eBay

souranial · ‎12-03-2003

I just talked to FedEx about their Ground service and it sounds really great! I have been looking for an insured alternative to Small Packet with CP but wanted it to be faster than CP's Expedited Service (not their Commercial Expedited) which usually took 21 days and cost about $14.
[Also, if anyone can explain what Commercial Expedited is with CP - how much, how fast, how reliable, tracking insurance ?]. FedEx told me that Ground service to the US would cost me $10 for my orders and would include tracking, pickup, insurance and delivery within 7 days.
I don't want to use expensive courier or ExpressPost.

What do you think about their service? I love their Express service!

Thanks and happy holidays
-Daniel

aabros · ‎12-03-2003

lies lies lies
fedex groud is the worst courier company in world. ¸

1. operated by independant contractors
2. don't pay claims
3. destroys parcels
4. delivers when they feel it's worth the travel (for one or 2 boxes, they won't go, they prefer to wait)
5. anyway, it's too long to write everything here.
6. for the love of GOD, do NOT use fedex ground.

(I am begging you)

your-chic-shopper · ‎12-03-2003

2nd that

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-03-2003

I just have to throw this in because more that 75% of my customers make the same type of comment.

I use CP. The customers pay my shipping charges, insurance and cover my packaging costs and sometimes a lttle extra that goes to labour as I have to guestimate the shipping charges.

I have never had a single complaint about my shipping charges and in fact quite the opposite.

Here are a few of my feedbacks as an example:
Item arrived just 1 day after payment!
Extremely FAST Shipping.
excellent speed
Very fast shipping........
quick shipping
received extremely fast,

For me, CP is the fastest and best of all the carriers to get my goods to my customers. The hiccups are few. Their administration and accounting are somewhat archaic but I can live with that as long as they can deliver consistently and the shipping prices are acceptable to my customers and for all of that they have excelled!

Malcolm

aabros · ‎12-03-2003

true Malcolm. But I am still fedup with their cheap discounts.

Todd: I think it's now time to get all together. PS, thanks for standing behind my opinion of fedup ground.

ospreylinks · ‎12-04-2003

I have never shipped via Fedex, but have had a few suppliers use Fedex and everytime, their delivery is longer than the stated time. (paid for four day delivery once from Vancouver to North Bay, took 8 days, with no refund for the poor service - why did I have to pay for four day service when they delivered it like a standard rate package).

In terms of contractors, here in North Bay and in similar centers across the country, UPS also moved to contractors (hence their uncompetitive rates for intra-Canada shipping), but their service level seems to have remained intact..

I use CP for intra-Canada and small parcel to the US, and I have to agree with Malcolm, that they have supplied me with good to great delivery service at a great cost (which is actually paid by the customer as buyers pay freight, but it allows us to keep shipping costs down and hence competitive). UPS for large package shipping to US and they are great!

Jeff

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-04-2003

I would like to see Todd's undertaking to amass PSers into a Buying Group for delivery services succeed. I believe that this would be the best way to get a more level playing field with our American counterparts and compete against their numerous shipping options and overall cheaper shipping rates.

I would love to be able to bury my shipping fees into an all-inclusive BIN price but the price difference for me in shipping products to California over shipping it to Montreal is substantial and that is due to CP's gouging Canadian customers on US shipping in comparison to what USPS charges CP.

Malcolm

ospreylinks · ‎12-04-2003

Re: Bury Shipping Fees In BIN Price

Malcolm, I use to include shipping fees with some selected items with when the buyer used the buy it now option... however real winner here was Ebay, who collected extra closing auction fees based on the fact that their commission was now calculated on what the buyer also paid for freight. And honestly, it didn't attract any additional buyers.

I have found the people shopping Ebay for the most part are looking for the best deal possible and once I added freight to the total value, it detracted from my competitiveness in attracting hits.

By listing the item as inexpensive as possible and then quote freight on inquiry or after the sale has been more effective.

Jeff

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-04-2003

Jeff
Point well made!

Malcolm

souranial · ‎12-04-2003

I guess that means no - lol!
I will have to stick to Corny Post for now without any insurance available for small packet. But I understand it will be available in 2004 - thank g-d!

Todd, I cant wait for the pool!
If you need any help with that, let me know.

Best Regards,
Daniel

souranial · ‎12-04-2003

Sorry - About Commercial Expedited to the USA - is this a good service? What did you find with your experience with this service.

Thanks again and happy holidays,
Daniel

amberwoodottawa · ‎12-04-2003

Southern US is sometimes unpredictable where I has one package take over 4 weeks.

Generally Soutwest and Northwest takes 11 business days, SouthEast US takes 7 business days, North East takes 4-5 business days from Ottawa.

Malcolm

brownboxit · ‎12-04-2003

Not uncommon for expedited to take 3 weeks, but hey what can you do, it's reasonable with the tracking.

hugelyimpressive · ‎12-07-2003

This is all good, but what happens when CP starts allowing Small Packet insurance? Another 50 seconds per item... As it is, I am on very frosty terms with the poor neighbours who have to line up behind me while I get everything marked up!

Ashley

muminlaw · ‎12-07-2003

Ashley, you can be on better terms with your neighbours if you invest in a scale, lay in a supply of postage, and get a stack of all the forms you might need from the PO. Then you can have everything ready to go -- all the counter staff needs to do is rubber stamp your receipts, and once they have confidence that you're doing everything right, they'll usually quit checking and just take your word.

When I bring in a stack of mail, they just glance at it, ask me if I made any mistakes(!!?), stamp my receipts and I'm outta there, usually before the person at the next wicket who's buying a few stamps and can't make up their mind!

Glenda

Glenda