Canadians: Ask me about Canada Post and shipping - I work there!

[#1]

On top of my "real" job and my etsy shops, I also work part-time at a Canada Post outlet, for 4 years now. I'm very knowledgeable about all things related to shipping. I can be your resident expert! Ask away and I will do my best to answer clearly.

jackie ♥

Here's the original post from a forum thread I started before etsy did the shut-down to teams :( It describes CP's rate increases for 2011, which took effect on January 17th.

Like clockwork, Canada Post is raising their rates as of January 17th. I work at the post office part-time so I thought I would give my fellow Canadians a head's up. Here's a link to the complete list of new rates including all the price tables you could ever want (a very helpful sleep aid for insomniacs!).

http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/prices/ (click on the red "new prices" button)

I'm not sure how bad the increase is for domestic and US Expedited parcel rates, but here are the new Lettermail, Oversize Lettermail, Light Packet, and Small Packet rates.

Lettermail (max 24.5 X 15.6 X .5cm):
Canada >>
0.59 (0-30g)
1.03 (31-50g)
USA >>
1.03 (0-30g)
1.25 (31-50g)
International >>
1.75 (0-30g)
2.50 (31-50g)

Oversize Lettermail (max 38 X 27 X 2cm):
Canada >>
1.25 (0-100g)
2.06 (101-200g)
2.85 (201-300g)
3.25 (301-400g)
3.50 (401-500g)
USA >> (printed matter only)
2.06 (0-100g)
3.60 (101-200g)
7.20 (201-500g)
International >> (printed matter only)
4.10 (0-100g)
7.20 (101-200g)
14.40 (201-500g)

Light Packet (max 38 X 27 X 2cm):
USA >> 4% increase over 2010
2.36 (0-100g)
4.92 (101-250g)
7.91 (251-500g)
International >> 3.5% increase over 2010!
4.60 (0-100g)
9.25 (101-250g)
15.80 (251-500g)

Small Packet (max L + W + H = 90cm)
USA >> 7.5% increase over 2010!
Surface 5.85 (0-250g)
Airmail 7.46
Surface 8.35 (251-500g)
Airmail 9.90
Surface 12.41 (501g-1kg)
Airmail 15.36
International >> (rates vary according to the country.. please see zone and rate tables through the link above. Amounts below are for shipments to the United Kingdom, zone 02 - surface rates are 10% higher than 2010, airmail rates are 8% higher, except in the 1-2kg category)
Surface 6.54 (0-250g)
Airmail 8.53
Surface 8.95 (251-500g)
Airmail 17.06
Surface 15.02 (501g-1kg)
Airmail 33.45
Surface 21.07 (1-2kg)
Airmail 50.26

I don't know about you, but I am really bummed about this. Increases of 7 and 10% are really going to hurt!

Convo me if you have any questions.
(Posted at 2:55 am, January 3, 2011 EST)

[Former_Member]

Has anyone sent a parcel in the last 2 months to Australia by surface mail. I have a customer wondering when her parcel will arrive!
I swore I would never send another parcel to Australia by surface mail after all the problems at Christmas, parcels took 12 weeks to arrive. Australians are good buyers and no one is going to pay airmail prices for parcels weighing 500g and over.
I have 5 parcels in transit to Aust. and have heard from none of them

[JacquieVintage]

Elizabeth,
check this thread:

https://www.etsy.com/teams/7654/etsy-international/discuss/12522181/page/1/?post_id=177198674

[Former_Member]

Thanks Jacquie, it confirms my findings that up to 12 weeks is not unusual.

[JacquieVintage]

Information for Albertans affected by the flooding - where to pick up your mail:

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/aboutus/news/pr/2013/2013_flood_update.jsf?LOCALE=en

[cindylouwho2]

Thanks Jacquie! We are finally home today. Very thankful I don't have to do this!

[JacquieVintage]

Oh Cindy, that's great news! What a week you must have had. Did your home suffer any damage?

[cindylouwho2]

No, we are on the 5th floor, & far enough away that not even the basement parkade flooded. But we had no power for 7 days & were under mandatory evacuation.

[Former_Member]

I just printed a shipping lable from Paypal for an International parcel sent by surface. The lable has changed, now it looks like a copy of a CN22 customs slip with no big identifying item number. There is a bar code with a number underneath is this what i now use for insurance purposes?

[Decadence2Jewelry]

I ran into that yesterday when I printed off a Small Packet Airmail...its long & narrow and much smaller.
Messes with my printing system! I always pre-cut my labels in half and attach them to a sheet of paper so they only print on the top where the label is...the new labels go down past the bottom edge but if I print them in landscape and put my paper in backwards, it prints on the label.
what a pain...
Not to mention that the To address is very small now, I outline them in highlighter....

[Former_Member]

I am just wondering what to use as an id number for insurance. Just when we were getting used to the new postal rates and buying our own insurance now paypal messes us up. The label does have the bar code but I wonder if it can be scanned.
I think I will call the post office and ask.

