Here is where you get tell us what is wrong with Canada Post. Please email us your comments, frustrations, facts and ideas to More What's Wrong.
Kathryn Yvonne (2024-08-20):
Canada Post often holds my package at the arrival location and can take up to a week to actually deliver it locally. I get updates about it being out for delivery and things never come. I live in a rough neighbourhood where packages will get stolen and I can’t always use a PO box so it is very stressful.
Victor Reap (2024-08-06):
Canada Post stopped delivering my mail again. This has happened a few times and it is distressing and frustrating. I rely on some of that mail. If I don't get it, I'm screwed.
They are claiming they can't access the mailboxes in my apartment building which is a complete lie. They have been given multiple copies of the door key, two of which are copies of mine, so I am positive they work. There is absolutely zero reason they can't access the mailboxes.
I don't know what to do. It is illegal to withhold someone's mail in Canada, but I bet they'll get away with it.
Jim Smyth (2024-08-01):
Why does Canada Post not share information with AN Post in Ireland?
I suspect they are too ashamed of their service record so they keep it hidden.
During the past year I have sent and received several registered mail pieces between Canada and Ireland, dealing with estate matters and passports. It is shocking that it takes 6 days to get from YEG to YUL for forwarding to Ireland. Fortunately I am able to track the pieces once they are received in Ireland and delivered the next day, apparently because AN Post communicates this information to Canada Post.
On the other end I received a tracking number from AN Post and an estimated delivery of 3-5 business days. Apparently AN Post confuses Canada Post with an efficient postal service. Getting back to the AN Post tracking number, it is of no value to a Canadian recipients because Canada Post does not communicate progress to AN Post. This is clearly not a reciprocal process. Many of these incoming pieces have taken three weeks. When I check AN numbers through Canada Post, the message is always the same. There is no record of it and Canada Post has not yet received it, which absurd considering the message remains even after it is delivered.
I am now in the third week waiting for a letter, 12 business day and 16 days in total. Not only is this poor service it is disrespectful to me and all customers having similar experience.
I'm not sure if you need to hear it again but as old as Canada Post is, lessons could learned from relatively new players in logistics. With them I can place an order at 2200 hrs and receive it at my door by 1600 hrs the next day.
I can't help but feeling I have wasted my time with this email. Does anyone at Canada Post even care?
Jelly Belly (2024-07-31):
Canada Post is the only parcel delivery service that can’t get a parcel to your door by the day after it is picked up. Never have that problem with any other parcel delivery service. With hardly any mail to deliver and thankfully a huge reduction in flyers, yet they still can’t get their act together with parcel deliveries. Other competitors have excelled at this service.
244 million in debt in first quarter of 2024. Well overdue for some huge changes and layoffs.
Larry Pretty (2024-07-23):
What's wrong with Canada Post is the quality of employees they have hired to deliver mail and parcels in what I perceive as a no brainer job. These people, because of the union and their own ineptitude, entitlement and the greatest lack of a work ethic, are to blame for this failure to thrive as a crown corporation. The carriers want to get out there and push for the least amount of hours because they will still get paid for 8 hours even though they worked only 5 or 6 hours. Sorters don't give a rat's ass if your mail is not sorted the day it is received because they get paid whether they sort 100 pieces of mail or 10, or 1,000. Some of these people go through the motions, not really giving a shit about the people who pay their over inflated wages and benefits. Canada Post needs new leadership. It's time they were held accountable and start disciplining lazy and inept employees and stop giving over power to the unions. Because of their spineless actions employees think they are set for life.
Anonymous (2024-07-20):
These complete morons are devoid of any critical thinking. I have a sign above the mailbox that says no junk mail no soliciting. I have contacted all the appropriate channels and removed all junk mail coming to my house. It's hot, I pump my AC through the mail slot. Most mail carriers just toss junk mail on the ground in front of the door like any normal person using a second brain cell, but these morons have the time to stuff it inside the mailbox and almost blow my AC. Complete fucking morons. How the fuck do you have jobs?
Jason Booth (2024-07-19):
The Canada Post worker for my apartment building never even attempts to deliver packages. They lie and say they did but they just fill out the slips in their van and put those in the mail box. I have to drive to the Shoppers Drug Mart to pick up my parcel. I watched the driver filling the slips out in his vehicle only yesterday and carry in a gray tray filled with slips for parcels. My slip said no box available and to go to Shoppers the following day at 1:00 pm. I paid for expedited delivery because I needed the package that day. I paid extra for what? To have to do the delivery myself? My apartment building has a brand new mail room with over 50 mail boxes just for parcels and a code system to retrieve said packages. Just tired of paying for half of a service and to be lied to every single time they show up.
Ding Pino (2024-06-25):
Delivery of my package was attempted this morning. The f**king delivery guy called me when I was washroom. When I got my phone he just hung up. And I call back him immediately, but nobody answered the phone. He called me at 10:28 am and I called back also at 10:28 am, just few seconds late, no one answered the phone! I continue to call him from 10:28 to 10:36, almost 10 min, always no response. And after that I got a notice to ask me get my package by myself. I am just wondering, if you guys don't want to make delivery, just put all packages at your f**king office; you don't even need to call us or come out to deliver. It is better for Canada Post than to spend money for those stupid and useless delivery guys.
Leena Valiharju (2024-06-20):
Canada Post has sent out flyers twice this week, but no mail. I want my bills not flyers. Canada Post is making a ton of money by having union workers deliver flyers!
Carol Jones (2024-06-13):
I received May's Visa invoice June 12 along with 7 different bundles of expired flyers. I pick my mail up once a week and its often sparse until I have a week where suddenly the box is packed full. Getting flyers and other mail late has happened numerous times before but when I complained this time I was told they are training new employees. Since this is an ongoing problem maybe you should start by firing the person in charge of hiring those new employees and the person training them. What is so difficult about teaching someone how to deliver mail on time? It's worked before. I have been so busy these past few weeks that I hadn't even realized I hadn't received my Visa bill until about a week after its due date when I immediately paid it (I always pay it off every month). I thought I must have misplaced the bill although I am not normally in the habit of doing that. Now I have to pay a $21 interest penalty for late payment and I have no recourse with Canada Post because I am not the sender. I cancelled the flyers this time since they are of no use when they are mostly outdated when received anyway. I should not have to worry or think about whether my bills will arrive on time and I will miss a payment. Grrrr. I am so angry!
Eufrocina Banez-Hui (2024-06-06):
Just noticed in the Richmond Hill/Markham area, is the hiring manager Chinese? All the postal workers are of the same ethnicity. Do they only hire their own kind?
Anonymous (2024-04-29):
I mailed two birthday cards from Nanaimo, BC on April 13, 2024 going to Halifax, NS. It is over 2 weeks later; the birthday is today and the cards are still not there. How very disappointing. What is going on?
Larry Hallok (2024-04-11):
This is not a complaint but praise for our postman who delivers in the M8Y3P2 postal code. Missed a quality and security check on our mail delivery*. I would like to state that Gregory who delivers our mail is the best.
---
*Since at least 2022 Canada Post has been conducting on-the-ground checks on delivery in neighbourhoods across Canada. When Canada Post workers visit and residents are not home, a card like the one shown below is left behind:
Manon Fortin, Chief Operating Officer of Canada Post, wrote, in an email message to a B.C. resident in March 2022, that the quality and security checks are "part of our routine process to ensure all Delivery Agents are working as safely and efficiently as possible." She added that the notices left behind are "intended as a courtesy to reassure customers who may have noticed Canada Post employees other than their regular Letter Carrier in their neighbourhood." We are not aware of any published reports on the results of these checks. However, widespread frustration over lost, stolen and misdirected mail and slow delivery suggests that Canada Post has a long way to go in fixing its delivery performance problems. Of course, the many hard-working Canada Post letter carriers who try their best to deliver the mail on time cannot be faulted for Canada Post's structural and management failures.
Adam Warren (2024-03-28):
I made a page on social media called 'Canada Lost'. The logo includes a giant "?". The background is a plane bouncing from country to country. Anyway I think that sums it up: every other company delivers on time and even calls when they get here. but Canada Post. Mail never arrives or when it does it's completely destroyed. The one time my package arrived I had to walk a block to get it.
Andy Geiger (2024-03-21):
As a company we mailed payables checks on the 14th of February, both to the USA and within Ontario. The mail was dropped in the local mail box and none have delivered.
As we have experienced mail fraud in this area once before, we decided it best to stop payment of all 14 cheques at a cost of over $250. We had to re-issue all the checks, so both time and money.
In talking with a few other businesses, they experienced the similar issue for mail posted around that day. Weird that more than just us had the same issue for mail sent the same day. It would be one thing for 1 cheque, but 14 to all different companies, no private or letter mail was in this drop.
Is someone taking the mail and doing something nefarious with the information? They should not be able to "cash" those cheques as they are made out to businesses not people.
Other mail sent after that day delivered within normal time frames, so suspicious as to what happened on that particular date. Does anyone have any comment or can share similar issues.
---
Thieves are stealing cheques in the mail and modifying them so they can be cashed. This actually happened to the sponsor of this website. A cheque over $25,000 mailed to major courier was intercepted and modified to show an individual as the payee. The quality of the work to bleach out the laser-printed payee text and overprint it was stunning and would have fooled anyone.
Dee Lindsay (2024-03-19):
A postcard mailed early November to a friend in France just arrived today despite correct mailing address and postage.
Canada Post Office is worse than useless.
Jim Parsons (2024-03-11):
Ordered a used DVD from Rimouski, Quebec. It was mailed on February 22 and I received it 18 days later.
During the Xmas season 2 letters were sent to my daughter and myself in Calgary (different addresses) from London, Ontario. Neither arrived, never will.
Also during te Xmas season I went to my closest Canada Post location to send my mother in London, Ontario, a greeting and gift card. As I was sending a gift card I wanted to use registered mail to be safe. The computer systems were down so anything that required computer use could not be sent. I was assured that the issue was just with this location so I checked the system statuses with CP and was told that all were running smooth and 100%. I then walked to another location who were also experiencing the same computer issues. I then decided to send the card via standard mail which was a stupid mistake, my mother never received the card to this date.
I trust some highly paid union employee enjoyed my mother’s gift card -- jerk!
No one in CP has any excuse for stealing mail but I suspect that it’s rampant.
Sherry Ostrov (2024-03-08):
Wow. where to begin. Canada Post has the nerve to charge ridiculous prices for pathetic service. I live in Prospect Bay, NS, which is considered part of the HRM (Halifax Regional Municipality). We no longer have a post office. They closed that a few years back, so the closest is 21 km, with a whopping single person counter service.
The delivery of packages of any kind is going to be delayed about 70% of the time. The website flat out lies and blames it on ‘extreme weather’ which has nothing to do with it 95% of the time.
I was supposed to receive a package today, March 8th, from a company in NS, sent March 7th. This is from Bear River, NS, 240km away. Not happening. I’ll be lucky if I get it on Monday. This is no surprise.
Two weeks ago, I was supposed to receive a package from Toronto, mailed on Monday, by Thursday. XpressPost leaves much to be desired. Package notification stated delayed until Friday…delayed until following Monday. I had noticed that there was no mail being delivered to our set of boxes that week, and on the Friday I finally saw a postal worker at the boxes. I went over and asked if there had been any mail delivery that week and was informed that the regular delivery person was on vacation and they hadn’t replaced him. There was far too much mail piled up and it was not possible to get it all delivered until the following week, if that.
