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It sounds like there may have been a period of time where there was a glitch in the system, but my post master maintains that First Class mail is not tracked internationally. The tracking numbers that are being provided with First Class are NOT TRUE track-your- parcel- home numbers UNLESS it’s a domestic parcel (Canada to Canada, US staying in the US). The post master even told me that the number that Susie gets and plugs into our invoices (First Class mail), and showed me right on my parcel for example, that although it looks like your standard tracking number, they will not track your parcel, and should not (but there was what appeared to be a short lived glitch). I asked specifically when the parcel arrived, and the post master explained what looks like a tracking number, is really just a “confirmation” number that gets assigned to the shipment (also something new, and what’s causing the confusion).
Who knows!? Maybe things are changing in the snail mail world, but I find it hard to believe that the post master and their websites wouldn’t be on the up and up about it. What I was going to say…with all this doubt circulating, if the parcel is not for you, I think it’s best to specifically ask the post office when you drop it off “can this parcel be tracked to the recipient’s doorstep?” There is nothing more disappointing when you’re trading with someone, and you pay 15-20 dollars to track their parcel, to find out “they didn’t know the difference” and paid the cheapest amount, which offers NO tracking, and your parcel get lost, or takes 5 weeks to arrive, and you don’t know where it is….just ask for clarification.
According to http://www.canadapost.ca and http://www.usps.com….
If you are in Canada, shipping to the USA, you are looking for the following,
Expedited Parcel…Tracked Packet…ExpressPost…and Priority Worldwide. These 4 methods of shipping offer Tracking.
Words like, Small Packet…and Light Packet DO NOT OFFER TRACKING. But you will be given what looks like your run of the mill tracking number. You will get an error message when you plug it in to the respective website.
If you are in the USA, shipping to Canada, you are looking for these methods,
Priority Mail Express…Priority Mail International…or the option to ship via FedEx, called “Global Express Guaranteed” all offer tracking.
while First Class Mail, and First Class package DO NOT offer tracking
I hope this helps
Wanted: "Dragon Fruit" Male Dragon ~ "Fire Berry", "Paradise", "Dragon Fruit", "Tie Dye" ~ The brighter, the better!
Ask about customs numbers. That is the tracking number I had for the First Class International package that I recently sent to Canada, and it gave info all the way to the recipient’s doorstep.
Okay just so I understand, your receipt from USPS had what was called “a customs” number then? It was not identified as being a “tracking” number? Did is start with LZ with a bunch of numbers and ending in CA or US (or two different letters) The Post master at the outlet that I go to all the time is pretty good. She’s always very helpful so I’ll ask about this…usually there’s a line up behind me lol! I’ll go back and re-read the posts, but I want to make sure, this was a parcel shipped internationally by First Class mail option, and your customs number provided tracking all the way?
Wanted: "Dragon Fruit" Male Dragon ~ "Fire Berry", "Paradise", "Dragon Fruit", "Tie Dye" ~ The brighter, the better!
I’ll check closer next sale I get for that shipping ability! My bf /finally/ got a label printed! So this whole thing is just an obnoxious and ill timed learning curve…
I think I’m just going to continue USA only on ebay til it releases funds right away (which has always been my plan, til Ebay changed my setting under my nose), then I’ll look over the options more closely, but I fear the same kind of thing happening like you mentioned… sadly I just don’t put much past people, especially on ebayI was just reading about this horror story…what a nightmare. The one safe way around that hassle is to only offer Priority International to Canadian buyers (I can’t speak for other countries of course). If their only option is USPS Priority, which allows for tracking and insurance, this would never happen to you again. Even if your parcel is actually lost, you would still never be out of pocket again because of the insurance. Now, speaking from experience, if I decide I want to risk First Class mail option, meaning the value and availability of the sculpt is such that I’m okay risking the slight possibility of it getting lost, I’ll ask the seller to send it First Class, and I always appreciate the opportunity! BUT I assume responsibility over what happens to it. If the WS is expensive and OOAK, then Priority plus insurance, is the way to go. You could still give a Canadian buyer the option…First Class: Use at your own risk and you as the seller do not assume responsibility for lost parcels. Or you could make it mandatory that the parcel be sent with tracking and insurance to cover you, in the event of a loss. The Canadian buyer could be made to put that he/she assumes all responsibility in the payment comments, and ebay purchase comments – this would cover you in the event of a dispute. And just an aside: I can tell you, that even the jump in cost from First Class to Priority is FAR better than the cost of the Global Shipping Program. Please don’t give up on shipping to Canada 🙂
Wanted: "Dragon Fruit" Male Dragon ~ "Fire Berry", "Paradise", "Dragon Fruit", "Tie Dye" ~ The brighter, the better!
