Okay, so the title is basically because i've been watching reruns of Chuck endlessly for the past few days. But i was sent this blog the other day, and as someone who spens a small fortune mailing off manuscripts, i thought you might be interested in reading it:
-----
An intersting bit of practical trivia...
I learned something over Christmas that I feel compelled to share with you. This wont change your life dramatically or help you survive the apocalypse but it will save you some $$$.
I recently mailed two identical packages via Canada Post one week apart. One would think that the postage should be exactly the same...well, let me tell you...
Pkg # 1 was mailed from an actual Canada Post postal outlet. Postage came to $11.74. Since I knew a second package would be mailed in about a weeks time, I bought sufficient postage for the second pkg while I was there.
When it came time to mail Pkg #2 I happened to be closer to a franchised postal outlet in a nearby retail shopping mail so I planned to drop pkg #2 off at the franchised CP outlet. When I handed the pkg to the clerk to be put in the outbound mail bag, I was informed that I did not have sufficient postage attached. The clerk proceeded to inform me that I needed to purchase and additional $6 worth of stamps if I planned to have "them" submit my pkg to Canada Post for delivery. After explaining how I knew exactly what the postage should be, the clerk offered some lame excuse that CP is unionized and they can say and do anything with impunity and if I wished to mail that pkg at that outlet, I needed to purchase more stamps.
I told the clerk they were out to lunch and took back my package and headed to the "real" CP outlet to raise hell...Much to my surprise, the CP employee took my package, weighed it and tossed it in the mail bag ready for transport to the sorting facility to be sent on its way. I was informed the amount of postage attached was sufficient and that was that.
The Truth comes out:
Still perplexed by what I was told by the franchised location, I fired off an email to CP for clarification. The reply I received is reprinted below.
The summary:
Real CP outlets charge postage for packages at the published Canada Post rates. Franchise locations can charge whatever they like. If you regularly mail packages at franchise locations you are probably paying too much. Franchise locations are found in shopping malls, drug stores and private businesses everywhere. From now on, all of my mailing will be done from a real Canada Post location.
---
Hello Scarecow,
Thank you for your message to Canada Post.A postal outlet is not a federal government agency and is not owned or managed by Canada Post. For example if the postal outlet is within grocery store or pharmacy it would follow the stores working hours, therefore if the store must be closed, so will the postal outlet inside.Only Canada Post Depots and Corporate Post Offices are obligated to follow the price of stamps and postal products that are legislated by Canada Post. Any commercial and private establishment may charge extra fees as a convenience to their customers. It is at their discretion to apply additional service fees to products that they sell. We suggest visiting a Corporate Post Office in order to avoid paying additional service charges that corner stores or other establishment may implement on their products.
Regards,
Veronika Strofski
Customer Service
----- Original Message -----
From: Scarcrow
Sent: December 21, 2009 20:24:17
To: SERVICE, At Mailposte.ca
Subject: General - Parcel Services - General
12/21/2009
Comments: This month I needed to send two identical packages a week apart The first parcel I took to a Canada Post Office in my neighborhood. Since I would be mailing an identical package in a weeks time, I purchased twice the required postage. ($11.74 x 2)When the second package was ready to be mailed I went to drop it off at the franchise outlet in Carlingwood Mall (2121 Carling Ave). Even though I had already attached the required postage, the clerk informed me that there was insufficient postage. They wanted to sell me another $6.00 in postage.Are franchise outlets allowed to charge more than a Canada Post office?$18.00 for a cd sized padded envelope that was bulged ever so slightly that it would not fit through the sizing guide is outrageous. My FedEx account would get the same package to its destination overnight for only $4 more. I went back to the Canada Post office where I purchased the postage originally and was told that the postage was correct. Via Canada Post the package was delivered in six days.
Rgds.
[People tend to take every opportunity to mislead you, if you let them]
Posted by Scarecrow