On the Monday, I caught up with yet another delivery person that stated the same thing, and said the backlog was yet to be dealt with. I received my package on Tuesday, almost a week late. It was an expensive plant, and yes, it was dead.
Calling the customer service numbers leave me wondering why I bother. Sitting on the phone for an hour to get no rational explanation or resolution. I’ve had more ticket numbers than I can count, and delivery only gets worse. There’s nothing like being told that I’m not the customer, the business that sent the package is, and there is nothing they can do for me.
I actually despise Canada Post and am ashamed it represents our country as THE mail carrier for Canada. Having lived in other countries I can say from experience that there is no excuse for the subpar service and lack of any kind of integrity whatsoever.
Janice and Cilla, The Canadian Barley Tea Company (2024-02-23):
Thanks for your site. It was somehow comforting to know we aren't the only ones suffering.
As a small business, we use Canada Post because it’s the most economical and we like supporting a national business.
The delivery time for letter rate (which we use) across Canada is stated on their site as 2~4 days.
We knew this was 100% incorrect so we put up to 15 working days delivery in our shipping policy.
That turned out to be a gross underestimate so we then upped it to 30!
Well over the past two months we’ve had over 20 packages either get lost or be so late that we had to resend or issue refunds. This is crushing for a small business.
We spoke with Canada Post and they say the customers are either lying or the parcels were stolen. Sure maybe one or two, but not 20 and not from all across the country.
So now our shipping policy is 45 days across Canada, more than 10x what Canada Post says.
We contacted the federal minister in charge to share our story and hope some positive changes can be made.
Glen Papper (2024-01-21):
I feel like I have been embezzled by Canada Post.
Sent a 3 day Xpresspost Dec 3 last year to another province as a gift for Christmas.
I sent 4 times 500 dollar Amazon gift cards.
I paid for the speed and of course insurance for the value of the cards.
A week later the package was never seen and still has not. They told me it didn’t make it past an automated facility in Mississauga.
They will not honour the insurance I bought from them.
I have talked to various employees since; been on two tickets of theirs. The last on was with their claims team and it expired Jan 10th.
I called they said a supervisor will contact me within. 24 hours. That was last week.
I drive a cab and it takes me 3 months to save $2000.
Imagine buying unknowingly worthless insurance on your house maybe.
Please help recover some dignity as a Canadian.
---
Update 2024-01-25:
No one from Canada Post cared to understand my story: the fact that I expected the letter there in 3 days (guaranteed), that would make it Dec 7th, that it would give my 13 year old plenty of time to start building this computer from Amazon, before I arrived there Jan 2 to help with the finishing touches.
Well it didn’t go as planned. One worker told me to keep the original receipt from Shoppers Drug Mart. They will want it.
Also I was informed by a manager, Monique, that on December 7th the letter never made it past an automated plant in Mississauga. Like a lot of time passed before finally the buck stopped being passed, like Jan 17th or so, after I started complaining through emails to people.
These people must get paid way too much to care is all I can think of.
While I was there (where the letter was supposed to go) I had Canada Post on the phone with the receiver, my kid, right beside me. No interest in talking to her, or trying to understand how their negligence affected her and how this ruined my kid's Christmas, in a big way.
And it hurts me that this so called government agency will not try to understand that.
Keuroki Tsukishima (2024-01-05):
Maybe have more locations OPEN late? My local one is only open until 5. (Shitty hours generally, BTW. Up until maybe 7-8 you have some people stressing over not getting their shit on time.) And locations are closed on the weekends for some reason. Good for the people who are free on weekdays, but fuck you to the ones that have jobs. Tell me why I would also have to wait 2 days to be able to grab packages just because you’re closed for the weekend.
Morris Maintenance (2023-12-08):
What's wrong with Canada Post you ask??
First of all, not sure you really want to know, and secondly pretty sure you don't really care!! So let's put it this way: if you want an example of perhaps one of the biggest failures in companies in Canada, Canada Post would top the list: a legendary history of getting it done through any obstacles any season any weather, yet it sure has taken a downward spiral since that.
Improved technology, improved transportation, improved networking, yet a degradation of service, of dedication, of honesty, and intelligence. Promise guarantees in service at a much heftier fee, yet continuously renege on your guarantees, fail to provide a once respected service, and openly show the total incompetence that is now Canada Post!!
You should be so proud, captains of a sunken treasure, of losing money, losing packages, losing a once respected reputation, in return for record breaking 1 star reviews. Anita Anand [Former Minister of Public Services and Procurement, responsible for Canada Post] can take some credit for some of your outstanding accomplishments. As a actual decendant of a person who actually started the mail service and created the stamp-equalized payment system in Canada. I can say you have not done this legendary service any justice, and your CEO should be evicted from their position they have consistently showed their incompetence, failed business, failed service, failed bottom line, and if the board fails to see it then they themselves should be shown the door. You are a disgrace to what was once a Canadian icon in service honor and dedication.
---
Update 2023-12-09:
I have personally sent her [Anita Anand] mail, as she was in charge of procurement prior to whoever is in charge now. I have spoken to CEO of Canada Post as well. This is not my first rodeo with Canada Post. Every time I have had a package, other than daily mail, they lose it. It has literally been 2 min away from me only to end up across the country an hour later. It's pathetic and wonder why it's a failing business.
As far as which minister responsible for Canada Post they have bounced around now, makes no difference as they are all equally useless at their jobs and only in it for the $$$ perks, and pension. They couldn't run a household, let alone a country.
The CEO is just as much to blame. I bet Doug Ettinger doesn't take a pay cut or give up his bonuses while he runs the business into the ground in the hopes tax payers' money will yet again bail them out. It pisses me off, as my great-grandfather (Morris), actually helped start Canada Post, and was responsible for creating our current standardized stamp payment method.
To see what was once heralded as legend, "through snow rain no matter what we'll get your mail to you", has now turned into a shit show of incompetence even with the extra benefit of technology and the ease it creates. It's now more like you'd be lucky to get your mail even if it was the most heavenly day on Earth. Obviously process and procedure, as well as basic competence, are not high on the list of SOPs (standard operating procedures). Surprisingly enough the company seems to be accepting their current state: losing money by the bucket load over and over, having a virtually zero rating (if 0 was an option) with public trust and confidence. Perhaps a major contributer in the losing money part!!
If the service were reliable (like it used to be. rain, snow. ) people wouldn't spend their money with competitors. After all you are Canadian. Or used to be anyway. Canadians like places that have Canada in the name usually! Ask Canadian Tire!
By the way, express shipping [XpressPost] is "guaranteed" 2 days, maybe 3 (barring "possible weather delays and natural disasters"), and people pay extra for trying to have the extra surety. A package of mine sent on the 6th, still (once again) amongst the missing ("uncertain delivery date"), was supposed to go literally 10 min from my house 4 days ago. Well that one is still not here because of a routing error 2 days ago. So I am not sure if it ended up in Spain and is now taking another 2 days of unknown status to return. We shall see what happens.
I am sure glad the additional express option (offered for extra fees) is guaranteed. It is comforting, so they say, as I would hate to have faced the alternative if you didn't pay extra. See the problem.
Just curious what is the slogan for Canada Post anyway, you know, like slogans of other delivery services like "We deliver", "On time every time", those kinda of mottos? The one thing that is consistent with Canada Post? Uncertainty!
Wei Zheng (2023-11-10):
I’m waiting for a document which was sent on November 8 from Vaughan, ON. According the Xpresspost tracking number, it’s expected to be delivered by the end of the October 14.
That’s an Xpresspost.
Michel Legault (2023-10-31):
Went to Canada Post to find out what was the best way to send a certified letter from Montreal to Florida with tracking info available.
Was charged $16. and told that it would take from 4 to 10 days.
This was sent October 17, 2023. Today is October 31st and according to tracking, this is still being held in US Customs.
I should have just mailed it as a birthday card.
Bobby McGregor (2023-10-30):
If you google my address it gives the wrong information. The postal code is wrong and the unit number (122 B Wellington) doesn’t even exist. Instead I need to use 2-122 Wellington but my location is wrong when I type it into google.
What am I supposed to do? Well I even leave notes for the delivery instructions saying “If you have any trouble delivering, look for the mailbox number 122B. It is the same as 2-122. Or call this number for clarity."
These asshats attempt delivery 3 times. Package winds up being held a month later. I give them the correct information dozens of times. The ($700) package gets destroyed because “nobody claimed it”.
I am riding my bicycle to Toronto from Kitchener next time. Because even if it takes me 7 days to get there and back, at least I know I’ll get my purchase without being bent over and fucked in the ass by Canada Post. They just completely and utterly destroyed my chocolate starfish by shoving it in no lube whatsoever.
I just want justice for this vicious sexual assault.
Jennifer Halyrevich (2023-10-21):
Why does Canada Post allow theft to continue? My mail person has posts selling my parcels she stole. I have tried to make complaints, but the policy is to send all complaints to the post office that is stealing my parcels.
Derrick Bouchard (2023-09-30):
They sent my daughter's package back after 2 weeks. We did not know when the package was coming as it was from out of the country, and there was a backlog on the product she ordered. We were out of town, and didn't know the post office got it until we returned and I opened my mailbox and saw a notice that said it had been returned. Even the CRA gives you 30 days to respond when they contact you by mail. Canada Post is useless. DO NOT USE THEM To ship your packages. I will no longer buy products online that use Canada Post as the shipper.
Susan French (2023-09-26):
I live in a condo and up until about a year ago, Canada Post would buzz my intercom to tell me my parcel had arrived and they would leave it in the lobby. Then they started sending my parcels directly to a pickup location claiming they had attempted delivery, but had not buzzed my intercom (it shows up on my phone if they do). I complained twice and both times was told they should have buzzed me. Today it happened again but when I called to complain, I was told that postal workers are not supposed to buzz the intercom and if there is not a parcel locker, the parcel does not get left. This means there is no such thing as parcel delivery from Canada Post if you live in a condo without a parcel locker. I think they should have made a public announcement if they arbitrarily decided to change the rules. I'm now checking the delivery method when I place online orders to make sure my parcels are not coming via Canada Post since they won't deliver them.
Anonymous (2023-09-21):
Their workers apparently cannot read. Had a friend ship some trading cards to me and they almost wouldn’t give them to me at the post office.
Apparently there was an issue finding my address, so I went in to pick up my package, but when they looked up the tracking number the addressed address didn’t match my ID. They almost refused to give it to me but I had already dealt with them before so I was already irate and I was able to tell them all about the package so it was clearly mine.
To get to the point, when I got my package THE INFO MATCHED MY ID EXACTLY. The problem? Some moron put a single letter wrong in the system for the postal code and it thought the package was going somewhere else 30 minutes away from my house. At no point did the person working at the post office check the (CORRECTLY FILLED) label to verify and they even tried to blame my friend for putting the wrong postal code.
Also their delivery times are inconsistent and they rarely actually knock instead just leaving a delivery attempt slip. Lazy fuckers all around
Mehdi Talbi (2023-08-18):
Absolute fucking shitters.
