about the high cost of shipping to the U.S.

I received a parcel yesterday of items I'd purchased from a U.S. seller (in California). The package weighed 5 ounces -- about 120 grams if my math is correct. It was not much more than 2.0cm thick, and was sent by the standard USPS service, no bells, no whistles, no GSP, which was fine with me. It took 3-1/2 weeks to arrive (which was also fine with me).

The most interesting thing was that the label showed the seller had paid $8.50 U.S. for the parcel. I couldn't believe it. This was not USPS Priority, just plain vanilla service. $8.50 US is about $10.50 Cdn these days, and I know for a fact that my outgoing packages by Light Packet don't take 3-1/2 weeks to get to California. Oddly, there was a Canada Post "Xpresspost" label stuck onto the front, which clearly didn't help to speed up delivery.

I was already happy with Light/Small Packet rates to the U.S., but now I feel really pleased about paying $8.13 Cdn (about $6.50 US at the moment) to ship a rather thick but lightweight parcel (up to 250gm) to the U.S.

I'm sure U.S. sellers must have cheaper rates domestically than we do, but I personally ship mostly out of Canada, and am content to see that I'm not paying more than my U.S. counterparts do for similar international service.

mr.elmwood · ‎08-11-2015

Their rates have gone up dramatically. Canadians prefer the "poor me" song and dance w/o realizing what other countries have to deal with. Not quite sure, but, American sellers are required to include pages of export documents, that no-one looks at, that we do not have to include.

I really believe that our international rates, adjusted to the US dollar are cheaper than the US,

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dutchman48 · ‎08-11-2015

But if a US seller ships domestically it is considerably cheaper than if you sent the same parcel to the US from Canada.

We need the US for sales, they do not need us and some only ship to Canada as a courtesy and may do nnot as they don't want the headaches or need us as buyers. Hence why many use the GSP. They don't care if we buy or not..

Apparently, if they send an item to Canada with tracking, CP changes it to express post when it crosses the border so it can be tracked in Canada.

amya4295 · ‎08-11-2015

A U.S seller that I regularly purchased from a few years back could always send me lightweight items First Class Mail for under $5.00 then suddenly her prices went up. Her explanation was that USPS had changed how they rate Canada and it was now considered "International" where as before apparently, we had "special" rates. From that point on I have not seen the under $5.00 first class rates and the lowest is about what you see, $8.50!

lady.stark · ‎08-11-2015

It might seem high, but you do not seem to realise that this cost includes Delivery Confirmation (the reason why you see the "Xpresspost" label from Canada Post). So it cannot really be compared to the price of Light/Small Packets. You need to compare it to Tracked Packet, which is still much higher.

lady.stark · ‎08-11-2015

@amya4295 wrote:
Her explanation was that USPS had changed how they rate Canada and it was now considered "International" where as before apparently, we had "special" rates.

This is incorrect. The rate almost doubled because it now includes Delivery Confirmation on every First Class Mail package. Not because it became "international". Shipping from USA to France or Australia still costs more than shipping from USA to Canada. I buy a LOT and I'm very familiar with all the changes made by USPS. 😉

tobyshitzu · ‎08-11-2015

About 3(?) years ago USPS increased the first class international rates to Canada by a huge % especially at the low end of the weight rage. Then we have the CAN$ fall which made it seem a lot more. So anything under 4 lbs (that isn't thin and flexible) that used to be very cheap to ship to Canada became quite expensive. And competition for low price items on ebay from American sellers sending to canada was almost eleminated. Especially things like movies and games. It is possible to cheat the "flexibility" the same way we can get away with exceeding the "2cm slot"

silverpinups · ‎08-12-2015

US Sellers need Canadian and International Sales to be successful on ebay, just like we do in Canada.

I've seen a lot of US sellers "sell" only to US based customers with limited success and usually end up expanding their clientele base Internationally.

