Lala said

Attention Canadian Swappers- Canada Post Rule Changes!!!!

Start rant.

So does anyone know about the new Canada Post rules for sending parcels to US or internationally?!?!? I didn’t! When were they going to tell us, you ask? When they start to charge us for them to do their job!!!

So now if you send any parcel outside Canada, you need to fill out your customs declaration at home (on your computer- whether you have one or not) and bring it in to the postal outlet so they can then re-enter all the info into their computers. You need to list EXACTLY what is in the box, HOW MUCH of it and the EXACT WEIGHT!!

If you do not do this, then you are charged extra additional to the ridiculous postage you are already paying.

Don’t get caught. I was told right now they are not charging (obviously because no one knows about this and Canada Post is not interested in anyone finding out). But will start charging soon, although no one can say when or how much!

Canada Post, no wonder no one likes you anymore!

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/cdc?execution=e1s1

End rant!

19 Replies
Dexter said

According to that form I need recipient phone number?!!!!???
That page makes it sound like, “please do this so you don’t have to fill out paper forms”. No where does it say that you will be charged if you don’t do it.
I need to mail an international parcel tonight. I don’t have a phone number, I’m not doing this online. Will see what they tell me.
UUUUgggggg this will STOP me shipping to the US or International. Sorry guys…..
Thanks for the heads up Lala….

Lala said

When I went to the post office today, I had to fill the form out there because I didn’t know about these changes, and I made that very clear to the clerk (who, to be honest, was just doing her job). I didn’t have a phone number and they still accepted it. Also they didn’t charge me, they said there was a period where there was no charge so people got used to the rule, and then they would start charging after a certain date. But they didn’t know when that date was.

Dexter said

So basically if you don’t have a computer with printer or a smart phone you have to pay a fee to use a government service? Is that the short of it? They are making it harder to use a service that my tax dollars are subsidizing and that already charges outrageous fees. And they wonder why Canada Post is in financial trouble…

Dexter said

I’m off to the post office now with my packages. I have a stack of Small Packet custom declaration forms here. I just filled it out as normal and will pretend I know nothing about the changes….will see what happens….

Lala said

I asked the postal clerk to give me a computer with a printer and she just laughed and said she didn’t have one either. I didn’t laugh, because I wasn’t joking…

Dexter said

Then put a public use one in the lobby/waiting area just for this purpose so that people and fill out the forms on that computer print the documents then go and mail it. Seems like half the people I see mailing packages “borrow” tape, scissors, pens anyway – can’t really expect them to have their own smart phone ;)

Lala said

AGREED!! :P

Dexter said

I sent that package tonight. Went to the post office with the normal small package customs form that I’ve been using for the last year. Nothing was mentioned to me about any change of policy, no mention of being able to fill out forms online. Absolutely NO MENTION of this. Why would some PO be talking about it but not all of them? I’m still an uninformed user and will continue until I’m “informed”. Crappy customer service….

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scribbles said

I just sent off a package to the US today. I filled out the customs form at the post office. The rate doesn’t seem to have changed yet. But it will affect me sending any future packages to the states.

looseTman said

Wow, I’m glad you got in “under the wire”. Thank You! :-)

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yyz said

I love how they do things like this and then make it next to Impissible to contact anyone for questions, complaints etc. We had to contact Canada Post after having problems with are service and after not being able to submit a general complaint through their website and no response to it submitted through facebook. I actually had to go through my mp to get an appropriate contact.

Dexter said

Why would they want/have to talk to their customers?

yyz said

Probably wouldn’t. The culture within Canada Post seems terminally bad. When I was in highschool I knew someone who worked at the sorting plant and they would only refer to it as ‘The Place’

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Cwyn said

Can you guys put down your own phone number? As an online seller if I am responsible for shipping, I would want to be contacted about shipping issues.

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looseTman said

“You need to list EXACTLY what is in the box, HOW MUCH of it and the EXACT WEIGHT!!”

If anyone is now curious about scales, I’m very pleased with this one: http://steepster.com/teaware/my-weigh/37731-durascale-d2-660-digital-scale.
It’s a much more accurate way to measure compared with teaspoons and it really helps one to have a consistently enjoyable cup of tea!

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TeaLady441 said

I saw a sign in a post office a few weeks about these new changes, and they had brochures you could take, which I stuffed in my purse and immediately forgot about. Ugh. It sounds like so much work. I wonder how much they’ll charge you to weight it etc, because I am NOT doing that. I’ll guess but I’m not buying a scale. :P

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Courtney said

Eep. I just came across this discussion. I went in last night, but just sending a couple parcels within Canada (though they were also ridiculously priced going to Ontario). I have to send a parcel to my friend in the US in the next week or two though. I shudder to think.

I know the girls at my post office and nobody has mentioned anything to me yet, but that could be because I haven’t brought anything in. What’s wrong with the written customs forms they peel off and stick on the parcel? Why should I waste printer ink and more paper, etc.?

I am going to look into rates at FedEx and Purolator. I send a bunch of things, not just tea, so I’ve had my fair share of problems with Canada Post.

Thanks for the heads up though Lala!

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I sent out a swap package last night with what you said in mind. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a scale at home to measure things.

However, the post office staffer I encountered was extremely nice, and didn’t actually give me any hassle about not having done any of the prepwork beforehand (no online form, no pre-weighing, etc). I have a few theories as to why:

1. Canada Post is still rolling this out, so they’re not being too heavy-handed yet.
2. The Canada Post staffers realize the policy doesn’t work, and are not enforcing it despite the word on high (either that, or they’re super sweet, like the lady I spoke to last night)
3. The Canada Post lady took pity on me because I was sick.

I really hope it’s theory #2.

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OMGsrsly said

Oh that is so gross! I’m really not happy with the idea of having to ask everyone for their phone numbers. :/ But at least it says: “List distinct items separately, but if you are sending several of the same type of items you can enter them in one line.”

So you can put down “10 tea samples $0.25 ea” and that should be valid. But weighing things? Uhh, no dudes. That ain’t happening, and I HAVE a scale.

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