Jeremy Bradley, SpeakFree Media (2023-08-14):
They’ve been a bunch of dicks. See below.
---
From: Jeremy Bradley, SpeakFree Media
Sent: May 25 2023
To: Public Services and Procurement Canada
Cc: Helena Jaczek MP, Canada Post Media Relations
Subject: PSPC - Canada Post inquiry
In recent months I’ve been hearing several concerns from small-business owners about the rates that Canada Post charges for shipping.
I realize the corporation manages its own operations and business, however I wonder if the federal government has any oversight and could either make recommendations or changes to the crown corporation.
Example 1: Mailing a small envelope with a pair of socks to the U.S. costs a small business over $9 – more than the cost of the product. An envelope with a coil-bound letter-sized-paper calendar inside costs over $11 to send to the U.S. Do these rates seem unreasonable? Example 2: Letter mail within Canada must slide through a plastic device, if it doesn’t fit it needs to be sent as upgraded mail for an extra charge, however the same thick envelope to the U.S. doesn’t need to be processed that way. There are times when the same thicker envelope (for instance with a heavier book inside) costs more to send within Canada than it does to the U.S. What is the logic in pricing?
Example 3: To get a tracking number for an international parcel can cost an extra $20 (Canada to Australia - $20-something for the mail itself, or over $40 for the mail with tracking) for the same-sized envelope in Example 1 and shipping method (Small Packet Air). Why is there a surcharge just to get a tracking number which is largely standard practice for e-commerce nowadays?
Canada Post retail employees (Shoppers Drug Mart staff) can never explain any of the above scenarios. They also report there is a lack of transparency from the corporation to front-line staff about such practices. (I have spoken at length with various retail staff in Winnipeg and they have opened up about several complaints: being given a massive binder last year when the new retail computer systems were deployed without formal training, essentially told to figure it out on their own; most recently over the past few weeks when mail forwarding hasn’t worked properly and they feel unsupported as they can’t provide answers to customers.)
I’d like to know – not only as a consumer columnist and broadcaster, but a Canadian taxpayer – why, contrary to Canada Post’s social media ads purporting to support small businesses, Canadian entrepreneurs are being, excuse the term, fleeced when trying to operate their small businesses. Truthfully, it’s interesting to see Canada Post ads on Facebook and read the comments from people expressing this very concern and asking legitimate questions and getting no response.
I’d appreciate a response from the federal government and not simply be redirected to pose these questions to Canada Post, as they’ve demonstrated they don’t care to engage in the conversation. (Or if they have it’s the usual: The cost of everything is going up and that’s why we have fuel surcharges, etc. Fuel has nothing to do with slapping on an extra $20 just for a tracking number.) I’m seeking direct answers to the specific scenarios about this crown corporation.
I trust there is something that can be done to be more fair to small businesses in Canada and help entrepreneurs thrive.
Thank you for your attention.
---
From: Public Services and Procurement Canada
Sent: June 1 2023
To: Jeremy Bradley
Subject: RE: PSPC - Canada Post inquiry
Thank you for your message. Please note that this email account only answers general questions on programs and services offered by Public Services and Procurement Canada.
Your message has been forwarded from our generic inbox to Canada Post. However, from their Contact us page, it looks like you would have to contact them via their Chat or by phone.
Support: Find answers, contact us or report a problem | Canada Post (canadapost-postescanada.ca)
Public Services and Procurement Canada| Government of Canada
Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada | Gouvernement du Canada
TPSGC.Questions-Questions.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
---
From: Jeremy Bradley, SpeakFree Media
Sent: June 1 2023
To: Public Services and Procurement Canada
Cc: Canada Post Media Relations, Helena Jaczek MP
Subject: RE: PSPC - Canada Post inquiry
Thanks for your reply.
I note you’ve removed the minister from the reply, so I’ve copied her email address again as I did not contact the incorrect person, per Canada Post’s information:
“The Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, is the minister responsible for Canada Post.”
When will someone provide answers to the questions below from May 25?
---
From: Public Services and Procurement Canada
Sent: June 1 2023
To: Jeremy Bradley
Subject: RE: PSPC - Canada Post inquiry
Thank you for your message. Please note that this email account only answers general questions on programs and services offered by Public Services and Procurement Canada.
As mentioned in our email below, please contact the generic inbox to Post Canada for answers to your questions. They should be able to guide you.
Support: Find answers, contact us or report a problem | Canada Post (canadapost-postescanada.ca)
Public Services and Procurement Canada| Government of Canada
Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada | Gouvernement du Canada
TPSGC.Questions-Questions.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
---
From: Jeremy Bradley, SpeakFree Media
Sent: June 1 2023
To: Public Services and Procurement Canada
Cc: Helena Jaczek MP, Raquel Dancho MP
Subject: RE: PSPC - Canada Post inquiry
Adding again to CC the minister for a response.
When will I hear from this taxpayer-funded employee?
I realize Canada Post is getting obliterated right now on social media because of a service outage but I expect some sort of acknowledgement of this request from the federal public servant more than one week after initial contact.
Adding my MP to the thread as an FYI re: this request.
---
From: Jeremy Bradley, SpeakFree Media
Sent: June 7 2023
To: Canada Post Media Relations
Subject: FW: Canada Post media comment - deadline Friday
Please provide transparent answers regarding the points below (that you’d been previously copied on).
Also, I need a specific reason for the following:
A simple brown envelope whose contents weigh .082 kg costs $14.87 to send to South Africa via small packet air mail. To add tracking, the cost becomes $80.30. It is fundamentally the same service but with a tracking number. Why is there such a dramatic price increase? Justify that to Canadian taxpayers and small business owners you want using Canada Post.
Deadline is Friday. It will be noted you’ve been formally asked for comment. Any and all correspondence is on the record.
---
From: Jeremy Bradley, SpeakFree Media
Sent: June 9 2023
To: Canada Post Media Relations
Cc: Helena Jaczek MP
Subject: RE: Canada Post media comment - deadline Friday
“When asked about its questionable pricing practices, Canada Post did not respond to multiple requests for comment to put at ease the country’s small business owners.”
Minister responsible for Canada Post: Take note. You will be asked for comment about the PR team being MIA.
---
From: Jeremy Bradley, SpeakFree Media
Sent: June 13 2023
To: Canada Post Media Relations
Cc: Helena Jaczek MP
Subject: RE: Canada Post media comment - deadline Friday
Adding another time stamp to this statement request.
Next- it’s over to Canada Post ombudsman and PMO respectively for comment about lack of comment.
---
From: Jeremy Bradley, SpeakFree Media
Sent: June 16 2023
To: Canada Post
Cc: Helena Jaczek MP
Subject: RE: Canada Post media comment - deadline Friday
When will the crown corp’s PR team respond to this continued request for comment?
---
From: Canada Post Media Relations
Sent: June 16 2023
To: Jeremy Bradley
Subject: RE: Canada Post media comment - deadline Friday
You can use the following statement for your story:
Parcel delivery in Canada is a competitive industry and Canada Post’s parcel service is therefore not regulated like Lettermail, it is influenced by the marketplace. Like our competitors, Canada Post determines base shipping rates through several factors including parcel weight and size, the origin and destination, as well as the costs of processing, transportation, and delivery. In addition, other factors such as federal and provincial taxes (GST/HST) contribute to the total cost to ship a parcel.
Customers have many options when sending parcels and packages, including using our flat rate box. Postage on the flat rate box is not based on a parcel’s destination or weight, as long as it doesn’t weigh over 5 kg. Canada Post has also undertaken pricing actions in smaller and rural communities to help grow eCommerce and enable economic development, such as reduced rates to northern and remote communities.
As for international shipping rates, they are set by the Universal Postal Union and its 192 members, as well as through bilateral agreements. More information is available at www.upu.int.
Canada Post is proud to serve small businesses across the country and continues to offer shipping discounts and other incentives through our free Solutions For Small Business program. Small businesses can sign up for Solutions for Small Business for free at canadapost.ca.
Helping businesses succeed is part of Canada Post’s commitment to Canadians. We’re investing in our network and creating new products and programs that respond to the changing needs of small businesses and deliver support in new ways. The Tales of Triumph contest is one way Canada Post is delivering more for small businesses across the country.
Given our dual mandates to remain financially self-sustaining and to provide affordable postal service for Canadians, we work hard to maintain reasonable, competitive prices and to provide options to meet a range of needs.
--------
Phil Legault
Media relations
Canada Post
Nettie Pettman (2023-07-25):
Why can I not find an estimated cost to ship a parcel across the country. I have tried every avenue. The government doesn’t want to deal with people, but they also don’t know how to assist people on line – when people are already fed up with the Canadian system.
Martin Labonte (2023-07-22):
I had on three occasions sent to my younger son birthday cards with gift cards to Calgary by Canada Post and they never got there. and now a month ago my oldest son – total different address – same thing, 100 bucks in gas card. Then they want you to fill out complaint forms and nothing gets done. Thieves!
Sandra Stroud (2023-06-16):
I mailed cheques to a business in Calgary, AB and what should have taken 2 business days to arrive took 2 months. Then I sent a birthday card to my daughter who lives an hour from me. It’s been two weeks and she still hasn’t received it. Little disheartening to think that our postal system isn’t as reliable as it used to be.
Karin (2023-06-14):
The Canada Post lady put the wrong address on my package.
I was returning two pairs of shoes to Sporting Life in Calgary, Alberta. The lady sent them to a random apartment in Etobicoke, Ontario.
Canada Post won't refund me, even though I purchased insurance. Apparently, it is "my duty to make sure its going to the right place". So, I guess they expect people to stand and wait for the Canada Post employee to put the label on so we can double check they put the correct address on it. I trusted that when I pressed "CONFIRM" on the touch screen that that is where its going.
I kept my receipt though, in case there was a problem. I find my glasses and a magnifying glass so I can read the size 3 font and I see it shows two destination postal codes. one is right and one is wrong. You would think that the receipt would be proof that they made an error. Nope. I'm out $432.50.
Sydney Martin (2023-06-13):
On the Top Class Actions website Lee Duke says:
"As a employee I 100% agree that action needs to be taken against Canada Post. After 17 years on the job the issue is management. Both supervisors and upper management. The employees on the front lines are under so much pressure to get the mail delivered and are reprimanded if we are over our eight hours. Canada Post can’t keep quality employees because of the demands and threats of discipline. At one time it was a job to be proud of and a majority of us felt that our customers were important and we would absolutely go the extra distance to keep them happy. Unfortunately over the past ten years it has become dismal and a good percentage of us have become emotionally and mentally fragile leading up to severe mental illness such as depression, anxiety and even addiction issues. If a class action law suit should be started and would definitely be in favour of the employees. Some of the things I have personally been subjected to is both harassment and a human rights issue. As a employee of Canada Post I personally believe that more action and continuous legal issues will force the corporation to change or as I believe should be privatized."
If a long term employee can openly disclose his working conditions, should the politicians be looking into a solution to better serve the public?
I say this because I am expecting an expedited parcel which is supposed to be a birthday gift for a 80 year old senior in the coming days. The item should have been in my hands on June 7, 2023 but on June 8, 2023 an update was posted: "Item re-routed due to processing error. Possible delay". Yes, I created a service ticket, but what are my chances of getting this lost parcel?
