How do I set up a - SHIPPING POLICY - FOR COURIER SERVICE in Canada ?

[watermelonmemories2005]

Hi - I've spent an hour now browsing for answers -got side tracked too on many interesting answers to other questions -alas always no time for learning as listing takes sooo long for me.

So - I have some heavy items right now - CPR Manikins in a Suitcase - Can't figure how to set up a shipping policy for either Courier calculated / flat rates -- OR that I ship to USA & Canada - But Inquire for the rate !  ---I'd like to offer Greyhound express in Canada - rates differ by town -so how do I get around this - have them set as pick-up only right now with a sub-title saying " I ship ... but looking up the rates"  --- the only other option would have been to list as Free shipping with a caveat but I knew that, that would be trouble ++ --- I get messages when buying that say -Seller ships to you but hasn't set up a rate "  --definitely some are per Calculator Glitches but I think some are done that way on purpose in order to individualize rates ??

Any Suggestions ??  ---- I've educated myself tonight on overseas shipping and will pare down my ship to countries -but then that does limit my sales more... I've shipped craft kits to Russia many times without problems.... --  I can adjust all the Policies Monday when we all have to increase & change Policies for Can Posts annual Rate hike !!!!  Does anyone know if the New rates etc are posted yet ?? Been trying for days to get Can Post to answer on this - when they go live on Jan 15th -is too late for our sales that day......

Thank-you - Melanie -at 3am -yikes - burning the midnight listing oil !  

[momcqueen]

Shipping via Greyhound within Canada is a lovely idea but one the ebay Calculated Shipping calculator doesn't support. I asked recently about the reason ebay has only Canada Post on board with that and the answer I was given is that the other couriers or shipping partners weren't interested in supporting the technical needs for it. So, Canada Post it is.

That's not to say you cannot use flat-rate shipping to give shipping rates to your buyers for courier service. But that will be flat-rate and therefore the actual location of the buyer (other than their country of residence) will not apply. Meaning that the $40 estimate to ship from Winnipeg to Selkirk and the $120 estimate to ship from Winnipeg to Calgary (wild guesses, I really have zero idea) will have to be averaged into your flat-rate. That rate will be available to everyone within Canada regardless of your actual cost. This is the tricky bit with flat-rate shipping. You must price it high enough to not take a loss on one transaction that you won't gain on the next. Too high of a rate for postage and you turn everyone off, too low and you lose money every time. 

I'll tell you, for example, that many of my 'free' shipping items sell to people in northern or remote communities for whom postage costs me a lot more than postage to a major metropolitan area. Because it's a better deal for those remote or northern customers to not pay postage. Free shipping is similar to flat-rate in that it assumes an equal cost for every buyer (zero dollars) regardless of location, with the seller to make up the difference (it might cost me $11 or it might cost me $19). 

I use calculated shipping with Canada Post. There are other users who are better established to give you advice on the intricacies of using flat-rate postage on both ebay.ca and ebay.com so I hope they come around to this thread with advice too. 

[ypdc_dennis]

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@watermelonmemories2005 wrote:
--  I can adjust all the Policies Monday when we all have to increase & change Policies for Can Posts annual Rate hike !!!!  Does anyone know if the New rates etc are posted yet ?? Been trying for days to get Can Post to answer on this - when they go live on Jan 15th -is too late for our sales that day......

If you use calculated shipping the switch is automatic.

The 2018 Canada Post parcel changes thread:

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/Canada-Post-2018-parcel-changes/td-p/389691

All 4 levels of Solutions for Small Business sheets (each has different prices):
Level 1 ($0-$2499 annual shipping purchased excluding tax):
www.canadapost.ca/assets/pdf/smb/2018_Parcel_PriceGuide_SFSB_level_1-en.pdf
Level 2 ($2500-$4999 annual shipping purchased excluding tax):
www.canadapost.ca/assets/pdf/smb/2018_Parcel_PriceGuide_SFSB_level_2-en.pdf
Level 3 ($5000-$7999 annual shipping purchased excluding tax):
www.canadapost.ca/assets/pdf/smb/2018_Parcel_PriceGuide_SFSB_level_3-en.pdf
Level 4 ($7500+ in annual shipping purchased excluding tax):
www.canadapost.ca/assets/pdf/smb/2018_Parcel_PriceGuide_SFSB_level_4-en.pdf

...

