A Question for anyone using Chit Chat’s for mailing to the US.

[msmaggie060]

Thinking of trying mailing using Chit Chats. I'm thinking most of my items will be able to be mailed as "flats". I understand I can connect my eBay store to Chit Chats. Do I buy my shipping labels through Chit Chats or can I use my Pirate ship account? Which is the best to use?

Any other hints about using Chit Chat's are welcome! Thanks.

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

You sign up for an account on Chit Chats website. In the settings, you link your eBay store. When you have orders on eBay, you click the import shipments button on Chit Chats website and follow the instructions. After you import them, you fill out the customs info and size, and print the label directly on Chit Chats website. It will also fulfill the order on eBay (meaning, the tracking number will automatically be ported over).

From there, you have to drop off your orders at a Chit Chats facility. Or, you can arrange for a pickup directly through the Chit Chats website. It is done by Canpar, and usually costs about $15. Or, you can send a batch of orders to Chit Chats via a Canada Post parcel service. Meaning, you put all your Chit Chats labels in a box, and pay for a Canada Post shipping label to get it to the Chit Chats facility. 

[byto253]

@ilikehockeyjerseys summed it up nicely!   And just to confirm, you must buy labels through Chitchat.  Their fee is included in the cost and you cannot use labels you purchased yourself.  In the shipping options, there isn't an option for flats, but there is "thick envelope" which is usually a little cheaper than parcel.   I send a good number of packages that are about 30 x 23 cm and have used heights up to 6 CM without a problem.  

One thing to be wary of is the Economy Tracked option.  It is NOT the same service and for small items will only save a buck or so.  With the regular service the shipment is handed over to USPS as soon as it crosses the border and pretty well everything is delivered within 5 business days.   I have no qualms with listing and indicating standard shipping of 5-10 days.   

With the economy service, chitchats indicates the time as "4-10 estimated business days" which is optimistic, and if you use that for a listing estimate it is an INR invitation.  I would only use it with the "Outside of US economy shipping - 11 to 23 days".     Chitchat economy also does not provide point by point tracking and is more a confirmation of delivery.   This is because chitchat hands economy over to another middleman shipper who only hands it over to USPS in the destination state.  So your buyer is only seeing "Arrived Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item" until the last minute. 

 I used it once for a shipment to California - dropped off at chitchat on Jan 24, not accepted by USPS until  Feb. 18 and delivered on Feb. 19.   So 15 business days for delivery.   That is not crazy but I had listed as standard 5-10 days.   In this case USPS tracking showed that a company called International Bridge took the package from NY state to California... on a verry slow truck!!

I find the locations that economy shipping is offered to is pretty hit and miss and there is not full coverage.  That makes it a challenge to list with a plan to use the service.   Which is too bad, as for medium sized parcels that have a bit of weight the cost can be about half the regular chitchat weights.  For small and light packages it only saves a buck or so. 

If you want to use your own labels https://www.crossborderpickups.ca/   is good option in the GTA, though it may not be feasible for your location.   You use any USPS label you want and pay a small fee - $.75 for 5 pounds, $1.25 for 10 pounds, $3 for $20, etc. 

[canada_goose_whisperer]

That's a very helpful explanation of the economy-tracked shipping service. Thank you.

I will pay a few bucks more if it means it'll get there quicker for buyers.

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

I will second that, don't use economy tracked unless you give buyers a 25-40 day type delivery estimate.

In most cases, it isn't worth it. It's maybe $1 cheaper, and it will take much longer. The only time there will be savings is with very heavy packages.

If you are sending bubble mailers or flat cardboard, you're usually looking at an average of about $6 for something in the 100-200 gram range. That is based on me being in Ontario, sellers in other provinces might experience different rates. It usually takes about 4-6 days from when I drop off a package for it to get delived in the US, so it is very fast.

They do offer US First Class Lettermail rates as well. Which is $2 or so. You'd have to research whether your items qualify. I am unsure about the shipping time. I believe it is untracked.