You know the answer to this.
---
Update 2023-06-16:
The quote above was an comment about a class action lawsuit launched against Canada Post in 2020 alleging that Canada Post improperly continued to charge full price for expedited products such as Xpresspost when it suspended delivery guarantees during COVID-related service disruptions. According to Jimmy Lambert of Lambert Avocats, the law firm leading the action, the "class action is headed for trial on authorization on September 18, 2023." The case can be followed here and here.
Chester (2023-06-12):
I recently made a purchase on BestBuy, and I am quite disappointed with their choice of using Canada Post for shipping.
Firstly, the delivery was rather slow, taking approximately 10 days, although that is not a major concern.
The main issue I encountered is that Canada Post does not provide door-to-door delivery. Unlike other parcel delivery services, they fail to contact residents in condominiums to arrange delivery. It seems they consider this step unnecessary. Instead of making an effort to notify recipients and arrange for parcel collection, Canada Post simply leaves delivery cards and departs.
This behavior clearly violates the expected level of service they are being paid for. As a result, I have decided to avoid businesses that rely on Canada Post for product deliveries.
Eduardo (2023-06-09):
I have my wife and myself passports coming from the consulate of Spain in Toronto, going to Burlington (45m drive). The package got scanned at 11:45 pm and nothing after the next day, no delivery. Called customer service. Not their fault sadly, but no real solutions, just wait until Monday I guess.
It is a so horrible service. No one is accountable for anything. It is even past frustrating talking to them. They always apologize and say sorry but that doesn’t cut it. I don’t even know why Canada still using them. And on top of that they call it Xpresspost?? That’s a joke!! They just charge you more for something that is going in the mail regardless.
For me this is the same as the scammers from India. Same thing.
Sydney Martin (2023-06-06):
The biggest problem is the absence of accountability. When they made a mistake, they refund you with the actual cost of postage and apologize for the inconvenience. The customers are the ones that suffer the consequences of delayed or lost mail.
I had seen the mailman or mail woman carrying packages that they took out just to re-shelf them back into the vehicles because the community mail box parcel lockers are full. They would rather bring the parcel back the next day to re-deliver instead of walking the extra ten steps to take care of the delivery of the items.
They would also claim that they had attempted to deliver the registered items by ringing door bell but you know for sure no one rang your door bell all day. Later on, you discovered someone left the notice by the door and then you asked "HOW".
With the high prices of postage they charge, one would think we deserve quality service, but NO, you get disappointment.
Finally, someone should ask that our postage service be privatized, and perhaps that would shake things up a little and put Canada Post to a test.
In all honestly, every time I used Canada Post, I am aware of the risk that I am taking.
Julia Chartier (2023-06-01):
$33 xpresspost shipping with SIGNATURE for package coming from Duck Lake SK to Edmonton AB, being delivered to a 2nd floor business/office address.
Postman leaves not in community office mailbox because too lazy to walk up to 2nd floor and knock on our door. I notice as soon as the tracking updates, run downstairs, grab the slip from our mailbox and see the Canada Post truck outside. He’s in a store front and I wait until he walks to his truck.
I ask him if he just delivered to our office mailbox to which he replies yes. I ask him why he didn’t come to deliver to my office when a Signature was paid for/required. He says he did and that no one answer. THE DOOR WAS UNLOCKED. MY DESK IS RIGHT AT THE DOOR. HE DID NOT. And if he did, WHY IS THE NOTICE IN THE MAILBOX AND NOT STUCK TO OUR OFFICE DOOR?
Straight up lied to my face. He did the same thing last week with a keyboard we ordered. Pickup location is 10 minutes away because we’re in an industrial area.
I even called to complain and oddly enough, their system is down so I couldn’t! Canada Post is terrible.
We need to get rid of them!
Jake Berry (2023-05-04):
Package ordered and purchased in London Ontario, delivery to Chatham Ontario 1 hour away. Package went to Mississauga?? Is that normal. Then back to London and I'm currently waiting to see were it ends up now.
---
Presumably Canada Post has sought to minimize its sortation costs by routing parcels through its massive hub in Mississauga. This means that parcels have to travel greater distances instead of going to regional sortation centres in places like London. One wonders if Canada Post's cost optimization is distorted by the fuel surcharge levied on all parcels, which goes up and down according to the price of gasoline. Currently the surcharge is a whopping 23% on top on the basic domestic parcel rates. If Canada Post has this ability to insulate its costs of moving parcels longer distances to its sortation plants (on the backs of public and business users), then why would it bother worrying about the distances parcels have to travel?
Lesley Roberton (2023-04-22):
On March 7, I sent a wedding present of $500 using Xpresspost. It cost $17.00 to mail for tracking and a two-day delivery expectation. Within 13 hours, it disappeared at the Calgary facility.
In a phone call with the Claims department, I was initially told I’d be reimbursed according to how much insurance I’d bought. However, when the Xpresspost envelope was purchased, insurance was not offered (or even mentioned) as an option.
The envelope has never turned up and I’ve now been informed that Canada Post does not cover really anything that someone would use Xpresspost to send. Their email advised me to reply if I had any questions, but when tried to do so, it was rejected and returned “undelivered”. I have since sent two more emails which have had no response.
My questions are: 1/What is the explanation for my envelope disappearing? 2/How extensive has the investigation been and how long with it continue to be investigated? 3/What percentage of Xpresspost items actually do go missing? Are they being deliberately targeted for theft?
Canada Post apologizes for any “inconvenience” they may have caused. Well, I’m afraid that losing $500 is quite a bit more than an inconvenience! I placed my trust in Canada Post and when I paid 17 times the price of a regular letter, it was with the understanding that my envelope would be securely tracked and delivered as described.
CANADA POST lost this, not me! How can they possibly not be accountable? Their insurance should be covering the loss. And, if Canada Post is not accountable, what incentive is there for these losses to be taken seriously? I guess calling it an “inconvenience” pretty much sums it up.
Louise Munro (2023-04-13):
Correspondence to MPs [Member of Parliament] is free of charge! Apparently someone forgot to train its employees. I sent several, and all but ONE was returned to me with a “no postage” sticker - two weeks AFTER I mailed them. When I returned to the outlet to question the reasoning why my MP's mail was returned the only excuse they could offer was that it wasn’t to a recognized political address. Really! It was the address of the BC Legislator! Apparently the clerk (too young) didn’t accept that, then when I inquired about the TWO week return time, I got a blank look with no answer. I ended up paying $2 to deliver the mail. Sent a complaint to Canada Post, told them to train their employees better and if they dont know the correct answer then the “customer is always right” approach. I think we should defund Canada Post. They are yet another poorly operated government entity that has only fallen to an unacceptable level of service. Please retailers, use ANYONE other then Canada Post to deliver your customers' packages.
Amarjeet Duggal (2023-04-13):
Sent document on 28 Feb and my court date is in India on 15 April. After 6 weeks they [Canada Post] have given me a ticket number. I have to pay an Indian lawyer for new appointment. I trusted Canada Post was reliable. The Post Office told me the document will reach within 5 weeks. Who will pay my expenses for the lawyer and the postal charges?
Never trust Canada Post.
Brent O'Donnell (2023-04-11):
I feel sorry for the people at my local post office. You can tell they know they work for a shitty company with absolutely no competence. Today went in to inquire about my package. I requested it be left at post office for pickup. As it’s an expensive item. All day tracking has said it’s out for delivery, wtf. Why when it’s been requested left at the office. They didn’t have it there, couldn’t confirm where it was and she looked like she was ready to walk out and mumbled something like, great this again. Then the delivery driver appears with some packages he didn’t feel like delivering and asks what address I was at. He doesn’t have it and to check back at the end of the day, an hour and a half later!
The incompetence is staggering and the worst part is that they are fully aware and embarrassed about it. They look like they wish they could help you but they know the computer is wrong and they have no answers. They don’t even defend themselves anymore. Just apologize for the incompetence and look at you like they wish they worked somewhere else.
Same state as our current government. Huge amounts of money wasted on too many people doing very little actual work. Canada is broken and it can’t be easily fixed. First time I’ve ever considered moving to the States. At least I’d be paying less than a third the taxes and could easily afford health insurance that would be 3 times faster than our current healthcare system.
Cody Ryan (2023-03-27):
I had a birthday gift sent from a friend only a few towns away from me. He sends me one every year and i always get it within a week.
Four years and counting now, they not only lost it, hundreds of dollars are gone and what did they do to try and find or locate where it went?
F**KING NOTHING. They tell us over and over no matter how many times we call or try to tell them how easy it is to do their job they refuse to do it.
It's a bit crazy these days how bad Canada Post is gettting. It's always been BAD but this year especially things are getting out of hand.
My medication I need I order regularly used to take 3 to 4 days to get across the country to me. Then it started taking over a week because the lazy bastards would hold onto my parcel once it arrived in my town for days and never deliver it. So I am now forced into going to pick up my medication I need OR never getting it delivered.
Fast forward to NOW, IN THE PRESENT DAY IT TAKES 2 WEEKS to deliver something that used to take 3 days from across the country. It comes from the same place, and is still going to me at the same destination it's always been. Weather is NOT an issue, nor is Covid.
Canada Post needs to be defunded and disbanded NOW. It should have been done yesterday. We need a mail service that serves the people and Canada Post is just stealing people's money AND mail and getting away with it. It's gone on far too long and needs to be dealt with ASAP.
Joe (2023-03-27):
I truly can not believe that Canada Post would make a senior citizen have to walk over a mile to the post office to sign for a small package that could have been delivered easily by the mail person to my apartment.
I know they say it is because of so called COVID but there are ways to get around that.
The mail person could have buzzed my apartment and left the package along with the sign in device at the lobby door of the building.
I could have walked to the lobby door and signed for the package (in the time it takes the mail person to fill out the card) and the mail person could have picked up the device after I got my package and left.
Since I am unable to walk that far I am going to have to take a taxi on Friday, which is going to cost me an additional $20 to get the package to is worth $9.95 USD.
Thank you Canada Post.
Keith Tsing (2023-02-11):
I received a notification about my pack with tracking which shows delivered to my concierge that I checked with my concierge once I back home, and they confirmed no record shows with any package from Canada Post with provided tracking number for me.
I called Canada Post the other day and told them about my lost package, and they requested our management office contact them to start investigation begin. And I got the email from our management office after which shows Canada Post need me to contact them “now” to start investigation that I called Canada Post again. However, the next step I have to do is find the sender and contact them by myself, and ask them to call Canada Post or they cannot start investigation that I totally don’t understand since the package is missing between the postman with my concierge security. Anyway, I emailed the sender, no response! I text the seller, no response and I even contact the product manufacturer in China, no response. So no one is doing anything with this losing package for me which cost CAD $600 lost.
Canada Post keeps saying their postman scanned for delivery status, so I asked are you sure scanned means delivered? Is there anyone signed to prove it’s delivered? But they said it’s not registered mail which doesn’t need a signature.
I really don’t know what can I do now. I feel like I paid to purchase for nothing. It’s really so ridiculous how Canada Post deals with their losing packages.
---
Update 2023-02-11:
The sender is called UBI. I just checked the comments on their website and I found so many people have the same issue.
Please find attached image for details.
