eBay Workshop with Canada Post: Thursday, August 25, 1:00-2:00 PM ET

[carly@ebay.com]

Please join us on Thursday, August 25, from 1-2 PM ET for a workshop with Canada Post. Kim from Canada Post will be here to answer all of your questions about Canada Post letterpost service and what the regulations are for using this type of service.

If you are not able to attend, you can leave your questions here in advance of the workshop and they will be answered during the workshop, and you can come back in and check the answers.

Hope you can join us!

Carly

[misterbeaver]

Technically speaking yes, since its plastic, but you forget, credit card companies issue cards domestically. Visa has HQ in every country they operate as well as the other CC providers, so they would always be sending cards domestically and thus be eligible for lettermail.

HOWEVER maybe if u joined a club or something and u lived in the USA and the club has to send u a membership card, well then they must send small packet

HOWEVER canda post is usually unfair and will probably allow commerical accounts to bypass the rule or they will look the other way or say soemthing stupid like "since it was mostly paper documentation with the card accompanying all the rules and regulations which are on paper it is accetpable, or something else stupid like that. But if we counter saying we include a paper invoice they will say no....we will never win with Canada Post.

According to CP rules, coins are not allowed to be sent lettermail because they might disrupt the automated machines. However many companies especially survey or related companies send a penny or a looney in there Advertising email or some other mass mail which Canada Post handles with one of those special admail accounts or whatever and they allow it, wether its USA or CAN, so its a big contradiction this whole lettermail policy. Pisses me off that they regulate us and send our stuff back but dont do it to commericial custys....

[cabbages.n.kings]

Kim, how can you reconcile a "no goods" in letter-post policy when the Canada Post Rates pamphlet T455161(05-01) states....."Letter-post items containing anything other than documents must be accompanied by a Customs label 43-074-076"??????

The dimensions & weights for "other letter-post" are such that complete paper content is impossible.

[loves_darts]

Hello,
I would like verification of a shipping rate using the "enforced" rate. If I mail a small bubble envelope 8"x4" to the USA containing dart shafts (aluminum) where the total weight is 20 grams I have to pay $3.95 plus taxes?

Thanks

[cabbages.n.kings]

Yes, love_darts, $3.95 & tx is what your Post Office will tell you if you ship Sept 19 or later. They may also suggest you pay $5.60 for Small Packet airmail which is more comparable to letter-post.

Something to consider is whether that kind of packaging will be adequate when it will go into the Small Packet bags with parcels to US that weight up to 1 kg OR if you are shipping to any other country the Small Packets can weigh up to 2 kg. Of course, in the case of sending Internationally your cost will be $6.95 for Small Packet airmail.

[dnc_ont]

How about this: I imagine using a bubble envelope to send say, photos, to the US, will no longer be allowed, since the bubbles are plastic, and not made of paper?

[nickm9999]

Kim, Canadapost NEEDS to add tracking number service to the current small packet service. Canadians are currently in a severe competetive disadvantage when selling to US based customers. Especially in light of the fact that most insurance/electronic fund transfer and other e-services are so heavily based on electronic tracking of packages via tracking numbers.

[kissmydisc2]

If this isn't yet another unjust moneygrab on behalf of CP I don't know what is! Suddenly we cannot ship "CDs" via letter mail on the sole alleged claim (as I understood it above) that customers try to file claims on lost/mishandled items (CDs)- etc? Whether an item is shipped via lettermail - or small parcel- the only issue at hand ought to be whether the item was insured or not. If it hasn't- no claim can be made- if insurance was in fact opted for by all means- a claim will stand. At present time- sending one CD to the USA costs me $2.90 Using small parcel I'll be paying nearly twice that. Considering the fact my business regularly spends between $4000 and $5000 a month on shipping CDs to our clients we now would be looking at an increase of several thousand dollars a month- for what? Will the extra $2000-3000 CP expects me to shell out provide me with better service? If I'm buying a car- and you expect me to pay an extra $3000 you'd better justify this increase by showing me substantial extras/benefits. Such is/will not be the case with Canada post. To those fortunate enough to live near the border- shipping from the USA is a tasty alternative. You'll spend HALF of what you'd spend using Canada Post- and your items will get there TWICE as fast.

