eBay

vesivus · ‎12-21-2004

Hello.

I have finally signed up for the online shipping tools. I'm using the online form for the first time... and I *thought* I'd receive a 2% discount.

I got to the last screen and the price is the same as when I normally ship.

I take it the automated shipping tools do NOT give a 2% discount to Small Packets to the US? Only Expedited? Is this true?

:)

Thanks for your help!

John

vesivus · ‎12-21-2004

Followup Question: If this is the case, why the heck should I use the EST (Electronic Shipping Tools) for anything but Expedited Packages? Will it save me a "Post Office Lineup"?

*shrug*

Thanks in advance once again.

John

mahsauction · ‎12-21-2004

Yes it doesn't apply to Small Packets. The 2% automation discount is more than compensated by the fuel tax that CP charges now.

mahsauction · ‎12-21-2004

I use it to save on the post office line up. This Christmas has been great. There are 20 people in line, I just go and drop off he packages on the counter and leave. I don't have to pull out the credit card, fill in the forms, its all ready to go. The office workers don't even need to sign any manifest.

javax.swing · ‎12-21-2004

You can toss this stuff in the mailbox if you want...which is good for small packets. Or when you go into a post office, you just drop it off, no lineup. Very simple.

mirakbiz_inc · ‎12-23-2004

I use the desktop version instead of the online one, a few months ago I bough a thermal eltron label printer (prints on 4 x 6 labels that I get free from CPC) I spent about $60.00 for the printer, but since the labels are smaller I'm able to use smaller bubble envelopes for my shipments. I also save the Plain paper used to print the shipping labels. Al these are added savings !

It does require a manifest, but since I have a mail box at the same Post Office, the post lady just puts the signed copies in my Mail Box when I don't have time to wait for them.

BTW there's a program called Clip Mate that allows you to copy the whole shipping address from an email and paste it in separate fields (it's called explode pasting I think). It's free for to try for 30 days, it's a GREAT TOOL!

javax.swing · ‎12-23-2004

What model Eltron printer do you have?

ospreylinks · ‎01-01-2005

Online shipping tools don't produce a manifest. I think this could be a problem if ever faced with an audit?

Jeff

vesivus · ‎01-03-2005

I've never once done a "manifest". I'm not even sure why I would want to or what it does for me!

Is this a bad thing? Should I be looking into this?

John

ospreylinks · ‎01-05-2005

In my opinion, the manifest is the document that proves where the item shipped. In terms of a sales tax or GST audit and for goods shipped out of province or country, if you invoiced as PST GST exempt for out of jursidicition, how would you prove you actually shipped the goods out of the province or country without a manifest?

I guess you might have the shipping tracking numbers and you could input them for tracking information, but how long is this information available? And if audited, it will not be the auditor punching in the tracking numbers to prove delivery, it will be you then having to supply hard copies (which could take a considerable amount of time), and if the information is no longer available and you cannot prove the goods shipped to where stated, I am sure you can expect Finance or Rev Canada to assess PST and GST.

To me a manifest just makes sense, similar to keeping the invoices for goods purchased etc.

Jeff

vesivus · ‎01-05-2005

That makes sense -- but *WHAT* is a "manifest"? Does the Post Office make it for me? Do *I* make it for me? If *I* make it for me, how is that any better than me saying I shipped?

I do have the receipts from the post office stating the type of delivery for each package (US/Canada, etc.) and those receipts are stapled to the hardcopy invoices I send out.

Thanks for your response, Jeff.

John

ospreylinks · ‎01-05-2005

The receipt just shows what you paid for postage, a manifest will show the delivery address of the goods.

Next time you visit your post office, ask the postal clerk to show you a blank manifest. They should be able to show you.

Jeff

recped · ‎01-07-2005

how would you prove you actually shipped the goods out of the province or country without a manifest?

A receipt for postage where Canada Post did not charge GST by default means the goods were exported from Canada.

This approach was satisfactory for a PST audit a few years back and Ontario PST auditors are a great deal tougher to deal with than the feds.

Ben

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

vesivus · ‎01-07-2005

That's good to know. Thanks to both of you for your great help! 🙂

I've been scared of an audit for the last few years, but still have not "lived" through one. My wife's grandfather has had about 6 during his life, and he loves to tell the story with him chuckling away about how he made a deal with the auditors the last time -- He'll take them to court to contest their findings or they could just take the $5000 he was willing to pay. They'd fought with with him 5 times before that and the head auditor just took the deal and left him alone. Heh heh.

John

ospreylinks · ‎01-08-2005

I find it hard to believe that the PST auditor took a Canada Post receipt showing GST exempt as proof of goods shipped out of the country. It does not show the name of receipient so in fact has no proven connection to goods shipped.

I am not doubting you, but if I were to be audited and with my luck, producing a Canada Post receipt as proof of shipping would get me no where.

I think I will keep completing manifests just to be safe.

Jeff

shoplineca · ‎01-08-2005

The manifests, as Jeff has pointed out, are a far superior form of proving what was shipped to whom (matched to your invoice) out of the country (in a GST audit) or out of the Province (in a PST audit).

It is a third party document, signed and stamped by an employee of CP ackowledging that everything listed on the maifest to the addresseses matched the parcels given to be shipped out which tie into your invoices or eBay records.

For me they are also invaluable as I am billed by CP so I refer to the manifests when reconciling my invoices from CP. Often I am billed for a different service than what I employed or billed for additional insurance when none was requested, as reflected on the manifests.

They become an accounting tool for me to complete my financials by recording the exact cost of shipping as billed by CP that become attached to the CP invoices when they are paid, filed by date and readily available for an audit.

Malcolm