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)

[TigersandDragons]

Angie - First of all take a good hard look at your packing. I used to ship vintage; thin glass, ceramics, and never had a shipment broken.
Are you double boxing? Filling up the space of the box? Putting buffers between the object and all sides of the box, such as small slabs of styrofoam?

- DON"T ever put fragile stickers on your shipments, that makes them a target for workers who will purposely be rough on them.

Second - take photos to prove how you are packaging your items.

Third - you can buy insurance from INSURE POST, unlike Canada Post it does cover breakage for glass and pottery. Approx $1.50 per $100 of coverage, you can read on their website which receiving countries they will insure to.

EightMile, I posted on page 2 of that thread, giving links to the Letter Manual. Seriously doubt that there has been any changes. Just the usual misinformation from uniformed and confused parties.

[NoNameCatVintage]

Thank you @tigersanddragons! That is very helpful. I have always been putting fragile on my packages and should probably double box more. It's so hard when you're trying to keep shipping costs from going crazy, but I suppose better than losing the whole thing!

[cindylouwho2]

Eight Mile Vintage, I know someone who was charged small packet to the US for light packet rates today, & was told that was the new rate. I paid light packet, however. Either CP is rolling out a massive change without warning, or a few post offices misread directives & people were charged the wrong rates.

[TigersandDragons]

EightMile - I think the problem started when the Etsian was looking at Etsy shipping rates, and then first spoke to someone at Etsy. Etsy doesn't offer labels for Oversize letter service.

Today my partner took some International orders to the post office. The employee at the counter miss-measured the thickness as 3cm and tried to charge Small Packet. When my partner told him it should be able to go Light Packet ("the next one down on the screen"), the guy started to argue, then checked via the "slot of doom". It easily fit.

[TigersandDragons]

Angie - I have a couple of other shipping tips, if you don't want to double box.
-Make a bottom level - put a layer of styrofoam peanuts on the bottom of your box, then a piece of cardboard that fits perfectly inside the box dimensions.

-Make a top layer - cut corrugated cardboard into narrow strips ( usually 1" wide), fold and tape into triangle approx. 6" wide. Put multiple triangles on the top layer of your box before closing.

- Go to the liquor store and get those corrugated cardboard bottle dividers.
These work great to protect drinking glasses and other breakables. You can cut and alter them as needed.

I used to use some bubble wrap, but it's expensive, so I never used a lot. Sometimes I would wrap the object in a light layer of bubble wrap, then put it inside a platic bag and then tape small pieces of styrofoam (I would cut it with an exacto knift) to the object, so it would be cushioned on all sides.

[KnitsByNat]

We're having lots of fun with new postal employees at the office. Last night he delivered our mail at 5:30pm. He was about to leave it in the mailbox and leave delivery notices for the boxes. Thankfully, we close at 6:00pm unlike most other businesses around and I saw him (I have a camera for the front door). So, I told him to come up.

It would have been a nightmare picking up the boxes at the postal outlet.

The last one was giving us our mail around noon and would come later to drop off the boxes. Never understood the idea of doing your run twice.

[EightMileVintage]

Tigers, I think you are correct. When I was able to get into the CP website later, I saw oversized envelope slot of doom shipping within Canada. I think the OP was given bad advice.

Angie, I agree with Tigers. Putting a Fragile sticker on your package just makes it a target for the disgruntled. Go to my About page and wait for the picture of how I package to show up. I use styrofoam slabs cut to fit all sides of the box and bubblewrap all my items. I wedge the item into the foam-lined box with random pieces of styrofoam. I've only had 2 broken items in over 400 shipped and I ship mostly breakables. I both buy and scrounge styrofoam - I have an alert set up on Kijiji for anyone posting it for free. You can also get it free from stores like Hallmark Cards - a lot of their figurines, mugs, etc come in lovely 2 piece foam clamshells. Styrofoam is easily cut to size by scoring it with a blade and snapping it. I can access USPS from where I live in Canada so I use U-Pic insurance for any packages that are not insured by USPS. I made a claim on U-Pic recently and have nothing but good things to say about them.

