They being Canada Post?
CPO is mandated to at least cover their expenses and preferably to turn a profit, which they usually have since they became a Crown Corporation in 1981.
They don't have a monopoly- otherwise UPS and CanPar etc could not exist. Actually the difference in cost to mail a letter by Canada Post (92c to $5.47 depending on weight) and by courier is a pretty good arguement against privatisation. Canada Post is mandated to deliver everywhere in the country, which is why couriers subcontract to Canada Post for last mile delivery to rural and isolated addresses, while still charging their normal rates.
But I agree, there is no reason not to use the barcode for tracking.
The price difference of $4 is a killer to my mind. (Small Packet USA compared to Tracked Packet USA).
USPS has tracked packages for less domestically but their international tracked shipping is about the same,even without adjustment for currency exchange.
Using the cheapest USPS rate a one pound eight oz package from California to Ontario costs $22.10US while a Tracked Package costs $22.15Cdn.
And a large part of our problem as Canadian sellers is that our major market is the USA, while US sellers are basically oblivious to us.
I suppose this works in favour of Canadians when we sell domestically, since our shipping is no worse than the cost of buying from a US seller and there are few questions about import fees.
But shipping is the hardest part of mail order. The price is just the beginning of the problems.