---
UBI Smart Parcel, an international delivery service headquartered in Shanghai, uses local postal and delivery services in dozens of countries worldwide to deliver packages to their final destinations. Its Canadian logistics partner, eTower, says on its website that:
"The UBI Group, based in China, recently welcomed Canada Post into its UBI Smart Parcel program. China merchants can arrange for their products to be picked up and shipped to Canada, clear customs and be delivered to their customer’s home, or one of Canada Post’s 6,300 post office locations, in approximately 10 business days or less with full tracking."
Based on Keith's comment and many others on the internet it appears that Canada Post has not ironed out all the delivery and tracking kinks of this new relationship. No doubt UBI parcels have to be relabelled on arrival in Canada with new tracking labels, and errors at this step could be one reason why customers like Keith are left caught in hopeless situations where packages have gone missing.
Norma (2023-02-07):
My package was shipped from Mississauga to Richmond BC and is now coming across the country to my location in Dorval QC. This [sending of packages in the wrong direction across the country] isn’t the first time this has happened to me. They can’t even give me an estimated date of delivery.
Mitch Holder (2023-01-17):
What isn't wrong with Canada Post?
I am paying more for shipping than retail, to get ETAs in Canada of weeks. Canada Post needs a smack in the mouth to remind them who they work for.
Mike Metcalfe (2023-01-04):
You never seem to be able to hold up to your own service standards. Why is a package sitting in Stoney Creek for 2 days instead of going on a truck and actually being delivered? Isn’t that basically your whole damn job? Absolutely useless. They should defund Canada Post and let one of the other competent companies fill the vacuum.
Cam Davidson (2022-12-28):
I am expecting a bunch of packages, from the same sender. Received an email notification around 10:30 AM today that a card had been left telling me where to pick up 5 of the eight packages. No such thing, not only that, my community mail box had not yet been visited by my local mail carrier. Of the three packages still outstanding, two have not yet arrived in Edmonton and one says it will be delivered today.
I contacted the Canada Post chat service only to be left with the feeling that the agent not only hated her job, but was confused as too why the notices had been written and logged so early.
I think the problem can be traced back to unionized workers in a government job.
Helga Yarmoluk (2022-10-18):
Has anybody looked into the issue of Canada Post continuously losing parcels that were addressed to the correct address? Is there any control over parcel processing? How come that Amazon never looses any parcels or for that matter most of the other courier companies? So far, in my long life, only Canada Post has “lost” a parcel. Any other courier company will let you know that your parcel is “undeliverable” and then you can fix it if somebody did not print the address label in its entirety because you can always go back to your order. When you contact Canada Post you get “We opened a case for you” and we will look into it. In the last year I lost two parcels and never to be found again. And I want to point out that that the lost items were all over at least over $100 in value.
Femina S. (2022-09-21):
I followed up with a company regarding my late package. They were surprised because according to Canada Post, it was delivered.
I contacted CP, they said it was delivered to their post office. Went to post office, nope, not delivered there. Contacted CP again, they say it’s on a loop and they don’t know why and they can’t find my package. Then they say they have my package but can’t verify my address and what’s the unit number (I live in a house and verified my house address and have given directions multiple times over the last two years).
With varying bits of information with the same chat rep on the same day, when I ask to escalate – they tell me they can’t because the tracking number is not in their system. What were they tracking then to give me all the information prior to asking to escalate? How did the tracking number disappear when asked to escalate?
Kevin Whyte (2022-07-06):
My package arrived at its final destination city of Cranbrook BC from Richmond and the packaging facility was “full” as customer service said. So it got shipped to Montreal QC where it sat for 4 days. Now sent back to Richmond, hopefully to Cranbrook next and hopefully to my house. What a joke!
Bob Chitaroni (2022-05-18):
Twice in 3 months – in fact 66% of shipments – my Xpresspost deliveries have gone lost in Sudbury. Both times the packages are on schedule, and land in Sudbury on either a Friday or Saturday, and by Monday they are lost. Canada Post automated assistant is the worst tracking system I’ve seen. I will let my MP have an ear full about funding a incompetent delivery service as we move to more online ordering.
---
Update 2022-05-19:
Just to add to my frustrations. I am currently waiting for a package, and have no faith in Canada Post tracking system. The delivery date has been changed three times, and now it just says it will be delivered by end of day for the last three days. So I went back to my previous lost package that has been confirmed lost and the tracking system reports the following below. If you are small business with multiple folks handling shipping and receiving, you may think that the package was still on the way. The tracking system should update the status with “We lost another one”.
Kirsten Darel (2022-05-06):
I am at my wit’s end with Canada Post.
Always a delay. Never an explanation as to why.
My package was shipped from Winnipeg, then arrived a few days later, 1.5 hours away in Stoney Creek, Ontario, where the shipping address is. I thought, great, it’ll be here this week.
Because the package was next sent to MONTREAL QUEBEC.
What a colossal waste of time. I don’t understand how grossly incompetent Canada Post is. If I have the choice, I will ALWAYS select another mail service.
Lynne LeBlanc (2022-05-05):
What's the damn point of emailing to tell you what's wrong with Canada Post. I just went through hundreds of emails sent to you telling you what's wrong and nothing's been changed.
Canada Post, you suck and you guys need to get your shit together.
Dean Anderson (2022-05-04):
Why is it that every other carrier that ships when an item is ordered through Amazon can actually have an item show up on time? It seems like when a item is shipped through Canada Post, it always sends a message that the item may be late but is on its way. Is this a problem on the Amazon side or yours? It's unfortunate that a federally-run company is being overshadowed by smaller private companies.
See attached picture for reference. Also please don't say this is a one off shipment. This happens more then I'd like to see.
Sue White (2022-04-18):
My item arrived at the Richmond BC post office and was handed over to customs on April 2nd. It is now April 18th and no further information is forthcoming. Cannot submit a ticket as it says the number is invalid. well it was valid enough to track to BC. This is ridiculous. No one will help.
David Chan (2022-04-13):
Parcel was dropped off at postal outlet on 2 April. It proceeded to the Richmond facility. Tracked it 4 April: being forwarded to destination country. It’s XpressPost International (5 days guaranteed).
Delivery schedule updated 11 April. Keep tracking it. Expected delivery 11 April. No show. Recipient tracking with the local post office. No information on the parcel.
Contacted Canada Post. Spent hours. Cannot help. Keep passing me to different assistance. Final answer: keep tracking tomorrow. No ticket was issued to look after the problem.
Update 2022-04-18:
It took me over 2 hours to create a ticket. Kept asking recipient's name and address, more than 3 times. Finally created a ticket. Got a email back. Resolution will take about 3 months. Very efficient.
Mike Toomer (2022-04-12):
I dropped off a parcel at Canada Post to be delivered to Austria. It’s currently in Australia, the “destination country”.
Darren Walker (2022-04-05):
New fuel surcharges 2022. Costs me $10 in fuel surcharges alone to send two small parcels within Canada. One was in the same province!!
Allison Lavoie (2022-03-13):
I am currently in a fight with Canada Post and have no idea what to do. The lock was broken on my community mailbox so I couldn’t get it open. I created a ticket online and it said it would be fixed within 3 business days. On the third day I got an email saying the issue was resolved. I thought that was great except that’s all it said. I didn’t know if the lock was fixed and my current keys would still work or if I needed new keys so I responded to the email asking about it. They responded that I could pick up new keys in 3 business days and gave a vague idea of where the keys would be.
There are 3 post offices on the name of the road they gave so I called this time and was told which post office to pick up my keys. Of course the keys weren’t there so I checked the other 2 places and they weren’t there. I now haven’t gotten my mail in 2 weeks and every time I call I just get the call center who apparently can’t contact the depot. All they can do is keep creating new tickets for the depot. So I keep having to wait 3 days for a response and when the depot finally called me I couldn’t answer because I was at work and I am a cashier so I can’t just whip out my phone. They left a message saying where my keys were and I was so frustrated because I already knew they weren’t there. So I had to call the call center again and of course a new ticket was created just to get the depot to call me AGAIN. So now I’m waiting. They will probably call when I’m at work again.
What do I do?? Do I get my MHA [Member House of Assembly] involved? Can the police do anything since I’m being kept from my mail? I’m at the end of my rope.
---
Canada Post is a crown corporation owned by the federal government. Your provincial Member of the House of Assembly probably has little influence on matters concerning Canada Post. If any political representative can help, your Member of Parliament is a more likely candidate. The police have no power to do anything.
According to the Canadian Postal Service Charter, the federal government expects Canada Post to provide "universal service" to Canadians and Canadian businesses. This document only sets out an expectation of universal delivery and is not a legal obligation that can be forced upon Canada Post through, for example, the courts. When the government announced the Charter it required Canada Post to report annually on how it measures up to the expectations. But as stated in the Charter's preamble, the "expectations are not intended to modify or derogate from Canada Post's obligations as set out in the Canada Post Corporation Act or any other legislation."
The Canada Post Corporation Act gives Canada Post the exclusive "privilege" to deliver letter mail in Canada, but nowhere in the Act or its Regulations is there a reciprocating obligation to deliver the mail. And nowhere does the word "universal" appear, as in the right of Canadians to expect universal delivery of mail.
Pete Gration (2022-03-02):
Why does it take 16 days for Canada Post to send a package from Mission BC to Powell River BC? After all it's only 150 miles.
Because they sent it to Montreal (the other side of Canada) where it sat for 3 days! What incompetence!
Jim Hamilton (2022-02-26):
I have some samples sent from the US in January. Went through customs on Jan 26th and it then shipped to Montreal Facility on Jan 28th, and since then there has been no update and it's now Feb 26th. Even in the days of the Pony Express it would never take a month. I put in a request with my email to get some sort of update for the tracking number.
Ryan Monk (2022-02-11):
I can drive from Saskatoon to Vancouver to pick up a package and drive back faster than Canada Post can send it from Vancouver. My package has been in Saskatoon for 3 days with no delivery attempt and now I have to wait the weekend and maybe they will try on Monday. I paid for Xpresspost and I just get ripped off while you people complain that you have a job to do. And the only way you can think of making your job easier is by just not doing your job at all. QUIT STEALING OUR MONEY.
Jaala Gidora (2022-02-09):
Canada Post is hilarious.
My package traveled across the US in 48 hours. Has been apparently sitting at Richmond BC for TWO WEEKS.
I have another package from the East Coast to the West Coast that has been in transit for three weeks, has no updates on the tracking number, and they won't admit it's lost so that I can get my refund from the seller.
They are as pompous, rude and useless as our current Prime Minister. It's a grand reflection of our not-so-great nation.
Yuki Jin (2022-02-03):
My package has been stuck at BC since Dec 6th 2021, for 2 months already. Tickets have been created 3 times and spoken with 2 managers, all they told me is to contact the sender! The managers are useless. One said [they would] follow up but did not follow up at all. The other one didn't even call me, just emailed me and told me if there were any questions I could reply to her email but she never replied back! I can tell you, it is Canada Post's mistake, not the sender's! The package was shipped to Ontario on NOV 28th 2021, then back to BC at DEC 6th 2021 with no explanation. I live in Richmond Hill ON, NOT BC. I ordered the 2nd package from the same sender to the same address and got it already! SO it is not the sender's problem. It's Canada Post’s mistake, bouncing my package between cities. Now I don't know where my package is or it's stuck somewhere and no one cares about it. Canada Post is not feeling it is their responsibility, and is not trying to solve the problem, and only tells me to contact the sender. RIDICULOUS!
