CP discount Shipping pool ~~Info

[your-chic-shopper]

Ok this is were things stand with the CP discount pool . I need to know the following info from Canadian Powersellers

If a CP Shipping pool is put together as it stands. We would only be able to use credit card . No pool member would get terms. The on-line VCD program would be the only option , discounts would be on , shipments across Canada on packages over 1kg on air or ground . Discounts would be on USA parcels over 1kg both on ground and air . Also there would be a 2% discount on your overall bill with CP when using the CP VCD program

Would you be involved in the CP pool with me
Yes/ Or No

If no please explain , I will not be offended

[your-chic-shopper]

can-import

Sorry to hear that ...I hoping that you will come on board later


Bob..I am going to hold off releasing the info for the prrogram right now

i can tell you though it's not copy paste copy paste

The program is copy the whole address and paste into each feild with Control V...in each fild ....Very fast VERY quick

[catseye*]

...and Mac compatible?...

[aabros]

labels: I mean that if you ship a 998 g parcel to NY it will cost you $9.90. With our discount, choosing the expedited service, it may cost about the same or even less depending on the size of the box...

[souranial]

Hey I forgot to say - COUNT ME IN!

There is nothing to lose! So why not? If I join, Im not obligated to ONLY use this account with CanadaPost, right?

Todd, are you getting a better rate now than when you were on your own?

thanks,
Daniel.

[jkhxx]

Here's my two cents...I too heard of that rumour of manifests no longer being accepted almost a year ago. I also heard that if you were going to use manifest's (which I agree is A LOT easier and faster than the online system they have set up) then they were going to charge $5 per sheet. I called up my rep (which basically got put into the small business center) in toronto and gave them hell. We ship about 75 to 100 packages a week and the payroll cost of sitting in front of the monitor filling out the screen would be through the roof. Right now I have two people who can pack and label about 60 packages a day and they come in twice a week. Anyway the person I talked to said well...I'm sorry that's what coming so you'll just basically have to deal with it. He didn't say it like that, but said it nicer. So I said...well, if you're going to charge me, screw the 2% discount...I'm sending them over the counter. At least I'll save that $5 cost per sheet(approx 70/week) right? He didn't really say anything then. So we hung up. Then the next time I was at the post office I just happend to let it slip that they might be getting a HUGE volume of mail coming soon. After I explained what was happening, I had a phone call from the "business center" about 3 days later and was told that the manitory online manifest was only for the e-som service (letter mail) and not to worry. And like I said that was about a year and a half ago. I think it was basically somebody in Toronto had a "brilliant" idea to take a little more off the top from busisesses but never thought it through.

As for one voice It's honorable, but will never happen. Too many different accounts. And really there's no alternative. It's not like we could form this big group and say "if you don't like it canada post we're taking our business else wear". If you want to lobby them, start a petition to elimiate the dimensional weight measurement for packages. They'll never get rid of it because it's such a cash cow, but it really hurts all sellers by increasing the shipping rates we have to charge. example 1kg package in a 12"x12"x12" gets charged at a 1kg rate. But a 1.1kg package in the same box gets charged dimensionally at the 4.7kg weight. So 100 grams gets added 3.6kg "dimensional weight". What a rip off.
JKHXX
SilverPowerSeller Since '98

[your-chic-shopper]

Thanks for taking the time to state this , this exactly what my Rep told me . So if any Canada Post Rep tells you that they will be charging for Manifest and it will be 5.00 . at this time they are talking about letter mail . However you will run into ( including the CP discount Rep) Cp staff that will misinform people in order to have them move orver to a system that is easier for Canada Post . We all know it's not easier for us as Sellers

At this time I have run into a bit of a snag, it seemms that someone has informed CP that Urban house Imports was making a pool of CP accounts . I got a personal email from someone at CP above my Rep . The letter in part stated that at this time they would not allow me to pool together . Because CP was offering a pooled rate for Ebay.ca . They if a had a pooled rate it would creat confustion in the online market

So at this time I would love some advice ? Ebay staff I sure hope you read this . I am trying to get better pricing for Ebay sellers .

[souranial]

Todd, I am so upset to hear that!
CP always screws us over at least from every direction!

eBay cannot be a pooled rate if they are offering eBay 3 different levels of savings (in my opinion). If we were one big pool, it would seem to me that we should have the same rate ??????

Maybe not?? Thats just what I had a hard time understanding.

