Canada Post "Return to Sender" checkbox not present

[microprogrammers]

I have been an EBAY seller for 15 years now and every time an item is not received by the customer, the customer initiates a claim through ebay. 

I sell on other sites where the Canada post shipping is not integrated like it is on ebay, meaning you have to log in to the Canada Post website using your Canada Post account and ship the parcel from there.

Using the Canada Post website you are given a choice for non-delivery instructions, "return to sender" or "abandon item". I always select return to sender", and the item is always returned to me if for some reason the customer didn't pick up the item or there was another issue. Please see the attached picture.

Canada Post Website

Using ebay with the integrated Canada Post shipping (not going directly to Canada Post website), this option is not there.

So when an ebay user claims he/she didn't get the item I have no choice but to refund the customer or ebay will do it for me, and I don't have a choice in the matter. 

I am sending these items with small packet air international shipping without a tracking number because the tracking option would cost $50 or more for a $20 item.

Please don't suggest I ship using a tracking number because NOBODY will buy an item for $10 and pay $50 - $80 for shipping, I might as well close up shop now.

All I am looking for is for the parcel to be returned to me, since I am forced to refund the customer the cost of the item & the shipping cost.

This is never done because you can't specify return to sender while using ebay shipping (canada post, international small packet air)

Ebay gives a shipping discount more than Canada Post will give me if I use the Canada Post website directly so I would rather use the EBAY shiiping method if possible.

I thought of printing a label "if undeliverable, return to sender" and attaching it to the parcel.

Looking for any useful suggestions or advice.

[mrdutch1001]

"NOBODY will buy an item for $10 and pay $50 - $80 for shipping",

no, maybe not but I know for a fact that  they will buy a $ 4.75 item with 6.95 shipping...

it's all relative and it's best that we sellers let buyers make the decision as to how much they are willing to pay in TOTAL for an item.

[ricarmic]

I don't think it matters whether or not the boxes are ticked so to speak, over the years, I've have several RTS (return to sender) come back that were not tracked, so of course no boxes to tick (I'm a stamps on the box kinda guy, I don't use any of the labels options).

[pjcdn2005]

I don't think that it matters either. I've gotten back domestic and US mail that couldn't be delivered and have never checked off a return to sender box.

[pjcdn2005]

If you haven't checked eBay's price for tracked packet you might want to do that as it has really gone down for some places.

[marnotom!]

My recollection from the days when we had to smack CN22s on small packets is that there was no "return to sender" vs "abandon" boxes to check off.  Those were only on the parcel post options.  Have a looksee here.

My understanding is that small packets are still generally handled in the international letter post stream and will be treated the same way as a letter if undeliverable.

[recped]

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@microprogrammers wrote:

Please don't suggest I ship using a tracking number because NOBODY will buy an item for $10 and pay $50 - $80 for shipping, I might as well close up shop now.

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OK, I won't suggest that.......

What I will suggest since you are in Toronto is to switch to Stallion Express. For Overseas especially you can save a lot of money, if you want tracking as well then you will still save a little bit less than a lot. For shipments within Canada they can offer rates ranging from somewhat lower than Canada Post to MUCH lower than Canada Post.

https://ship.stallionexpress.ca/register/i1oZkN

[marnotom!]

Following up on my earlier post, this page from the Canada Post website states that small packets that are undeliverable due to an incorrect address or the recipient having moved are returned to the sender as a matter of course:

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/small-business/ship-internationally/compare-services/s...

International returns are generally a very low priority for the postal system and can sometimes take months to reach the original sender.

If you’re not seeing non-delivered items returned to you, consider the possibility of the item being truly lost or misdirected, as well as just being delayed in addition to possible malfeasance on the buyer’s part.

[byto253]

Question.  Has anyone ever been charged for the cost of returning a shipment?  The terms state that a return will be at a shipper's expense but with the few I have had I have never been charged. 

[pjcdn2005]

I haven't had tons of packages returned but I was only charged once by CP and that was years ago.  I don't remember what service it was or where it had been sent back from.

[reallynicestamps]

We've been selling by mail order since the 70s and have never been charged.

I know it's been that long because DH and I once had a discussion about it when an RTS charge was a plot point in an episode of Murder, She Wrote.

This includes a Priority International envelope, shipped to Moscow Idaho which went to Moscow Russia before returning to us.

[marnotom!]

I’ve only had a couple of packets returned and there was no charge on those. I think it’s only returned parcels that see a charge to the sender and the “return vs. abandon” option only applies to parcels because of that charge.