Canada Post Light Packet service on the eBay shipping tool

[lilybean@ebay.com]

Dear community members,

Hi, this is Lilybean from eBay's Shipping team. I’m pleased to let you know you can now purchase and print Light Packet shipping labels right from My eBay or PayPal, making it quicker, and easier for you to mail DVDs, CDs, and other small, lightweight items (weighing up to 500 grams) to the U.S.A. and international destinations.

And yes, with your eBay shipping label affixed to your package, you can now simply drop off your Light Packet shipments at the nearest Canada Post street letterbox or Post Office!

Further, Canada Post has introduced a limited-time discount for Light Packet U.S.A. shipments in the 100-250g weight range. From now until April 15, 2007, you will enjoy 20% savings only on eBay, with a rate of only $2.99 (regularly $3.74).

Please note that while the service is live on the eBay shipping tool, some members may be experiencing an error when trying to print a Light Packet shipping label. We're aware of the issue and expect it to be fixed by the end of this week.

Issue Detail
On the Enter Custom Details page, the Description box under Item Information is pre-populated with your eBay item title. If your eBay item title is more than 30 characters, you would proceed to “pay and continue” and then receive an error message, thus not being able to successfully print your label.

As a temporary solution, edit the pre-populated title so that it does not exceed 30 characters, and then continue in the process, and you will print the label successfully.

Feel free to email me at lilybean@ebay.com if you have any questions to Light Packet on the eBay shipping tool.

Regards,

Lilybean

[kinderalls]

Hi Lilybean,
I am so excited that I can print off my light packet labels now. It was soooo inconvienient to go to the post office almost everyday with 2 small children.

I sell dvd's and cd-roms and won't be using the lightpacket air shipping until spring. Why? Because many of my dvds and cds arrive damaged in the winter months only. I even upgraded my cases. The rule at CP is that the lightpacket items must fit through the SLOT. So I can't even put in extra bubble wrap. That only leaves me the option of small packet air so I can get in the extra bubble wrap. A couple of concerns/questions.... I am wondering if the dvds go through the automated letter post machine at CP? I think that is how they are getting broken. It would sure be nice if they didn't have to go through that machine. Light packet air leaves a seller no option for a claim either when they arrived damaged.

Suggestions?
1. Dvd/cdroms should not have to endure the dreaded automated machine. A very high percentage arrive damaged in the winter months.
2. When I order items from the States they sent them to me air mail. They come in all shapes and sizes and do not have to fit through a SLOT. Wouldn't that be nice?
Thank you for entertaining my thoughts.
Kerri Anne

[tobyshitzu]

I've sent 1000+ game/dvds in cases, never heard of any being damaged. I've sent most in #0 bubble envelopes, though I have sent them in plain paper envelopes or even the free ebay/CP poly bags with everything being slot size. Columbiahouse mails piles of dvd cases in plain paper envelopes. zip.ca mails the bare disc in a thin paper envelope to keep them at .52 postage, I've seen them quoted at 1 in 200 being damaged (which would be 400 mailings going both ways). No idea what the winter months would have to do with anything.

[kinderalls]

Thanks for the post. I guess I will have to keep looking for a different supplier of cases. I did recently upgrade the cases but the disks still spin around and the inside prongs sometimes break. I even considered switching to clamshells in between cardboad. I only have this problem in the winter.

[aaadrafting]

Hi Everybody;

I have shipped a few hundred CD's and DVD's to the USA. Initially I used large plain envelopes overwrapped with shipping tape but started using #0 bubble envelopes after I had complaints of a few cracked jewel cases.

I use mail exclusively since the bubble envelopes go through the 20mm slot even for DVD's. Mail is cheaper than small packet.

Small packet rates are a hard sell when customers order more than 2 CD's or Buy 1 with a large jewel case. I even ship multiple CD orders 2 at a time seperately in the mail instead of using small packet rates, its cheaper.

I keep a US address in Buffalo and the US Post allows you to ship up to 14 ounces before higher rates kick in. I wish Canada Post would do the same.

Best Regards

[toolrackca]

It only cost 2.99 to ship to the continental U.S. for a game in there factory full size sleeve. (Just like when it was in the store). Put it in a large enough envelope, tape it down to size and drop it in the box. For Canada put 2 93c stamps and you have the same result. For the U.S. got to a sattilite post office like the one's at Shoppers and they will print you off as many $2.99 stamps as you need. The post office won't. They show the date and they get confused to easy (postal workers).
I found printing shipping labels on line actually cost more with the same values as when I dropped them off. If you can believe it the tracking did not even show that it was shipped with online printing. Like I tell my customers: Cp/USPS tracking for Expidited Post is just a confirmation of Shipping. Because in the GTA your package will just get to Missasauga sortation and never leave!!!

[toolrackca]

A couple of interesting things to keep in mind with ebay and Canada Post partnership.

a) I printed a shipping label that wasn't used. Canada Post wouldn't refund me unless ebay/paypal told them that it was a cancelled transaction. ebay/paypal wouldn't provide it because they have no protocol to do so.
So your SOOL.

b) Canada Post lost a package. 30 days later they investigate, fine. 14 days later they email that they have sent me a cheque, fine. I refund the customer. 2 weeks later I get a letter from Canada Post informing me that they have credited the funds to my account. I don't have an account with Canada Post and have no way to access the funds. Another 2 weeks have passed and everyone I talk to laughs and says that's C/P. No one has ever contacted me. One rep. told me that it was downloaded to my Venture One card. That drew a few laughs as I told them to charge these packages to my V-One card.