Canada Post just informed me

[ssinger]

That international items send via letter mail (in padded envelopes) must now be sent as small packets / parcels. Small packet to USA now $10.00+ - but considered Xpress Post in receiving countries. Apparently international carriers will begin returning to sender items not properly sent. This policy apparently can into effect last week.

Anyone else been told the same.

Steven

 

[SNobles]

My PO has always made me at least send as small packet air which was like $8.32 but I haven’t been told this yet,

 

[quincy]

IIRC, something like this was supposed to go into effect Jan 2020, but the compliance enforcement was nonexistent. One more reason I'm glad I'm off eBay.

 

[pwag31]

IIRC, something like this was supposed to go into effect Jan 2020, but the compliance enforcement was nonexistent. One more reason I'm glad I'm off eBay.

I think the difference/loophole is if it is just paper products then it can go at the lower rate. If there is anything other than paper products in the mailer then it has to go at the more expensive rate.

 

[ranbirkang]

My post office told me they consider cards as just paper and it can go as oversize lettermail. Been doing that forever and have never had a package come back to me. Post office told me they might come back to me when I first started....but they never did.

 

[sjw241]

Small Packets vs lettermail

I think the difference/loophole is if it is just paper products then it can go at the lower rate. If there is anything other than paper products in the mailer then it has to go at the more expensive rate.

Ive read all the info on Canada Post site. The catch is you can't mail "merchandise" with this method. But my question is how does Canada post know what is in the envelope? They aren't allowed to open it, only Customs agents can.
My post office manager says that cards should be considered paper, which should be allowed. However I have received several back now.

If you print a label through Ebay the cost is about $8.20 which is less than at the post office.

The other fun thing is, Ebay put a tracking number on the item but the number can't be tracked. I have pissed off customers thinking I gave them a fake tracking number. Such a pain in the butt.

 

[Arkhive]

Yeah, same here. I've had the post office worker ask what I'm mailing and I always just say it's just paper/cardboard. Everything's made it to the destination in one piece so far. I don't ship frequently though so I guess I've been lucky.

 

[creasecollector]

I think the difference/loophole is if it is just paper products then it can go at the lower rate. If there is anything other than paper products in the mailer then it has to go at the more expensive rate.

This is what my understanding was, too.

If they ask about the reinforcement inside, I just say I added some cardboard to reinforce it….

 

[DCUnited96]

Seems as good a thread as any...

I've received ebay orders from two different sellers recently that used a service called Chit Chats. From the tracking one one and cost information I could derive from the other, it looks like a pretty amazing service.

 

[suitman19]

Welcome to our world in the USA!
This is exactly what happened to us 4 years ago - when the USPS declared padded mailers as small packets if rigid or over 1/4" thick.

Price immediately went from $3.65 to $10.85 and now is at $11 something.

 

[odjickfan]

For years, my local post office was asking what was inside the bubble-mailers going to USA. That's why I started dropping my bubble-mailers in the Canada Posts red boxes outside, with 3,19$ of stamps on them. No problem in the past few years, I'll keep an eye opened. If they start returning my mail, I'll have to stop low-end trading to USA. I hate filling customs forms too.

 

[DougLaurieSports]

For years, my local post office was asking what was inside the bubble-mailers going to USA. That's why I started dropping my bubble-mailers in the Canada Posts red boxes outside, with 3.19$ of stamps on them. No problem in the past few years, I'll keep an eye opened.

Same thing here. I now drop all non-tracked bubble mailers in the box outside the mall because acceptance varies from one outlet to the next. The Shoppers near me and the PO? Nope. The outlet at the Sobey's? Yep. I've never had one come back I put in the drop box, though. I think those just go straight to the sorting machine and it doesn't give a **** what's in there. Maybe they'll find a way to change that in the near future.

I'm going to look into Chit Chats in the new year, but as Q said, I'm pretty much off eBay, so I'm not sure how much I'd do with them anyhow.