Canada Post Mailing Issue - Please help me?

[koolthings06]

Hi I’m hoping someone can help me here.

I am a new seller on eBay and I just mailed out probably 15 or so bubble mailers. When I purchased these bubble mailers from the dollar store, they said that they were 9 by 6 inches on the packaging , so I did not think to measure them since Canada Post states that you can use a regular $1.07 stamp and that will cover a letter that is No larger than 9.6 by 6 inches wide.

However I ended up measuring one of these envelopes after I had already sent them and the measurements shown on the package are nothing like what they said . The dimensions were actually 9.4 inches by 7. So basically the width is 1 inch over.

My question is, what are the chances that any of these will go through and get delivered or are they all coming back as insufficient postage? I know they use automated machines to sort Lettermail but I’m just wondering how often they catch small things like this? It’s not incredibly over the size limit but like I said it’s 1 inch over in width.

Please let me know.

[collectorjack]

Your real issue is the thickness of your mail.  For regular lettermail, your mail must pass through a relatively narrow slot.  Bubble mailers will not pass through the slot.  Therefore your mail would be considered oversized lettermail with a minimum cost of $1.94.  So yes, your mail has insifficient postage.  Oversized mail that doesn't pass through the slots requires hand sorting and diligent post office employees should notice the insufficient postage and return the item to you.  So I would predict that many of your items will be returned.

[koolthings06]

Hi Jack 

Actually they were able to fit it through the narrow slot because I only had one very thin card inside of the envelopes so they were able to squeeze it through the narrow slot. They checked that specifically. 

Would this help my situation at all? at this point the only thing I can see is my width is off by an inch. 

[collectorjack]

Then they should go through the mail system automatically.  You should be able to find smaller bubble mailers for your cards.  

[koolthings06]

Hi Jack

I hope so. I know I have them in top loaders and they’re taped to the centre of the envelopes so that they can’t move around so they definitely won’t get damaged at least. I’m really good for making sure it’s sufficiently packaged but yes I’d like to find smaller ones. These were 2 for $1.25 so it was hard to beat.

[reallynicestamps]

If your packages are LetterMail and you don't need any further work (more stamps, registration, customs declaration, etc) put them in the post box and don't bother the clerks.

The machines are about thickness. You can buy a plastic measure for that on eBay.

[fh991586]

The narrow slot is 5mm thick, so I really doubt that any bubble mailer would fit through it!

[koolthings06]

Yeah I mean they say you have 0.2 in of thickness allowed on the narrow slot, according to the CPC website.

The ones I sent off they were able to pull through the narrow slot. They didn’t just slide through mind you, they pulled them through but they also didn’t struggle to get them through.

Little bit of pulling but they went thru so they accepted them.. hopefully they’ll go.

[dinomitesales]

In the end it's really up to the folks processing it at the depot if they want to kick it back to you or not. Worst case scenario you'll see them back in your mailbox in a couple of days - usually the postage won't be cancelled (unless the hand cancelled it at the post office you dropped it off at) so you can just add the missing postage and send them off again.

They may not think it's worth the time to return them to you though in which case they should just get delivered as normal.

[recped]

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@koolthings06 wrote:

Hi Jack 

Actually they were able to fit it through the narrow slot because I only had one very thin card inside of the envelopes so they were able to squeeze it through the narrow slot. They checked that specifically. 

Would this help my situation at all? at this point the only thing I can see is my width is off by an inch. 

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The length/width are NOT the issue here.

I have never seen a bubble envelope that will fit through the standard Lettermail slot (Max 5mm) bubble envelope no matter what the length/width is. They will fit through the Oversize slot which is 25mm. Postage for an O/S Letter under 100g is $1.94.

I'd be very surprised if you didn't have at least some returned or delivered with postage due.

I recall getting one of these returned because I used 2 x P stamps plus a 10 cent stamp, the 10 cent fell off and the envelope was returned for insufficient postage. I learned to make sure that the self-adhesive P stamps overlapped the poor quality glue small denomination stamps.

\

lettermail for a single 92 cent stamp (1.07 with GST/HST). It's OVERSIZE and if under 100 grams requires $1.94 in postage.

[dinomitesales]

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@recped wrote:

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I recall getting one of these returned because I used 2 x P stamps plus a 10 cent stamp, the 10 cent fell off and the envelope was returned for insufficient postage. I learned to make sure that the self-adhesive P stamps overlapped the poor quality glue small denomination stamps.

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Huh, that's weird, that shouldn't have happened. Canada Post considers two P stamps to equal one Oversized Lettermail stamp ($1.94). All I ever put on my Oversized Letters (under 100 g) is two P stamps and have never had one returned (many hundreds of shipments).

[recped]

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@dinomitesales wrote:

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@recped wrote:

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I recall getting one of these returned because I used 2 x P stamps plus a 10 cent stamp, the 10 cent fell off and the envelope was returned for insufficient postage. I learned to make sure that the self-adhesive P stamps overlapped the poor quality glue small denomination stamps.