There is no way that I am getting into eBay's CP pricing again after I learned that they charged additional for all sorts of bs. Todd, I am trying what you said and getting my own account. If the pool ever works out, I will be glad to join. (Just some clarity please, - If I still used the manual manifests, do I need to pay $5.00 each? I ship small packet)

Thanks,
Daniel

[ospreylinks]

I received the letter from Canada Post that indicated that my account was being suspended effective January 19th and I would no longer be able to use Manifests, but would either have to use the on-line system (which I have not registered for yet) or drop off goods at the counter and let the counter staff look after it and get my discount by showing my Venture One Card of which they sent me a new one since they don't know that they have already issued me one....

On this board, I hear everyone talking about their Canada Post Rep. We don't ship a lot, probably a couple of dozen parcels a week via Canada Post, so I called the 800 number trying to get info (and find out the name of my rep if I had one)....The guy on the other end of the phone said I probably didn't have a rep, but he gave me another 800 number to call if I was interested in seeing if a rep was assigned to my account (but only able to take so much musac on hold on any given day, and having had my full allotment for that day, I choose not to make another call).

In any event, I asked the kind gentleman I was talking with about not being able to do manifests and he said, "Canada Post was trying to get away from manual manifests across the country because of too many errors and the cost of keypunching the info. They wanted all clients to do their own keypunching via online."

So I informed him, how any I going to do this data entry, I don't own a computer and get this his reply.....do you have a friend who owns a computer, maybe you can borrow his...

I talked to the ladies who run our local Post Office and said that I wasn't suppose to use Manifests after January 19th.... they knew nothing about it, so when I show up with my manifest on January 20th they will accept it, but I guess from the info earlier, I should expect to be charged $5.00 for each manifest from C.P.?

Also, since I will not have a manifest, how will I prove to the taxman that I actually shipped that widget out of the province and do not have to collect PST on it?

Sorry for being so long-winded...

Jeff

[www-labels4less-com]

"We all know it's not easier for us as Sellers"


Todd with all due respect, I ship about 7-15 parcels per day and find that the desktop software is fantastic. I like the VCD software for the following reasons:

1) QUICK. All of my regular parcel weights are written in. I use the drop down menu and my weights and measurements come up.

2) The software remembers all past customers addresses so the address pops up right away when I enter the first 6 characters of the first and last name. This is a great time saver.

3) The software emails my customers with an email from Canada Post telling them the order has shipped along with the tracking # if applicable. Another time saver
4)Less paperwork. I have 2 years of manifests including all customers and what they ordered on my hard drive (and then backed up on disk).

5) No writing!! I type close to 90wpm and am a horrible writer.

6) The computer generated customs form and shipping label are very professional looking.

7) Weights and prices show up right away and the "rate shopper" is a fantastic feature. Once you enter your weight and dimensions, it displays a series of shipping options along with the price for shipping and Delivery standards if available.

[your-chic-shopper]

The manifest issue really ticks me off , because truthfully CP it not making it easier for us the Seller but them the shipper


The current CP shipping program has hidden brokerage fees on items over 1kg shipping to America groud

The second hardest thing is , I have no idea of the size and the weight because my items vary from item to item

Did you try that program I emailed you that fills in the addresses in one shot for the Canada Post program

If not the programs on the bottom of my site www.urbanhouseimports.com

[your-chic-shopper]

Jeff?? you mean GST right

[amberwoodottawa]

I have now had a CP account for one year.

I have not heard from my rep since he cancelled having a coffee with me in Toronto last August even though I sent him an email a week ago seeking a simple response to see if he was alive or not (not sure he ever was).

My Level 3 was reduced to a Level 2 in June for Canada and the US without any notice after only 3 1/2 months of shipments.

I had my rep and another CP rep visit us last spring to the facilities where we pack our instruments so they could see for themselves the reasons we cannot use the electronic shipping tools yet they continued to insist that we had to change from manual manifests.

My payment terms changed from every 2 weeks to monthly (a bonus for me).

I get free pickup twice a week.

I have about $1,500 outstanding in disputed charges and receive weekly reminders from the CP computer how I am going to have my account suspended.

I can ship the same size and weight instrument packaged almost identically and be billed by actual weight for one shipment and cubic weight for another shipment both on the same manifest.

The one thing that I can count on with Canada Post is that it is a big, poorly managed machine that grew out of a government department that continues today with a government mentality in its management of its operations despite trying to put on a public image of being a private corporation competiting for everyone's business.

As many rules as they have there are tens of thousands of loopholes in their organization.

Jeff, I expect to get a letter similar to yours some day soon (anniversary of my contract) telling me that I have not lived up to the minimum shipping commitments that I projected last January/February and my contract is defunct.