I’ll check closer next sale I get for that shipping ability! My bf /finally/ got a label printed! So this whole thing is just an obnoxious and ill timed learning curve…
I think I’m just going to continue USA only on ebay til it releases funds right away (which has always been my plan, til Ebay changed my setting under my nose), then I’ll look over the options more closely, but I fear the same kind of thing happening like you mentioned… sadly I just don’t put much past people, especially on ebayI was just reading about this horror story…what a nightmare. The one safe way around that hassle is to only offer Priority International to Canadian buyers (I can’t speak for other countries of course). If their only option is USPS Priority, which allows for tracking and insurance, this would never happen to you again. Even if your parcel is actually lost, you would still never be out of pocket again because of the insurance. Now, speaking from experience, if I decide I want to risk First Class mail option, meaning the value and availability of the sculpt is such that I’m okay risking the slight possibility of it getting lost, I’ll ask the seller to send it First Class, and I always appreciate the opportunity! BUT I assume responsibility over what happens to it. If the WS is expensive and OOAK, then Priority plus insurance, is the way to go. You could still give a Canadian buyer the option…First Class: Use at your own risk and you as the seller do not assume responsibility for lost parcels. Or you could make it mandatory that the parcel be sent with tracking and insurance to cover you, in the event of a loss. The Canadian buyer could be made to put that he/she assumes all responsibility in the payment comments, and ebay purchase comments – this would cover you in the event of a dispute. And just an aside: I can tell you, that even the jump in cost from First Class to Priority is FAR better than the cost of the Global Shipping Program. Please don’t give up on shipping to Canada 🙂
That is actually how I ship to Canada when not on ebay.. I will ship First Class, but I’m not responsible for what happens to it once it leaves my hands, but I prefer shipping Priority if I can. But w ebay, it becomes a new ballgame and ebay definitely has rules built in that make it riskier for sellers (their overcompensation for when it was super risky for buyers) so I just wanna be sure I know how it can back fire before setting it up…
Otherwise I don’t mind shipping international, I offer it on my ads posted here.When I get items now, from Windstone, I mostly use First Class Mail International Package. This USED to be trackeable all the way here. Now I can only track it once it enters Canada, via the Canadapost website. So I still follow it all the way, watching it get closer n closer 😉 Im currently watching one which was just scanned in Montreal… so the next scan will be here in my City, Halifax… which should be in approx 3 days… give or take 🙂
Angelika, you are correct on which options provide tracking to the US. Since Im a postie myself, and work in the local plant here, in the parcel section actually, I am very familiar with which parcels get scanned or what not. And you are correct, we do NOT scan light or small packets, and we also do NOT scan registered items. We used to scan registered items, but Canada Post changed the criteria for this product, and it now only offers a delivery confirmation and signature on delivery for registered items, not tracking.
Customs numbers are not numbers we normally scan…. unless when it enters Canada, Canadapost puts its own label on this product. When it does this CanadaPost uses this exact customs number, and makes its own label (which will either be express/registered/regular mail etc) with that same tracking number. This customs number I speak of is the one found on little packages, its usually a little green label etc, with a small barcode above it. ( Im not referring the the Customs number that Canada Border services applies when customs fees are charged.) Its hard to explain how or why this part is done… as us plant workers are not given the ins-and-outs of how parcels are handled when they enter Canada. All we know is if this package has a label applied by canadapost, we scan that number. If all it has is a customs number on it, we are not required to scan that number.
Seems like the Mail systems are always updating and/or changing how they do things… sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt 😉 Either way its usually always frustrating and confusing, lol !
Okay just so I understand, your receipt from USPS had what was called “a customs” number then? It was not identified as being a “tracking” number? Did is start with LZ with a bunch of numbers and ending in CA or US (or two different letters) The Post master at the outlet that I go to all the time is pretty good. She’s always very helpful so I’ll ask about this…usually there’s a line up behind me lol! I’ll go back and re-read the posts, but I want to make sure, this was a parcel shipped internationally by First Class mail option, and your customs number provided tracking all the way?
Sorry – I had to go out.
Yes, my post office receipt had a “Customs Form #” on it which began with LC and ended with US. This was on an International First Class package and the post office clerk told me “This is your tracking number”. That was on 03 December. 🙂I’ll check closer next sale I get for that shipping ability! My bf /finally/ got a label printed! So this whole thing is just an obnoxious and ill timed learning curve…
I think I’m just going to continue USA only on ebay til it releases funds right away (which has always been my plan, til Ebay changed my setting under my nose), then I’ll look over the options more closely, but I fear the same kind of thing happening like you mentioned… sadly I just don’t put much past people, especially on ebayI find it’s easier to do my own label through the USPS.com site and pay my shipping costs separately with a credit card and not go through the eBay or PayPal labeling at all. I just don’t like having some of the paid monies used for the labels and subtracted out of my PayPal account – that’s just me but it may be a more reliable way to get your labels printed and they may cost a little less going online USPS. I’ve also done this for International labels/customs paperwork to Canada and didn’t have any issue.
BTW – I don’t TRUST eBay’s Global Shipping either. I KNOW how I pack and when I send and I don’t need a middleman to ship.
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