Many lost packages this year with Canada Post

[traposse]

Hi, for item that I ship with a value under 100 $ I usually choose to ship with Post Canada without tracking. The reason is if I ship with tracking the percentage of the shipping cost will be too high for the item value (14.60 $ and up to ship to Canada and 21.87 $ and up to ship to USA). 

In the past I was used to lose about 10% of my package. But last year was terribly worst and I've lost 35% of my package and this year I'm at over 50% of package lost with Post Canada. I was ok with the 10% of lost but more than half is really too much. 

For package over 100 $ I ship with Purolator and I have a tracking so I've only lost 2 packages (1 last year and 1 this year). 

I decided to stop listing new items with a value under 100 $ but was wondering if anyone else encoutered a high amount of lost packages with Post Canada? 

[snoopwiz]

From my experiences with Canada Post, I am going to go out on a limb and say your packages are not getting lost, not to that unbelievably high percentage, but, judging by the category you are selling in, some of your buyers, knowing there is no tracking/no proof from you the seller, are claiming they did not receive the package and in fact are blatantly lying/ripping you off. 

You really should consider shipping everything with tracking (in that category)   If the buyer wants the item, they will pay for the tracked shipping. 

[traposse]

For sure there's also people that received the package and then open a claim for unreceived item I know that. But with the percentage of lost package growing up I'm pretty sure some of those packages are really lost also.  I would be very curious to know which is the real % of lost though. 

As a buyer this year I also had more items lost then before. 

My solution was to stop listing "low value" items cause they are not rare enought for a buyer to choose me over a seller based in USA. Our shipping prices in Canada are not competitive at all vs USA so we have a strong disadvantage when it come to selling a product where the shipping cost is more than 10% of the item value. 

[needsmorerobots]

I will have to say no.

I use Canada Post for every shipment. Since August of last year I've had one lost package. It was an untracked air mail that was being shipped from Canada to Australia. It disappeared 2 months ago and hasn't been seen since.

[reallynicestamps]

No .

It's your customer demographic.

They are gamers?  While my gamer friends are pretty normal people, hard working ,honest and family oriented the basement dwelling, cheeo eating incel is definitely a fairly large part of the gamer community.

And they are horrible customers.

I sell stamps to collectors and for postage, sewing patterns, and SF/F books.  My losses are well below one percent of sales and I track almost nothing. partly because like you the value is too low, and partly because my customers actively enjoy reading and following the instructions. 

Do you have your Seller Preferences/ Buyer Requirements set to automatically Block deadbeats with UID Strikes?  That's one of the few Seller Protections we have.

And of course Cookie Jar Insurance.

[mcrlmn]

 In one month.... This new (21- Aug-20)  100% positive Canadian buyer claimed 4 items not received from 4 different Canadian sellers.

If this is a coincidence, it is truly a remarkable one.

None of us are so naive to accept that Canada Post has lost our mail.

I haven't dragged myself to call eBay requesting a negative removal, as I know it will probably be an exercise in futility.

Sorry, but bla-bla.

I note no changes to the feedback of the other sellers listed that I have been in contact with.

[motomike_canada]

Sounds like the best option might be to get better shipping rates. 

I have commercial accounts with Canada Post, FedEx, Purolator, and UPS. .  Canada Post rates are currently a lot better than the eBay discounted rates.

FedEx has a partnership with eBay as well, which you should still be able to use to open a new account.   I also use ChitChats for US shipments, and even though I don't have a local office, I send a box to the Pickering Ontario office every day.

I'm in Ottawa area, here are some example rates with commercial accounts:

FedEx to Montreal under 1lb is 10-11$ Toronto is $12, Winnipeg is $14

UPS to Eastern USA is between $9-14 and generally under $20 to Cali . some middle states are a bit higher. 

ChitChats is about $7 for tracked first class mail. sometimes less. I usually use them for anything under 1kg to usa, over 1kg is generally lquicker and cheaper with UPS. 