If this were the claim of the common folk I'd see how CP representatives might have merit in refuting my claims. However- my business now operates out of the USA & Japan- we ship hundreds of CDs every month out of our Canadian branch- US branch- and our Tokyo branch. By comparison- a package I send to say- Winnipeg- from Tokyo- will in most cases arrive there much quicker than one originating from Toronto/Ont. Funny thing is- shipping it from Tokyo will still cost me less (approx 200 Yen- you do the conversion).

Bottom line is- if Canada Post thinks it can increase once again their prices without proving ANY benefit nor substantial evidence of "us getting more for the extra buck" it's in for a surprise. While the common folk will do the same thing it does when gas prices increase (complain- but do nothing to protest) by contrast- owners of businesses like mine- people who essentially define CP's bottom line- will utilize the same prudence they did in building their businesses of invest our hard earned money elsewhere. I have zero interest in paying more than I already do for a service inferior to that of most global postal networks. If the postal workers at the outlet I visit daily with bags of mail tell me one day soon I cannot send CDs via letterpost that will be the last time they received a fat debit payment from my company account for their services.

Sincerely
PJ
c/o KMD Canada

[synchronia]

Canada Post is killing small business in Canada. Although Canada Post may be able to rationalize the move, to me its just another hit in the pocket book. I've noted my annual cost of shipping/post going up approx. 20% since I started my on-line business. Argueably, a small percentage is due to rising fuel costs and inflation but a good chunk of it goes to increasing Canada Post's bottom line at the expense of my own. Last year CP took $8000+ - a good chunk of which I had to subsidize due to the fact customers were citing high postal fees as reasons for taking thier business elsewhere. As it stands CP only provides volume discounts if a business ships 50,000+. I think its time to give something back to the 1000's of small business owners who feather your brow and feed you grapes.

[shazam8057]

Oversize envelope to International costs $ 6.85. Same envelope using a tacking method would cost $ 30.00. How do U justify this?
On international services, there is nothing in between the above two services. To obtain a signature, the envelope would have to be sent using a tracking system in which case, I do not need the signature/ the costs are ridiculously high. If the package does not arrive, I am told by the Canada Post staff that unless there was a tracking number, claims cannot be entertained.
I guess you want best of both the worlds.
Shazam8057

[canadian_scale_rail]

I have been told by my mother in law who works at canada post that rates going up again in January. We need the pricing for parcel shipping as soon as available as often we don't get it until the rate change until the date of change. It is an impossible task two change thousands of listings overnight.

I do no understand why Canada post is so expensive when compared to USPS especially for international shipment. It would actually be cheaper for me to drive into the US mail items back into Canada if I were still living on the border. Also the cost to ship to the US is very high when one considers that most of the work is done on the US Side. It puts canadian sellers at a huge disadvantage when competing against US sellers. We have the most expensive system in the free world. I ship thousands of parcels a year and get no price break compared to the person sending a single item. Ebay has been a huge money maker for Canada Post and yet the rates keep going up. I am tired of explaining the high rates of canada post to customers who complain of the high shipping costs.

I use another id to sell 45 records and now with the enforcement of the regulations it will put that id out of business as neither the US or International buyers will pay small packet rates for a $2.99 item when US Sellers can ship for so much less.

[skminus]

If the content of a packet now dictates its shipping price, when will Canadapost introduce a 'media mail' service like the US, or bring back the 'book post' service they once had?

It's no good telling us that CP is unable to see into the parcels, and so has to charge one higher rate to be fair to all.

If they can differentiate between a leaflet in a padded envelope and a pin in a padded envelope, then they can apply the same standard to ALL printed matter and give us a cheap book rate.

[zeetoner]

Small Packets air
I realize that this is not really a forum for this... however.. I have found that it is taking up to 9-12 working days to ship by AIR small packets from Montreal to California... WHY so LONG?

It is inexcusable to pay so much more for shipping and a small package takes so LONG to get to US..

I have been noticing more and more delays over the last 2-3 months and things have to get better...

Tracking or insurance would be a real advantage since everything is electronic in any case.

