Canada Post, supermailboxes and Global Shipping Program

[reallynicestamps]

Here's a depressing thought.

With  a focus on package delivery, will Canada Post be changing its de facto policy of ignoring small and low value imports in favour of collecting those $10 'service fees'?

Unless and until the Harper Government decides to raise the postal import allowance from $20 ($60 for gifts), there is a large revenue stream being overlooked.

And with less residential delivery, will eBay buyers now be picking up parcels at the Postal Outlet, making the collection of these fees and duties easier?

[pierrelebel]

"I have no idea how many parcels that cross the border from the U.S. to Canada"

Based on the 2012 Canada Post Annual Report, Canada Post handled 153 million packages during the year:

100 million domestic (average postage per parcel received by Canada Post $ 9.01)

11 millions outbound (average postage per parcel received by Canada Post $ 18.45)

42 millions inbound (average compensation per parcel received by Canada Post $ 4.12)

What percentage of that 42 million parcels comes from the USA?  I do not know. I would guess 75%-80%

What percentage of that 42 million parcels is the result of an eBay purchase?  I do not know.  I would guess less than 10%

How many of those 42 million parcels are taxable (over $20 value)?  I do not know.

How many of those 42 million parcels are actually assessed taxes?  I do not know.

How many of those 42 million parcels had the tax(es) prepaid?  I do not know.  I would guess less than 10%

Interesting tidbit from the report:

Inbound Parcels revenue (postage revenue collected by other postal administrations and shared with

Canada Post for delivering their parcels in Canada) increased by $20 million or 12.7% and volumes grew by 4 million pieces or 9.4% compared to 2011. Growth was predominately from an increase in goods purchased online from the united states due in part to the strength of the Canadian dollar.

Source: http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/assets/pdf/aboutus/annualreport/2012_AR_complete_en.pdf  - page 59

[pierrelebel]

I think it is very important for eBay users to understand the relationship between incoming and outgoing parcels.

Basically, the figures from Canada Post confirm what a former eBay.ca country manager explained many years ago:

Canadian eBay buyers buy a lot more than Canadian eBay sellers sell.

That folks is reality

[ragsn_old_iron]

Canada Post has a safe drop program that most people choose to remain ignorant of.  While parcels are tracked, choosing to have your item categorized as "DO NOT SAFE DROP" is an option, however there is a small fee for it to offset the additional cost of redirecting a parcel to a postal outlet.  This is similar to signature required, however it allows for use of compartments to secure parcels as opposed to leaving at the door.  Canada Post is a Corporation that is mandated to be profitable, and since you say you "never buy tracking" why would you complain that an item is left at your doorstep if you have not paid for the additional service?  It really is not clear whether or not "all" parcels will be delivered to the new boxes, but I suspect that there will still be door to door delivery of parcels because there are simply too many in the mail stream to be accommodated by furniture, only the smaller items will go to the boxes, and if people don't check their mail then items will likely end up at the doorstep again if not the postal outlet.  This will all be good for the postal outlets since they are not a part of Canada Post at all, and their minimum wage employees allow for a hefty profit on the parcel security service they provide when Canada Post transfers the items to the outlets (at Canada Post's expense).  So, as long as you don't pay for signature or no safe drop, I am guessing you will still have items left at your door because that is policy, you don't pay for a service you don't get a service, even in Canada which is notorious for its welfare culture that even the wealthy demand.

Re: Sometimes they are left outside my door instead (some will ring the door bell then leave, some don't even ring the door bell) when I assume they have a trackable parcel in the compartment instead. I buy from Japan often (1-5 times monthly) and I never buy tracking (unless required by the retailer) since my shopping is usually around $10-50...

[westernstargifts]

I have found the same thing with U.S.  retailers.  When I see that on one of their websites I leave the site.

I can see more trips to the U.S. in my future.  We are only 1 1/2 hours from Port Huron, MI.

[pjcdn2005]

It really is not clear whether or not "all" parcels will be delivered to the new boxes, but I suspect that there will still be door to door delivery of parcels because there are simply too many in the mail stream to be accommodated by furniture, only the smaller items will go to the boxes

I guess only time will tell how they will handle parcels when everything is changed over. I've had a community mail box for over 10 years and for large parcels they leave a notice to pick it up at the outlet, Whoever delivers mail to the community box ( I believe it is a private company) never brings anything to my door.

A few years ago, they did bring parcels to the door but if I wasn't home, a notice would be left at the community box. They must be told here never to leave packages at the door...unlike UPS.

[ragsn_old_iron]

PJ:  So far as I know there are no private companies delivering to CMB sites in Canada, Canada Post has exclusive access to the Abloy keys for security reasons.  Also, take a look at the new furniture, it is nothing like the old compartments that you have and will be part of the roll out of the postal transformation.  As far as people leaving items at your door a few years back, it is likely the either you are .5 km from your CMB if you are on a rural route, or you have a different urban-ops driver with CPC since last restructure in your area and the management is not forcing them to comply with CPC delivery standards on flexible delivery.  Management has been tasked with saving money, and every item that gets carded to a retail outlet cost the corporation an arbitrary value per item, plus the additional labour and handling to be built in to the overall labour cost based on the averages of transfers handled by the drivers.

