What's with the prices at Canada Post?

gr82bart · Jul 3, 2007

Holy crap! I feel for my fellow Canadians ...

Comparative analysis of mailing 52 Postcards - 22 USA, 7 Canada, 22 Rest of World.

If mailed from USA: $30.35USD ($34CAN) - $5.72 / $4.83 / $19.80
If mailed from Canada: $58.20 - $20.46 / $3.64 / $34.10

I did this because I'm on my way to Canada right now and was going to take my image and mail my cards from Toronto.

Regards, Art.

PhotoJim · Jul 3, 2007

Canada doesn't have a lower rate for postcards like the US has. The logic is that they don't cost less to process than normal envelopes.

If it makes you feel better, our parcel rates are often better. I just sent a couple of massive boxes to Australia. Canada Post charged me $201 Canadian by surface. The US postal service had two options: bag service, for $260 US, or regular surface parcel surface (like Canada Post used to ship them), for $310 US.

MattKing · Jul 3, 2007

Art:

It's because Canada Post has MurrayMinchin .

It may also be because Canada Post does not have a special postcard rate.

One advantage, however, is that you can send bigger postcards (almost 5"x7") without paying extra.

Matt

MurrayMinchin · Jul 3, 2007

I believe it has something to do with the volume of mail originating from a country, and some sort of international agreement between countries.

A country like Canada with 10% (?) the population of the US honours the US postage of letters addressed to Canada and delivers them for 'free'. Because the US has such a large population in comparison, they get a 'volume' discount for international letters. Canada, with it's smaller population would have to pay more for each letter.

It's been a long time since I've worked at the wicket (selling stamps and sending parcels) so I can't say for sure...

Anyways, there's a price for living in Paradise isn't there

Murray

MurrayMinchin · Jul 3, 2007

MattKing said:
It's because Canada Post has MurrayMinchin

(Crap!! Those lawyers never forget anything).

Nice going Matt,

I had you penciled in for a healthy chunk of my $100,000.00 bonus this year. Your loss toots!

Murray

johnnywalker · Jul 3, 2007

Part of the reason is that if mailed from the US only 29 of the postcards would pay international rates. If mailed from Canada 44 would pay international rates. ??

jd callow · Jul 3, 2007

It isn't any cheaper sending within Canada either. I sent from Vancouver a 20" mail tube to Toronto via express mail. It cost 19.00 Canadian and arrived in four business days, the same tube in the US sent priority would cost ~ 4.85 USD and 9 out of 10 times it would be there in two days. I wonder if the cost of sending mail in Canada is the reason that there are not more services like netflicks.

FWIW the postal delivery guys here in Van and earlier in Richmond were very personable folks.

copake_ham · Jul 3, 2007

PhotoJim said:
Canada doesn't have a lower rate for postcards like the US has. The logic is that they don't cost less to process than normal envelopes.....

While it really is Murray's fault - given this situation: You might as well put postcards in envelopes in Canada - that way you don't risk getting all that postal machine ink splattered all over the picture!

MattKing · Jul 3, 2007

MurrayMinchin said:
(Crap!! Those lawyers never forget anything).

Nice going Matt,

I had you penciled in for a healthy chunk of my $100,000.00 bonus this year. Your loss toots!

Murray

Murray:

Is that $100,000.00 payable in stamps?

Matt

MurrayMinchin · Jul 3, 2007

copake_ham said:
While it really is Murray's fault...

George...I'll be waiting and watching ever so patiently to get you back for that one

MattKing said:
Is that $100,000.00 payable in stamps?

Sorry to get your hopes up Matt but I actually had it backwards, it's a $0.000001 bonus

And for all this abuse (not including the dogs) I walk 2400 miles a year?

(Hehehe...letter carrier is still the BEST day job on Earth...for me).

Murray

Mike Wilde · Jul 4, 2007

That postal ink all over the postcards...

If you mean the flouro orange/pink stuff theat Canada Post uses for its automated sorting / routing information..

This may gross you out, but I lick it off, and then lick my tongue on a kleenex to capture most of the ink that has been removed.

The tongue has the right roughness, and is just the right amount of wetness, that I have not been able to relplcate with a conventional moist sponge or rag.

The marks come right off, and the emulsion barely swells at all. Usually there is no sign of that routing mark was ever there within 30 seconds of this unconventional cleaning treatment..

BWKate · Jul 4, 2007

Thanks for the uh interesting cleaning tip Mike!

Now I can clean all my postcards from the postcard exchange that I receive.

copake_ham · Jul 4, 2007

Mike Wilde said:
If you mean the flouro orange/pink stuff theat Canada Post uses for its automated sorting / routing information..

This may gross you out, but I lick it off, and then lick my tongue on a kleenex to capture most of the ink that has been removed.

The tongue has the right roughness, and is just the right amount of wetness, that I have not been able to relplcate with a conventional moist sponge or rag.

The marks come right off, and the emulsion barely swells at all. Usually there is no sign of that routing mark was ever there within 30 seconds of this unconventional cleaning treatment..

You need a cat! Great "rough tongues" although they're difficult to train and impossible to herd!

removed account4 · Jul 4, 2007

i am not i n canada, and i am sorry for the hefty price for mail, but
any country that allows someone to cash a postal money order
for the full amount without a fee attached at a us post office is okay by me!

my heart almost stopped once when i got a canadian post money order
and the local and international banks wanted to charge me something like 35USD
to cash a postal money order for 30 USD. (yes, i would have OWED money)
lucky for me i called the toll free number on the back and the FRIENDLY person
said " go to any us post office you will get full amount and cash "

from what i understand, canadian post will do the same thing for a us postal money order ...
as long as it is an international MO and loony

PhotoJim · Jul 5, 2007

I cash my money orders at the bank. I deposit them like cheques. My Canadian bank will accept international US money orders just fine. My Canadian US dollar account will let me deposit the domestic US money orders too.

Whiteymorange · Jul 5, 2007

jd callow said:
FWIW the postal delivery guys here in Van and earlier in Richmond were very personable folks.

my emphasis

Anywhere in Canada I've gone, that description would cover most of the folk I've met. Only exception was one customs guy on the bridge from Detroit.

jd callow · Jul 5, 2007

Whiteymorange said:
my emphasis

Anywhere in Canada I've gone, that description would cover most of the folk I've met. Only exception was one customs guy on the bridge from Detroit.

Same here about Canadians. Our mail people have bee particulary good, especially when we moved and the first month or so we would get one big box after another.

Sirius Glass · Jul 5, 2007

jd callow said:
I... were very personable folks.

Isn't that the Canadian way?

I remember that on 9-11 when the airplanes were diverted to Canada, no one got on the radio or tv and said anything, the Canadians, each on their own, took blankets and pillows to the airports so that the stranded traveller would be comfortable. Some of the Canadians, even took in some to the flyers to their homes so that they could shower and get a good nights sleep. None of them ever asked for thanks or sought to be recognized.

That is the Canadan way.

Steve

gr82bart · Jul 6, 2007

Well, I made my postcards yesterday and am heading to the local postal outlet here where my parents live. It's a very small outlet that's been in this 'hamlet' within Toronto. The lady who (now - since her husband died) owns the pharmacy where the outlet's been located since I was a kid is still working there. She must be 100, I swear. Do you guys remember the Carol Burnett show where Tim Conway plays the old man that shuffles at a tremendous pace only to move a few inches? Well, that's her. The movement part, that is. Sweet lady.

Regards, Art.

What's with the prices at Canada Post?

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