Super Expensive To Ship To Maritimes Compared To Rest Of Canada

[2nd-time-around-jewelry]

I just sent a small bubble wrap envelope by Expedited post from B.C. to P.E.I. & was shocked at the price. It cost about $21.00 & that was with a discount. I had no idea it was so much. And add the additional shipping fee that eBay takes & It isn't worth it.  I can send across the world for less. It makes no sense.

[snoopwiz]

Take 2

Are you anywhere near Charles St in Vancouver or Gordon Way in Richmond?

[2nd-time-around-jewelry]

No, not close to those 2 locations. Why?

[2nd-time-around-jewelry]

Yes same parcel size & same weight.  The prices only changed in the last few days. I am only talking about sending parcels domestically. I only print labels for Canada not the rest of the world. Might just be a glitch with Paypal, Shippo & Canada Post. Will check at post office today.

[mrdutch1001]

With rising oil prices, skyrocketing gas prices, most likely the fuel surcharges on Canada Post packages are also on the rise.

[pjcdn2005]

That was my thought, that the fuel surcharge just went up.

[snoopwiz]

No, not close to those 2 locations. Why?

There is company by the name of Chit Chats Express at those two addresses in B.C. who have within Canada pricing that I was going to suggest you look into.  I believe it is flat rate, by (dimensional) weight only. Have a look at their site, check their rates Many sellers use them for U.S. International and Canada shipments.

[ricarmic]

---

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

That was my thought, that the fuel surcharge just went up.

---

Hi! The fuel surcharge has remained the same for the last couple months, and the next change date is June 3rd. (us stamps on the boxes kinda folks have to keep up on it).

Here's a link to it:

https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/kb/details.page?article=fuel_surcharges_on_m&cattype=kb&cat=sending...

The Fuel Surcharges are as follows:

May 7, 2018 through June 3, 2018:

Domestic Express and Non-Express Services 11.50%

U.S. and International Express Services 10.00%

U.S. and International Non-Express Services 8.00%

PriorityTM Worldwide 7.00%

April 2, 2018 through May 6, 2018:

Domestic Express and Non-Express Services 11.50%

U.S. and International Express Services 10.00%

U.S. and International Non-Express Services 8.00%

PriorityTM Worldwide 7.00%

[momcqueen]

None of the hypothesis explain the situation described. There was some manner of error, I think. 

[marnotom!]

---

@momcqueen wrote:

None of the hypothesis explain the situation described. There was some manner of error, I think. 

---

Yup.  Just because the fuel surcharge doesn't officially kick in until June doesn't mean that a postage app can't have a glitch that ensures that the increase is applied before then.

[2nd-time-around-jewelry]

The post office wasn't much help except to say that fuel surcharge & HST may account for the increase. But a $5.00  jump in a month seems high.  Looks like some of the Maritimes like P.E.I. ($20.98) & Ontario ($20.57) are the worst. Sent an almost identical size & weight bubble wrap envelope to Quebec & It only cost ($15.27) & sent one to Manitoba for ($15.41).   Go figure.

[mrdutch1001]

also something to take into consideration: shipping costs from a major centre to a major centre are cheaper than shipping from a major centre to small community, rural or remote area,etc.

[travis7s]

Location absolutely matters when shipping in Canada. I got burned bad once because I quoted to Halifax, and the buyer ended up buying with an address on the other side of Nova Scotia, it was literally a 30kg box so it made a big difference.

[momcqueen]

Yes. As was mentioned earlier in the thread, as soon as you see the zero as a second numerical value in the postal code, add a few dollar signs to your estimate. It makes a big difference. I just sent a package (with free shipping of course) that went to a First Nations in Ontario not far from the border of Manitoba which is where I am located. If I'd sent it to a major population centre like Toronto which is easily twice as far away that would have cost me $13 or $14 but it was a label that cost $26+ and will take 13 business days instead. That's double dollars and almost triple time. And this is a place that I could drive to myself in about three hours. Spoke and hub. If I watch the tracking on this, I bet I will see it go from Winnipeg to Mississauga and then back to Kenora and then up to the First Nations. Instead of the trunk of my car straight northeast. 

[2756anderson]

Try shipping to the Northwest Territories.

[femmefan1946]

As was mentioned earlier in the thread, as soon as you see the zero as a second numerical value in the postal code, add a few dollar signs to your estimate. It makes a big difference.

It certainly does.

BUT

Why would you be estimating in the first place?

Doesn't Calculated Shipping take care of this question?

If you have to give a quote, the buyer should be asked to give the postal code. Then the seller can use

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s1

to give the cost.

There should be no estimating involved at all.

And if you can use LetterMail (max 2cm and 500 grams) there is no premium for isolated destinations.

Am I missing something?

BTW-- does the fuel surcharge vary with the location of the sender? Because gas is $1.559 here in Victoria and only a penny less up island.

[momcqueen]

I estimate postage cost on Best Offers wherein Free Shipping is part of the listing. The buyer’s postal code is normally given in the Vest Offer workflow but I don’t always go to Canada Post Find a Rate to calculate an amount which would be inaccurate as it doesn’t factor savings level plus Shippo discount. When making my Counteroffer or accepting a Best Offer which includes Free Shipping, that embedded cost of ‘free’ shipping for me makes the difference between loss and profit. Right?

[momcqueen]

If the buyer in my example was paying for postage on their Best Offer, the cost of postage wouldn’t be as relevant to my decision as to whether to Accept or Counter or Decline. I can’t get the retail counter discount level to match exactly my actual discount in postage because the tool isn’t intuitive enough. I therefore subsidize all domestic shipments by a dollar or two which is fine, it won’t make or break me. But with Best Offer and Free Shipping, the price may vary in certain volumetric weight slots from $13 to $33 if it’s a second-digit-0-zone. That extra $20 is a vast sum of money on something that might only sell for $60. That’s where knowing your codes and regions counts.

[femmefan1946]

I can’t get the retail counter discount level to match exactly my actual discount in postage

And why should you?

Think of the discount as covering the cost of packaging, or Cookie Jar Insurance, or a nice latte when the kids are napping.

You want to come to a fair price, which doesn't have to be to the penny precisely what you pay.

Just don't lose money.

[momcqueen]

Well, yes. I build my profit into the asking price because I do agree that buyers view the cost of postage as a waste of money. Therefore, I reduce that cost as much as possible by passing on as much of the savings as possible that I achieve from my SfSB discounts.

[qualicumcavedweller]

 The other thing to take into account is that  Canada  Post adds taxes based on where the parcel is going  not where it is leaving from.  So  a parcel going to  Alberta only  has the 5% GST,   the same parcel going to  Newfoundland will have 15 % HST ( Harmonized Sales Tax) added.

That approach  has never made sense to me.