I gave up trying to rely solely on Canada Post, there's no way to compete with US sellers given the rates, delivery time, and lack of tracking on base services -- but they definitely have a place within Canada and internationally. 

[traposse]

Hey Mike, thanks you answered to my 2 questions today with interesting informations. Very appreciated.

[snoopwiz]

You may also want to look into Chit Chats (Montreal) rates for within Canada, as well as to the US as Mike had mentioned.  Very favourable inter-Canada rates, especially compared to Canada Post. Great rates to the States (for the most part)

Keep in mind for your U.S. shipments, Chit Chats and most other cross border type companies will not take packages valued at over $800 to the USA.  There may be one or so but, not any that immediately come to mind.  Hope this added info helps. 

[oldmotorcycleshop]

We ship 60 items a week on average, around 20% of them with Canada post (inc. tracking).  If I am correct we lost no more then 5 packages with Canadapost since the beginning of the year. 

[ricarmic]

In a way your world and mine are similar, except my buyers are a lot safer.

Thing's I've done that you may want to consider:

-especially for the higher priced stuff, add the tracked shipping to the price and make it free shipping item (this will increase your views)

-you are already grouping, see if there are ways to group more related items together to get the number high enough to warrant being able to sell with free shipping (which will be tracked shipping) included.

-if you aren't already, try the promoted listings for even 1%

[nostalgicaftertaste]

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@mcrlmn wrote:

I haven't dragged myself to call eBay requesting a negative removal, as I know it will probably be an exercise in futility.

Sorry, but bla-bla.

I note no changes to the feedback of the other sellers listed that I have been in contact with.

---

I would request a removal if I were you. I'd suggest making a case about the customer's public history. I'm laughing at the scathing comment one of the sellers left.

[travis7s]

I've also shipped 100s of untracked packages this year with only 1 loss instance (and that was a CC chargeback). Even 10% loss is insanity to me. I think you need to switch to 100% tracking because people are obviously scamming you for these cards.

In Canada, you can register a 100g letter for $11.75 flat rate.

For USA you can send a 100g Small Packet Air for around $7-8. Upload the "UR" tracking number into ebay, it usually works and eventually gives a delivery scan. If I have a more expensive item I will use Tracked Packet as this is guaranteed to scan and you get $100 insurance on it.

[mcrlmn]

"request a removal if I were you. I'd suggest making a case about the customer's public history"

Got it removed. Thanks for the push.
Back to 100%

[reallynicestamps]

For cards like these Registered LetterMail does seem like the best solution within Canada.

Registered does NOT continue tracking outside Canada any more, so don't use it for US sales.
But at that point your US Tracked Packet is not much more than Canada Registered LetterMail.

Also, you can reduce your costs by using discounted stamps purchased here  on eBay.

[nostalgicaftertaste]

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@mcrlmn wrote:

"request a removal if I were you. I'd suggest making a case about the customer's public history"

Got it removed. Thanks for the push.
Back to 100%

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I'm glad for you!

[valuestore]

Those numbers sound incredibly high, even 10% is very high.. in the past we always used untracked for overseas but stopped about 4/6 months ago due to covid related delays.  Better to provide stellar service to one country than provide junk service to 100 countries.  My advice live lean for awhile and stick to say 1 to  5 select commonwealth countries including your own.  If an item takes to long it increases the chance buyer will open a case, if you use surface overseas those odds increase even more, dont use surface, if you add on covid19 delays to the equation and that could become the disaster your describing.. if your at 50% ide be more concerned with seller performance numbers and defects at this point.. at 50% loss cant imagine be long as a seller.

[**klondikemike**]

Never. Within Canada. I sell low value items >$50. If I send to a questionable address outside of Canada or <$50, I would add insurance thru Shippo with Economy pricing.

[donkeykongvsbowser_7]

Why don’t you input tracking?

[shell4075]

Yes, I have ordered from ebay multiple times and dread when the seller chooses canada post instead of a much better delivery service, I have ordered the same item 4 times and canada post has lost the same item 4 times in a row.