eBay

gotwhatchuneed · ‎03-31-2014

Canada post has jacked the rates 35% today it now cost's 1 dollar to mail a letter though left over stamps will still be honored, you may lose your shirt on listing's you have with the "old" shipping charges I didn't research it much so maybe it's just for letters, I don't sell so I don't care but you might.

gotwhatchuneed · ‎03-31-2014

Sorry 85 cents to mail a letter up from 62 cents but it's 1 dollar to mail it first class.

toby_le_pue · ‎03-31-2014

It is 85 cents up from 63 cents.

It costs you $1.00 if you buy a single stamp.

The 85 cents is first class.

triber · ‎03-31-2014

Not such a big deal for light letter mail, I have been cancelling magazine and heavier books Internationally over the past couple of days, over 200 g was 15.20, now 19.12, no one is going to pay that for a craft book or magazine.

dipmicro · ‎03-31-2014

Insane 34% rate increase. My most used is oversized 100g 200g and 300g bands

100g $1.34 -> $1.80

200g $2.20 -> $2.95

300g $3.05 -> $4.10

And 400-500g band is over $5 for untracked lettermail. Add $3 and get UPS or Purolator with $100 insurance and tracked 1-2 day delivery to major urban areas.

Ironically ChitChat can forward bulk airmail worldwide for less and with fewer restrictions (no 20mm limit) than CanadaPost without middle-man domestically.

ChitChat worldwide rates

100g $1.70

200g $2.43

300g $3.65

femmefan1946 · ‎03-31-2014

I try to respect the stupid media cap on postage for Canada and US sales. That's $3.99 USD.

Last year when the loonie was higher than the USdollar that meant I actually paid out about $4.10-4.15CDN

Now with the lower loonie I pay out $3.27 USD,.

So that's pretty much a wash.

mswwhat · ‎03-31-2014

So if I'm using stamps I already have, do I put .85 or 1.00 on the envelope?

pierrelebel · ‎03-31-2014

"So if I'm using stamps I already have, do I put .85 or 1.00 on the envelope?"

$0.85 - the first class domestic rate for up to 30g

The $1.00 rate is only for individuals purchasing a single stamp at the time.

rose-dee · ‎03-31-2014

@triber wrote:
Not such a big deal for light letter mail, I have been cancelling magazine and heavier books Internationally over the past couple of days, over 200 g was 15.20, now 19.12, no one is going to pay that for a craft book or magazine.

Did you mean over 500g? I believe the rates you mentioned are for that weight category for oversize letter mail. Light Packet international can be a better deal if your item weight falls in the 250-500g range.

Still, I agree, almost anything weighing over 200g and/or more than 2.0cm thick, and with a value under about $30 are hardly worth listing anymore for international sales unless you're in a specialized business (such as bookselling) and have the volume to use an alternative carrier.

rose-dee · ‎03-31-2014

Actually, after posting the above, I took another look at all the new rate tables, and I think I can say without exaggeration that it's worse than I expected, especially for anyone who regularly ships with oversize letter mail and/or items over 200g internationally.

For example, I see CP has now changed the weight classifications. Last month, $4.36 would cover you for any o/size int'l letter mail up to 199g. Now, up to 100g is $5.90, 100-200g is now $10.30, and anything over 200g is actually now $20.60 by letter mail. Those same items, up to 499g, were only $7.60 last week.

Wow - a big change actually! For me, the ca. 300 gram items I was sending to Europe last week for $7.60 by letter mail are now going to cost $20.60. The alternative, Light Packet, isn't much better, at $19.12 for anything from 251-500 grams. This means half my inventory -- anything over 250 grams -- has become uneconomical to ship internationally, literally overnight. Thanks Canada Post.

So it appears CP has done some rather sneaky shifting around and splitting of the weight classifications in order to make more money on the mid-weight oversize category, the one many of us sellers use most.

The same sort of thing seems to apply to US rates as well. A 300g item by o/size letter mail used to be $3.80, now is classed in the 200-500g range, and is $10.30! It appears CP has left the US Light Packet rates alone for now -- for up to 150/250/500, it's still $3.79, $6.37 and $10.66.

Bottom line: if you've been using letter mail or Light Packet internationally, study the new rates very carefully. Many items over 250g and under 500g will be impossible to sell with these new rates unless those items are valuable enough to warrant a high shipping cost. I have to wonder what's left that can be sold internationally. Feathers and postage stamps, I suppose.

