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]

Does anyone know if Etsy uses the stamped customs form as proof of shipment instead of a tracking number? I sent a customer in the US a package small packet on March 18th and they have opened a case against me. She is asking for a full refund. I don't have insurance because I self insure my packages. I am not sure what is the best thing to do here. If I send a replacement, I will have to send it tracked packet and that would cost $16ish I think it is....so it would be cheaper for me to refund her the order which cost $18 plus shipping. Are we required to refund shipping as well if we have proof that it was shipped to the address the buyer gives us?

[TigersandDragons]

Have you confirmed that their address was correct? If it was the case that they provided an incorrect address, then it is not your responsibility if they did not receive their goods.

Your stamped Customs form is proof of shipment to the address, along with your postal receipt - you should immediately provide that as proof on your case. A few years ago, I won an Etsy case with this proof, but this was before Etsy started DC, and the customer did not file a Paypal dispute.

If the customer purchased through DC, I'm unsure if Etsy handles these cases differently, than those where the money goes through Paypal. Perhaps some other Etsians with more experience on ETSY CASES can give you advice?

Try thinking about this from the point of view, if the customer had not opened an Etsy case but contacted you directly first, how would you have handled it? Does opening an Etsy case make any difference to your decision?

As for dealing the the customer; technically you are responsible for a customer receiving their goods. If you "self insure", that means you have been putting money aside on each transaction to cover the rare times there are claims of non-receipt of goods. So you should either refund (including shipping) or replace the item, if they provided a correct address.

I would ask the customer if a replacement would be acceptable, instead of a refund. Normally I would suggest that you just buy Insurance online on the second shipment from InsurePost for $1.50 USD per $100 coverage.
However the customer may not be willing to close the Etsy case without proof that you have sent a new item, which means tracking #.
So you will have to make a decision based on which makes the most financial sense for your business.

You have my sympathy, I know cases can be stressful. Keep in mind that the early part of the case system is all automated, while you attempt to work things out with the customer. A live person at Etsy will not step in and look at the case for a week or two.

[Former_Member]

No it would not have changed my mind if the customer had just asked me instead of opening a case. This is a very rare thing that happens I know, but was just wondering if Etsy uses this as proof of shipment. I hate it when items get lost in the mail and every single package I sent out, I cross my fingers that it will arrive to the customer and within a reasonable timeframe. I just wish CP would have tracking available to us at a decent price. Thanks for your help, really appreciate it!

[Former_Member]

Hello all. I've read through a lot of the most recent comments, but didn't see anything that specifically addressed my question so I'll pose it below.

Recently I've had to use tracking on small (< 0.5 kg) packages I've shipped to the US. All of these packages have been sent in 4 x 7 or 5 x 8 bubble mailers, that have remained thin and have not weighed much. However, my issue that I'm running into is the cost of adding tracking to the package - which appears to be a minimum $16.95 per item sent. Furthermore, the contents of these packages aren't all that expensive, so I have a very hard time justifying $16.95 for tracking when the value of the contents is $40 or less. I've shipped numerous times without tracking and had no issue, but some buyers insist and I hate having to ask them to cover the expense (either partially or fully). I feel it leaves a bad taste in their mouths and also causes them to look elsewhere.

So my question is two-fold: is there another, cheaper tracking option when shipping very small packages/letter mail with Canada Post? And if there isn't, is there an alternative option that I could consider.

[TigersandDragons]

Tyson - The cheapest tracking is Tracked Packet, and the best price is if you buy labels online from Paypal.
PRICING COMPARISON - shipping to USA
30x20x10cm 600 grams from Winnipeg to South Carolina USA 29685
Prices in CAD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CP Counter~~~Etsy~~~~~~~~~~~~Paypal
Tracked Packet~~ $19.74~~~~$18.78 (5%less)~~~$16.90 (14.5%less)

- You could set your listings to Light and Small Packet rates, and then offer customers the ability to purchase a shipping upgrade to Tracked Packet.
You can either create a specific listing for Shipping Upgrade, or use the Shipping Upgrade function on your profiles.
https://www.etsy.com/help/article/4414?ref=help_search_result
Then only those who are willing to pay for it, will get tracking.

Re: Other options - INSURANCE
Tracking is not a "Must have" option. American sellers believe this, partially because it is available to them at such a low price. Insurance is much more important.