[byto253]

"They do offer US First Class Lettermail rates as well. Which is $2 or so. You'd have to research whether your items qualify. I am unsure about the shipping time. I believe it is untracked."

Can confirm, it is untracked.  

[cottagewoman]

A few things to remember with chitChats-

1. You can't use anything but their labels. That means no FedEx, no UPS. As well no Media Mail if you sell books, DVDs, etc. And as far as I know no USPS Parcel Select which is now an affordable option (that changed this year).

2. Returns are expensive, take a long time.

So if you sell media, or larger items you are in a tough spot with chitChats.

[recped]

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@cottagewoman wrote:
A few things to remember with chitChats-

1. You can't use anything but their labels. That means no FedEx, no UPS. As well no Media Mail if you sell books, DVDs, etc. And as far as I know no USPS Parcel Select which is now an affordable option (that changed this year).

2. Returns are expensive, take a long time.

So if you sell media, or larger items you are in a tough spot with chitChats.

---

With all those restrictions I'm glad I switched to Stallion!

Even when I was using ChitChats it was only because I was "grandfathered" and allowed to use third-party postage labels and ship via MediaMail.

A couple of years ago ChitChats dumped their cheap International service and for a few months offered only USPS services for overseas. That was when I packed my bags!

I note that after a few months ChitChats did start to offer alternative International services again but my ship had already sailed (I otherwise was quite happy with their services and their locations were better for me).

An FYI for sellers not located near a ChitChats (or Stallion) location.

A seller I know has moved from the GTA. he ships mostly flat and very small packages. Once a week he puts all his order in a single box and sends them via Canada Post (rural area not many options) to Stallion (or ChitChats). Adds about 50 cents to a Dollar per item in costs and adds 1 - 2 days travel time but it's still faster and cheaper than sending directly to buyers using CP. He is fairly low volume seller so maybe 20 - 30 orders per week but they are all compact and light weight.

Example

20 items/packages in a box, $15 to ship to ChitChats/Stallion

Box sent on Monday, arrives Toronto Wednesday, handed over to USPS Thursday, delivered to close zones Saturday, farther zones Monday.

Buyers receive in 6 - 12 days anywhere in the USA.

If that is too slow and/or you have more volume you can ship more frequently than once per week and instead do a shipment every 4 or 5 days instead of 7.

[cottagewoman]

I have an alternative for chitChats in Montréal area - mailtoUSA. They move same day if dropped before 11:30am, they service ALL carriers. You buy your labels as you see fit. Give them a call (just Google mailtoUSA) I'm sure they'll be ready to work with Canada Post whipments to their Montreal location.

[byto253]

I see you can mail parcels to the drop off spot as well, and you can use media mail!   Similar to https://www.crossborderpickups.ca/ in Toronto.    Compensation for being in the big cities.

[cottagewoman]

The mail to warehouse option for mailtoUSA would be useful for those in the Ottawa region - costs would be lower given it's closer to Montreal than the GTA.

[snoopwiz]

A seller I know has moved from the GTA. he ships mostly flat and very small packages. Once a week he puts all his order in a single box and sends them via Canada Post (rural area not many options) to Stallion (or ChitChats). Adds about 50 cents to a Dollar per item in costs and adds 1 - 2 days travel time but it's still faster and cheaper than sending directly to buyers using CP. He is fairly low volume seller so maybe 20 - 30 orders per week but they are all compact and light weight.

You call HIM a seller?  🙂

[berniesval]

I sell through chitcat and use media mail.

[byto253]

Then you would be grandfathered inat your location if you are able to send by USPS Media.  It is not an option that Chitchats provides any longer.  I did speak to a rep while doing a drop off and he indicated that there was some grandfathering of older accounts that had been using media mail and it was no available otherwise.  

I think that the grandfathering will be coming to an end before to long as well.