SURFACE IS NOW 10 WEEKS OR MORE !!!

[of-the-world]

I want to make very clear to all canadian ebay sellers the 'silent' rollout of

the new delivery times for SURFACE shipping.

Although it still says on Canada post website it takes 4-6 weeks for Surface

over the xmas holiday and this new year , all my surface items have been taking over 10 weeks.

One was 12 weeks ! And one guy who I shipped to in November hasn't received his item yet.

I confirmed this with my local post office a few days ago. They stated that yes it now takes 10 weeks or

more for Surface, as they were posted an internal memo.

This is very dicey - and really makes a good value not so good any more as people get very angry about waiting.

I make it very clear to my customers about the wait, and the problem is some forget and end up opening a case against me.

Some resolve it with communication and some even though they agree they still get fed up. 

So be cautious about Surface.   10 PLUS weeks overseas. 

[Anonymous]

For any sellers on eBay, it is NOT make sense to ship any item by Surface at any time.  I am sure that small packets air is a little more than Surface so why use Surface?

[pierrelebel]

I am not sure where you got your information about 4 to 6 week delivery overseas using surface at Christmas time.

Canada Post website clearly shows 8 to 12 weeks,

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/campaigns/holiday/pdf/holidayMailingDates_2014_en.pdf

In most instances it is not a good business model to offer "cheap" surface mail to overseas customers (some exceptions apply).  Many overseas buyers run out of patience before the parcel arrives and file a claim for non-receipt.

[mr.elmwood]

It has always been 8-12 weeks. That is what I have been using for the last 15 years.

If it absolutely, positively, doesn't have to get there, use surface. In 9500 sales, I have used surface once.

[cumos55]

Surface mail with tracking to Europe is 6 to 7 weeks... the parcel is in customs after 5 weeks...

Surface mail to Australia has always been 10 to 12 week.... and when buyers started filing.... Item Not Received .....after 6 weeks... I no longer shipped to the Southern Pacific.

Then came the difficult buyers in some European countries.

and finally no tracking beyond Montreal by Canada Post for some parcels..  that was last summer

and.....That is why...Today...  I ship only to Canada and the US......

[mr.elmwood]

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@cumos55 wrote:

Surface mail with tracking to Europe is 6 to 7 weeks... the parcel is in customs after 5 weeks...

Surface mail to Australia has always been 10 to 12 week.... and when buyers started filing.... Item Not Received .....after 6 weeks... I no longer shipped to the Southern Pacific.

Then came the difficult buyers in some European countries.

and finally no tracking beyond Montreal by Canada Post for some parcels..  that was last summer

and.....That is why...Today...  I ship only to Canada and the US......

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And because you do not have to or want to.

I have found that my out of North America business has dried up, so, I really do not care. I am making good money just on this continent, so, that is where I will focus my efforts.

[toff3]

Groove excitedly announces that surface parcels overseas don't arrive at their destination in 4 to 6 weeks as per the Canada Post estimate but in actuality can take a lot longer.

This is news?!

Those of us with experience of the mails have always known that the CP estimates for overseas surface mail (OSM) aren't worth a pinch of you-know-what, for the simple reason that CP have no firm idea of when an OSM item will actually leave Canadian shores, much less what happens to it once it's in transit (because it's out of their hands). Plus of course the greater the distance the mail has to travel by surface means, the longer it will take.

Honeybed is "sure" that small packets air cost little more than surface ones. He/she obviously hasn't checked CP's rates for Small Packets weighing more than 250g lately. Air rates are generally double surface rates, which themselves are not exactly bargain basement. 

As I keep repeating ad nauseam, reality forces Canadian sellers of heavier items (such as books) to use OSM for international buyers who refuse to pay CP's usurious air rates. There simply is no practical alternative. I emphasize 'practical' because the alternative the anti-OSM crowd comes up with is "some items are not worth selling" - which of course is nothing more than a cop-out.

The good news is that mail service worldwide is ultimately extremely reliable. Buyers - and sellers - need to be informed and be patient.

Tom

[pierrelebel]

I had you in mind when I wrote :  In most instances .... (some exceptions apply). 

[cumos55]

Selling to buyers  outside of Canada and the US was always a difficult,    frustrating,  and many times painful experience..

More so today than 5 and definitely  10 years ago

Is it possible that I now get greater exposure on eBay.com.... just because I limit my sales to Canadian and US buyers.

Perhaps......

But there may be other contributing factors....

But then if sales to US buyers are up... compared to last year ... 2014...  and definitely the year before... 2013....why not accept it as a new reality... for what ever reason...

Or is it an effect of the exchange rate, and  the fact my prices expressed  in US dollars have been reduced since the beginning of January ......  down for US buyers... but not quite for Canadian buyers...

[recped]

I have not really experienced ANY material difference is selling overseas today than I did 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago or 40 years ago.

Certainly it's MUCH easier than it was before the web and electronic payments.

And to stay on topic, last time I used Surface Mail was more than 10 years ago, back when Canada Post could probably fill a container for Europe in about a week. I expect it now takes a month or two to fill that container which just sits until it's reasonably full.

Fortunately when USPS eliminated all International surface mail the numbers of buyer asking for it pretty much went away.

