My order was not received , again and again and again....USA

[terence427427]

For the third time this month my posted items to the USA were not received. I only sell coins, mostly one at a time, very low price. These are coins mailed from Canada to the USA via canada post, envelop mail, so no tracking. l sandwich my coin between cardboard so hardly noticable. l am pretty sure its the US mail/customs intercepting them. Now l’m drastically cutting back on advertising here until this matter is resolved. I have three customers wanting their money back next couple days. anyone else with this issue?

[femmefan1946]

Cookie Jar Insurance.

 As you know, tracking low value items is not effective, our customers are not going to pay $12 (Tracked Packet USA to 100g) for a $5 item.

Or even for a $12 item.

One way to deal with the problem is not to make any listing that will sell under a given value. This may mean making Lots of several low cost items instead of selling them one by one.

Considering that PP has a non-returnable fee of 30 cents on each transaction they process, it is probably worth doing the math.

In my experience, the lowest profitable asking price is $10. Keep in mind that your labour is worth something. Here in BC, the minimum wage is 23 cents a minute. How many minutes does it take you to photograph, describe, and upload a listing?

Another is to include the cost of (tracked) shipping in the asking price and calling it Free Shipping.

Buyers love free shipping, and most are smart enough to realize that a $12 purchase with $12 in postage is the same as a $24 purchase with Free Shipping.

But Cookie Jar Insurance is probably the most useful.

This is just self-insurance, putting a small amount from each sale into a virtual Cookie Jar and using the fund to pay off the occasional failed transaction.

The industry standard in retail is apparently one percent failed transactions, which seems to include shoptheft.

If you are getting Disputes on more than one percent of your sales, you have a problem. Less than one percent is just business as usual.

[triber]

I am wondering if metal is being detected through the wrapping. I remember sending a book with a metal spiral and it was returned to me, I couldn't mail it by letter, had to go small package so that that there was a description saying there was a book with a metal spiral, so coins could be detected.

[brettjet38]

Actually, it is illegal to ship any "Merchandise" via International (including the USA) Lettermail.

All "Merchandise" must be "declared" and shipped with a customs deceleration.

Using Lettermail to ship merchandise, Seller beware...

[terence427427]

thanks, l was thinking along those lines myself, but my experience is most people here want to buy only one coin at a time and at a very low price, and almost nothing for postage & shipping. l wonder how sellers do with coins valued around $100 or more, not very well l think. l am a coin collector and buy coins with the money l make here, so constantly improving my collection. And not making any money at all for this reason. so very irritating these greedy meddling governments always trying to screw us over. 

[femmefan1946 · Accepted solution]

Do the math.

One coin value $100 vs 100 coins value $1.00

One PayPal non-refundable fee @30 cents vs 100 non-refundable fees @$30

PP percentage 2.9% (if all domestic sales) for either $2.90

Ten minutes per listing on $100 @ 23c a minute - $2.30

Ten minutes per listing on 100 listings- $230.00

Packing material (bubble envelope, stiffener) for $100 coin- $1.25

Packing material for 100 coins -$125.00

Postage for 100 coins at $1.27 each $127.00

Tracked postage for one $100 coin $15.47

I could go on.

But that's how to make more money on one sale than on dozens of sales.

Basically, it's too expensive to sell something cheap.

Yes people want them.

That's what the Fun Box at shows are for.

Some things are not meant for mail order.

Make up a lot with all your similar coins- like those six ha'pennies at under $2.00 each. List it at $19.95.

Even in you include shipping (parcel) in the asking price, and ask $29.95.

Would you be better off with fewer packing supplies, lower PP fees, less labour?

This will be useful if you don't already have it bookmarked. It should update for the new rates automatically.

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s1

[ypdc_dennis]

Some sales are not worth having.

Banning merchandise in lettermail between countries was approved by the UPU (Universal Postal Union) a couple of years ago. Enforcement has been spotty (partly due to cost of detection), but I could believe the USPS is putting more effort in to finding stuff (aimed primarily at China, but nabbing anybody).

For the USA ship as Small Packet USA.

If you manually enter the package bar code number into ebay, it will often be treated as if it was tracked by ebay (but is not on the Canada Post or USPS websites). 

Where to find the number

how it looks on ebay (when it works)

The fake Small Packet tracking based on reports only works (sometimes) for the USA, not the rest of the world. It looks like eBay has access to USPS scan data.

Labels printed through Shippo will get a small discount plus you can add third party insurance through Shippo for non-delivery .

2019 Canada Post rates: $7.32 (100g), $8.96 (250g), $11.75 (500g) ...

I declare coins as metal tokens (to reduce temptation).

Consider (if possible) making coin bundles to make shipping more attractive.

-..-

[maximus7001]

For between $8 and $10 cad we ship ups ground usa through netparcel up to 2 pounds (908 grams) for that price. Fully tracked, rather quick and comes with $100 insurance. Also it goes straight south by truck, not to Toronto/Chicago or Vancouver first. From Winnipeg it gets to Pembina ND by the next morning if we make the 5pm cutoff. Americans like ups, it makes them feel safe.

[femmefan1946]

Which would compare with the Canada Post 1000g Tracked Packet* rate at $19.69  or 500gr at $17.38.

Location would make a difference. Here on Vancouver Island, UPS still hauls everything to Vancouver for processing and reshipment.

Are those prices for one off shipments or does UPS require a contract with a minimum number of shipments annually?

Can UPS labels be printed at home through any of eBay's mailing partners?

*There may be discounts on Tracked Packets for sellers with Small Business Solutions cards. I usually use Expedited for my small products.

[maximus7001]

"Can UPS labels be printed at home through any of eBay's mailing partners?"

Netparcel is a paypal partner. These prices are exclusive to netparcel. Just recently ups went with just a single shipping label with qr code electronic customs data instead of needing triplicate customs forms attached to the back of the package.
Yes we print them ourselves with a regular printer.
You need to use chrome browser with netparcel.
Being on the island would probably only add a day.
Yes single shipments for 48 lower usa by surface only paid one at a time with paypal much like shippo. USA has $800 usd import exemption so its safe for the buyer up to that amount. Everywhere else has to go Canada Post.

[of-the-world]

I second that - material items shoved into envelope mail going across borders outside of Canada is technically a no-no. Regardless if it's metal or not. 
Yes they have metal detectors at all gates of mail traffic. Very easy for them to sort out.

They sort out organic materials with special lights that can scan through dense material (bio-flouresce)

Do your basic research to what is available to you when shipping. It says this very clearly

on the Canadapost website.  There were many great replies in this thread.