[JacquieVintage]

Elizabeth,
The new barcode you're seeing on Paypal labels is an initiative by CP for internal sortation purposes only. I don't know if the number is unique to every single label. Maybe, maybe not? If there is no other identifying number, I would use it for 3rd party insurance purposes. It might be a good idea to send an email question to Insurepost about it. You should get a quick response. Let us know what they say if you do.

Here's an announcement from the CP website about the new barcodes:

"Beginning June 17, 2013, Small Packet – USA Air and Small Packet – International Air will contain barcodes. These are for Canada Post internal use only and do not provide tracking capability."

[JacquieVintage]

CHANGE TO DISCOUNT FOR ONLINE POSTAGE THROUGH EST

I saw this announcement today:

"Reduction in automation discount for electronic shipping
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Effective June 17, 2013, we are reducing the automation discount we offer to parcel services customers who use electronic shipping tools.

The program was launched in 2004 to help companies adopt electronic order processes. As most of our customers now use this option, we are lowering the original rate of incentive."

Note that they don't say how much the reduction is (so annoying!). If you remember, the extra discount for using EST was 3% (in addition to the 5% Venture One discount). I went to the Venture One page on CP's website and sure enough, it now says the extra discount is 2% not 3. However, in the footnote fine-print section at the bottom, it still says 3%.

I did a test in EST and it appears they haven't changed it yet... the discount is still coming up as 3%.

[TimeInFantasy]

I got the new bar code format when I printed my PayPal shipping labels too for "Small Packet - International Air" and "Small Packet - USA Air".

I wonder if this would affect whether or not the post office staff will be willing to stamp them.

[TimeInFantasy]

Along with this change, the "You created a shipping label with PayPal Shipping!" email that you get from PayPal for buying shipping label no longer possesses the item number for Small Packet.

[WestCoastModern]

Thanks for the update Jacquie. You said it - the rate increase is really annoying. CP just keeps chipping away at the discounts. I just hope PayPal shipping remains functional, what a mess it was earlier this year. I use EST only when PayPal doesn't work.

[Former_Member]

Dallas and others: I've recently opened my first claim with Insurepost.com and I sent a photo of a duplicate of my PayPal mailing label with the post office stamp.
Since I sent through International Air Small packet, there was no tracking but the claims rep said "the online affadavit" will be accepted.

I'm not sure that that means, but maybe that the rant I sent them about how Canada Post doesn't provide any tracking or status information for items with no tracking - actually works.

I'll update everyone as this process unfolds.

[WestCoastModern]

InsurePost may be referring to the "claim statement/affidavit form" that has to be signed by the recipient. I wasn't able to find the form on their website; maybe they will send it to you.

One drawback of third party insurers is that a successful claim relies on the cooperation of the buyer. Hopefully they will provide it.

[WestCoastModern]

Just found it:
http://www.insurepost.com/docs/InsurePost%20Claim%20Statement.pdf

[JacquieVintage]

Karli,
Thanks for letting us know about your claim! Not that I'm happy you've had to do one but we're all interested to see how the process works. I hope it gets settled quickly and in your favour :) Keep us posted.

WCM,
Thanks for posting the link!

[ELUCX]

hello! I was wondering if someone can shed me some light on Canadian seller using USPS shipping service. I have checked their postal rate and it is way cheaper than our Canada Post rate. Anything I need to know in particular...documents to fill out...thank you for your help! :)

[TigersandDragons]

Duyen, if you go to this site, it will help you find discussions in this very thread (which is very long) about our discussions about shipping - driving over the border and using USPS to ship.

http://sproutluv.com/noted/etsy-canada-post-shipping-superheroes-luv-and-the-etsy-discussion-thread-...

[Former_Member]

I have a question about the new shipping labels. It says on the instructions on the bottom that you have to drop them of at a Canada Post retail store. There is no mentioning of using a mailbox like on the old label.

Do I have to go to the PO now?

[aboundingtreasures]

Karli -- sorry you even have to file a claim but I am very interested to see how it goes for you!!

Hope it's as smooth as they claim on their website + in your favour :)

[ELUCX]

Oh thanks Tigeranddragons!

[Former_Member]

Ellen: I have just been dropping them off on a street mailbox when I don't need a PO stamp. Nothing has been sent back to me yet doing this *knock on wood.*

WestCoast: You are correct, the buyer had to fill out a form but it was really quite short, just their name, address, and amount of the sale.

My Insurepost claim is under review at the moment, all the documents sent in.
Pretty fast turnaround on the part of the adjuster. Quick emails back and forth with questions.

So far, I am pleased.
They have a list of all the documents that are pending and as you send each one, they update the claim status very quickly.
The buyer's affidavit is also listed so you can see when your buyer submits it.

I think when you tell the buyer they will receive a full refund, they are happy to co-operate with filling out a simple form.

Now let's see if I actually get my money back!