Canada Post Expedited Service Now Averaging 18-20 Days To US??

[snoopwiz]

Ever since early December, a vast majority of our shipments via Canada Post Expedited Service has been taking, on average, 18-20 days to the U.S. We are shipping from Toronto and it doesn't seem to matter if its going to New York, Florida, California or points in between. I can understand the holiday season back-log adding a few days however, phoning the Post Office for an explanation only seems to bring me a "it's not a guaranteed delivery time of 7-8 business days, thats just an estimate". When i asked why over 99% of all our packages to the US over the previous 2 years would arrive within the alloted 7-8 biz days, I was told that, I'm sorry, I really don't know and is there anything else I can help you with?"
Looking forward to hearing from others in similar (or not) situations with CP expedited service.

[antoine-watteau]

The shipping situation is going out of hand now. Why is shipping so expensive these days ? How can a parcel to the US cost 22.-$ (surface) and the same parcel back to Canada is only 11.-$ (airmail). The currency exchange rate is only 12 % now. So why is it soooo expensive here. They always raise the prices, every year. Why ? Sooner or later it will be impossible to ship anymore. OK, mostly every large corporation can ship the same parcel for a fraction of what we pay.

So Ebay guys, there is something you could do for us powersellers. I am not talking about Canadapost here, this does not work for me anyway. Could you please make a deal with UPS or Fedex for powersellers ? The main problem is the brokerage fee for parcels over 200.-$ value. Please make a deal that includes brokerage for values up to 2000.-$. A regular parcel (ground, max. 10 days to the US), 4 kg, should be less than 18.00 $. I am sure hundreds of powersellers would switch to that shipping company.

Ebay guys, if we would have cheaper and faster shipping, the more we could sell. And the more money ebay could make. Ebay has the power to make a deal for us with a shipping company.

By the way, I just clicked on the Canadapost-link on ebay with the promotion for the powersellers. It does not even go to the right Canadapost page, the link is broken.......

[stittsville11]

I could go on and on about the shipping and delightful expedited to the US service. Yuck. I have taken the suggestion of another seller here and started adding Air Mail stickers to every parcel and lettermail item leaving Canada. It has dramatically improved the speed of delivery in both Europe and the US. I regularly pick up sheets of Air Mail stickers now. They are making a small but significant difference for me.

Thank you to the Ebayer who suggested this!

[recped]

Lettermail, small packet air etc have ALWAYS required air mail stickers.

Putting Air Mail stickers on an Expedited package may work but could give you some problems you might not like (like postage due on delivery to your buyers).
"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

[lina-mallows]

I have a question- which falls into the "unanswered questions of the universe" category-

Should a envlope/package be delivered from Canada to the US, with insufficient postage- i.e. POSTAGE DUE

How would the USPS calculate the POSTAGE DUE?

There is the first fact that the postage was paid for, in Canada, and may have included a FUEL SURCHARGE (for some packages), which is set on a month by month by month basis. Then there's the GST component, if under C$5.oo in overall postage- which may or may not be present.

As items may be combined at time of mailing, to exceed the C$5 threshold for exemption.

Then there's that nagging issue of exchange rates.

So here's the scenario: I mail a GROUP of packages/envelopes, each under C$5 in postage, though collectively GST exempt. (I know some provinces also add Provincial tax on the sale of postage- another issue.)

One of the envelopes (other letter mail rate) is accidently franked with C$1.05 postage (up to 50g), whereas the weight for the item at 65g, should be C$1.78

So, the package has been shorted by CANADIAN 73 cents POSTAGE DUE.

WHAT WOULD THE USPS ASSESS AS THE AMOUNT OF POSTAGE DUE?

[recped]

Generally speaking it would be Canada Post that would act on the insufficient postage. Normally the item will be returned to you.

If it makes it as far as USPS they don't care at all what the postage is as they get their cut based on the bulk weight of each class of mail delivered to them. (at the end of the year USPS tells CP what they owe and vice-versa, whichever side is short sends payment to the other).

It's a complicated formula that you can check out at the International Postal Union website. They are the governing body that works out all these things between the various national postal services.

The example I run into the most is with payments mailed to Canada from the USA, many people just use a regular domestic stamp, probably 75% make it through just fine, the rest get returned to the sender by USPS to have the additional postage applied.
"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

[lina-mallows]

recped- being a stamp collector for many years, I was aware of the Universal Postal Union. Though not cognizant of the minutia of the reciprocal agreement.

So simply put, any discrepancy not noted, and therefore not accounted for on the Canadian side, is of no consequence to USPS.

THEREFORE- At no time should a package ever arrive from Canada, delivered to a US recipient, with any claim for POSTAGE DUE.


I know that the GST/HST & PST are not part of the thread- however, at times- in some places- the Provincial governments are getting their cut off these sub-standard CP services.

This question is only related to those for whom HST applies.

When we mail a package from Ontario to an HST area, we pay HST.

When mailing to other areas, from Ontario, within Canada, we only pay GST.

When a package is mailed from an HST area to a non-HST area, is HST paid?

[making-space]

With regards to requesting a signature on Expedited mail via Canada Post - only a dollar to ask for this but good luck getting the service just paid for. I mark the Signature Required box with a huge colourful green X and still the package is delivered without being signed for. Several weeks ago, my trackable expensive package was left on the buyer's porch - no signature, no security. Luckily she came home from shopping shortly afterwards and it was still there but this was a busy urban area. I phoned the post office to complain and they had recorded my package (even scanned) as a regular parcel, no signature required. As for leaving the item on the porch, well they couldn't be sure that actually happened and would have to investigate. Customer saved the paperwork with the big green X but no one asked to see it. Amazingly got a refund but now very skeptical as to paying any extra funds for a service that clearly isn't improved.

[ajsdesignerfashioncloset]

I talked to CP yesterday regarding a package I sent three weeks ago expedited, and according to tracking it arrived at its destination sortation plant 7 days after I mailed it and has been sitting there for two weeks. CP advised me that the problem of delays is the customs clearance not UPS or USPS. And that this has been going on for sometime.

[lina-mallows]

Are shipping times as bad as they were in the past?
Does anyone expect the NEW USPS rate changes (effective MAY 12th.), and service changes to make things better or worse?