Do you Register or Not When Sending Overseas - Canada

[helenm777]

I have had my first request for post to Canada.. I can send for $15 non registered or $21 registered.

In Australia I usually send with signature or Tracking except for cheaper and small postage items.. that obviously would not sell if I charged post with signature.

Can more expereinced sellers, who sell to overseas buyers, please let me know if they usually send registered or not 

thanks so much

[Anonymous]

I usually ask the buyer if they want it registered.

[*crikey*mate*]

If i sold internationally, i would find out what i had to do to make sure I had the best PayPal protection possible (ie in the US, I need tracking, lodgement and proof of delivery)

not sure if that is classified as registered, but it's bad enough having to trust one postal service to do their job, far less a minimum of two!

[amber-eyed-girl]

I would register it.

I just bought an item from Canada.

never arrived...no signs of it having ever reached our customs.

[chameleon54 · Accepted solution]

International post cost is becoming a concern. Remember if the tracked cost is $21.00 you will need to add another $2.10 to cover the FVF on postage. Add in a quality envelope and bubble wrap and you are looking at close to $25.  I send items with a combined item and post value of above approx. $70 with tracking. Any less than this I send untracked, but add a $2.00 to $5.00 ( depending on value ) extra fee as insurance to cover items lost in the mail. This still works out cheaper for buyers than tracking. With the high cost of International post I must admit I often take a bit of a hit and cover some of the postage cost myself if it means making a sale. ( 80% of something is better than 100% of nothing ) I have a fairly good mark up on most of my items so can afford to discount now and again and still come out well in front. Canadas post system is very reliable and so you are less likely to have problems there than some other countries. The short answer is it depends on the total value ( postage plus item ) wether I use tracking or self insure.

[amber-eyed-girl]

Let me add to what I have said above. In ten years of buying on eBay, I at times, foolishly, optimistically, purchase an item from Canada. Each time, I ask for trackable mail. Each time, I am told sure, no worries. Every time, no item arrives, and the seller fails to provide a tracking number, but has proof of postage.

three times, never again.

so, for me, the Canada post (or their customs) is not reliable. I would be doing everything I could, short of delivering it myself, to ensure it gets to the Canadian buyer, and if it doesn't, that there is some accountability. Just seems toooooo much to just be coincidence.

and I have even bought with the dreaded GSP, where parcels enjoy magical mystery tours for weeks, but I get them 🙂

they are tracked, and that gives me peace of mind.

[digital*ghost]

I base my decision on the value of the item - if I can't (or don't want to) risk having to afford a refund or replacement on the item, I will resgister it (or the equivalent that gives me proof of postage). At the moment, that threshold is relatively low for domestic items (around the $40 mark), and a little bit higher for international items because the difference between the services is a lot higher ($6.45 for a large letter, or $20+ to register / track, so I'd rather have low postage rates and self insure for the odd loss - that's with a view to consistent overseas sales, though, and not on eBay so the FVF on postage isn't a consideration). 

amber - sorry to see you've had consistent problems with mail from Canada. 😞 One of my suppliers is located there and I always choose the untracked air mail option with no issues so far (but then, I also have the benefit of the PO box). I've sent to Canada a few times now as well, and so far so good (untracked / unregistered each time). 

[chameleon54]

AMBER ......As per previous post, I have never had any problems sending items to Canada. I wonder if you have just been unlucky ( or I've been lucky ) or wether there are problems recieving items from Canada but not going to there. I would send around half a dozen  parcels there each year and never give them a second thought security wise. The countries that I have trouble with are the ones you would expect. South American countries, Russian states, Spain, Cuba, Mexico etc.

[amber-eyed-girl]

you did not make it clear in which direction you meant, when stating reliable. For me, it has only been tested from Canada.

no item could be traced past their customs.

[amber-eyed-girl]

Digi, I was told that all airmail from Canada was tracked, and that it was only surface that was not. Is this not true?