eBay

westron123 · ‎07-21-2017

Went to mail 2 tiny padded envelopes to the US today and was told, as of today anything that is send in padded envelopes is small packets mailing, therefore doubling the cost.My postie said this just came down today, and he was surprised by it also. This basically doubles the price because before I could send a small padded envelope as regular mail. Now you have to fill out the form , so more time consuming too.

Has anyone else noticed this?

momcqueen · ‎07-21-2017

If that is the case, it is news to all of us.

momcqueen · ‎07-21-2017

Light Packet USA is still showing on the CPC website for available service options and rates.

momcqueen · ‎07-21-2017

It also shows me a service option and rate for International Light Packets to UK.

momcqueen · ‎07-21-2017

The only service announcement that I found was one about Shippo. https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/blogs/announcements/details.page?article=2017/07/20/ebay_sellers_ar...

westron123 · ‎07-21-2017

I wound up paying 6.84 each for 2 light packets, and they were very, very light. In the past(before today) ,they were 3.13 each, so more than double. I always go through the post office when mailing and told the postie he made a mistake and he said no, it just changed today, and workers had a meeting regarding the changes. In a way I really hole he did screw up, because this changes a lot for me , I usually sell small doll items. I just don't know

momcqueen · ‎07-21-2017

I would think a change as significant as wiping out a whole Service option would be announced at least in advance. Or at least publicly when it happened. Not secretly. I'll ask at my next trip.

momcqueen · ‎07-21-2017

Are you confusing USA lettermail with USA Light Packet? Lettermail is supposed to be documents, period. The postal corporations might be cracking down on that.

momcqueen · ‎07-21-2017

I think that's what's happened here.

westron123 · ‎07-21-2017

I agree and honestly hope this guy was just confused, because this seemed bizarre to me too that they would change without any warning too.

momcqueen · ‎07-21-2017

Small Packet and Light Packet fall under the 'Packet' designation even if the former ships in a box and the latter ships in a padded envelope.

It sounds like the post office was allowing goods to be mailed as lettermail which is really only for documents, and then stopped today. That's to be expected. It wasn't ever supposed to be allowed.

westron123 · ‎07-21-2017

Could be, maybe the meeting they had was for them only ,because they have been doing it wrong! Thanks for your help.

momcqueen · ‎07-21-2017

From what I've read here, most postal outlets were letting items slide through as lettermail. But I don't know that padded envelopes were ever supposed to go as lettermail. Lettermail is supposed to be a thin, plain envelope. It's the one that fits the tiniest of slots in that mailer board.

higgswtop12 · ‎07-21-2017

"Lettermail is supposed to be a thin, plain envelope. It's the one that fits the tiniest of slots in that mailer board."

No..."letter mail" includes oversize letter mail up to 2 cm thick. I is supposed to be paper only...but that often can not be verified by the postal clerks. There is no reason a photograph could not be sent in a bubble envelope or a dvd mailer as far as I know.

momcqueen · ‎07-21-2017

You're confusing domestic lettermail with international.

pjcdn2005 · ‎07-22-2017

@mjwl2006 wrote:
You're confusing domestic lettermail with international.

There is no rule as far as I know about padded envelopes not being used for oversize international lettermail. The dimensions for domestic lettermail and international letter post are the same. As the other poster mentioned international is supposed to be for documents but that hasn't been enforced on a regular basis.

It's surprising though that the original poster's post office doesn't sound like they were aware of the document rule.

reallynicestamps · ‎07-22-2017

and they were very, very light.

That is less important than the thickness.

Are your packets more than 2cm thick?

I always go through the post office when mailing and told the postie he made a mistake and he said no, it just changed today, and workers had a meeting regarding the changes.

Look here for the truth

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

I suspect that the PO you use (Post Office or Postal Outlet?) has been told they were being lax about the 2cm restriction and that they must be stricter.

Get out the tape measure.

In the short run, instead of passing your packages over the counter, if they really are 2cm or less, drop them in the nearest postbox.

westron123 · ‎07-22-2017

It's not just this one postal outlet that charged lettermail rates on my light and thin padded envelopes, all the ones I used did the same thing. As far as thickness, they always tried it out on their plastic mail slot guide, and if it went through, I was always charged lettermail rate, if it didn't it went through as small packet. Sounds like this postal outlet got it's hand slapped for allowing it. I'm going to use other places next time and see if it happens again.

ypdc_dennis · ‎07-22-2017

What it sound like, since they aren't allowed to look inside, is a directive to treat padded envelopes as if they are non-document (light packet, small packet) and regular unpadded envelopes as documents (lettermail, oversize lettermail).

With the only way to send a padded envelope cross border as lettermail being to show that the contents are really documents before the envelope is sealed.

-..-

ypdc_dennis · ‎07-22-2017

@mjwl2006 wrote:
From what I've read here, most postal outlets were letting items slide through as lettermail. But I don't know that padded envelopes were ever supposed to go as lettermail. Lettermail is supposed to be a thin, plain envelope. It's the one that fits the tiniest of slots in that mailer board.

Actually, no. It's Lettermail (up to 5mm thick) and Oversize lettermail (up to 2cm thick).

to United States (stamp rate):

Up to 5mm thick, regular lettermail

001-030g .. 1.20
031-050g .. 1.80

Over 5mm up to 2cm, oversize lettermail
001-100g .. 2.95
101-200g .. 5.15
201-500g .. 10.30

eBay's discounted Small Packet through Shippo beats the lettermail rate over 200g to USA

...

To the rest of the world (stamp rate):

Up to 5mm thick, regular lettermail

001-030g .. 2.50
031-050g .. 3.60

Over 5mm up to 2cm, oversize lettermail
001-100g .. 5.90
101-200g .. 10.30
201-500g .. 20.60

eBay's discounted Small Packet through Shippo beats the lettermail rates over 100g for Int'l