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]

eightmilevintage

In my post about Chitchats I was talking explicitly about shipping to international destinations via USPS. Despite USPS rates structure for international shipments is about twice lower compare to Canada Post, its still much higher than shipping within US. So Chitchats prohibits you to print shipping labels via their Endicia software, when shipping items above 4lbs overseas via USPS, since for that weight only USPS Priority International and USPS Priority Express International methods are available, and of course Global Express.

Basically, they don't want to deal with customers when their higher weight international package is lost whether by USPS or Chitchats. Because USPS International indemnity value is calculated by weight, and usually doesn't cover full package value. When you buy extra insurance, whether via USPS or Endicia, it becomes payable only when there is at least one package scan along the delivery route. So in practice, if the package is lost and was never scanned, you get nothing, but bad customer feedback "Never shipped the item". :)

That's why Chitchats staff can get so picky, when it comes to printing international labels through their system. But there are some extra circumstances that may play into this, rude and aggressive staff like Raymond in their Markham office. Since he looks at every package docs, it translates into your shipment security, as this guy may simply keep removing your parcels from the stream after an argument, and you would blame Chitchats, and they would blame USPS, but in reality it may be bad staff actions resulting for you in money and customer losses.

[Former_Member]

Jacquie

I don't know how you can ship expensive vintage items by surface mail outside North America, since CP recently removed tracking service from Surface and Air Parcels to force you ship by Express. Its just money lost in 30% of shipments, since such parcels simply scream the customer to write "I never received the item", especially given 4-6 weeks delivery term for CP Surface International Parcels, which translates into 6 month Lost Item Trace and Insurance Claims processing by CP if its lost and was covered by insurance.

In many countries state post services set low prices to service all citizens regardless of income, and other private carriers must compete on price with the state post. In Canada private carriers set prices, which exceed actual delivery costs 10 times, and Canada Post simply copy these prices to their rate structure instead of setting rock bottom standards. CP claims "we offer competitive rates", but the difference is who sets the ground level for these rates - state post or private carriers. :)

[Former_Member]

eightmilevintage

I forget to add, another international option ChitChats seems to currently offer is direct international shipping from Canada via UK, not via USPS. Not sure what local channel they use for such shipments, but currently it offers tracking only to UK, and no tracking when forwarding to other countries after reaching UK from Canada. If they were offering tracking to other European countries, and the service is reliable & insured, it would be a viable option. But without tracking you're toast as a seller as per EBay & Paypal Buyer Protection, so again you can't ship anything valuable. :)

[TimeInFantasy]

eightmilevintage

I receive many packages from USPS to Canada daily and most of them are labelled "delivery with restriction" or "Restricted Delivery". Often this means that the recipient will need to sign to get the package. I was never charged extra $ at the door =)

I have a question about Chit Chat: Would you happen to know at what time the Chit Chat truck leave Mississauga or Toronto to bring the packages to US everyday? Would their trunk make it to the USPS post office before the cut off time of USPS for the day, or would the package dropped off today at chit chat considered as a package shipped on the next day by USPS?

Thanks a lot for your help!

[EightMileVintage]

Hi TimeinFantasy

Thanks for that info. I'm going to pass it along to the shopowner who was inquiring.

As far as I know, anything dropped off at CC gets put into the USPS system the next day. There has always been a one day delay for each item I've shipped, even when I've dropped off in the morning.

[Former_Member]

The CC truck from Mississauga goes only to Markham office each day at 4.30pm. The truck to Niagara or Rochester goes from Markham office at 5am each day except Sunday. So the truck definitely should make it to US Post Office before it's closed. BUT...

The packages are dropped at Bulk Drop Off location, they are not presented at retail counter. So if you printed your mailing label via Endicia in CC office, a Summary Sheet with a Bulk Acceptance Barcode is dropped with the parcels or given to a clerk at commercial counter. If you printed the labels at home, the parcels won't be scanned until they are sorted at the USPS sorting plant later, if of course you ship with a tracking number.

[Former_Member]

Hello,
I received a returned Light Packet going to Florida that said "NMR" on it next to the TO: Address. Any idea what this means?

[TigersandDragons]

It means No Mail Receptacle. They didn't have a mailbox, so there was no place to deliver their mail.

[cindylouwho2]

thanks, tigers! I didn't know that one

[TimeInFantasy]

Thanks a lot eightmilevintage and Sandy for your reply!

Belinda

[Former_Member]

Uggh, Paypal changed their Labels...I can no longer print on a sheet with two labels (8x11.5). It appears they have moved to a 4 label per sheet look? Anyone seen these yet?

I've got a SMA label in front of me with a barcode on the top and a QR code in the middle right and one underneathe it but to the left.

