Raised Prices by Canadapost for parcels to USA

[waterships]

Is it just me or is anyone else absolutely incensed at the 100% increase in sending small parcels to the USA from Canada? The so-called *new* parcel service is going to cost a whole lot more than the small parcel used to cost. For me it used to run about $8.00 and now it is going to be around $15-$20! My customers are quite simply not going to pay that. and of course I now have no other option. I guess Canadapost cottoned on to this little money making scheme and want their cut.

eBay shame on you for using the wrong comparisons. This new service is replacing the small parcel service so you CANNOT compare it with Expedited which is a totally different service - that is just so wrong on so many levels.

I for one want to keep the existing service at a price my customers can afford. canadapost and eBay you have just priced me and my customers out of business. Thanks a bunch.

[surrealgirl1]

"toff3" If you are ok with an "occasional loss" that you are paying service for, Great for you. Obsessing? I hardly see how, shipping has been on many Sellers minds lately with these changes. I'm also giving my experience and opinion since we are all entitled to our own here...You do seem to express your opinion in a rather insult the poster kind of way though. I prefer my see both sides approach and views  as a Seller and a Buyer here. Btw, I also have every right to be in the business of selling by mail order and happen to be pretty good at it. It would be nice if your replies didn't include insults or rudeness since that doesn't seem to help anyone here really does it?

[toff3]

Surrealgirl,

I would be careful whom you accuse of insulting and rude behaviour. As you may have gathered, I am no fan of Canada Post but you are seriously maligning them when you charge them with providing "maybe get there" service.

Tom

[sunraycity_store]

I have already started using the new tracked packet service for shipments to the US and one to Australia. I few days later I noticed that the US shipment tracking (at the Canadapost website) stopped at the border, yet on USPS it had the remainder. Worse yet, the Australia order did not recognize the tracking. I was incensed consider I paid over $50 for tracking to Australia. The agent on the phone at Canada Post offered to fully refund my shipping costs as she said their were still issues with the new system.

[boredhousewife*123]

Well canada buyers might be coming back to buy on ebay.ca.. USPS just raised their rates today and they are atrocious for the International if you want to talk about 100 percent hike.. Canada USPS hike international, was severe for US to ship to Canada..Canada postal price look a hell of a lot better right now I am Canadian just got shoes shipped to me for under 14.00 at the time US greenback but now no way for me to buy from US sellers anymore.. Looking rough for the Canadians to buy online with US sellers anymore only way now is to go cross border shopping to get deals anymore.. 

[toff3]

Housewife,

USPS rates for a First-Class International package to Canada weighing 2 lbs (900 g) are US$16.15 (counter) and $14.54 (on-line), which compare very favourably with Canada Post Small Packet Air rates. For a 3 lb package rates are $21.75 and $19.58, not all that different from Expedited Parcel USA.

And of course there is no comparison between USPS and Canada Post rates for overseas parcels. US rates are waaaayyyy lower.

Tom 

[cumos55]

It looks like Canadian sellers will be focusing on a new reality

Sell Canada, and everything Canadian

and

the reality is that if someone from the US wants it.. really wants it ... they will pay the postage.

Why?  Because the probability of finding it south of the border, in the US,  is very low.

[pjcdn2005]

It looks like Canadian sellers will be focusing on a new reality

Sell Canada, and everything Canadian

and

the reality is that if someone from the US wants it.. really wants it ... they will pay the postage.

Why?  Because the probability of finding it south of the border, in the US,  is very low.

Really? Obviously your category is affected more than mine as your items are heavier however...my reality is that if I really want to sell to the U.S.and elsewhere, I use the postal service that will maximize my sales while still providing me with some comfort.

IE....small or light packet with self insurance or 3rd party insurance for light, more expensive items..

[i*m-still-here]

I don't know what the increases for CPO are, but I'm getting a feel foe the new USPS rates.

More often than not sellers grossly exaggerate increases etc., but for some reason I don't think they are this time.

What I'm hearing is that items shipped to me for $5 and under last week, are now taking a jump to $8-$10, and that's a huge increase if it's accurate.