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Huh, that's weird, that shouldn't have happened. Canada Post considers two P stamps to equal one Oversized Lettermail stamp ($1.94). All I ever put on my Oversized Letters (under 100 g) is two P stamps and have never had one returned (many hundreds of shipments).

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No they don't! 2 x P = $1.84, you have to add 10 cent to get to $1.94

If you haven't had any returned or delivered postage due you have been lucky.

[intimewithmusic]

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@koolthings06 wrote:
Hi I’m hoping someone can help me here.

"I am a new seller on eBay and I just mailed out probably 15 or so bubble mailers. When I purchased these bubble mailers from the dollar store, they said that they were 9 by 6 inches on the packaging , so I did not think to measure them since Canada Post states that you can use a regular $1.07 stamp and that will cover a letter that is No larger than 9.6 by 6 inches wide.

However I ended up measuring one of these envelopes after I had already sent them and the measurements shown on the package are nothing like what they said . The dimensions were actually 9.4 inches by 7. So basically the width is 1 inch over."
------------------------------------------------
Hi. The packaging size noted was probably accurate. Usually the sizes marked  by the manufacturer refer to the inside measurments of the package. The outside can be whatever. This also applies to cardboard boxes.

It's helpful if you can stick to the same brand/size of packaging. If you use eBay templates you can pre-enter the outside dimensions to the form. then it comes up automatically when you list and you don't need to re-enter the size. 

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[dinomitesales]

It's not a publicly available piece of information. It's in Canada Post's internal Retail Operations Manual on underpaid/shortpaid postage. They are to accept two permanent stamps as equal to one oversized stamp. I'll take a photo of it next time I'm in.

Like I said, between myself and the hundreds of of customers I've told this to over the past 6 or so years, I've been responsible for thousands of Oversized Lettermail items going out with just two permanent stamps and have never had one (or heard of one) being returned for underpaid postage.

I'm assuming the person that returned your letter just wasn't aware of this.

Technically, you can send any Lettermail item with a deficit of up to ten cents and they're supposed to accept it. They allow up to 10 cents of leeway on underpaid postage. But I wouldn't do that on every Lettermail shipment nor do I make that piece of information available to the general public. But there is a specific line in Canada Post's documentation that allows two P stamps to equal a $1.94 stamp so I have no problem passing that information on to others.

[recped]

@dinomitesales 

If you can find that info in the internal documentation and post it here that would be great.

[reallynicestamps]

But there is a specific line in Canada Post's documentation that allows two P stamps to equal a $1.94 stamp so I have no problem passing that information on to others.

Weellll, eventually two P stamps will be worth more than $1.84, so there's that.

[regs43]

I did a test with an old Dollarama bubble mailer I have laying around and the Canada Post checker and it sorta fits. I have nothing in the envelope! However it doesent move unless I pull it with a bit of force lol! I personally wouldnt ever chance trying to send a bubble mailer as a 5mm slot item lol. I always send as oversized (1.94 and up).

[fh991586]

That was NEVER automatically the case: it just so happened that the $ amounts were related 2 to 1 at some time in the past, without this ratio being an official rule.  Permanent stamps are worth a precise amount of money (92 cents now, but it was less years earlier), and the Oversize letter is worth a different amount now.  Never getting your mail returned doesn't is was ok, simply that it went under the radar for X reason.  Your luck is going to run out someday...

[fh991586]

If the cheap bubble mailer gets throught a 5mm slot, then it's so thin that it basically offers no shock protection!  Only the plastic inside would be a plus value, adding more strentgh...
For you information, an enveloppe must go through unaided (totally by itself) to be ruled ok; pushing it makes it too big for this rate, according to Post Canada's rules.  It will get sorted as oversize in the automated sorting facility!

[dinomitesales]

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@fh991586 wrote:

That was NEVER automatically the case: it just so happened that the $ amounts were related 2 to 1 at some time in the past, without this ratio being an official rule.  Permanent stamps are worth a precise amount of money (92 cents now, but it was less years earlier), and the Oversize letter is worth a different amount now.  Never getting your mail returned doesn't is was ok, simply that it went under the radar for X reason.  Your luck is going to run out someday...

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So you're saying Canada Post's "Retail Operations Manual" is wrong"? lol. I mean I work tomorrow (Wednesday), I'll take a photo of it. Assuming I can get my car out as there's a blizzard going on right now in Winnipeg.

I'm not saying (2 x $0.92) = $1.94 outright. I'm saying that two Permanent stamps equal one Oversized Lettermail stamp. The values of said stamps don't matter. And I don't think there was ever a time when the value of two permanent stamps equalled exactly the value of an Oversized stamp. This is primarily a convenience thing because many people just buy books of permanent stamps, and if they have a slightly heavier/thicker letter this gives them an easy way to mail it out without having to go to a post office for a specific stamp.

Ever wonder why when the Lettermail rates change, the Oversized Lettermail rate is only ten cents more than the value of two Permanent stamps? It's for this reason because (as I stated above) Canada Post allows up to ten cents of leeway when dealing with shortpaid/underpaid letters.