3RD PARTY INSURANCE
- You can purchase insurance online on Light Packet, Small Packet and other services for shipments to some countries from the company INSUREPOST.
www.insurepost.com/questions.asp

-The cost is $1.50 USD per $100 coverage, and you can pay with your Paypal account or have your card charged directly.

- They will cover breakage of pottery and glass (but not stained glass)

- When filling out the online form it may ask for a tracking # or reference #. If you are insuring a non-tracked service, use the UPC code found at the bottom of your postage receipt.

- Be sure to include the cost of shipping into the declared amount for insurance.

- For proof of shipping it is IMPORTANT that you have a copy of your Customs form clearly written (Press hard when writing so it is readable through the carbon), and have that stamped at the post office. Be sure to keep your postal receipt as well.

There are other companies:
-U-Pic https://delta.u-pic.com/Order/OnlineRates.aspx
-Shipsurance http://shipsurance.com/
If you want to arrange monthly coverage instead of coverage per item, they offer coverage to more countries than their sister company Insurepost.

SELF INSURANCE
- This is when you charge a little bit extra on either the shipping or the item price on each of your transactions. Then you save that money as a fund to cover the rare occasions when a parcel goes missing or is damaged, and you have to replace or refund. The items in my shop run $27-$45 USD, and for 99% I self insure. So far I've rarely have problems. If I was shipping more expensive items, or having a lot of shipments going missing, then I would would be buying insurance more often. Also there are some countries that have a poor reputation such as Italy, Mexico, Spain, Greece, Germany - so I have insured a few shipments to these locations.

[TigersandDragons]

Also, if you are shipping bubble mailers, and the thickness is no thicker than 2cm, .75" then for any Domestic orders you get (shipping within Canada), Oversized Letter is the least expensive option. It costs only a few dollars compared to Regular Parcel and Expedited Parcel.

However 3rd Party companies will not insure Oversized Letter, and neither will Canada Post. So this is where you would self-insure.

[JacquieVintage]

Vanessa,
re what Etsy considers as proof of shipment for an open case, Admin Brittany said this:

"For packages without tracking, like Light Packet or Small Packet, we simply need proof that the item was shipped. If you are concerned about non-delivery cases, providing us with a photograph of the package with the shipping label (and naturally the buyer's address) attached will be considered sufficient proof of shipment."

and this:

"...acceptable as proof of shipment for packages without tracking:

option #1 - A photograph of the package with the label.
option #2 - A receipt that displays the date of shipment and country destination of the package.
option #3 - A stamped receipt from the accepting post office showing the destination address of the package.

If you have any of these in the event of a case, they will count as proof of shipment."

reference in this thread:

https://www.etsy.com/teams/19439/canada-post-shipping-labels-prototype/discuss/13386321

[littleglamour]

Dumb question - but I need to use InsurePost for a light packet air to the US I shipped today....is there another name for UPC code on my receipt? Not sure what to look for....thanks!

[littleglamour]

Oh - one more thing - do I choose International - Light Packet if I am shipping from Canada to the US?

Also asking for customs number or unique package identifying number...don't see anything on my CP receipt that has a unique number for that particular package (I shipped others on the same receipt today).....???

[TigersandDragons]

For Insure Post Choose - Light Packet International, since InsurePost only cares if something is sent Domestic or International, since the rates are different for each.

As written in my post above " When filling out the online form it may ask for a tracking # or reference #. If you are insuring a non-tracked service, use the UPC code found at the bottom of your postage receipt."

As for where it asks for Order or Invoice Number:
The Etsy item listing number, order number, or transaction number.

Canadian customs forms do NOT have unique numbers, but the USA does so that's why it asks for it.

[littleglamour]

thanks - so there is NO UPC code then for Canadians....! didn't know what UPC meant :)

[TigersandDragons]

UPC has two meanings:
Universal Product Code - UPC is the barcode that you find on goods everywhere.
Under Postal Certificate- this is an old term for a special receipt that proved that you posted an item to a specific address.

What I was talking about was the barcode found at the bottom of every postage receipt. That doesn't prove that you shipped to a specific address, but if scanned by Canada post, their system will pull up the transaction that occurred.
InsurePost registration system usually wants some kind of tracking number, but Light Packet and Small Packet doesn't have that. But since the postal receipt does have a unique number under the barcode, that's what we input instead. If you ever need to file a claim, you will submit that postal receipt, as well as the Customs form (for non-domestic shipping).

Customs number is completely different - as I said, Customs forms in Canada are not numbered at all, every form is the same.
Each USA government Customs forms does have unique number, that is one reason why Americans are able to more easily track their parcels.