[rose-dee · Accepted solution]

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@watermelonmemories2005 wrote:

So - I have some heavy items right now - CPR Manikins in a Suitcase - Can't figure how to set up a shipping policy for either Courier calculated / flat rates -- OR that I ship to USA & Canada

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I think the first questions are -- at what price are you planning to list these heavy items, and how large (and heavy) is the "suitcase".  The reason I ask is that I wonder if Expedited Parcel might not be workable?  What exactly are CPR mannequins? 

Also, Canada Post "Priority" (courier service) is supported in the eBay.ca listing form.  "Priority" is shockingly expensive, but if these items are listed at a high enough price, you may be able to justify that service in lieu of other couriers like FedEx, which would allow you to show it as a shipping option in the listing.   On a very high-priced item, part of the courier cost could be rolled into the listed price.  

Whether to use flat rate or calculated shipping is a personal choice, there are advantages to both, although eBay says that the majority of sellers use flat rate.  Using flat rate doesn't necessarily mean adjusting all your shipping costs every January when Canada Post raises its prices.  I generally leave my flat rates as they are from year to year (few of my items remain unsold for longer than a couple of years at most), and consider the "old" rates a courtesy subsidy to my buyers.  

Give us a few more details about these items and we may be able to be more specific in suggesting shipping options. 

[reallynicestamps]

It's the thing you practice CPR on.

Sorry about that.

Fun fact: If your customer is in a rural or isolated location, the courier is very likely to sub-contract delivery to Canada Post.

[momcqueen]

Oh my gosh. I thought you were speaking of railway mannequins, like store mannequins that modelled railway uniforms. 

[momcqueen]

Oh my gosh, the infant ones you have posted would give me a heart attack.

These are really heavier than 65 lbs? I thought that was the CPC threshold. 

[momcqueen]

Or is it the bulk that is the issue?

(I promise not to say 'oh my gosh' on this thread again.)

[watermelonmemories2005]

You Rock - Many Thanks - I have a lot of Flat Rate policies that used "Light Packet" which is now retired. I vacuum shrunk many knit hats/ scarves & Craft kits to less than 2cm in order to get this great rate; and added in $1.00 to cover the cost of the Vacuum rolls. So I am glad that light items to 100g can be larger now and will allow me more sales internationally, but I have to switch from Flat rate to Calculated. I also lose the edge that I had over many other sellers that charged Parcel rate on the same scarf etc that I could shrink and ship much cheaper! --- I still have -Lettermail -in Canada!
Hopefully the gain of volume will outweigh the loses. Melanie

[watermelonmemories2005]

Close - yes - the lovely hair and face are the same but mine have Full Torsos -life size to humans - (no arms or legs) --next month though I will try selling my Full Body ones that do have arms and legs too. Plus I have 2 infants up that are within weight to go Expedited Parcel. --ok the big suitcases are 74x28x41 cm and 25 pounds so 11.160 kg
much lighter than they felt lugging them up from the basement....

[watermelonmemories2005]

The adult faces come off for cleaning -then they look like the slasher from the Scream movies ! --just posted the weight and measurements - the big ones only 25 pounds - very surprised

[watermelonmemories2005]

I'll check out"Priority" - wasn't on my radar previous. would be simpler as fed-ex drivers don't come thru Trail, BC -you have to have a 3rd party p/up which can add 2 days - UPS picks up but it must be pre-paid etc on-line first --They do fetch good prices still in the USA which is where I had purchased them all from many moons ago -not many sales in Canada to go by...and the ship rate will be the deciding factor for sure . One only guy in Nanaimo I think, has a full body up for $250 plus $115.00 ish to ship to me .. I'd like to beat that...he doesn't say how he is shipping, or does and my memory is very very short - thank you

[watermelonmemories2005]

Last thought - so then I cannot set it up that NO rate/policy shows and have buyers msg for rates to them, then ?