Todd, it is total BS that we cannot form a pool because eBay CP cut a deal with eBay. I am not part of eBay's CP deal and I don't only sell through eBay.

In forming it no reference should be made to eBay after all, how we market our products has NOTHING to do with CP.

We are simply a buyer's group, joined by a contract where we each accept full responsibility for our own actions and our own financial obligations. CP gives a discount to the group based upon the total anticipated shipments and shipping methods to be used and bills each member of the group individually.

In order to get the best rate from CP (and this is how it gets approached to CP) is that the group is going to shop the rate with USP and FedEx as well.

Right now CP is sitting quite comfortably believing that we cannot go anywhere else and for some that may very well be true however if there was a chance they could loose several thousand parcels a year in shipping because of that attitude I assure you that they will be at the table with their pencils sharpened.

That is how I negotiated with them in the beginning. Its not what you are bringing to them as much as what you might bring to the competition.

For me, it wasn't that I got my CP level and have kept it because I was going to achieve and maintain my projections, it was the number of parcels that I would be giving to UPS instead of CP and their knowing that the volume would increase annually and they would not be able to get my business later if they lost me in the beginning.

Malcolm

[ospreylinks]

No I mean PST... (sometimes GST). I really only use Canada Post for shipping within Canada and normally UPS for goods going US bound.

I mean PST because all goods shipped within Canada are subject to GST, however goods shipped out of ON are PST exempt as long as I can prove that they left the province and that is the purpose of the manifest for my records.

With the online system, does it print a manifest that the clerk at the Post Office signs, similar to UPS to prove the goods left the province?

Thanks

Jeff

[mahsauction]

When I ship a parcel using the online system there are no manifests generated. If you use the EST desktop software, manifests are generated in triplicate for Canada and duplicate for US.

[www-labels4less-com]

Todd, I havn't tried that software you told me about but I understand from our conversation that it would be a great time saver.

Yes the VCD desktop software is a bit archaic looking (looks like an original windows program??)and it builds in the brokerage even on orders less than $200.00. I think you said your rep mentioned this was going to change some time in the new year?


My biggest problem right now is that I seem to have stopped getting my CP bills in the mail. I have no way of knowing when I'm getting $crewed on a shipment. Like the time they took a 1.2kg parcel that was 17cm x 20cm x 6cm and billed it as 16kg 48cm x 36cm x 20cm .(or something like that).

Can the individual manifest billings be viewed online? Anyone know?

[mahsauction]

You can sign on to the OBC and you go to Manager Your Account at the top. From there you can view your manifests.

[amberwoodottawa]

After 5 months, I just received an email from my CP rep. Apparently there has been a reorganization of districts and territories at CP and different peopel are handling different areas. A whole shuffle.

My guy wants to stay with me as he enjoys my humour (while putting up with my CP bashing and threats to sue them). He is looking for some opportunities in new areas I am lexploring to sell on eBay and thinks we may have something that he can take to his bosses to allow him to stay on my account.

The funny thing is they never assigned anyone directly to me, or maybe they have and he hasnt contacted me yet. He gave me a 1-888 number to call and see who my new rep is. Doesnt CP know what salesmanship and customer service is all about? (Dont answer, I know already).

On the good side, no word about loosing my current status and no word about loosing my account. What the heck, I did put about $15,000 into their pockets for 2003 in my first year with opportunity to triple that this year.

Malcolm

[ospreylinks]

$15,000.... wow that is alot of shipping. How many a week?

Jeff

[amberwoodottawa]

Jeff

In December I shipped 63 parcels. For me its not the number that I ship but my average shipping cost which runs around $30 per instrument for most months. I have some shipments costing only $6 and others around $100.

I think that is why I have maintained a level 2 with Canada Post. I am generating fairly high return for them relative to the nuber of packages they have to handle.

I wish sending my stuff out was as easy as dropping them into a size appropriate box but we have to custom-make most of our boxes for our instruments and for that reason, I estimate shipping costs on the high side to cover my extra labour and packaging costs.

My son/partner has a real nack for it though and can custom make a box for a violin in about 5 minutes, all the time remebering that we will be charged based on cubic weight and yet have to have sufficient materials inside the box to protect our instruments.

It is for that reason as well that I cannot use the electronic shipping tools as each box is different in size (cubic weight) and actual weight. All my paperwork has been completed before I have to go to a warehouse to ship so it would be more than a duplication of work to do everything a second time at the time we are boxing instruments for CP to pick up.

Malcolm