Canada Post shipping costs going up Jan 11

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New pricing is going into effect Monday January 11.  Check the Canada Post website for details.

http://www.canadapost.ca

(Click on "Postal Prices 2010")

I have a question for any person with advanced knowledge.  I've been hearing for a couple of years that CP wants to charge based on the rigidity of a letter-size package. Basically, their sorting equipment doesn't do a good job handling oversize letters that don't bend.  They say these items have to be sorted separately and thus the actual cost is more than the rate they charge (yeah, right).  I thought I recall hearing that pricing for rigid letters was going to double, and the price change would go into effect January 11.  However, I can't find any info on the CP website or anywhere else.  I seem to recall hearing about this from eBay, and yet I can't find the message announcing this.  Have the intended rule changes and pricing for rigid packages been shelved yet again?

I would not be surprised if the change has been shelved.  There's a clue in the new pricing coming into effect Jan 11.  The 200-500 gram category for oversize letters has been split into 3 smaller categories (200-300, 300-400, 400-500) with each priced separately.

These changes make a difference to anyone shipping paper money in protective packaging.  Those of you online sellers who charge $4 for regular mail and put my notes in a regular envelope with a 54 cent stamp have nothing to worry about    Well, except that the cost of a regular stamp is going up to 57 cents.  Maybe it's time to start charging $5, eh? 

After more research, I found that Canada Post first proposed having a new class of "irregular oversize" letters based on the flexibility of the package in 2008.  The proposal was not included in price increases in 2009, and it appears that it will not be included in 2010.  It may never come into effect if CP gets some new sorting equipment.  Based on what I read, I think the proposal for irregular oversize mail costing more was made based on the initial plan that CP would keep working with its existing infrastructure (i.e. old machines that don't like rigid oversize letters).  If they get new machines, they will be better able to deal with oversize mail.

Correct me if I'm wrong, folks!

Looks like this seller is getting a head start on the shipping increases. Check out the shipping costs on this item #  160393013895

Looks like this seller is getting a head start on the shipping increases. Check out the shipping costs on this item #  160393013895

Shipping: US $1,500.00USPS Express Mail International 


Would I include that and total it too arrive at a final  purchase price?

I thought I'd share a tip on how to pay less for postage.  Buy old mint stamp collections on eBay.  They can usually be found for less than face value; sometimes for much less.  Last fall an auction of $60 face value of mint 1950's thru 1990's stamps was listed.  I won that auction with a $40 bid (and paid no GST!)  I had a bunch of old cool vintage the stamps to use for my Christmas cards, and the 54¢ postage I put on each card cost me 36¢ each!

Here is another related tidbit......

I have been informed that NON-Government post offices (ie, postal outlets in Shoppers Drug Mart, etc) can, and do, charge extra as a service fee to ship parcels.

For instance, a parcel that would cost $8 at a post office, could cost as much as $12 to $15 at other, NON-Crown Corp. locations.

In case you didn't know.......

I got that same email that has apparently gone viral over the last few weeks.

I popped into a corporate post office earlier this week and they denied the claims. I haven't yet been able to test this out though, so if anyone wants to, please do and report back.