Canada Post removing US Small Packet Surface

[doglover550]

I didn't see this on a thread anywhere.

Canada Post is removing US Small Packet Surface. Also looks like they are removing $100.00 insurance off Air and adding Tracked Parcel instead.

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/assets/pdf/rates/parcels_changes_2013_en.pdf

No pricing yet.  Oh boy, lots of work ahead to change all my listings.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Hopefully the Tracked Service is reasonable. Lets cross our fingers.

On the positive side, we will now have the ability to post tracking numbers on items shipped thus making us elegible for TRS Plus status on .com.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Elegible should be Eligible

[cumos55]

Everything stays as is until January 14, 2013...

This day becomes the first day for everything new  for the rest of 2013 and beyond...

or until January 2014... 

Canada Post makes its changes in January of every year...

[wenrath]

So who wants to bet that eBay/Pal shipping will be updated with the changes and working correctly on January 14?

[toff3]

Thanks are due Doglover for spotting that notice of major changes to Parcel and Small Packet services. As usual, Canada Post issued no alert to their customers but buried the changes in the far recesses of their website. Reminds me of the implementation of the fuel surcharge in 2003 without a single word of warning.

Now comes the task of finding out exactly what the rates are for that Tracked Packet service. Judging by past experience, CP won't make it easy for us.

I smell a very large rat.

1) Will Tracked Packet have Delivery Confirmation or just tracking? Tracking alone is of no use to anyone, except as an indication of between what points a mail piece disappeared or was delayed.

2) Although Collectors was assured by CP that Tracked Packet will cost the same or just "a few cents more" than Small Packet, I don't believe this for one moment. I also do not believe that DC will be available routinely for Tracked Packets to International destinations. Not even the USPS offers that to their customers.

3) Why do we need Tracked Packet to USA? If a customer wants tracking and DC he can use Expedited Parcel-USA, an excellent, though expensive, service.

4) I am quite certain the number of claims for compensation for non-delivery of Small Packets is negligible and has not increased in recent times. In 12 years' trading on eBay I have lost not one SP to USA and only two to an International destination (Italy and France). As I keep saying (echoing Femme and others), the world's mail service works extremely well.

No, the only reason that comes to my mind for withdrawing the "free" $100 insurance coverage is that CP wants to introduce an additional service intended to increase their revenue. Just as they did with the absurd Light Packet service: higher rates for a physically identical mail piece transmitted by identical means (air).

Tom

[tobyshitzu]

When they want 1.95 to add insurance to a reg domestic parcel, its pretty obvious tracked packet isn't going to be just "a few cents more".  At 500gm it ill be more then expedited through paypal, the same as some featureless light packet ended up more then small packet

Its just a way to announce a small (more then double inflation) increase and hide the ~40% increase in small packet usa

[toff3]

Collectors,

About mailing tubes:

First off, you should stop using inches. Canada is officially metric and Canada Post rates are predicated on metric dimensions.

When it comes to mailing tubes to international destinations, Canada Post - God love 'em - limits you to two services, Surface Parcel and Xpresspost. I don't know what the CP rep was on to you about but you can mail tubes 61 cm (36 in) or 92 cm (72 in) long to Italy and Norway but it'll cost you an arm and a leg even for surface mail (don't even bother to check the Xpresspost rates). Just plug in the destination, dimensions in cm (width and height are the same) and weight in kilograms, and tick the mailing tube option in the Find-a-Rate calculator on the Canada Post website.

If you intend to mail a lot of tubes and you live close to the US border, you should seriously consider using the USPS, who allow you to send tubes First Class Mail International with no surcharge.

Tom

[toff3]

I forgot to mention that the "mailing tube option" consists of a $1.50 surcharge. There are no surcharges with the USPS (not for a tube nor for fuel).

Tom

[toff3]

And not to forget FCMI is an air service. You'll find that the US rates are about half Canada Post's surface rates.

Tom

[msmaggie060]

Am I correct in assuming that "tracked pkt." will need to be dropped off at the Post Office just like Expedited in order to be scanned?

[recped]

And not to forget FCMI is an air service. You'll find that the US rates are about half Canada Post's surface rates.

Tom

That will change in January. USPS FCMI rates are going UP....WAY UP (especially for under 1 pound).

Current 8oz rate to Canada $4.05

January rate 8oz to Canada $7.70

Current 1lb rate to Canada $5.75

January 1lb rate to Canada $9.50

[block36]

So what will be with our listings that have US Small Packet Surface as one of the shipping options?  Will it be just wiped out? Or intelligently replaced with Tracked Parcel?

Will eBay Canada be fast enough to do it before the due date?

[toff3]

Recped,

I'm not sure I can buy into your doom-and-gloom scenario.

Right now, a mailing tube 61 cm (24 in) long with a diameter of 5 cm (2 in) and weighing 454 g (16 oz) from Canada to Norway (or Italy) costs $37.41 by International Parcel - Surface.

The current USPS rate for this mail piece, sent First Class Mail International from USA to Norway, is $11.60. As far as I can tell, the price on January 27, when the new rates take effect, will be $16.75. Admittedly, that's quite a jump but still well less than half the current Canada Post surface rate, which doubtless will go up on January 14.

Tom

[pocomocomputing]

Am I correct in assuming that "tracked pkt." will need to be dropped off at the Post Office just like Expedited in order to be scanned?

If you want a first scan, an acceptance scan, other than the PayPal entry for the creation of a shipping label, then yes you have to go to the Post Office to have them scan it.

I generally do this for Expedited Parcel which I rarely use because I want the first scan for myself to know it is in the system. However, it is meaningless since only the delivery confirmation scan is useful for PayPal seller Protection.

Since Tracked Parcel has $100 insurance, then I would be more inclined to keep my old habits for Small Packet of just dropping the Tracked Packet into the corner mailbox. If it never is scanned, then Canada Post will consider it lost.

I do not think is is worth my time and gas money to go to the Post Office to get the item first scan.

The new Tracked Packet may mean Post Offices and Retail Post Offices will be working more because of sellers bringing their packages into for first scans???.

I may even use Small Packet Air without insurance and tracking instead of Tracked Packet for low value items. It depends on the loss rate which is now negligible. Just like Light Packet that I use now.

[bb_cool_stuff]

When do you think we will receive an announcement regarding the Tracking Option & Price Structure ? Lets hope it is before the second week in January.

I would think a lot of sellers would like to get a head start on the shipping option revisions.

[piterpater005]

block....I doubt that ebay will change anything in your listings.  Not much intelligence I'm afraid.  Be prepared to edit yourself.

I will miss the small packet surface mail US.  I used it a quite a lot. 

Those increases to USPS FCMI rates would have made small packet surface to the US look nearly reasonable (albeit somewhat slower).

[toff3]

Here's a link to the 2013 Canada Post rates for Business (Venture One) customers:

http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/prices/SBprices2013-e.pdf

Tom

[dutchman48]

So under 250 gms, it is double the small packet air cost to the US. Not really cheaper than expedited parcel US. Just another cash grab for an unnecessary service with a max of only !00.00 insurance. Who though this great feature up

[piterpater005]

That's a pretty large increase for shipping my former surface small packet US if I want to keep the insurance.  Big major ouch especially for very light weight items.  From $6 to $14.50 for under 250g.  Wow. 

[dutchman48]

light packet air with private insurance. More work but less than 1/2 the cost and not limited with insurance.