chris97
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posted on January 2, 2001 10:32:04 AM new
OK here is a the situation I had down at the post office last week and to me it makes absolutely no sense.
I sent two packages out of identical weight and size.
The first went to the US (Oregon) via small packet airmail: Cost $3.90
The second went from SK to ON via regular parcel which was the cheapest option (they don't have small packet rates within Canada): Cost $5.45
WHAT THE F$%#! I asked them why I can send the first packet anywhere in the US from Hawaii to Florida to Alaska for cheaper than I can send it to Ontario. She went to talk to the boss and she said that Canadapost has to charge a minimum price for items within Canada. I didn't get overcharged or anything because this agrees with what is quoted on their website.
YEESH! I can feel the Canuck pride flowing from inside the post office. O' Canada, Our Home and Native Land....
Chris (not Chris97 on eBay)
[ edited by chris97 on Jan 2, 2001 10:34 AM ]
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RB
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posted on January 2, 2001 10:40:52 AM new
Chris ... I know where you're coming from! I am in Canada and I mail video tapes all over the world. Mailing a tape to another Province in Canada is still more expensive than sending that exact same tape almost anywhere else in North America. The latest, and most reasonable explanation I have got from them is that all Inter-Canada mail goes by air. Yet, I can mail a tape to Nova Scotia and one to Florida at exactly the same time and guess which one arrives first 
Hell, I can mail a tape to Hawaii cheaper than I can mail it across the street ...
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smw
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posted on January 2, 2001 12:20:44 PM new
I am embarrassed to say I don't have any knowledge of Canadian economic policy. I hope to be enlightened.
These postage rates sound as if some beauratcrtic economist decided that lower shipping fees will encourage international trade. Yet at the same time the outrageous domestic fees look to be designed to discourage domestic trade. In the absence of any information I would think that policy would be to encourage domestic trade to keep jobs and profits at home and have less dependency on world markets. Can anyone give me a Cliff Note summary of Canadian policy?
But as a practical matter can complaints be made about excessive rates to the government?
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RB
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posted on January 2, 2001 12:26:42 PM new
smw ... I think I'd buy their logic first (everything goes via air in Canada). It makes sense when you consider that we don't have a surface/air choice for Canadian mail within the country, yet we do for all mail leaving the country, and air mail is more expensive.
As to complaining to government ... we would get the same response you would if you complained to your government ... one that is very similar to those some of us get from eBay when we ask a hard question I call it 'lip service with zero content'!
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canvid13
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posted on January 2, 2001 01:06:46 PM new
It's insane. That's why we use a courrier to deliver our packages through customs and ship via USPS. It adds to the cost but no more little green stickers and the service is better!
Even more frustrating is when we bring product back to process in our Montreal office.
Canada customs makes us wait on average two hours to fill out forms and pay the GST/PST which they refund to us in full!! Talk about a complete waste of time and money.
grr......
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gravid
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posted on January 2, 2001 02:25:17 PM new
Perhaps you could start a movement to join the US with the presenr provences all being new states - except Quebec of course.
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RB
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posted on January 2, 2001 02:27:00 PM new
Better yet, we'll take every State except Florida ...
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smw
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posted on January 2, 2001 04:43:52 PM new
RB....if you had any sense you wouldn't take DC either.
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RB
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posted on January 2, 2001 04:52:14 PM new
Isn't DC where they have that big old neat white building? It would make a great summer house for my kids
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RebelGuns
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posted on January 2, 2001 07:38:45 PM new
Then there's the rumor that the Canadian Postal Service may be using SCUDS (Soviet Continental Unarmed Decoys) to deliver the mail in the near future...
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AnonymousCoward
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posted on January 2, 2001 07:46:52 PM new
chris97
If you wish to have fun with them at Canada Post, ask them why when one ships a 100g parcel measuring 14cm X 9cm X .018cm within the same postal code by regular mail (3 days) it costs $4.12, but XPressPost (1 day) costs $3.85 with insurance included.
To the USA this same package would cost
$2.50 surface $3.85 airmail
International destinations would cost
$1.50 surface $2.30 airmail
(14cm X 9cm X .018cm is the minimum size for a small packet for shipment to the USA)
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chris97
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posted on January 3, 2001 08:28:21 AM new
AnonymousCoward,
Thanks for the info.
My sister just sent out an Expresspost package yesterday. She said it cost her $4.00 which included an envelope that the postmaster said she could stuff anything into and as long as the envelope would seal properly it would still cost her that amount with no extras for shipping. This is a large cardboard "kraft type" envelope - not a cheezy little one.
So to get this straight it costs me $5.45 to ship a tiny 6" x 5" by 4" package weighing under 300 g without insurance via regular post (1 week delivery if I'm lucky) or I could send the identical thing (plus more if I could stuff it in the envelope) with tracking and 2 day delivery for $4.00!
Bizarre.
Chris97 (not chris97 on eBay)
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