Does tracking of Registereed Mail work?

[julieo459]

I sent an item this past Monday (June 30th)  by Registered Mail to a location outside of Canada. The tracking on Canada Post shows the item as received by the post office and then it disappears - just an arrow showing item is in transit, but not scanned in anywhere

Do I panic? Does Registered Mail usually show tracking like Expedited.

I called Canada Post but they were not very helpful - told me that once the item has left Canada that it won't show up on their system. Anyone had any experience with registered mail going missing?  

[mr.elmwood]

That is a good solution Ric. I have a couple of "problem" countries. I will try something like that.

[ricarmic]

MrE that will only work for you if you can send it via "other lettermail" one can't register anything thicker.....after the 20mm you have to use expresspost or the airmail trackable equivalent - but if I was selling stuff "thick" enough to China, I'd still add the horrendous expresspost/airmail amount onto the international rate.

[pjcdn2005]

Thanks ric,  that's good to know.

I have a question though. You said that it doesn't normally show being picked up and I assume that you mean it doesn't show that it was picked by the buyer?  If so, how does it really help to use it since delivery confirmation can't be confirmed?

[ricarmic]

PJ It normally doesn't show being picked up on the CP site, but normally it may show up on the destination countries site. Russia is good, China not so good at showing picked up on their site. Doesn't matter to me though, my "insurance program" of Canada post, and 3rd party insurance covers it if it is lost. So far I have never had a lost registered letter, keeping my fingers crossed that continues to be the case. I always operate under the assumption that PAYPAL coverage is no good to me as normally I ship stuff non-trackable anyway. The reason for forcing registered on them is it is reasonably "cheap" compared to expresspost/trackable airmail, and it seems to prevent the "crime" situations which is really what I am targeting.

[julieo459]

I didn't charge the buyer for the full amount of the shipping - part of it came out of my pocket

[toff3]

Julieo,

That was very generous of you...but completely and totally unnecessary.

I say again, the mails work extremely well and the vast majority of eBayers are honest and want to obtain what they paid for.

Remember that it's only the horror stories that make it to these boards, the thousands upon thousands of routine, trouble-free eBay transactions pass unnoticed.

Tom

[mr.elmwood]

In twelve years of doing this, I really have never had a "horror story" about the mail system.

[ricarmic]

Interesting update of the 3 registered letters sent to China, the first one has achieved "Item successfully delivered" status on the Canada post site! Perhaps the coordination with the China PO has improved.... will know better in a few days when the other ones should have been accepted as well.....

[mr.elmwood]

Like, what is the alternate choice: "Item unsuccessfully delivered"?

[ricarmic]

MrE: eternal "Item has arrived in foreign country"

[mr.elmwood]

Again, like "item has arrived in domestic country"?

[ricarmic]

MrE: Oh hahahha - never a good sign when you have to explain the joke 2 times 😉

[toff3]

Mr E,

I didn't say that  the mail system generated horror stories, just that it's the eBay transactions that go awry, for one reason or another, that get aired on these boards.

"Horror story" may be too strong an expression but I can think of some pretty awful foul-ups in the mails, although, in my personal experience, they're scarcer than hen's teeth.

What always bothers me is that people like Julieo seem to think that using the postal system is akin to playing the lottery.

Tom

[mr.elmwood]

Tom, I agree with you.

[ricarmic]

FTI Number 2 of the 3 registered letters to China shows successfully delivered today.... only one left for the hat trick!

[ricarmic]

Ooops I guess FTI means "For those interested" instead of FYI like it was supposed to be.....

[mr.elmwood]

Fat fingers?

[rose-dee]

No, skinny keyboard probably.

By the way, Mr. E., thanks for the FDLS... etc. translation.  I think I may have asked once before, but forgot.  I do know about Bastille Day, but I've always known it as Quatorze Juillet.  Been there in France once on July 14th -- just as big a bash as the 4th of July.

Anyway, now we're totally off track [that was a feeble attempt at a pun], I'd say that the OP might want to just rely on the mails next time and forget Registered unless it's something particularly valuable or prone to theft (like 'ricarmic's' easy-to-steal stamps), in which case a comparable tracked air parcel service might actually be less expensive.  Just my 2 cents...

[mr.elmwood]

Kwap. I was gonna ask the ladies at the PO about guaranteed delivery on Expedited. Those two have about 70 years between them.

I got tied up extracting a refund from CP. I sent a Small Packet Air to Miami. It came back. Got a hold of the buyer. He was mystified. Address is valid, Google mapped it, checked the address against USPS.

"Ashely" wasn't gonna refund my $10.66 that I was gonna have to pay again because CP's partner the USPS messed up. Took me about eleven tries to convince her the postal system messed up and I wanted my money back.

[pjcdn2005]

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/business/productsservices/shipping/expeditedparcel.jsf?LOCALE=en

Expedited Parcel™ is a cost-effective, ground delivery service for documents and parcels within Canada. Choose Expedited Parcel and automatically get these features:

• Guaranteed delivery times*:
  • Local – 1 day
  • Regional – 1 up to 3 days
  • National – 2 up to 7 days
• Delivery confirmation and the ability to track your items online from start to finish.
• Coverage up to $100 for loss or damage.

*Delivery standards are within business days for items sent between most major urban centres and are dependent upon origin and destination. All Canada Post services (including without limitation, delivery guarantees) are subject to terms and conditions.