Yours truly
A very unhappy Canada Post customer who spends about 1500$ per month with you.

Can Miss Kim anwser that one...

Unfortunately if you are the only game in town it should at least be a top class service.. not a 2nd or 3rd rate service. This is Canada ... not Rwanda or Uganda and we sure as heck pay enough taxes... how about a bit of a better service... or at least ... some price breaks for small packets air mail!!!

Leon Seroussi
leon@zeetoner.com
X-(

[kissmydisc2]

One question for Kim if I may (and surely this is a question legions of Canadian business owners ask on a reguular basis)

Why do we- as Canadians- have to pay double that which Americans have to pay for the same service? One CD shipped to Toronto from Detroit- will cost me approx $1.20 US (sometimes a bit less) Yet- that same CD shipped from Toronto to Detroit- will cost me $2.90 CDN (approx $2.40 or so US- twice what the USPS would charge me)

I look around most Canadian postal offices- they do not look any fancier than most USPS outlets.

I notice the uniforms on CP workers- and compared to those of USPS workers- I see no cost-justifiable difference.

In fact- even considering the computerize systems they use in the USA to process our mail- theirs ironically are superior to the monochrome-display systems we use here (funny- you'd think considering they make half what you do- our system would be twice as advances as theirs!)

As is evident to all- that is not the case. Bottom line is- we are forced to pay twice what we'd have to in the USA (I understand a slight discrepency as is the case with gasoline- but TWICE what they have to pay? Unjusitifable- ESPECIALLY when considering we're not only not getting better service- we're not even getting the same service!)

I guess it comes down to the complacent/passive nature of Canadians. We'll complain- we'll post our thoughts on bulletins as this one- we'll mumble and grumble about gas prices and the increases of other goods but at the end of the day most will do zip- all but encouraging Canada Post (among other entities) to continue shafting us- increasing their premiums- post a few rhetorical comments on a public forum to silence a few- and go back to carrying on as they have been for years now.

Truth of the matter is- regardless of what we say here folks- the only change in OUR favor can/will be brought forth if we cease to speak and begin to act. If Canada Post will forbid businesses like mine to send CDs via letter post (at an already unjustifiable cost of $2.90 per CD to the USA) their action will in turn be reciprocated on the part of my business (moving the bulk of our business abroad).

We can talk all we want as we do about gasoline costs- but nothing will change unless we put our words and concerns into action.


PJ

[ideastore]

We ship out at least 200 packages a day with Canada Post. I honestly have to say it is the most horrible, yet economical service on this planet.

We have at least 2% of small packet packages which go missing. Although they are insured for $100, Canada Post will NOT honor the claim, because we do such a large volume and this would amount to about 20 claims a week. We have been fighting with them for over 8 months, without any luck.

Have any of you used the great Canada Post / Ebay Powerseller branded flexipacks for shipping (free of cost)? I thought they were great. I thought, wow, finally, a step in the right direction. It was great while it lasted. 2 months later, they were discontinued.

From what I have read in this discussion forum, sellers are right. Canada Post needs to come up with a good, traceable, affordable service to the US and International. This would reduce the number of claims and would make everything simply for everyone. They do have a service, EXPEDITED USA which has tracking, but it only shows when they item left and when it is delivered. Nothing is between. No scans. So this is worthless.

Canada Post needs to look at the wonderful things USPS is doing. It only helps all of us in the end.

[medicine-river]

Hello Kim,

Why has Canada Post not teamed up with E-bay for some sort of online postage and rates?

Also why is it so expensive for me to send within Canada.
It costs me more to send something 15 minutes from my town than it is to send to England??

Thanks,
Angela

[mp40oli]

Here's a problem I encountered several months back. I deal with WW2 memorabilia. My items come from Europe and are shipped in 20kg boxes. My last shipment had several replica grenades in it for resale to my collector and reenactment cliental. Canada Post had seized the box and contents claiming it contained hazardous materials and promptly had it destroyed. Even the Toronto bomb squads report clearly stated ---THEY WHERE PLASTIC REPLICAS---What next , squirt guns?? The Gentleman at Canada Post head office told me that they violated policy and because any packages which contained explosive materials, or firearms could not be shipped and needed a special licensed permit via a private courier. Talking to him was like trying to reason with a bag of bricks.
I am still trying to figure out who was in the wrong, me shipping replicas which any one can purchase freely without restrictions or Canada Post for destroying my items which in my opinion violated no rules. To add insult to injury, a valuable WW2 painting in the box had its glass smashed out of the frame, with damaged the painting and littered the entire contents of the box with shards of glass.
Is shipping further replicas into Canada going to be a problem or was this just someones bad judgement call?

