Rising Loonie = More Canadian Bidders?

[jaymor8]

You would think that because the Canadian dollar was at almost 76 cents today that the Canadian buyers would be running amok? Where is everybody? It is undoubtedly a buyer's market....so why do we have more bids?

Jackie...

[momosworld]

Hi Jackie,

We actually do have more canadian buyers than ever before, and its actually killing us, less conversion, so less profit, then more shipping so even less profit. Sometimes we go into a loss when the person resides in BC as it so expensive to ship there 😞

[jaymor8]

I HATE shipping to BC. I have had to pay out of pocket enough times to ship there and you're absolutely right. It truly ruins any potential profit to ship Canadian right now 😞

Jackie...

[gloriaguides]

I've had alot more Canadian winners this fall than ever before. I think it's a combination of Candainas realizing that they will get dinged by the Customs people if they improt from the US (so actively searching for Canadian sellers) AND the exchange rate-they can get the same item for less than before. I just use ebay's conversion rate for them. Most seem to use US$ PAypal anyway. And I hate shipping to BC too---Even a small video game can cost $7 to go there. I pray my Canadian buyers live in ON, which is what I give my "IN CANADA" postages based on. Nova Scotia Glori

[gloriaguides]

OOps, sorry about all the spelling mistakes. I'm just so excited to see a Canadian PS board and want to contribute and ask about some things that have been bothering me (Paypal!). I promise to start using the spell check program until I calm down, when my tying is usually pretty good! Gloria

[jaymor8]

Hey Gloria - How do you manage to ship to BC for $7?? I send a small padded mailer with a charm in it and it costs me $12. There's summing quite fishy going on here.

I love shipping to Ontario. It's reasonably priced, it gets there quick and there has NEVER been an incident. But, I have noticed that Canadian bidders are a little less adventuresome with their money. They don't bid as high and it's quite rare that any item will sell for much more than the opening bid.

Canuckers...:))))

Jackie...

[muminlaw]

Jackie, how much does your charm weigh? I can send coins in a padded mailer to Ontario for $7.47, expedited. That's from BC, over 2cm thick and less than 500 grams.

Glenda

[jaymor8]

Glenda - Seriously, a negligible amount. I had it wrapped in a bit of bubble wrap and that's it. I swear to God I get screwed everytime I go there. But, since then, I argue with them and ask for explanations as to why one week it's 'this' and the next week it's 'that'. After that, I started to always ship Xpresspost in the prepaid envelope. They can't argue with that price, right??

Jackie...

[muminlaw]

Hmmmmmmm! I weigh mine at home, get the postage amount from CP's web site and slap the stamps on. When I get to the PO they don't even question my postage anymore - they just cancel the stamps, give me my receipts, and I'm off! The old hands tell the new staff not to waste their time on my mail - "she never makes mistakes!" LOL

You don't get your Venture 1 discount on prepaids, do you?

Jackie - sorry for the temporary hijack of your post!

Glenda

[pricebreak22]

I have struggled with shipping lately too. I ship mostly to the US from BC. I used to use Can Post Expedited Parcel because it was traceable and insurable. Then I found out it was taking almost three weeks to ship to the continental US. Now I use regular airmail, and take the chance on insurance.

[firedept10]

A year ago I had 90% US, 5%International and 5% Canadian buyers. Now about 25% of my buyers are Canadian. But with this I am finding some of my things are selling a little higher. And yes I set shipping price for both US & Candian buyers equally, but may soon have to raise the price as to ship in Canada is hurting my profits. I end up paying out of pocket.

Don

[jaymor8]

Glenda - don't be silly. I welcome any and all input and you just talk your little heart out. Your info was very helpful.

Pricebreak - I used expedited once and I wil NEVER use it again. It took a month to get to Florida. I have shipped just regular airmail to the deep states and it has gotten there in less than 10 days. I am baffled by the discrepancies in ship time.

Don - I was thinking the same thing too about raising the shipping within Canada. It just seems such a shame to do that to our own, but business is business, right??

Jackie...

[gocanam]

Since moving back to Canada last September from Atlanta, GA, my sales down south to Canadians was next to zero. Now, my sales to Canadians has increased 30-40%. So be happy whatever u sell here. Remember the market share!! 10-1

PROUD to be CANDAIAN but hate the WINTERS!!
Andy

[jaymor8]

Andy - I wouldn't trade my four seasons for all the palm trees in FL!

Jackie...

[muminlaw]

Andy -- What winter??!!!

From Victoria BC -- Glenda

[deltone]

Jackie, I WOULD trade the four seasons for Florida palm trees. I hate the cold and snow, but thankfully don't live in Newfoundland or the other maritime provinces where they get some brutal weather.

I hear parts of BC don't get a lot of snow, but LOTS of rain. I doubt I'd like that either. (I know, I'm hard to please. LOL)

[muminlaw]

"I hear parts of BC don't get a lot of snow, but LOTS of rain."

Well, I have to admit that today we're having a deluge of biblical proportions BUT, we badly need the rain. There wasn't a drop for 4 months and not much before that - our reservoirs were in dire straits! Once you develop your web feet, you don't even notice the rain -- it's like water off a ... well, you know.

The southern bit of Vancouver Island is in what they call a "rain shadow", meaning the rain clouds often just sail right over us and get stuck on the mountains around Vancouver. The result is that we get about 1/3 of the rain that parts of Vancouver gets. I can vouch for that! I used to live in one of those rain-belts!!

Glenda

[jaymor8]

Glenda - I didna know you were in BC. Ok now, this is nothing personal. I was in BC about 15 years ago and I hated the weather there. Now, I know that Quebec is no picnic either but here the seasons are the seasons. I went there in late June and it was cold. It was cloudy EVERY day until about 2 in the afternoon and it rained each day. I am positive that the natives are acclimated to it and don't even notice what I noticed.

I am jealous as heck that you have crocuses in February and tulips in March and so on. Those features tempt me but the inbetween temperatures I find hard to deal with. Having little to no snow is great too. So...I guess it's all subjective.

Jackie...

[muminlaw]

And no humidity .. don't forget the No Humidity! I've been in Quebec City when it was so hot and so humid, I felt like I was drowning. In fact, that was where I had my first ever attack of asthmatic bronchitis and ended up in a hospital emergency room with a doctor who spoke about 3 words of English. That was fun, until I finally convinced someone to let DH come in and interpret for us. Other than that, we loved Quebec City and have some very good friends there and in Montreal, but you can have your 4 seasons - I like 3 seasons: spring, summer and rainy.

Glenda

[jaymor8]

Oh you're so right about the humidity. I too was SO surrpised at how hot and humid it got here. I always imagined QC to be a cool place because it is on the river and close to the sea. I was wrong. Since I have been here, the summers have had some debilitating heat and it's hard to deal with that.

But, as you said too, QC is such a charming city and I am so glad that you liked it. Terrible that you had that expereince though, at the hospital. You would think that educated people would know at least a little of a second language. I hate that, too.

Jackie...