I find the CP "fanfold" tables easiest to refer to for a comprehensive view of letter mail, Small Packet, and Light Packet rates. Click under the "Prices" heading on "International" for the current chart:

http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/prices/default-e.asp

triber · ‎03-31-2014

Yes, quite a shock rose-dee, I can find no way to send a book or magazine Internationally at a reasonable rate. I had to stop International sales for my yarn when the parcel rates went up, now my heavier craft books and magazines.

rose-dee · ‎03-31-2014

Yes, "gobsmacked" is the word I'd use to describe what I felt when I realized what I was looking at in those charts and what it will mean for any hope of continuing to sell on a regular basis outside of Canada and the US.

This increase is pretty close to triple the previous shipping cost, and unfortunately most of my antique patterns fall right in the middle of that weight class. Although international sales only represented about 10% of my total sales, it was an area I always wanted to work on expanding. Not anymore...

pjcdn2005 · ‎03-31-2014

Last month, $4.36 would cover you for any o/size int'l letter mail up to 199g. Now, up to 100g is $5.90, 100-200g is now $10.30, and anything over 200g is actually now $20.60 by letter mail. Those same items, up to 499g, were only $7.60 last week.

The rates have definitely increased in price. I don't use international lettermail that often but the list that I have for rates before today does not have the weight classification changes that you mention. Oversize international was $4.36 up to 100 gr and $7.60 for 101-200gr. 201-500gr was $15.20

300g item by o/size letter mail used to be $3.80, now is classed in the 200-500g range, and is $10.30

I believe that 101-200gr was $3.80 and 201-500 gr was $7.60. I don't remember ever seeing a range from 101-300gr in any type of lettermail.

pocomocomputing · ‎03-31-2014

I posted this in another topic There are some breaks in the new Letterpost USA and International rates versus Light Packet USA and International.

I use mainly Light Packet so I went through a large price increase in Jan 2014.

Because of the difference in the weight breaks between Letterpost and Light Packet, there are several holes where Light Packet is cheaper than Lettermail. So a seller can choose between the two services to get a better price.

Light Packet USA has

0-150 grams $3.79

151-250 grams $6.37

251-500 grams $10.66

So between 101-150 grams Light Packet $3.79 is cheaper than Letterpost 100-200 grams $5.15. And between 201-250 grams Light Packet $6.37 is cheaper than Letterpost 201-500 grams $10.30.

For Light Packet International,

0-150 grams $6.51

151-250 grams $10.46

251-500 grams $19.12

So between 101-150 grams Light Packet $6.51 is cheaper than Letterpost 100-200 grams $10.46. And between 201-250 grams Light Packet $10.46 is cheaper than Letterpost 201-500 grams $20.60. But you also need to look at Small Packet International 0-250 gram rates as it is cheaper for some zones (Zone 1, 2 and 4).

Small Packet 0-250 grams

Zone 1 Central America + Caribbean $9.83

Zone 2 Europe West $9.37

Zone 4 Japan Taiwan Korea $10.20

Knowing the difference in weight breaks will help minimize the price increase for Letterpost.

As for coping with the increase, absorb some of it and pass on some of the cost. Not much else to do.

pocomocomputing · ‎03-31-2014

@pocomocomputing wrote:
I posted this in another topic There are some breaks in the new Letterpost USA and International rates versus Light Packet USA and International.

I use mainly Light Packet so I went through a large price increase in Jan 2014.

Because of the difference in the weight breaks between Letterpost and Light Packet, there are several holes where Light Packet is cheaper than Lettermail. So a seller can choose between the two services to get a better price.

Light Packet USA has

0-150 grams $3.79
151-250 grams $6.37
251-500 grams $10.66

So between 101-150 grams Light Packet $3.79 is cheaper than Letterpost 100-200 grams $5.15. And between 201-250 grams Light Packet $6.37 is cheaper than Letterpost 201-500 grams $10.30.

For Light Packet International,

0-150 grams $6.51
151-250 grams $10.46
251-500 grams $19.12

So between 101-150 grams Light Packet $6.51 is cheaper than Letterpost 100-200 grams $10.46. And between 201-250 grams Light Packet $10.46 is cheaper than Letterpost 201-500 grams $20.60. But you also need to look at Small Packet International Air 0-250 gram rates as it is cheaper for some zones (Zone 1, 2 and 4).

Small Packet International Air 0-250 grams

Zone 1 Central America + Caribbean $9.83
Zone 2 Europe West $9.37
Zone 4 Japan Taiwan Korea $10.20

Knowing the difference in weight breaks will help minimize the price increase for Letterpost.

As for coping with the increase, absorb some of it and pass on some of the cost. Not much else to do.

A minor correction above to say I was comparing to Small Packet International Air, not Surface.

rose-dee · ‎03-31-2014

Yes, I've been looking with dismay at today's int'l price charts, hoping I'd find one of those "holes" in the new weight categories between letter mail and Light Packet.