[NoNameCatVintage]

Wow- thank you EightMileVintage! Very helpful. Where do you purchase styrofoam? I'm not sure I could find a free source where I live.
I will definitely check out U-Pic!

[EightMileVintage]

Angie, I get my packages of foam slabs from Lowes. They are something like 14" x 42" x 5/8" with 12 in a package. They are just over $14 with the tax. You'd find them in the insulation area. Home Depot has something similar but they are thicker so you get fewer per pack. I also have scored random foam from a window manufacturing company, Ikea, appliance stores. I know that my local Home Depot will soon have plenty to throw away when people start buying BBQs that the store assembles. I've been told that bike stores often have foam to toss out as well.

[NoNameCatVintage]

Awesome! Thank you so much!

[TigersandDragons]

Angie, if you ask around at local businesses, they will likely have some that they throw away on a regular basis. Ask friends and family to save any packing materials for you.
Yes, bike stores have a really great (and completely different type) of foam that are used to stand up bikes in shipping boxes.
I used much less foam than Eightmile does (in her photo example), and still had no breakage.

[UppNorthEh]

question about the new Canada Post website. used to be we could get a postage rate and click on Show Savings to get the Venture One rate. Is that still there? I couldn't see it. Just went to get a rate that I knew would be about $8.00 and all it was showing was the Priority Rate for over $20.00!!. did figure out where to find the lower hidden rates. Do I need to be signed in now to get the business rates?

[JacquieVintage]

Vic,
I tried both ways, signed out and signed in. There was no change to the rates shown. When signed in, I didn't see anywhere to click to show savings. I suspect that with the new discount structure, which is now based on your volume of purchases, that they would have to "tailor" the results to each person's discount level. I seriously doubt they will do that :( I might try calling the old Venture One phone number to pose the question... who knows if that phone number is still valid!

[UppNorthEh]

I used my original VentureOne card this week, after the 1st, and got the regular 5% discount. was relieved that card still worked since I didn't get a new one. Won't everyone be at 5% now since that is the discount up to $2,500.00 annually? I really didn't want to have to call them. I hate calling places like that. do you have to get by a computer first? it's probably time I figured out Paypal shipping. sorry, sort of ranting. why do they make things difficult with "new and improved?" The old website was fine.

[TigersandDragons]

Vic - if you do the "find a rate", it does provide more options than one - but only shows the full price of one option at a time (the default is to show the most expensive). This is irritating, compared to the previous version that showed all the options as a long list.

The options are on the left side and you have to click individually on each one to see the price. I did an estimate, it showed me Priority, and I had to click on Xpresspost to see it, then on Regular Parcel to see that.....

As you noticed, the check the "Venture One" savings link is no longer enabled. But I'm glad to hear about your experience, that the 5% currently applies at the counter., when using the card.

Sadly the changes to the Canada Post website are like current changes to Paypal and Etsy - all geared towards simplicity, less stuff on the screen for all the people who cruise the web on their phones. I really wish they would give those of us who work mainly on computers, to choose to see the old versions in perpetuity! While at least the new version of Etsy Listings Manager has some benefits, the new Paypal and Canada Post versions waste my time, since I have to click and click to find info. that used to be easier to find and more comprehensive.

[JacquieVintage]

Tigers,
I agree! I'm not a fan of the "new" Paypal layout, and now the "new" Canada Post layout. More clicking and clicking required. It's so annoying! It seems like the trend is to have webpages that actually "hide" the data you really want to see. The old Paypal was just fine... you could see all your transactions with a running balance. Now, the running balance is gone, which makes things more difficult to keep track of. At least the new CP website still has the information... except you have to do some extra clicks to get the information you want. Still annoying though! What was so wrong with just having a list of the different options at one glance??

