eBay Workshop with Canada Post: Friday, May 27, 1-2 PM ET

[carly@ebay.com]

Please join us on Friday May 27 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 and how you use the various services with your eBay business.

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

[thebabysbasket]

Thank-you Kim for answering my inquiry.

As for barcoding on items, try VentureOne online shipping with EST. All these come barcoded, and the small business Expedited rate offered is 5% lower than the Regular Parcel rate you would pay at the counter without VentureOne

I actually do use the EST and venture 1, but my buyers just aren't willing to pay $10+ for Expedited on a purchase that is often $5-$10. They would rather pay the small packet price (obviously) and for the most part they don't care about the tracking. But as I mentioned it is the seller protection plan that we aren't covered under and if the buyer files a claim and we can't prove shipping with a delivery confirmation # than the buyer usually will win the claim and get their money back. So it is really the seller who cares more about the tracking, so they are covered through the plan.

Cassandra 🙂

[neverendingmusic]

So this lettermail situation..you have got to be kidding me.. shipping one CD or shipping one Cassette has now just become impossible. I spend half my time now answering questions and trying to justify postal costs.

[stellasamoa]

Hello, Kim.

1) Is there a way to request green CN22s, Small Packet forms, airmail stickers, etc. directly through Canada Post. I like to have the forms filled-out before we go to the post office so as not to hold up the line. But some postal clerks are reluctant to give out supplies, or just refuse to do it.

2) Now that the Small Packet forms have "Small Packet" printed on them, do we still need to add those old "Small Packet" stickers?

Thanks in advance!

[cabbages.n.kings]

KIM - you can't have it both ways! You say in an earlier post that Canada Post rates are not content driven but then in another post you say that Letter-post is only for paper letters. Please look at the Customs Requirements at the bottom of your Canada Post Rate Brochure - """"Letter-post items containing anything other than documents must be accompanied by a Customs label 43-074-076 (CN22)"""" That's the little green one.

[islandchicks]

laurahowes - thanks so much for the info !! :-x

[maryo1961]

neverendingmusic ... sounds like we are both out of business. There is no way I can compete with other sellers in the US who can ship the same items for less than a $1 and now I have to pay over $5.00!!

[canadapost2]

There were some questions on turnaround time on delivery information:

Q: I have experienced my first lost LARGE package, the person assigned to my trace file is 3 provinces away?? I have been told that it will take 2 weeks for a reply to the trace, do you find this reasonable?

A; Here at Canada Post we have 3 call centres that handle claims – Fredericton, Ottawa, and Winnipeg. As for the turnaround time, customer service indicates that it really depends on the expected delivery time of the item – but a usual turnaround time is 3-5 days

Thanks to: zak-o-man

- Kim

[tobyshitzu]

A very top executive at CP recently answered the letterpost question saying use a CN22 on items other then documents. Go figure. Canada post Csrs are saying yes this week!

[canadapost2]

There were some questions on VentureOne discounts and bubblepacks:

A: Canada Post offers Xpresspost prepaids that would qualify for the VentureOne discount. You could try our VentureOne Value Packs that allow you to buy in advance (at a discount) and then they can be dropped in any mailbox.

thanks to: robocanada2004

- Kim

[neverendingmusic]

maryo - no kidding!. the shipping is more than double the amount of the product in some cases. I sure wouldn't personally buy something with that amount of shipping attached to it. As always a no win situation for the small business people.
And for interest sake, we ship vinyl as well and only ONCE in 3 1/2 years of shipping did we have a damaged item upon
delivery. Where was it delivered to: CANADA..postman folded the box in half..

[tobyshitzu]

Different question -

Every time one calls/emails a complaint, Canada post advises "someone will follow up"

Is there any intention for that to actually happen? IT NEVER does.

[supergroovies]

"Will Canada Post also now refuse to accept letterpost entering Canada from the US and International destinations which contains other than paper (ie: CDs or DVDs )?

"supergroovies: why would they do that as there are no restrictions on domestic lettermail?"





I'm not referring to domestic lettermail, I'm referring to letter post coming from and going to the US and rest of world? Apparantly, Canadian shippers will no longer be able to use this service to ship CDs, DVDs, books, or other small items which have been allowed, to date.

I want to know if shippers from other countries can continue use letterpost to ship such items to Canada and the rest of the world. Will we refuse such items in letterpost at the border?

[canadapost2]

We had some questions on EST being down:

Q: Why can't Canada Post simply put a page up on the EST that says "Down for maintenance"

A: We recognize your concern and are aware of this issue. We are taking measures to ensure that our systems runs reliably and efficiently at all times.

We want EST to run right, and peak times are a problem. We're on it.

Thanks to: dnc_ontcafiene,

- Kim

[carly@ebay.com]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for making this a very active workshop and for asking so many great questions for Kim.

Because, this is the first of a series of monthly workshops that Canada Post will be holding on the ebay discussion boards, Kim promises to become a super fast typer!

We know that you have a lot of great questions and we were not able to get to all of them in our short time today.

Kim will post answers to the remaining questions next week, so please check back for the answers.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Carly

[maryo1961]

neverendingmusic thanks for the laugh! I really needed that. I can't believe they folded it in half!!! LOL I guess it's back to flea markets and craft shows for me ... seeing as no one outside of Canada will be buying from me anymore. 90% of my customers are outside of Canada. Kim you are going to be losing a lot of business.

[thebabysbasket]

As to the letterpost issue, how will this be enforced? Many people just drop their lettermail in the red mailboxes on the streets. What's to stop them from putting their oversize lettermail that contains 'goods' in those boxes?

Cassandra 🙂

[canadapost2]

Q; Is Canada Post going to be more competetive to UPS and other guys?

A; Canada Post offers the VentureOne program for small business, and further commercial discounted rates for shipments over 750/year.

Thanks to: holoboss

- Kim

[chick2026]

because of postage we are getting things like "fee avoidance" claims as buyers feel we are gouging them for shipping to pad our eBay totals.

[dnc_ont]

Peak times? There have been numerous occasions that the EST was "broken" and providing blank labels for 3 days straight, Saturday, Sunday, and half of Monday. I didn't know 6:30am on a Sunday was a "peak time" for the EST...

[canadapost2]

We had some questions about our track and trace system. We really improved it, so I hope you will give it a try:

Q: Can we have tracking throughout instead of just delivery.

A; Canada Post has recently upgraded their tracking system and offers ‘real time’ events.

thanks to: otteropp

- Kim