Nathan (2022-02-02):
The biggest problem with Canada Post is it's unionized.
Money for nothing.
Chris (2022-01-30):
[Back in 2017] I tweeted about a problem I had with slow delivery. It took them a year to respond. Look at the dates.
A Dutschke (2022-01-27):
Since December 28th 2021 I’m still waiting to get my identification card by mail. The card is supposed to come from Winnipeg. Nothing has been arrived until today, January 27th, 2022.
On January, 16th 2022 I ordered by phone a new banking card from my bank in Saskatchewan; it has arrived today, yeah!
Another card, my wife and I are still waiting for, our health cards, which should come by mail from Winnipeg, also.
We do not live outside the country or on the moon. We do live in Morden, MB.
What the hell is the problem, Canada Post, to deliver mail on time??
John Caldwell (2022-01-25):
Had a package shipped from New York, ended up in Mississauga and then 58 days later it was delivered to Victoria, BC. As I write this I have another parcel with an insured value of 750.00 shipped Xpresspost from Nova Scotia that has gone down some black hole and zero tracking or updates are available. When I try to call them I’m told that due to high call volumes my wait time will be longer than usual. What a complete and utter bunch of clowns. Missing mail, fake delivery tickets, lost mail etc. etc the list is endless as are the excuses and the amount of money these chumps are paid is disgusting. Time to shut these A Holes down once and for ever.
Carl Bramucci (2022-01-21):
Canada Post is using COVID as an excuse for every single issue they generate.
I often order medical cannabis and I never know what to expect. Sometimes, even if it's signature required, it gets dumped in my mailbox. Sometimes, the package is given to me in hand with a verbal signature note. Sometimes, no delivery attempt is made and a virtual notice is left. Reason? Signature required. This is without talking about taking up to six days for delivering a package of medical cannabis being shipped from a location 40 mins away. I live in Montreal. An urban center. I can't imagine what your service is in more remote locations.
All you can give as an excuse is "COVID" and you ALWAYS fail to answer my questions about my items being delivered sometimes. Even with a signature.
I never know what to expect. Mailbox? Hands? Delays? Fake notice when no one showed up? Signature required at post office?
You have no explanations about what your employees are doing in the field. You never offer compensation or even excuses. Your chat-based customer service ignores any and all questions and relies on vague copy-pasted replies.
The great amount of tickets I've opened lead nowhere. No follow ups. No changes. No calls to explain properly and apologize. You just do whatever the hell you feel like at any given time. And you are still charging full price for radically diminished service.
I ordered something from Kentucky and UPS managed to deliver in 24h.
Speaking of, every single other service I've used during the pandemic (Amazon and their various partners, Purolator, UPS, FedEx) manages to not only deliver on time but in my hands every single time. Signature or not. Canada Post has failed to adapt even after almost three years of COVID and you keep passing all your considerable failings onto your paying customers.
What excuses will you come up with after COVID?
You are pathetic. Period. Across the board.
Should be privatized. Our taxes are wasted on you and have been for decades. Shame on you. Canada Post.
Maybe look online and read the room? The amount of complaints is STAGGERING.
Chris Mann (2022-01-17):
I had an item shipped with medical documents required to be submitted to Health Canada first week of February. They were shipped on January 4th. Hasn't updated since stuck in the black hole of Richmond. Filed 3 tickets; so far no answers. Shame on Canada Post.
Jesse Smith (2022-01-17):
I ordered a package worth almost $300 on the 25th of December. It was in transit from Mississauga, ON for about 4-5 days. It arrived in Richmond with the message “Delivery may be delayed due to transportation delay Richmond, BC” – for OVER 9 DAYS. On the 12th it was “in transit” and no more updates have been given since. It's an absolute shame that so many businesses use Canada Post!
Shelagh Corcoran (2022-01-16):
I ordered a small hand loom at the beginning of December from Quebec. I followed the tracking and it arrived at the Calgary depot (I live in Calgary) within a few days. Then I see it is heading back east and finally wound up “on hold in a secure location in Scarborough, Ont”. I tried to find out what happened by using Canada Post chat. I got no information from them. I then tried the phone support – they told me the parcel was deemed dangerous goods and that’s why it was on hold. I opened a service ticket – have not received any information or help by doing this. The service ticket time frame ends January 19, and I still have no idea what is going on. Dealing with Canada Post is infuriating.
Nicole Casavant (2022-01-13):
My package had an original delivery date of Dec 16th, 2021. It was processed in the US to Canada in 2 days. It is now January 13, 2022, and it has been sitting in Richmond since Dec 20th without moving. I have gone through the useless chat function several times. I have been told all of the following: 1) It is still en route to you, just delayed; 2) We cannot deliver it because it hasn’t cleared customs (which was false); 3) It had an attempted delivery (which was false); 4) The sender must submit a claim to investigate (which was denied by Canada Post as there is an ever extending delivery date range);
I finally asked to speak to a supervisor as I can now not request a refund nor have my parcel investigated. I was told to wait on line for the supervisor which would take a few minutes. After 20 minutes, the chat closed. I never did receive a call.
The incompetence of Canada Post is astounding. Seems to me that Richmond has been a black hole for parcels for years. Knowing this, how is it possible that this has never been addressed to improve the situation? I have since had 2 other parcels ordered long after the first one delivered without issue. Merry Christmas to everyone that didn’t get their gifts delivered, Love, Canada Post.
Martha Smith Good (2022-01-12):
There has been no mail delivery at 50 Tillsley Drive, Kitchener, N2E 3V3, for six days. What is the problem? Please correct!
Rose Baillie (2022-01-11):
I bought one of the prepaid boxes that clearly stated delivery standard was 3 days. It was not a cheap rate! It left Richmond (supposedly) the next day on its way to Brandon. Original delivery date was supposed to be a full week but that was ok. Would still make the birthday. It has now been 2 weeks and every day it’s supposed to be delivered the next day but gets updated to the next. And the next. I ordered something from a company and it was here from Toronto in 2 days!! Why can a courier deliver but not Canada Post?? Canada Post will soon cease to exist as everyone turns to better service with couriers.
Wolm (2022-01-07):
There is an old saying attributed to Prince Bismarck that “to retain respect for sausages and laws, one must not watch them in the making.”
The same can pretty much be said for Canada Post.
I’ve been awaiting a small package that was shipped out of the USA on the 8th December 2021 via First-Class Package International Service. Despite tornadoes, storms, and covid delays, the package arrived in Richmond BC Canada on the 19th Dec 2021.
And there it remains.
I spoke with a Canada Post rep who explained that the package will only be released to CBSA for customs clearance when they’re approved to do so. They also advise that no effort to contact CBSA be made as they have no facilities to deal with customer inquiries.
Of course I don’t believe a word they say. in the same period, I received two packages from China that were processed though the CBSA with minimal delays.
So there you have it. If you needed any more evidence that Canada has turned into a bureaucratic quicksand with no escape, now you have it.
Chris (2022-01-07):
I ordered some things from China on December 22. They made it to Vancouver by the 27th of December. It is now January 7 and Canada Post is estimating another week for delivery, but the delivery date has already changed twice. It's taking twice the time to travel 1/3 the distance and we are supposedly the more developed country?
Marcus Hadley (2022-01-04):
You lost three Christmas presents this year. All tracked to Richmond then disappeared. Meantime deliveries from FedEx, UPS and Purolator all arrived early. You are a shamefully incompetent corporation, clearly unable to carry out your stated mandate and should be sold off to the private sector asap.
One wonders, with thousands of parcels going ‘missing’ at Christmas, whether Canada Post (unionized) employees aren’t just helping themselves. I mean, how do thousands of parcels just disappear? And what’s stopping Canada Post workers from stealing them? There is no accountability at any level. No reason at all for anyone in the organization to take any responsibility or care about what they are doing. Absolutely needs to be investigated.
AH (2022-01-01):
A business in Ontario mailed their package to me by Canada Post expedited parcel service 15 Dec 2021. According to the (so-called) online tracker, by 20 Dec 2021, the parcel had reached Richmond, BC (in greater Vancouver), a three hour driver/ferry ride from my home on southern Vancouver Island. As of 1 January 2022, the parcel has now been sitting in CP's Richmond facility for 12 days with zero movement. Given there will be no activity over the weekend, the parcel will, as of Monday, have been sitting there for two weeks and been 'in transit' for 19 days!
I have called Canada Post customer service twice and on both occasions received no help whatsoever. The first time I called on 21 Dec, I got a guy on the phone who's accent was so thick, I could hardly understand a word he was saying. It was very frustrating trying to deal with him. I finally managed to figure out that he was telling me that he would raise a ticket to expedite the parcel. That was evidently not done (as is evident from my current predicament). All the online tracker was doing was automatically refreshing every 24 hours, telling me it would be delivered by the end of the day the next day. Utterly useless. Almost as useless as their so-called 'online chat' function on their web site. You might as well have a conversation with a block of cheese! My second call to CP customer service was even less productive than the first. I got a lady who sounded like she was talking into her phone through a wet towel (are these people all working from home due to COVID - if so, why? Everyone else is going to work!). She mumbled something about COVID and floods and snow, etc. All BS, of course! The rest of society has managed to develop appropriate protocols to work around the COVID issues, avoiding major disruptions; why can't Canada Post? The flood excuse doesn't fly - the roads, etc., have been open for weeks. As for the claim of winter conditions causing problems - pathetic! We had worse weather in previous years and the Canada Post was delivering on Saturdays and beyond usual hours to clear the Christmas backlog. What's changed? Upper management needs to be held to account!
Given that the left hand clearly doen't know what the right hand is doing, the eternal optimist in me thought that there maybe a simple issue of incompetent communication, so I have visited my local Post Office several times in the last few days out of morbid curiosity, just to see on the off-chance if the package had miraculously showed up. Of course, it had not. With uncharacteristic self control in such situations, I offered a (commensurately muted) verbal protest on each occasion, only to be met with dead sheeps' eyes and fish lips. I had expected the visits to be entirely fruitless and got exactly what I expected! Said block of cheese is looking better day-by-day!
I tried to lodge a complaint with the Canada Post Ombudsman, but halfway through filling out the online form, read that the complaint has to be submitted by the sender, not the intended recipient. Why?
To say that this is a maddeningly frustrating exercise is a major understatement, especially, when my wife and I have both ordered items via other deliver means and had them to us within the stated timeline or even sooner (my wife ordered packing materials for her home business this week and they arrived the next day!). I sent a couple of items to other locations in western Canada in the last few days and they arrived (on average) four to five days later.
Canada Post has become an unreliable, faceless, unapproachable, careless, and oddly callous corporate entity, rather than the solid critical service provider that Canadians need and deserve.
But back to my package: I wonder if they'd move it a little quicker if they knew it contained a 9mm automatic pistol? All completely legal, of course, but I bet they'd get it moving if they knew!
Jenny Blok-Woudstra (2021-12-31):
I live in the Netherlands and sent a parcel to my daughter in Whitby Ontario on November 1, 2021 and it left for Canada on November 4, 2021. To date it has not arrived. I have a track and trace number but it just shows as being updated every day.