[UppNorthEh]

the new Canada Post site doesn't have Expedited for Canada any more since there is no access to business rates. Expedited was the same price as regular mail but with faster delivery. I like to see how many days to get there since that is guaranteed and I can tell the buyer the price of postage and delivery in X # of days. I'm not seeing it if it's there.

[Former_Member]

The new Find A Rate site is awful. I want to be able to compare prices at a glance, and it requires way more moving around to enter package dimensions. Stop fixing things that aren't broken!
And, I got a really low (comparatively) price for an Air Mail package to Denmark this morning and I don't know whether to trust it or not. 17 x 16 x 6, .2 kg -- under $10. I hope that's correct as it's what I told my customer.

[TigersandDragons]

Rebecca If that's 200 grams, and the measurements are in centimeters, then it qualifies for the 1-250 Small Packet Air which is $9.49.
If the measurements were inches, then the parcel would be too large for Small Packet, and would have to go International Parcel.

Vic - The Business prices are gone from view, which is not surprising (CP has made them unavailable to view on previous versions of their website).
Expedited is 1-2 days faster than regular Airmail, usually 2 days faster. Canada Post states Expedited service is 1-3 Days for Regional, 2-7 for National. The price for Domestic Expedited and Regular Parcel are often close in price, but not the same.

Ways to get Expedited Rates
- Calculate it yourself. Read this page for instructions how
https://www.etsy.com/teams/7654/etsy-international/discuss/6779956/page/336

-You could sign up for a Canada Post shipping label account (Venture One, or whatever their new program will be), and then you should be able to get estimates through the shipping labels (just don't finish the transaction) for Expedited.

-The same thing is possible at Paypal. There is a shortcut for buying postage direct and on demand from Paypal, without having a sale.
Type in www.paypal.com/shipnow
Then when you sign into your paypal account, the next page it takes you to will offer you a choice of printing labels from Canada Post or UPS.
You can get a price, just don't finish the transaction ( I tested it out, and logged out instead of completing the purchase). Unfortunately even though Paypal mentions the Expedited time guarantee, they didn't give specifics for what the time guarantee was for my test shipment. Only the general info 1-7 business days.

[TigersandDragons]

I meant BUSINESS DAYS, not calendar days, in those time projections for Expedited.

[Former_Member]

Thanks, tigers! They were indeed cm. I'm so used to high overseas shipping it just seemed wrong :)

[TigersandDragons]

Yes, shipping no more than 250 grams to Western Europe by Small packet Air is very affordable, a better price than Oversized Letter or Light Packet for some bizarre reason. Then the price pretty much doubles in the next weight class (251-500 gram)

A few years ago you could ship up to 250gr to the USA for $5.50....prices for shipping to the USA have increased especially in that weight class since then.

[GoldenStoneBazaar]

Does anybody know the maximum size of the boxes and envelopes for depositing in street mail box? For example, for prints and clothes.

[TigersandDragons]

Sorry, goldenstonebazaar, I don't know, as long as it will fit through the flap and have the correct postage, Canada Post should accept it.
If you bring a tape measure with you the next time you go to a street mail box, please let us know the measurement.
My rough guess is going to be no longer than 12" no higher than 10"

[GoldenStoneBazaar]

Hopefully, passers-by will not see me as a person, tampering with a mail box, and will not make a scene or call a police...

I was surprised that a box with an item, similar to a large coffee mug with required cushioning, didn't fit parcel slot in street mail box, and visit to PO means more than an hour of unpaid time.

Unrelated question:

What size limits are valid for Small, Light and Tracked Packet: "No one dimension may exceed 600 mm; and Max. L + H + W = 900 mm" or "380 mm x 270 mm x..."

In other words, can tube <60 cm long can be sent by Small or Tracked Packet? And I had read somewhere here that tube surcharge, $1.50, doesn't apply to Small and Tracked Packet. Is is right?