[littleglamour]

got it - thanks once again :)

[Former_Member]

I sent a packaged via Oversize Lettermail from Vancouver to Aurora, ON on May 5th and the customer contacted me today to say she hasn't received it yet. Just wondering if you guys have any experience/advice regarding the amount of time Oversize Lettermail should take. Canada Post says letter mail is about 4 business days between major centres so I feel like this package is definitely taking longer that it should.

[TigersandDragons]

Did you confirm the address is correct? Most of the time the letters I send take 1-2 weeks, but it is always possible to take longer. Mail can be miss-sorted, sent to the wrong city then eventually make it's way back, even get caught in the sorting machine. Weather delays affect mail too.

Mail can also be miss-delivered or even stolen. I know that I have received mail for my neighbours and they have received mine on rare occasions.
That's one reason it's important for the customer to ask their neighbours and members of their household if they have seen the envelope.

Over the years I've heard complaints from other Canadians including those who work at a post office (not customers) how some of their letters were taking longer than 2 weeks, usually to more rural areas.

Canada Post won't consider it to be possibly lost until about a month. You can contact them, unfortunately they won't do much of anything for Letters, but if the envelope was damaged or unreadable, it could turn up in their Lost Mail section.

[KnitsByNat]

Yes, it could be taking longer because of miss-sorting. In my day job the postman has been trying to give me a letter (actually a check inside) for Canada Post Corporation in Ottawa,ON. I am in Montreal,QC. I don't know why it keeps coming back to us but it's been a week this has been going on.

[Former_Member]

Yes, I did confirm the address. I know it's likely it will still show up but I feel bad for my customer having to wait so long and I'm trying to decide at what point I should send a replacement. Thanks for your help!

[cindylouwho2]

On occasion, I have had oversized lettermail take over 2 weeks in Calgary, even though I have also had it take just 1 day.

A few years ago I mailed 2 oversized lettermails on the same day -1 to Calgary & 1 to Kanata. They didn't arrive, so I replaced Calgary & refunded Kanata. TWO MONTHS after I mailed them, both original packages arrived, with a sticker from CP apologizing for failing to meet their delivery standards. Luckily both buyers were honest & returned the packages, & at least they knew I was telling the truth :)

Since there was a holiday in there, I would probably not replace until the end of this week at the earliest. It's quite rare for lettermail to take over a month between major cities.

[KnitsByNat]

My saga with the package to China continues. The second package I sent Jan 20th has now returned to me as unclaimed and I had to pay $11.20 postage.

My buyer has never contacted me that he never received the 2nd package!

[TigersandDragons]

So Insurepost paid out the first claim, and the customer wanted another item instead of a refund?
Was the address you put on the parcel in Chinese and English?
At this point, since the shipment was unclaimed by the buyer, I would only refund the original item price, not the shipping.

[KnitsByNat]

Yes, this time the address was in Chinese and English. I have a feeling he didn't want to pay the duties on it. I calculated it and it would be about $30 CAD, on top of a handling fee.

[Decadence2Jewelry]

I would refund the purchase price less the original shipping and less that return shipping and less any fees you won't get back.... just put a note in with the refund detailing the reason.
For example you only have so long to do a refund through PayPal, after that you have to Send Money which will have a fee....

[KnitsByNat]

Brenda, it's way over the time limit for PayPal. It's an order from Oct 2014 that was never received. After waiting the 45 business for Insurepost, I sent another one in January 2015.

[terrabryn]

Does anyone have experience shipping to Brazil? I've sent two orders successfully by Light Packet in the past, but this time it's been 8 weeks and my customer is still waiting. Just wondering what others experiences have been. Thanks.

[TigersandDragons]

My only Brazilian order arrived successfully. However I've read lots in the forums about other sellers having problems with shipments to Brazil, apparently shipments can sit a long time in Customs. It can take a long time to arrive, apparently 8-14 weeks, sometimes 4 months.

If it doesn't have a a tracking number, then Brazilian postal service will not look for it. There isn't anything you can do but tell your customer to contact their post office, and customs department, to see if it is waiting for customs fees to be paid.

Some sellers will not ship to Brazil, unless the customer pays for a tracked service with insurance. From Canada, that would be Xpresspost. 3rd party insurers such as U-Pic and Shipsurance will only offer coverage to Brazil if you have arranged for monthly policy coverage from them, not available for individual shipments.