[thelema!]

I recently started to ship with OBC, and I'm curious...there are some things which are not supposed to be placed into mailbox for shipment..such as international trackable shipments, usa expediated, usa expresspost (not prepaid of course)... and possibly a few more.

of course, to me, and most people, the whole point of OBC is to avoid going to post office, and yet it seems on these shipments, I still need to take it down there. or so it says on the printout of the label, underlined style!

needless to say, it'd greatly improve things for me if I could just drop it all off into the mailbox next to my house. so my question is...what will happen if I do? will package be rejected, sent back to me, shipping fees all lost...will they take it anyway as if it was taken to post office by me? if they will accept it, will they do so everytime, or just on the sunny days? I can't take chances obviously. to me it seems okay to put into mailbox. maybe they'll say "oh, but this is trackable with insurance so you have/its better if you bring it to post office".. to which I say "all expresspost/expediated sent within canada is insured/trackable too, and yet it all goes into mailbox when I send it". any comments?

I'm also curious about another thing...
I've been sending CDs for a long time, regular plastic case, of course over the 5mm lettermail limit... and yet each time I take it to post office, the clerk charges me as if it was under 5mm. when I send it myself, I always put the 1.70$ (they all go USA)... have been overpaying all this time?

I also see some talk about rule changes for lettermail and letterpost. can someone clarify what the term letterpost means? its non existent on canadapost website... they only talk about lettermail. I am hearing nothing other than paper (so CDs would be excluded) will be possible to ship via lettermail.

kind regards.

[kissmydisc2]

I noticed the post above regarding packets taking so long to California- 9-12 days- this is the generally expected ETA for most small parcels/lettermail as experienced by my company as well.

I do hope that in addressing this concern Kim will not insult are intelligence by citing 9-11 or increased border security when parcels enter the USA.

You see- mail my company (and loads of it at that) ships from Tokyo to a wide range of addresses throughout the USA generally takes 3-6 days (I'm serious- check my eBay feedback for our Tokyo branch and compare the date of item being bought vs the date feedback is posted to our profile). Now- if holdups at the border were the reason- wouldn't this affect ALL mail coming into the USA - or - will we be led to believe that the US Customs agents somehow see Canada as a greater threat to national security as various nations throughout Asia / Europe / Africa- etc? Bottom line is- once the smoke clears- Canada Post is the only kid on the block- has virtually zero competition (the only alternatives for us within Canada are expensive couriers) hence there is zero pressure for change or reform. They'll answer our questions with rhetoric- they'll appear concerned- but later today- and next week- and the following month- you'll still be paying more for less- and the only thing both they- and I- can promise you- is that sooner than later- the already questionable service we're getting- will cost you even more.

PJ

[tobjaikai]

I am a seller that mails scrapbook items. I have also worked for Canada Post for 3 years. I understand the differences with 'letterpost' and such. I sell 12 x 12 paper and the shipping costs are considerably more expensive (particularily within Canada).. we go from an oversize letter (1.00) to atleast $6+ just to send a sheet of paper that exceeds the measurements on one end. I think that is silly. CP should adopt a 'lettermail' system as the us where there is maximum combined measurements/weight... because of this reason I have really bad sales rates on my scrapbook paper because it is so expensive to ship:(
Jaimee

[tobyshitzu]

I also see some talk about rule changes for lettermail and letterpost. can someone clarify what the term letterpost means?


Lettermail - domestic, no cahnges, no "paper only".

LetterPOST - same specifications(excluding recent "paper ony") as lettermail but international

letterMAIL and letterPOST are the terms always used on canadapost.ca, but often mixed up by their CSRs, and often used interchangeably by posters here.