Where is this parcel? I have chatted with Canada Post, I have contacted PostNL here in the Netherlands but the status is just MISSING. How can an almost 10 kilo parcel go missing?
No one can give me an answer even if I suggest that it may be due to Covid? Is the Mississauga postal hub still dealing with that?
Any answer is welcome but most of all I would have wished that my daughter and grandchildren would have been able to receive their Christmas presents. The children were so sad.
I have never had problems before but from now on will think twice before I ever send anything to Canada again.
---
As far as we know there is no Covid-related outbreak at the Mississauga Gateway hub currently, as there was at the start of 2021 when Canada Post had to suspend some shifts. At that time Canada Border Services, which is responsible for inspecting all incoming international parcels, withdrew services due to Canada Post's inability to manage recurrent outbreaks at Gateway. Both of these effects slowed incoming mail to a crawl at the time.
Anecdotally, however, we are hearing of significantly slower delivery times for incoming international parcel mail during this holiday season. Parcels from destinations that had been taking a week or so to arrive earlier this fall are taking longer and are still not delivered weeks later.
It may be of interest to know that FedEx has proved to be reasonably economical and more reliable for some importers. For example a parcel weighing more than 10 kg arrived from Poland in about a week and did not cost more than by post. FedEx rates to Canada vary but it is worth a check before sending parcels by post.
Tricia Hellingman (2021-12-27):
I dropped of an important legal document to a Canada Post outlet on Sunday, Nov 7, to go from Hamilton to Charlottetown. The clerk told me that my $54 dollar charge would guarantee delivery in business 2 days, but the document would not go out until Monday. The document did not arrive until Friday. I applied to Canada Post for a refund but this was refused. I was told the delivery was not guaranteed because this was during the “holiday” period.
I asked the representative on the Canada Post “Chat” function why the clerk told me the delivery was guaranteed when it wasn’t.
She told me the clerk probably didn’t know about this non guarantee, but as a customer it was my responsibility to find out.
What a bunch of bull. I won’t be using Canada Post any more for time-sensitive deliveries. A waste of $54 dollars, and will be using a courier service from now on.
Bruce Yu (2021-12-17):
Ordered some stuff from China for Christmas. Package was shipped via Singapore Post on Nov 12. Destination is Kitchener (70 km west from Mississauga, Ontario). Still didn't get it. Have called service centre 3 times. According to the tracking the package was sent to Saint John (New Brunswick) by mistake after the customs clearance. Now the package is bouncing between Montreal and Saint John.
J Wolf (2021-12-06):
Imagine my surprise when tracking showed my package had arrived in Richmond BC on Nov 15th just one day beyond the XpressPost delivery standard. And that’s with all the flooding and road closures delaying all traffic from eastern Canada.
With hopes of seeing my package on Nov 16th, I arranged my schedule to stay home to avoid the risk of porch pirates.
And what a waste of time that was!
My package has now been in Canada Post limbo for 2 weeks, or double the time it took to get here. It’s literally 10km from my home. In fact on a clear day, I can see their Richmond Postal Center from my house.
After a week with no delivery progress, I opened a ticket, which as far as I can tell, gives Canada Post an extra week to do nothing.
Canada Post claims process offers no opportunity for recipients to make a claim. In the event my package fails to arrive, I’m only left with making a credit card chargeback.
With hope, the vendor purchased insurance, as the item is valued well above the $100 standard coverage limit.
---
Update 2021-12-12:
It took a month, but Canada Post finally located my package and successfully delivered it to its destination. This of course after they suggested a claim be opened.
One gets the feeling that at Canada Post, one hand doesn’t know what the other hand is doing – nor do they care.
And this is where I cut all relations with Canada Post. Paying a few dollars more for a proper shipper is well worth the savings in aggravation.
Virgiliu Bogdan Matiu (2021-12-02):
I urgently need a part for my furnace. In my home it is cold and there is no way to heat with my furnace down.
I live in West Toronto (at the border with Mississauga) and I found the piece in Ottawa. I paid for the fastest delivery XPressPost. I've also mentioned that it is an emergency and I opened a ticket.
The XPressPost package number [redacted] left Ottawa on November 30th. It arrived in Mississauga on December 1st at 7:11AM. I contacted Canada Post if there is any way that I can pick it up from there. THERE IS NO WAY. Next day December 2nd the package was sent from Mississauga to York. An XpressPost package needs 24 hours to be processed in Mississauga and then instead of sending it for delivery it is sent to another location. What is that? What program is used to optimize deliveries? The location in York IS NOT CLOSER to my location than the location in Mississauga. Moreover, it is an XpressPost which is supposed to be the fastest by Canada Post. Why does Canda Post need FOUR DAYS to deliver a package from OTTAWA to TORONTO, within the same province and two big cities? I am afraid to even think that it would be between provinces and in a remote place.
Very poor service, Expensive. Cannot guarantee the delivery time. Cannot intervene to pick up the package. Once the package is with Canada Post forget about it. There is no guaranteed delivery DATE. What about that? Shouldn't XpressPort guarantee 1 or 2 days delivery time?
Deese Stone (2021-11-27):
I have so many examples of the stupidity and/or simple incompetence of Canada Post and in some cases what I consider pure malice that I have to pick and choose.
The latest one: I ordered a toothbrush from the US and it was sent Express, Nov. 11. After being told in the tracking device that it was to be delivered on the 25 and 26 by end of day, of course, never delivered. Then finally delivered at 6:30 PM on Nov 27, no notice, no ringing of doorbell, just dumped on porch, but hey I was happy it was not sent to the post office for me to pick up. Wondering why the heck it took so long I looked at one of the tags glued on the package from Canada Post which said "air delivery refused – dangerous product". Yes a toothbrush, with a battery, but still, just a toothbrush. Going on their chatline is just an exercise in futility, the virtual assistant can tell you no more than the tracking device so don't waste your time; she/he will just drive you nuts, asking your name, phone number, e-mail address, postal code, whatever, that can slow down any possible need to answer the actual question which in any case it does not know the answer to.
Another delivery never got to me even though Canada Post insisted it had delivered it to me. Wrong, it never got here. I am sure Canada Post misdelivered as it has done countless times with other mail. I still get mail from the same number address as mine but on a different street. Another fact: the post office never apologizes or admits it is wrong.
Other examples: the postman, an idiot, has complained about: 1) the railings on my porch; 2) a tree on my neighbour's property, a branch of which came over onto my property but not over the part that the postman used to come up the stairs; 3) some ice slip preventers that I had put on my stairs; 4) the position of my bike locked on the outside of one of the porch railings -- all of which he said were "safety" issues even though they were there for years. Give me more time, I will think of more. And for some of these, even though I addressed them immediately, the post office stopped delivery, and, let me inform you, even if stopped for 1 day, you will not get mail for weeks, maybe months. And when you do get mail you will see directions on it that are wrong, written slapdash style in pencil, and you can barely make out what it says.
I have barely scratched the surface regarding the post office and its lousy service that we pay for with our tax-payers' dollars. Please, to the powers that be – get rid of it.
Lorne Murphy (2021-11-24):
Small packet shipped from New Jersey made it to Montreal customs in about 36 hours. It cleared customs later that day. As soon as it was in Canada Post's hands, surprise surprise, they fumbled the ball. It was sent to Calgary (I'm in Toronto)! After several days of radio silence, the tracking now shows "Item delayed", and I've seen no more movement in 7 days. So who knows when they'll manage to deliver it to me. I know, I know, that's a lot to ask.
Lucie Mann (2021-11-21):
I was sent a letter from Moncton containing a cheque for a fairly large amount following the sale of a house. It was mailed Xpresspost for which I paid $40. Destination is Magog (Quebec). Mailed on November 4; we were promised 2 day delivery. Then we were told it would be here on November 10 so we stayed home all day. Then we were told it would be delayed to November 15 so we stayed home all day again. Complained to Canada Post but that was totally useless as the only thing they could tell me is that they’d let me know next time the item would get scanned. Dah! I can check tracking and see that myself. It is now November 21 and it is apparently delayed indefinitely. It’s a f. ing envelope, for Heaven’s sake. We tested regular mail with another envelope and it got here in 6 days! So what the f. is the problem with you. I can understand a delay due to Covid but 17 days within Canada for a simple envelope is beyond ridiculous.
Steve Lucier (2021-11-18):
You think that's bad! I did Xpresspost rushed from the States to Manitoba. My package went from near the border in Washington State (Fife, WA) to California (Ontario, CA) for some reason. I have a funny feeling this pricey package will disappear soon.
Here's the tracking:
Check back later for estimated delivery date. Nov 18, 2021
9:00 AM In transit - Exception - Storage in Transit
Cincinnati, OH, US Nov 17, 2021
8:45 PM In transit - Exception - Storage in Transit
Los Angeles Gateway, CA, US Nov 17, 2021
8:45 PM In Transit with Destination Carrier
Los Angeles Gateway, CA, US Nov 17, 2021
8:28 PM In Transit with Destination Carrier
Los Angeles Gateway, CA, US Nov 17, 2021
7:07 PM In Transit with Destination Carrier
Ontario, CA, US Nov 17, 2021
7:02 PM In Transit with Destination Carrier
Ontario, CA, US Nov 17, 2021
5:49 PM In Transit with Destination Carrier
Ontario, CA, US Nov 17, 2021
12:44 PM In Transit with Destination Carrier
Ontario, CA, US Nov 11, 2021
9:20 PM Shipped from the Global Shipping Center to International Destination
Carson, California, US Nov 11, 2021
4:40 PM Customs Documentation and Labeling
Carson, California, US Nov 11, 2021
4:39 PM Processing at the Global Shipping Center
Carson, California, US Nov 9, 2021
9:15 AM In Transit - Left Facility
Sparks, NV Nov 5, 2021
9:31 PM In Transit - Left Facility
Fife, WA Nov 5, 2021
6:28 PM In Transit - Arrived at Facility
Fife, WA Nov 5, 2021
5:52 PM Tracking Details Uploaded Nov 5, 2021
4:05 PM In Transit - Electronic Shipping Info Received
Anonymous (2021-11-12):
It's holiday season right? Imagine your friend has sent you a decent gift via Xpresspost but you never get it. Now you're gonna ask your friend to report a lost package, argue with Canada Post, and most likely take the loss. The whole gift-exchange event just got ruined.
Who would email you, "Hi I've sent you a Black Friday gift, here is tracking number, please confirm your address, remain home during business hours, and check tracking every day"? And how bizarre this has become! Canada Post has raised anxiety among us.
I don't know if anybody has statistics about the loss rate of Xpresspost. My Chinese friends showed me a Wechat group of international students: every single day there are lost passports and lost documents via Xpresspost. We all shop online, and lost packages are not too common to an extent that we would rather refrain from online shopping, right? But the loss rate of Xpresspost is much higher than just regular packages.
The most ridiculous thing with CP is, "No Phone Number No Delivery". This has rendered me speechless.
Beware my friends, if for some reason you don't or can't provide phone number and/or email to sender, think twice before you let anybody (whether trustworthy or not) send stuff through Xpresspost. High loss rate. If you don't have tracking number or don't want to check tracking every day, then here is my word of warning: It will NOT miraculously end up in your mailbox. Wake up from good old time's dreams.