Unfortunately, the majority of my items are in the 250-350 weight range. Whether it's $20.60 for letter mail, or $19.12 for Lt Pkt won't make much difference for me. No one will pay that sort of shipping for a $15-20 item, and there is no opportunity in that item price range to absorb enough of the shipping cost to make it appealing.

No, I'm more or less hooped for international sales where those items are concerned.

brandeentertainment · ‎03-31-2014

ya well I am fading out all low valued goods from single sales and switch to wholesale only .. Then i am going to shoot to open a commercial account with Canada post ..

There should absolutely be a Petition for Canada post ..Postal Rates.. There is a way to Save without increasing prices that much and they have taken some HUGE steps to cut cost ..

What they Need Is someone coming up to Analyze Every aspect of the company .. Fresh up and coming meat not some over prices old school tycoon that has lost touch with what the business really needs to focus on in this day and age ...

There is only 2 Ways for the to survive ....

Adapt to Online Market in every way of the word ( Even if it puts up Short term losses for long term gain)

Shut it down ..

People would rather wait then pay for the most part and the ones that don't wan to wait will always have the option to PAY ..

If my mail came once a week I could care less .. Good for Me

Anyways i am a little discouraged by all this but If i am not mistaken even some bigger Canadian companies are troubles by this a little ..

If they ever do a price Hike like that on Parcels service say bye bye Canada post as the big boys will all go Carrier...

I honestly just don't Understand what Canada post is working towards....

pocomocomputing · ‎03-31-2014

@rose-dee wrote:
Yes, I've been looking with dismay at today's int'l price charts, hoping I'd find one of those "holes" in the new weight categories between letter mail and Light Packet.

Unfortunately, the majority of my items are in the 250-350 weight range. Whether it's $20.60 for letter mail, or $19.12 for Lt Pkt won't make much difference for me. No one will pay that sort of shipping for a $15-20 item, and there is no opportunity in that item price range to absorb enough of the shipping cost to make it appealing.

No, I'm more or less hooped for international sales where those items are concerned.

List it and let your international buyers decide if they want to pay. Some might pay.

However, the buyer would rate shipping cost DSR low most likely. So you might have some sales but shipping cost DSR may get trashed.

And your soon to be new performance measure Defect rate would go up.

Sigh, selling is getting tougher and tougher. HS codes, rate increases, Defect rates. Each spring change, change, change. Wears you down.

Time for happy thoughts. Brande, go make a post about your kids in eBay Cafe forums. We all need a smile today.

rose-dee · ‎03-31-2014

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

The rates have definitely increased in price. I don't use international lettermail that often but the list that I have for rates before today does not have the weight classification changes that you mention. Oversize international was $4.36 up to 100 gr and $7.60 for 101-200gr. 201-500gr was $15.20

Yes, you're right 'pj' -- those were the rates before today, and they weren't too terribly bad. I regularly discounted that $15.20 to the 101-200g rate for my int'l buyers for items that were around 250-300g. Today, the int'l letter mail rates are posted on CP's website as:

Up to 100 g.                    $   5.90
Over 100g up to 200g     $ 10.30
Over 200g up to 500g     $ 20.60

The new $10.30 and $20.60 rates represent around a 26% increase, but the real problem will be in buyers' perception of shipping cost vs. item cost for lower-priced items. I've absorbed and discounted just about all the shipping costs I can manage realistically up to this point for international customers. This rate hike is the killer. As I mentioned, Light Packet international won't be much help either.

300g item by o/size letter mail used to be $3.80, now is classed in the 200-500g range, and is $10.30

I believe that 101-200gr was $3.80 and 201-500 gr was $7.60. I don't remember ever seeing a range from 101-300gr in any type of lettermail.

My mistake,I've been in the habit of charging my buyers the next rate down for so long, I misread the old chart.  The new 2014 U.S. prices aren't going to be a disaster for me, but if CP continues to hike rates by this much (ca. 26% per year), they soon will.

rose-dee · ‎03-31-2014

@pocomocomputing wrote:
Sigh, selling is getting tougher and tougher. HS codes, rate increases, Defect rates. Each spring change, change, change. Wears you down.

That's the thing. It seems to be coming from all directions. You absorb one thing, then -- wham! -- watch out! Something else will get you.

I don't want to risk my defect rate going higher for the odd $15 international sale, that the reality of it. And placing a $15 or $20 shipping charge on a $15 item will attract very few int'l buyers anyway. Better to just cut them out until I figure out how to put my patterns on the head of a pin (or postage stamp maybe?).

Yeah, anybody got a good joke to relate?