Since, IMO, Canadian shipping charges have been measured against American charges,  perhaps there isn't that much to worry about?

[pocomocomputing]

From what I have read in the eBay.com USA forum Packaging & Shipping, the rates have doubled for First Class parcels that are very light in weight.  However, delivery confirmation is included in the service (called DELCON) for Canada now and for more countries later.

The new FCI seems to be like our new Tracked Packet services but at a lower cost. So while it is a large increase for current sellers using First Class International, sellers who refused to ship to Canada because of the lack of Delivery Confirmation may start selling to Canada.

The large increase in postal costs will make some items less attractive to sell internationally for USA sellers.

With all the changes to the USPS and Canada Post, I am wondering if Light Packet is doomed as well as Small Packet USA Air when Canada Post changes rates in Jan 2014. Will only DC services be left?

Meanwhile China can ship Internationally with Delivery Confirmation for very low costs.

[zoomrr69]

I used sm pt  US Air this morning..no problems...There new system was offline for Tracked Packets..

They got bugs to work out...

Seems like the posties are all confused... 

[cumos55]

Tracked Packet does not start for over the counter parcels until February 11...

So far it is commercial and on-line users only.

[i*m-still-here]

The large increase in postal costs will make some items less attractive to sell internationally for USA sellers.

I don't know why the item would be less attractive for US sellers to sell internationally.

Sellers simply increase shipping costs and that's been happening for the past few weeks.

The real issue is that the huge increase in postal costs are making tems less attractive for buyers to purchase.

(For example:  I just bought an item for $25 plus $5 shipping and the seller is asking for another $5 after the fact to cover the new postal rates.

Thing is:  I bought the item for $30 and I would not have bought it for $35.)

In time we may learn to get comfortable with the increases an accept them as the "New Normal," but certainly at first it will matter to Canadian buyers purchasing from the States.

Will it help Canadian sellers?

I doubt it.

Will it hurt eBay in general?

I think it will.

IMO the increases in postal rates coupled with other recent changes are really going to hurt ebay's international sales for a lot of items.

IMO the heart of ebay consists of US sellers selling to US buyers, and if those interactions remain stable the rest of us just don't matter that much to ebay.

Have to wonder what this will to do DSRs?

[lackofcustomerservice]

I ship 3-4 lbs at a time to the US and am now without any option under $20. I like the tracking but until I qualify for any sort of shipping discounts I am extremely unhappy with my shipping prices to the US.

Maybe the ridiculous 5% for Venture One customers could be increased considering?

[pocomocomputing]

I ship 3-4 lbs at a time to the US and am now without any option under $20. I like the tracking but until I qualify for any sort of shipping discounts I am extremely unhappy with my shipping prices to the US.

Maybe the ridiculous 5% for Venture One customers could be increased considering?

3-4 lbs is 1.36 to 1.8 kg so you could never use Small Packet USA since it is limited to 1 kg.

So you must be using Expedited Parcel USA. Use PayPal shipping labels and save 20-25% off regular rates for expedited Parcel USA at the post office. Better than your Venture one 5% discount.

[pjcdn2005]

until I qualify for any sort of shipping discounts

Unless something has changed, there are no qualifications for getting the discount when using Paypal shipping.

[hockey_card_corner]

Your not the only one incensed waterships.. 

Instead of offering more options, they take away the best option available for small items. Last I checked, there we're far more small to light packet item sellers on eBay vs the big box stuff. 

I used Small Packet Air on most small items valued between $100-$150 & Expedited on sales valued over $150..Most Small Packet Air packages we're costing around $8 & expedited around $15-$20 

The one thing that hurts most about the changes is the small packets now have zero coverage and cost about $3 more to ship. 

So we're basically paying $10-$12 for glorified lettermail. 

The Tracket Packet service should have replaced the Small Packet Air altogether with a price hike of $2-$3, which would have been acceptable for adding tracking capabilities for a small packet service. This would have benefited sellers & buyers greatly & also pleased eBay with their stupid top rated seller policies which apparently requires tracking..

