Avoiding Post office at this time

[triber]

I want to avoid going into the store that has my postal office in it if I can help it. I am planning on purchasing a bunch of stamps on my next visit for my letter mail so I have just drop them in the mailing box.

My question is about small package and tracked packages. Can I put them in the mailing box or do they need to be stamped? I know that the boxes are emptied but not taken into the store, so they won't be stamped.

[ypdc_dennis · Accepted solution]

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@triber wrote:

My question is about small package and tracked packages. Can I put them in the mailing box or do they need to be stamped? I know that the boxes are emptied but not taken into the store, so they won't be stamped.

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Tracking won't start until the package is scanned at the postal sorting centre for mail put in the Canada Post mail bins.  Small packet, tracked packet, regular and expedited parcel with labels can use the mail bins.

[msmaggie060]

Hi triber, hope you have better luck than I did trying to get stamps. Went to 2 post offices thinking I could buy some $5 and $1 stamps but they had none. Told me no one asks for them so they don’t keep any. I guess I can order some online from Canada Post.
Good luck and stay safe!

[triber]

Thanks so much, I prefer to do that.

[triber]

Thanks msmaggie, I guess I can get smaller denominations and just put lots on each envelope. I'll try to buy some next time I go to the post office, no sales at the moment anyway and changed to 4 day shipping.

[brettjet38]

I only go to the post office to pick up parcels or if the parcel will not fit the mailbox opening.

I generate all my labels at home and walk across the street to put them in the red box. Never had an issue. I buy stamps in bulk also for all letter mail items within Canada.

KEEP SAFE!

[femmefan1946]

Or buy them here:

eBay item number:

192735484286

Among other sellers.

[brettjet38]

...that reminds me I needed some stamps 😉

[kawartha-ephemera]

I'm not too keen on visiting the post office these days either. In January I purchased from CP online three sheets of definitives (22, 10 and 6) so as to add one of each to a permanent to make the US letterpost rate. I was surprised at the length of time it took CP to get those delivered, close to 2 weeks before they arrived. The order and delayed shipping confirmation process made me wonder if CP was printing those on demand.

[femmefan1946]

In the mail....

[msmaggie060]

Wow, eBay just emailed me some stamp listings and one was actually one that I can use! Bought it, although no saving other than the hst.

[tryubik-useonlyasdirected]

A note to folks on eBay.

After returning from the post office to drop of what is likely to be our last package for a while ("a while" hopefully a sooner duration than a later one) it was resoundingly clear our CPC workers are not all too pleased about handling general items from the public at large.

They are front line workers and an essential service. While this is a livelihood for many of us it is important that we do our part, if we can, to reduce the amount of non-essential contact for the time being (again hopefully in the shorter duration).

We have set our handling times to a delay that matches the government enforced warnings of our locality, province and country and informed our customers that all post is now on hold.

All our provinces are on emergency alert for a reason and I'm fairly certain it is not a reason any of us wish to become too closely acquainted. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@tryubik-useonlyasdirected 

Fortunately my local mail depot is rarely busy.  I basically drop on counter and am out of there. Very limited contact. I just feel a little uncomfortable dropping mail in the red bins when I can find one. In the last few years they've been disappearing at same rate as those phone boothy things that used to be all over the place and do you never know when they are going to be emptied. As for the bins, my stuff is either sensitive to drops(Always well packed), heavy or oversized and won't fit. The other concern is you may be dropping your parcel on top of someone elses or vice versa and possibly damaging their packages.

My takeaway....Because of this Covid-19 Canadapost (and other mail systems) have become even more of an essential service and everything possible needs to be done to keep them running as smoothly as it can with all the safety precautions necessary to keep all concerned safe and keep the mail moving.

-Lotz

[zee-chan-jpn-books]

I'm debating about ending all of my listings. I don't get that much sales anyway (a couple a month?) and with mail not being accepted in certain countries - that list will keep growing -

[mrdutch1001]

Although I am not listing on eBay right now, I am continuing as usual for my other selling venue where I am busy listing inventory. I do not actively promote shipping to anywhere outside of North America so am not concerned with the mailing process between Canada & USA.

[valuestore]

I was considering doing the same, but then I noticed there aren't any red mailboxes anymore.. where did they go.. on west coast. 

[ypdc_dennis]

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@valuestore wrote:

I was considering doing the same, but then I noticed there aren't any red mailboxes anymore.. where did they go.. on west coast. 

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This site claims to have Canada Post's mailbox locations: https://postboxmap.com/en

Canada Post has a find "deposit" locations which is a remarkably useless data dump.

Government suggestion box: https://open.canada.ca/en/suggested-datasets/mailbox-locations

-..-

[femmefan1946]

I guess all the red  mailboxes are here in Victoria BC.

There's one at the end of my block (in front of the Oak Bay Retirement Lodge), one two blocks away at a strip mall, and one two blocks further in front of the supermarket.

And another in front of the pharmacy/postal outlet on Oak Bay Avenue and yet another two blocks away from there in front of a strip of stores.

And one at the Estevan Village, another strip mall.

Oddly, downtown is harder.  I've only spotted two and one in front of the Post Office on Yates St and another in front of Monk Office which has a postal outlet.

And another in front of Staples. ..... I think there needs to be a fair bit of mailing done, so strip malls and commercial districts plus in front of PO's of either type.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@ypdc_dennis 

In my neck of the woods the website seems to overlook the ones in strip malls or are in front of postal outlets. Like the 7-11's & Shoppers Drug Marts. Only one according  to the website is  approximately 15 mins away.

-Lotz

Would you believe?