US Sellers with "low" feedback numbers or are new to selling on ebay are usually forced to use the G.S.P.

lady.stark · ‎08-12-2015

@toby**bleep**zu wrote:
About 3(?) years ago

It was in January 2013 😉

rose-dee · ‎08-12-2015

@lady.stark wrote:
It might seem high, but you do not seem to realise that this cost includes Delivery Confirmation (the reason why you see the "Xpresspost" label from Canada Post). So it cannot really be compared to the price of Light/Small Packets. You need to compare it to Tracked Packet, which is still much higher.

You are probably right about the Delivery Confirmation, although (aside from the Xpresspost sticker) I really couldn't tell from either the parcel or the information on my purchase list exactly what services the seller had paid for. If it is the case that this parcel had DC, given the exceptionally long delivery/transit time, I think the service is probably more akin to Canada Post's registered mail, which is currently $9.00 plus the applicable postage -- a comparable rate to what my U.S. seller paid -- and usually just as slooowww.

In any event, the Xpresspost designation clearly had nothing to do with moving the parcel along more quickly once it got to Canada. I'm surprised they didn't put an "Expedited Parcel" sticker on it rather than Xpresspost if it was only for the sake of Delivery Confirmation.

pjcdn2005 · ‎08-12-2015

I think the service is probably more akin to Canada Post's registered mail, which is currently $9.00 plus the applicable postage -- a comparable rate to what my U.S. seller paid -- and usually just as slooowww.

I wouldn't compare it to registered mail because there is no registered mail from Canada to the U.S.

Also

-It can only be used to send specific items

-It has to be 2cm or less thick

Just as a fyi for anyone that is interested, the minimum cost for a USPS first class international package to Canada with delivery confirmation is $6.55.

sylviebee · ‎08-12-2015

Packages arriving from the US via First Class International mail shipped @ $8-$9 (I believe for up to a pound), are arriving with delivery confirmation.

I don't believe anyone ships any longer without it.

You should be comparing to our tracked packet which starts at about $14.

(Ooops: (this is an edit) I didn't read other posts and perhaps that's already been covered?)

rose-dee · ‎08-13-2015

Yes, everybody, I realize the service type should be comparable to Tracked Packet (because it was a parcel), but the point I was making was that for the ca. $8.50 US that the seller paid, the very slow delivery and cost was comparable to times when I've sent a registered mail item within Canada.

I have been using Canada Post to the U.S. for many years and am familiar with the rates and services.

It simply struck me that for the $8.50 my seller spent (actually which I paid), she came pretty close to getting an INR claim -- I was going to give her another day or two, which would have been a full month since dispatch (and well over 1 month since the purchase date). And yes, I do realize that the DC would have nullified that claim had she been able to confirm delivery in the middle of the process. However, I am a patient buyer. Many would not have waited 28 days before resorting to opening a claim.

Perhaps I can clarify what I was trying to point out:

1) For substantially less I can send a similar parcel to the U.S. by Small Packet Air -- no tracking or DC, but with outstanding reliability. Quite frankly, I have never in years of selling to the U.S. had a SmPkt item not arrive, and almost always within the 5 or 6 day delivery window.

2) What good is DC if an item takes almost a month to get to a Canadian buyer from the U.S.? If U.S. sellers have no other choice for small parcels to Canada but to bump up to Priority (or whatever the next service level is), or use GSP, then in my view this is pretty poor performance for the cost, despite the DC. No wonder GSP looks so good to U.S. sellers.

3) Some services offered by Canada Post ain't so bad...

OK?

sylviebee · ‎08-13-2015

I think that the late delivery of your item is very unusual and the exception.

It does make one wonder though: In our age when everything is documented, traced, and trackable at the touch of a button, why are there still mail services for anything other than letter mail without Delivery Confirmation between the US, the States, and many other countries?

Is there really any justification to charge for that service?

Why should tracked packet cost so much more than small or light packet when the only difference is a simple scan that takes seconds to execute?

Shouldn't that scan be standard procedure at no added cost and at most $1?

It seems that the US has done just that.