Sending to Sweden with tracking - Canada Post is driving me nuts

peacefrogdog

Registered Trader
Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Messages
565
Reaction score
0
Location
Etobicoke, ON
I asked this before but Canada Post is giving me a hard time.

I'm sending a package with high end cards to a member here in Sweden and due to their value I want tracking. There are a couple of thick patch cards, and originally I put them in their usual protection and into one of the old UD Premier boxes, and then in a bubble mailer. OF course it was fairly thick, and was originally told that it would have to be sent as a package via courier or Express, costing $50!

So I looked on the Canada Post website, where I thought it said that for letter post, the dimensions had to be < 2 cm thick (and be able to fit through their little slot they have). So I repackaged things to fit those dimensions and went back. I was told that only DOCUMENTS can be sent registered mail to Sweden, and since this was clearly not a document I'd still have to send it as a package costing $50. When I said what the website said about the maximum dimensions to qualify as letter post (and thus for registered mail) I was told that "it doesn't matter what the website shows" because the 'front line' people at Canada Post make the decisions.

Please help me here - how have you sent to Europe with tracking? Is the thickness of the cards the thing which is screwing me over (because I can't pass them off as documents?) If I sent a regular card in a bubble mailer to Sweden, would they still charge me for a package because it's "not a document"?

How have you gone about shipping cards to Europe witih tracking and not get charged $50??

Rene
 
I've sent cards overseas via Registered Mail and have never been hassled by anyone. My suggestion is to go look for another postal outlet - some of the folks working the counters have no clue on what can and can't go a certain way
 
Paper is a document, my Post office always accepts it. You are technically not allowed to use expresspost even to the US if it's not a "document". Anyways I use DHL, have a buddy that works there and it costs $15-20 for one day with his discount. I'm pretty sure it's normally $50
 
The thing that I get a kick out of is the fact that they say it must be a document. Why the heck would anyone put a document in a bubble mailer in the first place?

Any time they ask me I just tell them i'm mailing photos... which isn't entirely a lie so much as a slight fib haha.
 
I've sent cards overseas via Registered Mail and have never been hassled by anyone. My suggestion is to go look for another postal outlet - some of the folks working the counters have no clue on what can and can't go a certain way

Hama: did you send in a bubble mailer, and didn't get any hassle?

I'm wondernig if mine, because they are thick patch cards, and I added extra protection, that it stood out as being something other than a document.
 
I'm wondernig if mine, because they are thick patch cards, and I added extra protection, that it stood out as being something other than a document.

It's the same thing as sending a thick patch to the US, I use a bubble mailer inside the prepaid envelopes, they never ask me what's inside. Nobody can tell if it's a document or not. I don't think they have the prepaids for overseas though.

In the end, it's still paper with protection that your sending, no different that sending a certificate that can't be bent.

Good luck
 
It's the same thing as sending a thick patch to the US, I use a bubble mailer inside the prepaid envelopes, they never ask me what's inside. Nobody can tell if it's a document or not. I don't think they have the prepaids for overseas though.

In the end, it's still paper with protection that your sending, no different that sending a certificate that can't be bent.

Good luck

I always get told unless I just protect the card(s) with cardboard, I can't send the XpressPost envelopes to the US or abroad :badmood:

I tried pleading my case once about how there is no way in hell I would send with just cardboard protecting the card - it has to be in its plastic. They strongly advised against it because IF customs opened it that would be a problem...not sure why the "paper only" rules outside the country, but it's a bit dumb if you ask me.

Kev
 
They only have the large prepaids to overseas that costs $50.

So essentially it sounds like if I just had a standard card in a regular top loader, but in a bubble mailer, it would be easier to say it was a document.

But with 3 thick patch cards, it would be hard to pass it off as a document (the Canada post guy thought it was a CD) .
 
I must have got a couple of jerks at the last two outlets. The last guy pretty much just said that the Canada Post website was inaccurate. What a waste of my time!

Hama: have you sent any thick cards , and did they allow that as well?
 
As long as they stay within the requirements, you're fine. If they hassle you about the website - tell them to look it up in the Canada Postal Guide - that's where it comes from - if they actually look at it...
 
I always use the prepaid Expresspost for cards. The P.O. in my village doesn't like it but the one in the town where I work will let me do it. They are quite nice. I put the cards in sleeves and toploaders in a team bag and then in a used #000 bubble mailer. It then goes inside the prepaid Expresspost envelope and gets sealed. Never had a problem and I have done well over 50 trades this way. No problems with Customs either!
 
Same as the others, I've shipped thick cards in a bubble mailer, and just ask for registered without an issue (that includes some Ultimate slabbed cards recently). I just asked for registered and paid that fee in addition to the postage.
 


Write your reply...

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
389,487
Messages
2,232,999
Members
4,147
Latest member
Robbyhav
Back
Top