[pjcdn2005]

ragsn, I am fairly sure that I have asked in the past and they are private contractors but it is possible that I'm mistaken. They do not wear any type of uniform and they drive private vehicles.The lady that used to deliver parcels to the door did wear a CP uniform and drove a CP vehicle.

I don't know if the manager at the postal outlet would have any more information but I'll ask next time I see her. They are the busiest outlet in this city and it certainly seems like the majority of parcels in this area go through them. Actually, I would think that it would be less expensive for one person to deliver the parcels to the postal outlets and pay their fees then it would be to pay the mailmen in each area to hand deliver each parcel. But I'm just guessing.

A friend of mine was a private contractor for Canada Post at least 25 years ago. In his case, he worked in the rural area and I don't believe there were community mailboxes then so that was a different situation.

[ragsn_old_iron]

Hello their PJ, your deliver agent is an RSMC or Rural Suburban Mail Carrier and they are an employee of Canada Post, not a contractor despite the different attire from Urban Operation's MSCs and Letter Carriers.  I will leave this thread with some certainty, and will simply say I am an authority on postal protocols, the Postal Act, and CPC operations so I don't need to guess, but there are minor variations by jurisdiction based on the capability of the local management team to apply postal regulations with regard to such things as parcel delivery.  In your case, contractually the RSMC carriers are to card all items that do not fit in to a compartment and do not have any special handling instructions so long as the destination address is 500 meters or greater distance from the installation of the associated specified delivery furniture (CMB or RMB).  If your residence is more than 500 meters from your community mail box that would pretty much explain everything on the non-attempt of delivery or safe drop, however flexible delivery for urban operations is different and the 500 meter requirement does not apply and the delivery agent should attempt to safe drop the item under current regulations if no signature or special instruction is associated with the item.  Furthermore, the new Canada Post app on your phone combined with the latest generation of PDT (scanner) will show the geographic location of the attempted delivery within a meter of where the carrier or RSMC scanned it, assuming that your area has been part of the postal transformation project and has received the new hardware from tracking; this way the management team can actually verify the time and space that work is being performed should a dispute arise.  Literally, a carrier who safe drops and item and leaves it in the garage as the reason code will be able to bring that deviation from the front door up on the mapping software, so it is pretty sophisticated stuff and not simply a bunch of people running around dropping boxes willy nilly. 

[brandeentertainment]

I think lettermail will never be picked up by any other company but I do not think lettermail is dead ..

If we are talking actual Letter in the mail then yes but if were talking movies,DVD's etc....

All you ever here is the decline in letters going out but what about the Millions of games and movies going lettermail now with the online world ..

I mean right now I live in the middle of nowhere 2 towns total of about 300 people but even if they all shipped 2 letter a week I still as one person with a rather small movie business ship out more lettermail then those 300 people every have or will..

As for mail I have been picking up my mail for years and I think in 30 years I had my mail delivered to my door for about 2 years so no biggie...

[pjcdn2005]

Hello their PJ, your deliver agent is an RSMC or Rural Suburban Mail Carrier and they are an employee of Canada Post, not a contractor despite the different attire from Urban Operation's MSCs and Letter Carriers.....

......If your residence is more than 500 meters from your community mail box that would pretty much explain everything on the non-attempt of delivery or safe drop, however flexible delivery for urban operations is different and the 500 meter requirement does not apply and the delivery agent should attempt to safe drop the item under current regulations if no signature or special instruction is associated with the item.

My intention on posting was not to debate CP regulations but to simply relate how community postal boxes have worked here in the past and currently. I am not an authority on Canada Post however since I live in a city of 100,000 I doubt that we have rural carriers here. Regardless of who delivers the mail in this area, my house is just 3 city lots away from the community mail box and we never have parcels delivered at the house so those particular rules don't seem to apply. I'm not complaining...as I said, I was simply relating my experiences.

[ragsn_old_iron]

I understand PJ, there is no debate here since my original response was simply a point of order to zee chan regarding the safe drop process in the context of GSP and the Postal Transformation in cities and communities across Canada over the next five years, and I am in a position to know more than anyone else in the forums about how that will role out from the Canada Post end.  As far as you doubting facts, that is your business, however I would probably choose simply not to reply if you don't actually know what you are talking about.  If for example you lived in Red Deer Alberta, or near there, you could easily find out through the Canada Post site that you have in fact 32 routes that are RSMC or "rural carriers" despite the fact that it is a city with a population neat 100,000 people.  As I stated earlier out of the possibilities as to why an item may not be delivered to your door it is either a lax management at your depot that is not enforcing the flexible delivery policy, or you are on a rural route more than 500 meters from the box, nothing has changed from my original point of order on that either.  Furthermore the concept of "city lots" is irrelevant in the determination of rural routes for Canada Post since the boundaries relating to urban and rural were arbitrarily set many years ago, and are not a flexible value that deviates from the business model in place despite where a person might actually think they are located in a city or society.  My point still remains, if you do not want an item simply left at your door then you do have the option to pay for a "DO NOT SAFE DROP" service and you won't have to worry, but do not expect that this comes without a cost.