Packages being returned, no longer able to go letter mail

[triber]

Canada Post is now returning craft booklets and paper sewing patterns that are sent letter mail saying that have to go package rate. For sellers selling low cost craft items, having to charge or pay for package rate now makes them far too expensive. Has anyone else had them returned? I am going to phone CP and see if I can see what is going on.

[recped]

Established in 1874, the Universal Postal Union (UPU), with its headquarters in the Swiss capital Berne, is the second oldest international organization worldwide.

With its 192 member countries, the UPU is the primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players. It helps to ensure a truly universal network of up-to-date products and services.

In this way, the organization fulfils an advisory, mediating and liaison role, and provides technical assistance where needed. It sets the rules for international mail exchanges and makes recommendations to stimulate growth in mail, parcel and financial services volumes and improve quality of service for customers.

https://www.upu.int/en/Universal-Postal-Union

[triber]

It was just a regular brown envelope, within the size limits. The address was just from my name and address, no stiffener. NO eBay branding, stamps used. The only thing on the envelope was the address of the buyer, it easily fitted through the postage slot on my Canada Post board.

[vintagenorth]

Triber, I'm still getting envelopes returned. I think anything mailed end of Jan.  and beginning of Feb. They are taking 2 to 3 weeks to get back to me. Nothing but paper patterns in them. At least they are not cancelling the postage now so I just have to pay the difference when re-mailing them. Sure wish there was a Chit-Chats drop off near me but nothing within a one hour drive for me.

[triber]

I hate to check my mail box every day. Have you had any craft books returned? I am in the process of increasing all my US craft items to small package rate. I don't think they will sell, but too risky to have to pay all that extra shipping on low cost items.

[vintagenorth]

@triber 

Yes, I have had craft pattern books returned. They were all in the larger #4 mbubble mailers. Have you had any sewing patterns in smaller envelopes/mailers returned?

[triber]

No, not yet, but I have been in hospital and had to put my store on vacation, so not much mailed, just waiting for the other shoe to drop!

[mrdutch1001]

I have never put my patterns,craft booklets in brown envelopes or bubble mailers, have always used poly mailers with lightweight cardboard inserted top & bottom of the item and I never make the  envelope look "business-like"...I use my fancy personal address labels, address the sender's name in color markers and apply stamps from my acquired stash of purchased decades old unused stamps. My items are generally taken directly to the postal counter at my local Shopper's DrugMart location where the head postal employee has been at the job for many years. (I have never had an envelope returned for not complying with the "documents" requirement) (was told several years ago by a couple of longtime postal employees that my envelope packages were classed as printed matter and were acceptavble and no customs form was needed> previously I had been applying the little green customs label))

Have heard nothing from my buyer of the last USA bound envelope and nothing has been returned as of yet, so will wait it out...

[mrdutch1001]

I also might add that for many years now, my online selling of patterns, craft booklets,etc. has been spread across several different selling sites and I am not selling a large qty from any given site - my total volume of sales is no where near what it was 8-10 years  ago...

I am not a large volume seller, not a medium volume seller, not even the small volume seller I once  could be classed as, but rather now as an infrequent/occasional seller at best and/or at most, I am sending out maybe 6-8 pattern/craft booklets,magazine items per MONTH >>>not the 10 or more pkgs per week of many sellers...

[triber]

Are the poly mailers you used the ones from eBay with their insignia?

[mrdutch1001]

no, not eBay logo...I refuse to use any  eBay or like-branded packaging products.

I purchased a large qty of various size poly envelopes many years ago, from a seller here on eBay.

[doc_scribe]

Thanks all! You've answered most of my own questions about this never-more-timely subject.

...except perhaps to note that even when an item 'technically' conforms to the physical dimesions and content definition for lettermail, my rule of thumb is that whenever a Buyer outside Canada gets charged U.S. State Sales Tax or International Value-Added Tax at checkout, then it automatically becomes  'exported product', and I wouldn't treat it as anything but. Which means I now track everything going outside of Canada, and will typically bundle up lower cost items to make that increased tracked shipping cost less onerous to Buyers.

Of course, every Seller's business model will differ. Although I still use Letter extra domestically, I take nothing for granted these days with International eCommerce...especially when tax has already been levied at point-of-sale.

[triber]

I think mailing with tracking is a great idea for higher priced items. If I am selling a craft book for $3.99 up to $5.99, $14.44 or $17.71 is just not workable.

[marnotom!]

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@mrdutch1001 wrote:

(I have never had an envelope returned for not complying with the "documents" requirement) (was told several years ago by a couple of longtime postal employees that my envelope packages were classed as printed matter and were acceptavble and no customs form was needed> previously I had been applying the little green customs label))

Have heard nothing from my buyer of the last USA bound envelope and nothing has been returned as of yet, so will wait it out...

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The thing is, "printed matter" and "documents" aren't necessarily the same thing, but I can't find an official Canada Post definition for the term.

[mrdutch1001]

Yes and I realize that>>there really needs to be clarification from Canada Post, that relays that precise information to ALL their postal employees so that they as well as their CP customers(us) are all on the same page with this...

[vintagenorth]

@mrdutch1001 

You said earlier that you had not had any lettermail returned to you. Has that changed? Are you shipping from Ontario or another province? Triber and I are both in Ontario, although in different cities, but our mail probably goes through the same sorting plant, probably Mississauga.

Just curious, is anyone else getting getting their oversize lettermail returned to them?

[triber]

vinatagenorth: I have been wondering the same thing. All my mail goes through Mississauga. I just don't know what to do with my store, I have increased postage on most of my sewing patterns and the heavier books. Some books are just 2-4 pages, so I hope they are not being returned. It's so hard to know what to do. I have put my store back off time away, but I know my sales will plummet with the higher postage, and I am going to be paying out of pocket expenses when packages are returned.

Another probem is because of the time taken to return the packages, the buyers will have very delayred delivery times.

[mrdutch1001]

as yet have had no lettermail returned...I am in Saskatchewan

[vintagenorth]

@triber @mrdutch1001 

Yes, it almost looks like it depends on the location or the person checking as to whether our items are returned or not. I'm not sure what to do, maybe just sell everything off at the price it is currently at and get rid of it or increase prices for shipping (but then nothing will sell). But no way am I moving to Saskatchewan - their roads are terrible! 😉

[needsmorerobots]

I'm in British Columbia on Vancouver Island and I've had no issues with lettermail as long as it's sent within Canada.

[mrdutch1001]

My reference to having no lettermail items returned was for USA bound, but also have had no within Canada pkgs returned.