eBay

jaymor8 · ‎10-28-2003

I always had a feeling that something wasn't kosher when prices seemed to vary on my shipments from week to week but today I saw it for a fact.

I went to the Post Office to purchase an Xpresspost prepaid envelope for the US. All I needed was a 5 x 7 which is the smallest size and costs $8.45. They had none left so they had to give me the next size up which is prolly 10 x 12. That one costs $11.15 (approx). Well, she just winked at me and said that she'd charge me for the price of the smaller one. I have no argument with that but my point is....how is it that they can do that...even once??

If there's no accounting for prepaids, they could be charging whatever they please to folks who don't know the difference. Not likely they can screw someone like myself who is there once a week with a tote bag full of envelopes to ship. Even though this was in my favor, it infuriates me that it CAN be done. I know it doesn't make sense to be annoyed with it, but I am anyway. Anyone else have a similar experience???

Steam blown now,

Jackie...

treasure-pot · ‎10-28-2003

I'm guessing that this was at an RPO.

I deal with an RPO as well. Its in the back of a pharmacy. If the lady on the postal counter were to do the same for me the only one that would be hurt would be her employer (the pharmacy owner).

RPO's are required to buy their products from CanadaPost albeit at a slightly better price than you or I. So at inventory time it is likely that the inventory will reflect the sale of one more 5x7 than they have purchased and one less 10x12. The employee may be well aware that it is unlikely that there would be any repercussions other than an adjustment at inventory time.

IMHO & Cheers!

Bill

Bill

jaymor8 · ‎10-28-2003

You hit it right on the nose Bill. I did it at my local Pharmacy and those people usually screw me the other way with their prices. But this time, it was in my favor. Could be worse, I suppose!!

Jackie...

elvishmerchant · ‎10-28-2003

She charged you the rate for the smaller one because they were out of the one you wanted. The reason for this is GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE. They may take a loss of $1 or so on that item, but they have retained you as a regular customer.

jaymor8 · ‎10-28-2003

elvis - I can agree with that in theory but you would have to know this place and it's employees and the hassles I have almost consistently when I go there. Half the time they won't sell me the envelopes because they are only supposed to contain paper, not goods. Please note that I said 'half the time'. The other half of the time, it's fine. It greatly depends on the employee of the day. In my estimation, it's either kosher or not kosher. It shouldn't depend on the day of the week and/or the worker. Oy!!!

Jackie...

momosworld · ‎10-28-2003

Hi jackie,

I actually tried that a few times and when I went back to the post office, they told me that they were contacted by CanadaPost and they know I wasnt shipping paper goods in the packages. I only tried it with 6 or so packages but they gave me some story that they have cops there now that are present if they open the packages because its considered mail fraud....have you heard anything like that?

Thanks,
Momo

treasure-pot · ‎10-29-2003

The ExpressPost envelopes are reserved for documents only. As such they don't go through a customs inspection. If you shipped something other than documents inside one of those envelopes they could argue that something is being "sneaked" past customs.

Not my view... theirs.

Bill

Bill

jaymor8 · ‎10-29-2003

Momo, Bill - No, nobody ever told me that. I have been doing it for a year. The only thing they ever said to me was that it couldn't be insured. Holy smokes, I hope I haven't been doing something illegal. The two POs that I work with both know what I do and what I am shipping. Oh brother - I guess I have been monumentally lucky!

Jackie...

treasure-pot · ‎10-29-2003

The level of training most RPO counter reps receive is somewhat less than the burger flippers at McDonalds receive.

I tried to take my packages to an RPO that has been open for about six months in a large retail store. I prepare all export docs and have everything prepared when I get to the counter. What should have taken about 15-20 minutes with a properly trained counter person turned into a near one hour saga that involved three store employees. There was nothing abnormal about sizes, weights and all items were being shipped either small packet or Expedited.

I finally gave up and took the balance of my packages home after struggling through a little more than half. The level of incompetence and lack of training left me with a growing desire to start my own competitive postal system.

Bill

treasure-pot · ‎10-29-2003

Just thinking that I would probably extend a pretty hefty discount to Canadian eBay PS'ers when I start me own postal system.

I hope I can count on your support. And yes, we would use Canadian eBay PS'ers logos for our first stamps (we can start with Lisa's). lol

Bill

jaymor8 · ‎10-29-2003

Oh do I know your pain. Now, first you have to remember I am in Quebec where everything is a little skewed to begin with and attitudes have a desperate need to be revamped. Then, I am getting involved with impatient, inexperienced people in an endeavour that I have no familiarity with - you can just imagine how my earlier visits to the PO went.

There was one particular visit where I had 4 packages - and 4 different particulars were involved. Each and every transaction I was trying to make, had a problem. I couldn't do this - I should have done that - there's no such thing as... - your packaging isn't up to snuff. I am dead serious here. Not one thing I wanted to do got done and I left there with all my stuff and completely insulted. On top of everything, the girl that was 'taking care' of me was ordering people to get in line and not to get too close to the person being served. A bona fide Mail Nazi!!

A year later, there is still confusion but I go prepared. I buy the prepaids and have them all ready to go and I 'still' meet with different forms of resistence. I can't wait to get to Ontario - where the problems are just lack of training, not arragonce!

Jackie...

treasure-pot · ‎10-29-2003

Yikes, just what the world needs - a heel-clicking mail Gestapo.

Those are the ones that I thoroughly enjoy challenging openly and loudly in the store in front of other customers. So long as it is kept to civil words, those bullies can usually get knocked off their high perch quite easily. Their tactics are generally intimidation and, when they encounter someone that is not affected, they have little to fall back on.

Bill

treasure-pot · ‎10-29-2003

Have a great day Jackie! I'm off to take my mom to breakfast and shopping.

Cheers!

Bill

jaymor8 · ‎10-29-2003

Well now - there's a thought. I think I'll just change MY way of doing things for the time I have left here. And maybe....just maybe I'll be able to leave here with my dignity in tact 😜

Jackie...

jaymor8 · ‎10-29-2003

Cheers Bill!!!

brownboxit · ‎10-29-2003

Not as classic as when I went to a 2nd post office because my volume that week was too high..

I send expedited P. and put pre done customs labels, address labels, everything labelled so basically the only writing on the big expedited sticker is in the blue boxes filled by the clerk.. My packages also don't have anything on them as the expedited sticker contains all the info.

I was told that i need to 'Double label' everything so that the parcel also had labels, after a 5 minute 'discussion' I finally convinced the clerk that I had sent a few hundred parcels like this without a hiccup, she finally agreed but it was ' at my own risk'..

classic, the CP website advises specifically that you can put labels on the stickers, why would why double up on everything?! Only the CP clerk knows for sure : )