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

[canadapost2]

This one is on VentureOne, our small business program.

Q: Are any plans in the works to increase the discounts available to Venture One and EST users or expand the services Venture One and EST discounts apply to?

A: We did increase the discount for shipping online from an extra 2% to an extra 3% last January. That is a total discount of 8% when added to the 5% VentureOne offers at the counter. Also looking at ways to expand services – just introduced Priority Courier prepaids in a VentureOne Value Pack last Fall.

thanks to: able-wizard1957cafiene

[eserafini]

Last time I sent an Xpresspost package to Oklahoma it took 40 some days to get there... very reliable service 😞

[islandchicks]

Hi Carly, Laird and Kim

This is the first time joining a discussion.

Rather disappointing to see that the number one topic on many member's minds (small packet within Canada) will not be given any consideration. It appears that it would be a simple service to offer and implement due to the fact that similar comparable services are already in place and it would, no doubt, result in increased revenues for CP.

[thebabysbasket]

Thank-you Kim for answering the question about the bar codes. I think the concern for most sellers is that we are not covered by the seller protection plan through paypal because there is no tracking on our small items. Xpresspost would be fine except that when you are selling items with a value of $10 or below buyers are not willing to pay the price it costs for Xpresspost or Expedited.

Is there anyway that something could be introduced so that there is something to cover us through paypal. Doesn't have to be a point by point trace, but a delivery confirmation # or something??

Thank-you for your time.

Cassandra 🙂

[laird@ebay.com]

Howdy,

How's everyone doing?

Kim will continue to answer your questions posted before the start of the workshop. But, feel free to jump in if you have your own questions or comments.

Thanks,
::Laird

[canadapost2]

You asked about better traking on Expedited Parcels to the US.

A; Expedited Parcel-USA is a low priced economy service. To add more tracking events would increase cost and result in a higher priced service. It has delivery confirmation at delivery now.

Thks to: ceel1986 techgamez

[maryo1961]

This is a PS to my previous question concerning Customs Stickers .. went to the post office yesterday and she said most people who use oversized lettermail don't bother to put on a customs sticker but she said I should because I ship metal objects and the metal detector would go off at the post office ... is this true? do you use metal detectors on all packages?

[islandchicks]

I have been told that CP offers prepaid envelopes for delivery within Canada that have no weight restriction. I send books and the last time I sent within Canada was told that, if the books fit in the envelope there was a flat fee for delivery. 😐

[chick2026]

I think my biggest concern is not being able to send a small book weighing less than 500 grams that meets all the guidlines for letter mail, but having to send it surface small packet. I thought paper was paper, and certainly a small craft book would qualify as paper.

[thebabysbasket]

I must say that I agree on the small packet service within Canada. I can't tell you how many customers I have lost because they are upset that I am charging $7+ to ship to them and I can ship the same thing for less to the US. It would no doubt result in more revenue for CP if Canadians were able to buy from each other without fear of super high shipping costs. I myself generally buy from the US rather than fellow Canadians because of the shipping costs. I would mush rather support my fellow Canadians, but simply can't afford to pay sometimes double the shipping for the same item.

Cassandra 🙂

[canadapost2]

This one is about insurance:

Q: All my paintings are shipped insured against damage or loss and I pay high fees for insurance. I recently had to submit a damage claim. Amazingly I've been told that Canada Post will cover the cost of the materials only and not the cost of the final sale.

A: As you are an e-Bay seller, customer service considers you to be a commercial customer. The rules around claims for insurance is to re-imburse the value of the item and not the sale price. I have also provided a link to our postal guide that has futher information on this: http://www.canadapost.ca/personal/tools/pg/manual/b08-E.asp

Thanks to:
os-box cafiene

[cabbages.n.kings]

Post 79 refers to improved training of retail staff - please also work on Customer Service Staff who give contradictory answers to the old question of content in Other Letter-post. Really how hard is it to understand the concept of Letter-post as opposed to Parcel-post???????

[chick2026]

I guess I should have qualified that question about letter mail. I should have said letter mail to the US.

[dnc_ont]

Expedited USA is NOT "low priced". Neither is the Small Packet service "low priced" compared to the options available from USPS to ship to Canada or Internationally.

[phoebescollectables]

You mentioned that Small Packets go at a low rate because of International Agreement.

If I ship a 3 KG box (that cubes at 7 KG) to the US I get charged by Canada Post the 7 KG price to deliver it to the US but Canada Post only pays the 3 KG price to deliver it within the US.

Why is it that Canada Post is making extra money on shipments like these.

[canadapost2]

Hi: eserafini (138 )

Last time I sent an Xpresspost package to Oklahoma it took 40 some days to get there... very reliable service

A: This sure doesn't sound like reliable service. There could be a number of reasons: customs, USPS service issue, - sometimes service failures happen, but our stats on our services overall have shown marked improvements.

We hear you.

Aplogies,

- Kim

[phoebescollectables]

RE: Insurance

I have read elsewhere that Canada Post was starting to pay claims based on selling price and not cost (sorry I don't remember where).

As it appears that Canada Post will only insure based on cost (which can be hard to prove), is it possible to have a cheaper rate on small packets and expedited without insurance so that we can buy full insurance elsewhere through a 3rd party.

Thanks

[canadapost2]

Hi islandchicks

We would love to offer a small packet service if we could make it viable. We have competitive rates on home delivery (lots of competitors have residential surcharges), but we have looked at it and can't see how we can make it work. We'll keep trying!!

- Kim

[princess_peach_2004]

Another thing is that different post office will tell you completely different things.

Last night for instance I gave a package to the girl at the Shoppers Drug Mart Counter... she weighs it and it comes up as weighing 800g (this is a 250g (ish) shirt in a padded envelope) so I ask her to weigh it again on the second scale and it comes up 328g (fine)

I ask her how much it will be to send to Vancouver (postal code was on the envelope) and she says $7.00 ish plus taxes (cant remember the exact amount) anyway so I give her $10 to pay, and she says I need to give her another 61c.

Last time I checked it wasn't that much for GST... then her computer froze and I just told her to forget about it. I went to the post office this morning - they weigh it and its 296g and he says I can send it by letter mail for half the price!

There really needs to be some changes particularly in francised type outlets.

[supergroovies]

Would you please comment on my earlier question regarding the changes to the letterpost regulations on the Canada Post website? The highlighted text now excludes items other than "paper or other material with the general characteristics of paper." from being sent in letterpost to US and international destinations:


Is Canada Post about to refuse items such as CDs, DVDs, small books, etc from being sent out of the country in letter post as your web-site and many postal clerks are suggesting?


Is this a new world standard, or will other countries continue to allow such items to be sent as letterpost?


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 )?