[watermelonmemories2005 · Accepted solution]

Wow - I just entered the dimensions into Can Post and I stand amazed -I didn't think that they would handle something so large - Quoted $38.00 my rate to Toronto -so across canada via Expedited only. so all my stress and procrastinating has been for naught...
But I have learned many helpful things browsing around. I do have other pressing questions -so I'll try another one ! - I won't -accept a solution - for now -til I see any of you replies - or will replies still come through once a solution is checked ??
I could learn more stuff !

[momcqueen · Accepted solution]

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@watermelonmemories2005 wrote:
Last thought - so then I cannot set it up that NO rate/policy shows and have buyers msg for rates to them, then ?

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No, not really. 

If this item is within the range of weight and size that Canada Post can handle, use Calculated Shipping domestically and enter the actual size and weight of the items at the bottom of the Advanced Listing form.  That way, every buyer in Canada with a postal code will get an accurate postage cost displayed to them. 

[momcqueen]

I don't see the adult CPR dummy, so I picked Scary Baby and get what appears to me to be an accurate postage cost so it looks like you're all set with this. 

[momcqueen]

One final question for you. 

It looks to me at a glance that you're shipping Worldwide with no exclusions. 

Have you checked this product against import restrictions in other countries: it could be construed as a used medical device....?

Here is some light reading for you. https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/pgIntDest-e.asp?letter=R%C2%A0

I might cull your ship-to list. But then again, I don't really know, products such as this are not my area of expertise. 

[watermelonmemories2005]

Yes - I did notice a lot of caveats on the US listings -some saying you have to be an authorized trainer or such and some other things ...I was going to review these and copy some onto my listings - but maybe I should just ship to Canada on these ones - Ship fees to the US will probably put me out of competition anyway -
I do see the urgency now to take the time to make an exclusion list for ship to countries -so far I have been lucky -shipping to Romania and Kuwait etc without issues - however I am too small a seller to take many refund hits on lost packages.
--- IS THERE a Seller Suggestion list somewhere of countries to be concerned about ? -Or should I just copy from a large respected seller?
Thanks for all the detailed advice - I will hopefully post later a new ? about a case against currently - Ciao Melanie

[rose-dee]

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@watermelonmemories2005 wrote:
Yes - I did notice a lot of caveats on the US listings -some saying you have to be an authorized trainer or such and some other things ...I was going to review these and copy some onto my listings - but maybe I should just ship to Canada on these ones - Ship fees to the US will probably put me out of competition anyway -

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To be honest, unless you're an experienced dealer in these medical mannequins, I think I would stick to Canada only for the time being.  See how you do in Canada for the first few months, and in the meantime do your research on exporting these items to the U.S. before you actually list there.   You'll need to look up the U.S. border security/import site and pour over it to get the information you need (I'm sorry, I had the link at one point but can't find it at the moment). 

I would also suggest not shipping worldwide at all for the time being, for the same reason (among others).   Keep in mind that Expedited Parcel is only available to Canada and the U.S.  These items will be too big and heavy for Tracked Packet, so you'll be stuck with Xpresspost international, which is horrendously expensive for anything weighing more than a couple of kilos.   And the problem with international calculated shipping is that some points in the world will show an Xpresspost shipping rate that is probably going to be as much, if not more than, the selling price.  Hardly worth the trouble, at least to start out with. 

By the way, I'm glad to see that Expedited will do the trick -- I thought that might be the case, as I mentioned earlier.  Remember too that if you use Shippo for labels, you'll get a significant discount off the Canada Post rate (I'm not sure whether Paypal shipping is still offering comparable discounts, you'll have to check that).  If you haven't already done so, you'll need to sign up for the Canada Post  "Solutions for Small Business" account in order to get the Shippo discounts (they are higher than the SfSB discounts).  But the SfSB account will also mean small discounts off supplies and shipping if you ever need to use the Canada Post online shipping or counter services. 

[rose-dee]

Here's the U.S. Customs and Border Protection site you'll want to peruse: 

https://www.cbp.gov/