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mr.elmwood · ‎10-04-2013

Like the dutiful little seller that i am, I like to do things right. Labelopes, those clear plastic pouches for putting the printed mailing label in. CP wants me to use those. CP does not want me going to the local PO to get them. CP wants me to order online.

Did that six weeks ago and all was well.

Running low this last weekend, I order 100 on Monday evening, 1-3 days delivery. Nothing by day 4, Friday, so I phone.

Guy on the phone (GOTP) is just baffled. He looks all around and comes up with:

GOTP Out of stock

Me I can't get them at the PO as they hand them out with an eye dropper.

GOTP I know

Me So, now I have to go there and beg for something CP doesn't want me to ask for. So, I will order extra every week and build up a stockpile of supplies I do not need because CP will not keep enough on hand.

GOTP We really don't want you doing that

Me What are my choices? Order when I need and you won't ship so I run out. Keep a stockpile on hand of something I don't need and let someone else go short because CP won't keep supplies on hand.

GOTP Sigh

Me So, do I have any other choice than to order what I don't need when I don't need it because CP won't have it when I do need it?

GOTP Nope.

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rose-dee · ‎10-04-2013

Yes, I've run into this with CP too. The labelopes are free of charge (they even ship them to your door for free), yet they can't seem to keep their outlets/Post Offices supplied with enough to be able to hand them out. Upon pleading and begging last time I ran out, my postal clerk relunctantly handed over 5 or 6 as if she were giving me artifacts from a secret vault.

If they're free, and they ship free, why not just send them all to the Post Offices and keep them stocked, so we can pick them up?

Oh, I know -- they want you to use them, they just don't want you to actually be able to get them.

ricarmic · ‎10-04-2013

Related: Free but a pain.... I was ordering the airmail stickers which are also free, but they put a limit on them 10 sheets or something* and it takes a long time to go through the rigamorole with credit card etc (even though the charge is free!!!) so I've gove my local postmaster to order significant quantities for me to avoid the pain of having to order wee little batches**....

*I understand they put limits on because some crafty folks were ording 1000s of airmail stickers then selling them.....

** alternative idea maybe they're just trying to boost the number of "packages" they deliver by making us buy little wee groups like this, they send them "expedited" even though the 10 sheets could easily be a letter.....

mr.elmwood · ‎10-04-2013

Lady at the PO gave me some, labelopes, more than she should have. I went to the store next door and bought them a bag of candy. They changed my day, I can change their day.

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ricarmic · ‎10-04-2013

I am lucky I live I a wee village, rural POs & staff appreciate eBayers a lot more than the big ones do.....

mr.elmwood · ‎10-04-2013

Ricar, Belleville is a funny town and not funny ha-ha. One CP PO. It will never go away as the next town is too far away. I know what they go through, I mean, I worked in liquor stores for 35 years.

I have only been here a couple months and they are already looking out for me.

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ricarmic · ‎10-04-2013

Shedden has the monster population of 350 (although we are the Rhubarb capital of Ontario check out the Rosy Rhubarb website - I am part of the committee that puts on the festival). Our CP PO serves our village and the other nearby villages that have lost their POs in the last few years....about 3 significant eBayers utilize our PO. I think I'm the "biggest" but probably the other 3 would say the same thing.....

rose-dee · ‎10-04-2013

Ricarmic - I think I can do you one better! My little P.O., in itsy bitsy Clementsport, N.S. probably has about 20 houses in total (although it does serve a wider area). Usually the P.O. clerk treats me like a neighbour; we were on a first name basis, but I think I made her suspicious of me the day I asked for the labelopes.

We don't have a rhubarb festival, but there's a lobster bake on the beach every year - does that count?

jt-libra · ‎10-04-2013

I didn't even know you could get them at the Post Office.

I've always ordered online -- 100 at a time. They're too big for the 0 bubble envelope that I primarily use so 100 lasts quite a while. I haven't had a problem so far -- shipped by expedited mail, I get them in about 3 days.

ricarmic · ‎10-04-2013

Ahh rose- but one can make nice "slushies" out of leftover rhubarb sauce.....hardest decision is whether to put in vodka or gin!!!!

Anonymous · ‎10-05-2013

Yeah they claimed that they have to put a limit of amounts of air mail stickers and that we can re-order every 3 months!!

And of course I called them at 1-800# and re-order them every 3 weeks and finally they gave me a huge supply after my telling them it is insane that they would be willing to use taxpayers to ship them at hefty postage rates by Expedited every 3 months when they could have save it by giving me a huge batch enough for a year at the same shipping rates!!

It is so silly if you see what USPS is offering to their US customers, it is a huge free mailing supplies like you wouldn't believe!! They do offer free posters tubes in 2 sizes, free CD boxes, free VHS boxes, free DVD boxes, free boxes in various sizes, free shoe boxes, many stickers, etc, etc, etc, all for free!!

Yet Canada Post cannot offer us similar free mailing supplies!! Canada Post even discounted the flat rate box a few years ago and even discounted poly mailers with "eBay" on them a few years ago!! Canada Post is so stinking cheap!!

One employee at Canada Post told me that USPS is owned by the federal government and is why Canada Post cannot offer us free mailing supplies as they are separately and is a Crown corporation. But with the US government shutdown, we found out that USPS is NOT owned by the government, USPS is separately and independently.

Of course, I am delighted and will get back to this employee and tell her that and see what she respond to it. It is her excuse that Canada Post for not offering us free mailing supplies like USPS does!!

bb_cool_stuff · ‎10-05-2013

Yeah they claimed that they have to put a limit of amounts of air mail stickers and that we can re-order every 3 months!!

The RPO i deal with gives me a few sheets whenever i need them.

Are we talking about the Blue Air Mail Stickers ?

ricarmic · ‎10-06-2013

Hi bb! Yes the blue ones, the limit is 10 sheets at a time...I'd have to repeatedly order them....(I put two stickers on each envelope, one on the front one on the back)

mr.elmwood · ‎10-06-2013

They hand those stickers out with an eye dropper, yet, any PO or RPO I have dealt with hands them to me by the fistfull.

Mind you, free is free an there is the "old man syndrome" of if it is free, take as much as you can hold or carry. Used to be we gave away price books at the liquor store. This is decades ago. The old boys who bought their three bottles of sherry a day would always take four each time they came in. Why? They are free.

Those free magazines at the till? Everyone has ten or twelve because they are free.

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bb_cool_stuff · ‎10-06-2013

I would just ask your RPO for the stickers.

The two RPOs i deal with are always forthcoming with them.

bb_cool_stuff · ‎10-06-2013

Why ? They are free.

Some people don't just take one free item, they want them all.

When the kids were younger & they actually liked McDonalds, we would go to McHappy Day so they could meet the Moose, Bombers, Cyclone players & get an autograph.

Card dealers were hovering. These two guys seem to be at all signings.

There was one Moose player signing & when he went to the washroom two dealers moved in & took all the autographed cards from the table.

The look on the Moose player, Jimmy Roy, was priceless when he came back out.

Had to call the club to have more cards delivered.

mr.elmwood · ‎10-06-2013

Yer making me think. The ex sells a little and goes to the RPO I used to go. She was following me around. Creepy. Anyway, the clerk would tell me that every time she came in she was desperately out of stickers and CN22s. Always needed another handful.

I checked, she sells one widget every two days. Bipolar is an interesting thing.

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