Cheaper shipping in British Columbia?

[needsmorerobots]

I'm shipping a bunch of DVDs within British Columbia from Vancouver Island (Victoria). US post has their Media Mail but here in Canada, Canada Post seems to be the cheapest around. All the other courier services I checked are wildly expensive ($35 for a single DVD), is there someone I'm missing?

Thanks in advance.

[ypdc_dennis]

For Canada the cheapest is Canada Post oversize lettermail for regular thickness dvd cases (14mm thick).

It is one price for all addresses in Canada, but has no tracking or insurance. Maximum envelope thickness of 20mm.

For Canada (stamp rate):

100g or under ... $1.94 (plus sales tax)

101-200g ... $3.19 (plus sales tax)

Add tracking and insurance for $9.75 (plus sales tax) by upgrading to Registered Mail. For many parts of Canada Expedited parcel can be less expensive than Registered Mail, so only use if it really needs to be tracked.

I mail dvds in size 0 kraft bubble envelopes using stamps for the postage. I buy stamps on ebay at a discount to save even more on shipping. Some stamp sellers offer stamp combos that match price points (1.94/3.19). Avoid no-gum, off-paper and cancelled stamps (those are used). Look for discounts of 20% or more. "P" stamps currently have a "face" value of 92 cents (they may be worth more in January when Canada Post announces their next increase in postal rates).

United States

You can look for companies that will take items (for a small fee) across the border and mail them with USPS domestic rates. This is only useful if one is located near you. A popular one is ChitChats -- but you would need to go to the Vancouver area for dropoff, so probably not an option for you.

I use Canada Post oversize lettermail or Small Packet USA or Tracked Packet USA.

Lettermail is used on the looks-like-a-letter, feels-like-a-letter, is-a-letter method. Handprinted address with stamps in a paper bubble envelope.  $3.19 (100g), $5.57 (101-200g)

Labels for Packets can be bought on-line (tracked gets a big discount when bought on-line versus at the counter).  I use Small Packet USA for thicker items (>2cm) or when the weight will be bigger than 200g. I only use Tracked when it's a pricy dvd/blu-ray.  Weight break points are 100g, 250g, 500g, ... 2kg.

...

Make sure to get a free Canada Post Solutions for Small Business membership. This can give you discounts for parcels and packets. Plus this month Canada Post allows you to ship one Expedited Parcel in Canada free every Tuesday.

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/Canada-Post-free-Tuesday-shipping-October-2021/m-p/46784...

-;-

[femmefan1946]

Generally speaking the postal system is the cheapest, most efficient service available.
It is also international, due the the Universal Postal Union Treaty of 1874.

Unlike freight forwarders and couriers, Canada Post does not hand off their shipments to other companies.  For example, if you shipped by UPS to Rankin Inlet, the shipment would be delivered by Canada Post as a sub-contractor.

This may also be the time to talk about Cookie Jar Insurance.

This is simply the practice of putting part of your selling price aside to cover occasional Disputes including claims that an untracked item is Not Received.

If you get such a Dispute, with Cookie Jar Insurance, you skip the $9.75 Registration fee on dozens of shipment, and just pay the customer, unquestioned, from the insurance premiums in your virtual Cookie Jar.

100 shipments sent without tracking/registration= Money Saved $975.00

Refunding a bogus Not Received dispute on a $20 (price +shipping) = Money Lost $20.00*

*Actually less, since the DVD cost you less than what you charged for it.

[marnotom!]

I'm not sure if you're selling a "bunch of" single DVDs one at a time or if you're selling a "bunch of" DVDs in a single shipment, but I think the answer is going to be the same for you.  If you don't have a high volume account with a courier service, the least expensive option for you will be Canada Post as I don't think a consolidation service such as Chit Chats operates in Victoria at the moment.