Canning the Small Packet surface isn't a big deal, because very few use it anyway..Light Packet serves pretty much the same purpose most of the time on low value items.. so no biggie.

So what did Canada Post do to help Canadian sellers?

1. Removed Small Packet surface

2. Removed coverage from Small Packet Air

3. Increased pricing on Small Packet Air by 20-30%

4. Added the new Tracket packet ( Basically small packet air with tracking+insurance)

What would have been the smart thing for Canada Post to do?

1. Remove Small Packet surface

2. Add Tracking option to Small Packet Air for 20-30% increase

3. Introduced Tracket Packet for sellers with mid sized parcels

All 3 would have been crowd pleasing & good for both buyers/sellers

Instead now I'm forced to play Russian roulette with many of my packages or charge the $12-$20 for an expedited package.. This will not help sales at all, but Canada Post will still be around long after I'm gone.. 

Why? Well, I asked the guy at the post office if he was working hard today?, his reply " not since 1974"..  As long as CP is unionized & paying workers like that $30 an hr increases will keep coming & the service being offered will dwindle. 

Don't care who agrees or disagrees, but Canadians need to stand up to CROWN corporations a little more.. 

[durhamdeals]

RE CANADA POSTAL RATES:

Please view some information in my store!

Yes, I am paying for this listing! 

It has it's on Category!

Buyers need to know what we are up against, and how these rates are just insane!!

The Listing Number Is: 230931895274

I'll add comments there!!

[tobyshitzu]

Don't like what CP has been doing but your "listing" is nonsense.  No one "has to" use tracked packet, 99.9% of the time it would be completely foolish too.  There is no tax on any on of those intl rates. 

The only real change is the elimination of USA sm packet surface resulting in ~30% rate increases for those smart enough to have been using it.  But it seems most of the paranoid "have to use tracked packet' types weren't using surface USA anyway.  So all thats left is the same above inflation increases CP been doing for years

[pierrelebel]

There is a major problem with your listing.

You state 13% HST is added in Ontario to the cost of posrage for shipments to the USA and overseas,  That is incorrect.

There is no tax charged on postage for shipments leaving Canada when the postage is $5.00 or more.

That rule has been around since 1991 and has not changed.

[pjcdn2005]

I use to ship this Via Small Packet and the cost to ship it to the USA was $7.80 (There was no tracking, but it was insured)

This same item cannot be shipped this way anymore, because it is not insured.  If it gets lost, I have to replace it's Value Plus the shipping to my Buyer...SO..I can't use that Service.

I have no choice but to ship this  TRACKED PACKET, because there is a tracking number and it is automatically insured.

This Rate Is $16.03

Out of 1,000+ listings, you have less than 50 that are over $100 and approximately 900 listings that are under $30. Do you really need tracking or insurance for those items? How many do you lose?

Many  of your listings in the past and the majority of your listings now, seem to be shipped by lettermail within Canada and letterpost or light packet to other countries.Those services are not tracked or insured so I'm confused. How come in the past you were not shipping even the smaller items by small packet or expedited so that you would have those extras? You say above that you have no choice but to ship by tracked packet. How many tracked packet do you have listed now...it is available at the post office.

My point is that your Canada Post 'listing' isn't backed up by your current or previous listings as you were not always using tracked or insured services. So why are you saying that you are being made to use tracking and/or have insurance when you obviously are not doing so? Anyone who looks at your listings can see what I saw...don't you think that it makes all sellers look bad to not only complain in a listing but to give misinformation in the listing?

Sure it is frustrating that we have high postal prices..especially for items more than 2cm thick but we all are in the same boat and we have to find a way to work around it. I apologize if I sound harsh but sellers would be better off spending the time figuring out the best way to do things for their businesses rather than complaining about it.  I'm not speaking of you in particular...but of all sellers.

There are numerous posts on these boards that give suggestions on how to best work around the shipping cost in Canada. They aren't perfect suggestions and they will not work for everyone, but in my view, they are more useful than complaining.

Thanks for reading.