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)

[KnitsByNat]

Now it's not working, taking me to my account page.

[TigersandDragons]

A Canadian seller just offered this tip in another thread:
"I found a little short cut to get around the paypal ship now issue. If you open any transaction you have in there to ship that order, change the order details and boom! You're set."

I personally haven't tried it, but if it works, then great!

[TigersandDragons]

Apparently Paypal is working on fixing this, and estimating that it will be working later today.

[KCowie]

I have a bit of a situation. Sent custom item to NY, it arrived back to me today with "Return to Sender, attempted not known, unable to forward" Buyer says the address is correct. What would you do?

[terrabryn]

does the address show up in google maps?

[TigersandDragons]

Sometimes the post office does make a mistake, so it is possible that the address is correct, but the delivery person didn't recognize the name. That happened to a friend of mine. The envelope was considered lost, buyer was given a full refund. Within a few days of that, envelope was returned with the same message you had.

A person was staying temporarily with friends, it wasn't her household. She got really mad and put the blame on the seller, not on USPS despite already getting a full refund, and being shown photos of the returned envelope.

For safety I would ask the buyer if there was a different address that you could ship the parcel to, a friend, neighbour or relative nearby, or their work address.

And I would probably pay for reshipping, if the address error wasn't on their part. I had to reship 2 envelopes early this year because of USPS mistakes, claiming that the addresses did not exist. The envelopes were delivered the second time.

[cindylouwho2]

I have had this happen twice, & as with tigers' experience, both of mine were delivered the second time. Both were verifiable via Google Maps, too.

I tried to figure out how to register a complaint with the USPS website, but at that time it was impossible for non-US folks (not sure about now). So I ate the cost, because it was not the buyers' mistake. When the buyers give you the wrong address, then they have to pay, IMO

[TigersandDragons]

Yes, I really wish we could make USPS reimburse us for their mistakes!

[KCowie]

The other part is that this item is needed for Monday it's for a destination wedding :(

[TigersandDragons]

Well it would be crazy expensive or impossible for it to arrive by Monday now.
Honestly I would not pay for expensive courier shipping on a mistake that wasn't of my making.

All you can do is photograph the envelope to prove that you did address it, using the information that the buyer provided - and send them the photo.
Then after discussing it with your customer, either refund and cancel the sale or if they are willing to accept a late item, you pay for reshipping, with the same service you used before. You can always insure it at InsurePost if you are worried about it.

One of my customers did pay for reshipping by courier (Fedex Ground), and I credited him what I would of paid for Light Packet, against that. He saw the proof I had provided and knew that I wasn't responsible for the delay. But some people are reasonable, and some are not when things don't work out perfectly.

[KCowie]

Impossible to arrive by Monday I already told buyer this. I would not have been paying for it out of my own pocket it wasn't my mistake. I did photograph the package. It's been over 24 hours now since I said it was impossible to get by Monday and that she should be contacting USPS and asking what the issue is/was of why it was returned, haven't heard a word from buyer. This is a custom item with wedding date that has been purchased it is no use to me.

[TigersandDragons]

Okay, but if the address is correct then the buyer isn't at fault either. Did you check the address at the USPS website?

If it is for their own wedding, or a wedding that they are very much involved in (ex. bridesmaid, mother of the bride, etc.) then they are likely far too busy right now to check email or respond to you.

Even though it's custom, I would refund and cancel if the customer asked in this case. I looked at your policies page and noticed that you do not have a policy on refunds and returns. It's important to have one.

[KCowie]

"No refunds on custom items" it is there. Yes I checked the USPS site and it was correct that is the frustrating part and that it did make it to the US in the slotted time frame I gave which was plenty of time needed for a wedding. I feel badly for the buyer I honestly do.

[Coudsdonc]

Shipping with Canada:

Hi Jackie! You've helped me before so I'm hoping you'll have some more good advice for me : )

It seems that the base rate for sending any parcel in Canada is $11. That doesn't seem right. I am sending a passport cover to Calgary and the postage calculator is charging me $11.71USD. My local post office is charging me the same.

The item is very light and could be sent letter post but my local post office won't let me because they say it is not technically a letter. Can I argue with them and demand letter post?

Help! It costs me $5 to send to the US, $7.50 international, and $11 within Canada. That is nuts! Am I doing something wrong?

Any advice anyone can offer would be appreciated.

[KarynHayden]

@Liette, as long as the package is under 2cm in thickness, you can send the passport cover via lettermail, as the package is being sent within Canada.

All of my jewellery that fits in packages under 2cm is sent through lettermail, within Canada.

Maximum dimensions for a package to be sent as lettermail are 38cm x 27cm x 2cm, and the maximum weight is 500g.

[Coudsdonc]

Thanks for your reply Karyn!

I'm on my way to the post office now. It's not a holiday in Quebec today. I verified Canada Post's web site and my package is well within the parameters they specify for Letterpost. If they anything, I'll get them to check their website : )

[KCowie]

Liette if it's under 2 cm it should cost $1.80, that is how my items all get sent within Canada. I am thankful my items slide through the slot.

[TigersandDragons]

Yup, if they won't ship your item, then buy the stamps, and just mail it yourself.

You can send anything except prohibited items WITHIN Canada as Oversized Letter, as long as it fits within the weight and size parameters.
For shipping OUTSIDE Canada, then only paper items can be shipped as Oversized Letter....other objects ship as Light Packet with a Customs declaration.

I'm assuming you were at an affiliated post office instead of one with real Canada Post workers. The people who work at your local pharmacy or wherever the post office is set into another business, are often poorly trained.

[Coudsdonc]

Thanks to those who replied. I went to the post office saying that I wanted to ship my item as an over-sized letter and had no problems at all. It was a different employee. I appreciate the answers and the clarifications!

[TigersandDragons]

There are two Canadian sellers on Etsy that are selling Slot of Doom templates at very affordable rates. One is plexiglass, the other is your choice of birch plywood or mdf. Neither template is for the full length (38cm) of the real slot of doom, ironically so that the templates can ship at Oversized Letter rates.

I am going to buy a couple for myself and my Mother. Do a search for "slot of doom" if you are interested in these products.

Canada Post does sell their own plexi postal guide, can't seem to find it in their online shop, so I don't know what it costs.

[KnitsByNat]

The one who sells the birch plywood or mdf Template sent me a convo about it.

[TigersandDragons]

I sent a message to them with a link to Etsy rules concerning unsolicited advertising through convos.

[Decadence2Jewelry]

I bought my Slot of Doom quite a few years ago, it was $10 at the time. I still pull it out once in a while if I have something that I have to adjust to fit through but really, your post office should like you do a tracing of the opening then you can just trace that onto cardboard. I actually did a mini one like that to keep downstairs in my husbands office in case he needed to mail something.

I have a question about the thermal printers, which Dymo printer is the one that we can use for our labels?

[Decadence2Jewelry]

Never mind, I did some more digging, its the 4XL that will work.

[HereAtSmallGoods]

Canada Post still sells a mailing template- complete with the slot of doom and various letter dimensions- for $9.20.

You must have an account with them through the small business programme that has now replaced Venture1.
Your Venture 1 username and password will still work.
Sign in and at the bottom there is a shop online for supplies.
I had to search 'template' to find it.

Shipping is free! (they do charge sales tax)