[Former_Member]

I guess my only issue is that I cannot use my labels on SMA :( Thinking of getting a DYMO label maker now.

[EightMileVintage]

Same thing happened the last time I printed one. Plus it printed the price right on the label.

[JacquieVintage]

Eightmile,
I'm not familiar with "restricted delivery" as a tracking note. Maybe if she checked it on the CP website it might say something different? She might have only checked it on USPS. It's worth a shot. Report back if you hear anything.

[JacquieVintage]

Sandy,

re: "I don't know how you can ship expensive vintage items by surface mail outside North America...."

I've been shipping items around the world since 2004, almost exclusively by Small Packet. Literally thousands of packages. I can count on one hand the problems I've had. Because my experience has been so good I see no valid business reason to ship more expensively with tracking (unless the customer requests it and is willing to pay for it). I assume the risk, which I perceive as being low anyway. I sold only on Ebay until 2010 and I know all the stories of how sellers get burned by false claims of "item not received" etc. My opinion is, a lot depends on who your customer base is and what kinds of things you sell. Some market areas are riskier than others by nature. For me, I've always had great buyers... honest and trustworthy. And I've always taken the honest, straightforward approach with them as well. For shipping outside North America, I always present the cheaper Surface Mail first (with a clear explanation of expected delivery time), then offer an upgrade to Airmail (explaining that there's no tracking), and quoting the Xpresspost rate to show the price comparison. Rarely, if ever, does the customer choose Xpresspost. On a few occasions I've chosen to send an item Xpresspost on my own, even though they chose Airmail, because it was a higher value item and I wanted to cover myself. In those cases, I paid for the difference myself as a business decision. Every seller has to weigh the pros and cons of adding tracking to their shipments.

[EightMileVintage]

That's a good idea, Jacquie. I'll pass it along to her. I asked at a post office I was at today and they didn't know what it was either.

[Former_Member]

Jacquie

I absolutely agree with you. Looking at your products at Etsy, your customer base is probably one of the most reliable. :) I can't say the same about mine, and it doesn't even depend on a particular age category, but on a combination of factors and buyer trends. One thing is certain, I can't ship most items without tracking.

But again, your items are probably never stolen in postal and customs streams to begin with. I can't say the same about mine either. ::)

[JacquieVintage]

Sandy,
Exactly! Someone should produce a chart to categorize the different types of customers by the level of shipping risk :) In general, people who "collect" any type of thing are usually the most reliable, in my opinion. They are experienced online shoppers who understand the struggles of small sellers.

[Former_Member]

Jacquie

That would be a highly challenging task. Besides, been experienced online shopper goes both ways: "understand struggles" and learn plenty of tricks on winning Buyer Protection cases. I guess high ticket electronic gadgets are one of the most risky mass demand categories.

[BlackBirdFabrics]

I posted about the same thing on the 18th Trish, no one posted back to me :(

[SaturdayMorningM]

Question, If I sell vintage doll clothes can they go as light packet? I'm assuming they can't go as over sized lettermail. Thank you!

[TigersandDragons]

Yes, Light Packet is for small objects (to USA and International), as long as the envelope isn't thicker than 2cm, .75 inches. Lettermail shipping to destinations outside Canada are only for paper items (photos, magazines, patterns, documents).

WITHIN Canada, you can ship the doll clothes (and other thin objects) by Lettermail,

[JacquieVintage]

Trish and Blackbird,
I personally don't print Small Packet labels from Paypal so I was hoping someone else would answer your question about the sizing issue. I know people have talked about how they reduce the size of the labels... maybe there's a way you could increase the size to fit your blank sheet?

[WestCoastModern]

I just printed a Light Packet label (US destination) through PayPal. It printed as a half page "Air Mail Small Packet" label on the upper half with the bottom half labeled "Light Packet" with the reference number and instructions. Same sizing as the Expedited labels, no shipping price displayed.

I haven't done many, but from what I can recall the price also does not display on Small Packet Surface International labels printed through PayPal. Can't remember the sizing.

Tracked Packet US or International labels via PayPal do display the price, which seems to be a residual problem stemming from PayPal's botched implementation of Tracked Packet earlier this year. They are a weird size, slightly bigger than 1/4 page. I have to fold them and put them sideways in the labelopes to fit.

I don't believe the Tracked Packet price displays if printed from the the Canada Post EST site, but the price is higher.

[RosellaResin]

We mail the vast majority of our packages via Small Packet air mail - printing out the labels via PayPal. Yes, they are quite a bit smaller now, but the good news is I haven't had any issues with packages arriving at their destination *knock on wood*.

Light packet labels are still the regular size, it just seems to be the small packet ones that have changed.