[realjazz-123]

Hi: I was surprised to read that you ship only to US/Canada because your listings say Worldwide. Then I noticed that you say"Worldwide" but EXCLUDE all places except Canada/US. Very recently I decided to ship only to Canada/US but say that on my listings. May I ask you why you have chosen to say WORLDWIDE and then exclude rather than just say US?Canada. Is there any benefit that you can point. Thanks.

[cumos55]

I only changed my ....do not ship to options ..... recently.

and... every once in a while  I do get a question... about shipping outside of Canada and the US.

So I am ready... just in case...

All of the listings  show surface mail internationally... but if someone asks, I  will offer airmail  as a quicker delivery.

Otherwise it becomes... "Thanks for the interest"....

[realjazz-123]

Thanks for the interesting explanation, but I need to ask a  question for clarification. If I write I ship only to Canada/US, are my listings still seen all sites or is it necessary to say Worldwide.  I recently decided to ship only to Canada/US because cost of shipping to International sites has become too prohibitive. I ship only with tracking  and am too uncomfortable shipping some higher priced items without tracking. However, I would ship internationally if buyer agreed to pay , not  all, but a good portion of shipping. So I wonder if by saying Worldwide, the potential international buyers could still see my listing and contact me, whereas they cannot if I say Canada/US. Am I as clear as mud??

[mr.elmwood]

You have excluded countries. They can still see you, depending how they search. They will be excluded from bidding, buying, or contacting you if they try from their excluded country. Some folks, in excluded countries, have mail forwarders in the US. They can see your widgets as they use a US address. Shipping with tracking to countries outside the US or Canada is hideously expensive. Not all countries have reliable tracking. Some do not have it at all. If you insist on tracking, stick with the US and Canada.

[realjazz-123]

Your words "hideously expensive" for international tracking are spot on!!  I have often paid a large portion of the shipping costs to Asia, Europe, etc. With tracking in place, I can comfortably ship to these places, although not as comfortably as to US/Canada. While still 'risky', I feel more at ease. However, many international buyers will not pay enough toward these shipping costs and do not buy and I no longer feel I can subsidize this tracked shipping. Thus I have decided almost certainly to suffer far fewer sells to international buyers while gaining more peace of mind by selling only Canada./US. But I will ship tracked internationally if buyer will agree to pay enough. Hence my interest in wanting my listing seen internationally to those  willing. I am trying to find the best strategy of doing so.

[toff3]

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@cumos55 wrote:

Selling to buyers  outside of Canada and the US was always a difficult,    frustrating,  and many times painful experience..

Funny, my experience has been the exact opposite.

Tom

[recped]

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@toff3 wrote:

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@cumos55 wrote:

Selling to buyers  outside of Canada and the US was always a difficult,    frustrating,  and many times painful experience..

Funny, my experience has been the exact opposite.

Tom

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I've always found it easy and profitable!

[Anonymous]

What I mean is that small packets air is more cheaper at the length of the mail service comparing to the surface mail.  With surface mail, it is like paying 3-5 times due to length of mail service.

I have 2 potential buyers in France and Australia whining about the shipping cost that I am charging which is Tracked Packet and XpressPost and they want cheaper mail service.  I told them I no longer ship them to International countries without tracking number.

For your information the items they want are very valuable and at higher prices and there is on way I would ship them at cheaper mail service and without tracking number and insurance at any time.

They think that by charging "too high" (as they claimed) I am losing the potential buyers from International countries but it is not true because I do sold lots of items to the International countries all the time.   All of them are happy regardless.

[cumos55]

It used to scare me when someone in Germany bought a $20 book, that shipped to Germany for $40...

I did feel a lot better when it was a $75 or higher priced book , that shipped for that same $40.

My view of the ratio of shipping` to price  was a critical factor...  and... I suppose it might have been the same for the buyer

But then  I have had buyers in the Netherlands and Norway ask for airmail.... shipping ....  at close to $100  without question,  because that is what they wanted... quick delivery...  It was their choice and without any problem for me...  

One buyer did this three years in a row..., but they bought several books each time..

There are people out there that will ask for something... and they will pay airmail shipping by request

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I do remember a military history  book... about an Australian Medical Corps.... On eBay Australia it was at $140 US... I listed it at $95 with $40 surface mail... 

and when it was bought it was shipped tracked packet  at $65.... airmail delivery....Australian  buyer was very happy...

The price of this book allowed me to make adjustments depending on who bought it and where they lived....

Even with airmail it sold for good money.... and a good profit for me.

Many times  one has to recognize that selling can be a game.... A real or perceived reality.

[cumos55]

The emphasis on tracking on eBay,  and the high cost of tracking for international sales..... is forcing sellers to limit whether they choose to sell outside of Canada and the US.

and ... It depends on what one sells... and in turn the value of what  one sells.

Yet even with tracking... and the failure of Canada Post  to provide effective tracking for international parcels beyond Montreal ... ..  could have created many defects for me last summer..

Just because the parcel had tracking does not mean that a postal service cannot mess up....  and create a problem resulting in a defect.

and that is why international sales were dropped by me.... No more  sales outside of Canada and the US... no more defects.....

Unless ... the sale is by request of a buyer from a blocked country... and with a higher priced airmail delivery... putting me in control of the sale... and with agreement by the buyer on all aspects of the sale.  The listing is revised to provide airmail delivery, and allowing for an  international sale by request of the buyer.