Yet many people still consider Xpresspost reliable. They are all fooled by Canada Post's marketing. The "100 dollars liability" coverage? You will get ZERO because misdelivered packages are marked as delivered. "Service tickets"? Don't be fooled. Just ask your friends who has ever got his mail back through service tickets.
Anonymous (2021-11-05):
Tracking indicated a card was left in my mailbox for parcel pickup which I was expecting. Went to post office. no card in mailbox, thus, no way to receive parcel. Went back and forth with customer service and their excuse was that even though you get a notice in your mailbox the parcel isn't necessarily ready for pickup and may not be available until after 1 pm the next business day. Huh? Why leave a card if it's not even ready for pickup? Besides the fact that according to their tracking a card was left in my mailbox when in fact there wasn't. Just a bunch of crap courtesy of Canada Post.
Don Robinson (2021-11-04):
You people can't run a postal service. why do you think you can enter the loans business now.
Eric (2021-10-31):
I run a small vintage shop in Montreal. I shipped a small sweater vest to another address in Quebec and was charged 15$. What’s more, Canada Post lost the package in service, the customer never received it! I tried to get smarter about shipping with Canada Post, so I bought mailers that are within Canada Post’s “Oversized Letter Mail” dimensions. I shipped a shirt out that easily fit in the envelope, to an address in Alberta. Even though the envelope met oversized lettermail dimensions, the Canada Post employee told me that I wasn’t shipping a letter so I still had to pay the package rate: $20. In the U.S. comparable shipping would cost less than that. At these extortion rates e-commerce is not viable for my business at all, and now [I am] only selling locally. It’s no wonder why the USPS is so beloved in the U.S. I don’t know anyone that can say the same about Canada Post.
Kevin M (2021-10-22):
Are the postal workers lazy or just stupid?
I have been waiting for a package all day, checking the tracking info waiting for it to update, I got fed up and went to check the mail at 4:30 pm, mind you, And instead of a small package I know would have fit in the box I got a delivery notice.
The postal worker couldn't be bothered to take 10 seconds to walk across the parking lot to give me my package, Just lazily leaves a delivery notice in the box.
And what's the deal with the tracking info!? At 11:30 am I check it and it updates saying it will be delayed till the next business day. I check it again at 1:30 and it says out for delivery and now the delayed notification is listed under the updated info from yesterday. It's 5 pm and it still says out for delivery.. WTF
I know some people leave money in their mail boxes for their postal workers around the holidays, I'm going to leave a turd in my box for you, you fuckers!
I hate Canada post so much!
M Pritch (2021-10-13):
I have been waiting for a package for over two weeks now. The tracking no. shows that it left customs and out on a truck. There is a triangle with an exclamation mark in the middle of it over the picture of a truck. What does this mean?
Peter (2021-10-05):
I had a parcel coming xpresspost from Powell River to Roberts Creek. These are both technically on the Sunshine Coast. Second day I see the parcel is in Richmond! Why would the truck take my parcel and drive right past us to Richmond? That's like shipping from Vernon to Penticton and it goes to Richmond or Vancouver sorting warehouse.
To answer some people's question on why parcels scan into the Richmond sorting facility and are delayed, they've fallen off the conveyor belt (I had a tour some time ago) and the nets below the conveyor were full of parcels. Maybe they empty the nets once a week, I don't know.
Jessica Henderson (2021-08-30):
I ordered an item through Amazon on August 23rd, Canada Post received the item at their Mississauga (Ontario) location on August 24th (I live just over an hour outside of Mississauga).
Now with it being a world of COVID I understand that shipped has been delayed, so I have not been expecting to get my item immediately. But I can’t seem to figure out why my package was shipped to BRITISH COLUMBIA (yes, my address is correct on my order).
This isn’t the first time they have shipped one of my items from Mississauga to another province, only to ship it back to Ontario.
Eric (2021-08-19):
I spent over $75 USD (international shipping USPS) to have a study bible and a few DVDs from Montana sent to me, at my address in Ontario. What does Canada Post do? They hold the small/medium package for pick-up, and have an ADDITIONAL $26 CAN to pay. It's an utter scam, a racket they (Canada Post) have been running for years, evidently. No one ever challenges this made up, rip off (+taxes) fee. They are thieves and liars, and most Canadians know it. I've had it with this criminal organization/disorganization.
---
Incoming international packages valued $20 or more are first assessed duties and taxes by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and then are handed to Canada Post for collection and delivery. For this service to collect the fees on behalf of the CBSA Canada Post charges the importer a handling fee, currently set at $9.95. This fee was doubled from $5 in 2013 -- an abusive increase back then.
Even more abusive, Canada Post offers an option to pay the duties and taxes online in advance of delivery but the same $9.95 handling fee applies.
Interestingly we are getting reports of parcels valued $20 and over getting through recently with no duties and taxes assessed and no Canada Post handling fee charged. We wonder if this has something to do with recent job action by the CBSA employees in support of their contract demands. If so, no doubt this loss of tax revenue spurred the Federal government to quickly settle with the union representing the CBSA employees.
Susan Pieters (2021-08-13):
I grew up in the U.S. and the main postal service differences I noticed when I moved to Canada are no Saturday mail and at-your-mailbox pick up service for stamped mail. Now, I don't mind having no mail on Saturday (although it did really speed up the mail somehow) but having to walk to a post box at a busy street corner some blocks away to hand over a letter seems ridiculous, especially since the postman is walking to my door most days. The amount of mail people send is always less than the mail brought to our boxes. I think to create a viable business model, where residential customers actually use the service both directions, the simplest no-brainer would be to have the postal workers pick up the occasional letter. To make obstacles to using the mail service is to cut down the business model. If you think this is a small matter, it is not: ease of use always increases business. In an age of Covid when online emails are losing their pleasure, think of the lucrative opportunities Canada Post is missing out on. It's easier to send someone a gift through Amazon than to mail an actual card that I've signed myself, and that's what people now do. Amazon is making the money, not Canada Post. This is one reason why.
Eugene Bilodeau (2021-07-30):
It’s bad enough we have to pay a fuel surcharge on items we send via Canada Post but to make it worse they also charge sales tax on the surcharge. Unbelieveable.
---
To be fair to Canada Post, any shipping related fee is taxable. The Canada Revenue Agency is responsible for tax policies such as this. All carriers are charging applicable sales taxes on fuel surcharges. In our view the real issue is the amount of the fuel surcharge, usually charged as a percentage of a base shipping charge. We suspect that carriers are abusing this charge by setting the percentage higher than necessary to cover additional fuel costs, and by taking excessively long to lower the percentage when fuel costs decline (as fuel costs did when the price of oil fell at the beginning of the pandemic).
Aulnay (2021-07-28):
Because of roadwork, Canada Post has suspended all mail delivery on our street in Montreal for FIVE MONTHS (from the end of May until the end of September), even though ALL other deliveries are going on as usual. Fedex, Intelcom, Purolator, pharmacies, supermarkets and what not all continue offering exactly the same delivery services as usual because the location is secure.
During those five months, Canada Post is delivering everything at a post office that is 45 minutes away by foot and bus. How on earth are we are supposed to deal with large or heavy parcels? Indeed most of our immediate neighbours don't have a car. Many residents of the neighbourhood are elderly, and some of them are handicapped.
Mail delivery is a public service that we pay for with our taxes; and furthermore it is an ESSENTIAL public service. It is such a shame that without any reasonable motive at all we should be deprived of it.
Garnet Lawson (2021-07-28):
My son ordered an item from the US. Tracking shows from US to Canada, and then to Kingston. Processed and sent out for delivery. Then returned to post office: can't find address.
Building has been here over 50 yrs; we have been here 4 years.
After many calls to Canada Post the address was confirmed to be our address, but then they said it was not right(??). Then we find out the package has been sent back to Montreal or wherever.
Got 1-800 number to call. What a waste of time, every answer was: call the states where the package came from. IT IS ALREADY HERE. NOT IMPRESSED.
I HAVE SEEN PARCELS THROWN FROM THE SIDEWALK UP TO PEOPLE'S FRONT DOOR. YEAH THERE IS A PANDEMIC. GOT A MASK, USE IT, GET OVER IT.
Julie Taylor (2021-07-07):
I am frustrated in that I was not told when I sent a package to Australia that Canada Post does not take responsibility for tracking package after it leaves Canada. Canada Post chooses to blame Australia Post instead of following though with its responsibility to Canadian customers.
Deanna Beck (2021-06-30):
A parcel of mine has been sitting in Richmond for a week. Got an update saying it was delayed and stay tuned for updates. Had a 2nd parcel picked up there after that one and it is in transit now but the 1st one is still delayed!! How does that work when it's the same facility. I want my 1st parcel that is sitting in Richmond!! If canada post damaged it or lost it they need to own up to it not just say that it is delayed and stay tuned.
Teo Christes (2021-06-29):
My mail man is the laziest ad most incompetent I have ever seen. Sometimes he doesn't deliver any mail to anyone on my street during weekdays (so it’s not that I just didn’t get mail that day he literally just doesn’t show up). He is supposed to deliver on all non-holiday work days. He alI loves to deliver the mail to the wrong address and we have to re-deliver it to the correct house. which some do but others who are busy (not their responsibility) don’t -- they just put it return to sender. And it’s not over yet: he also comes at different times, sometimes 11 am, sometimes 2:30 and, believe it or not, sometimes after 6 pm (he’s supposed to be off at 5). One of my neighbours complained and Canada Post did nothing and now she’s getting even worst service from this clown because they told him she complained.
Is there any way to complain anonymously?
Harvey Johnson (2021-06-04):
I tried four times just to order stamps. I had them in the cart but could not access it. I checked out, or attempted to, each time but with no success. I know a big corp like this really doesn’t care about a guy like me. Nice jobs, security etc.
R. Zhaleev (2021-05-31):
I’m an eBay seller from Russia selling chess sets (new and vintage).
I have a few buyers from Canada. And the problem is that I use only small packet airmail. And the issue is that Canada Post do not trace international small packets. Some eBay buyers know that, so they are waiting till delivery time is up and open a refund case. I can’t provide to eBay proof of delivery because Canada Post does not trace my parcels. eBay refunds the total amount from my paypal account. Buyer does not reply on my messages. So I’m losing the item and money. It’s a scam!
---
The lack of tracking of international Small Packet packages is a problem for Canadian businesses also. They are just as susceptible to that scam.
Ironically the Canada Post shipping software generates a shipping label with a barcode, but that barcode cannot be used to track the package. To get tracking Canadian shippers have to use the more expensive Tracked Packet service. As far as we can tell the Tracked Packet service is the same as the Airmail Small Packet service except for the tracking feature – at what amounts to an exorbitant extra cost.
Mike Anderson (2021-05-17):
I ordered some musical instruments from Germany, shipped April 4 by DHL. Leaving aside DHL‘s terrible service lately (“because of the pandemic,“ shipments are taking over a month to cross the Atlantic, which is not quite as bad as Christopher Columbus‘s journey from Spain to the Caribbean but close enough), the parcel arrived in Montreal May 10. Tracking shows that it was processed there, then shipped all the way across the country to Richmond BC to be “processed” again. As of yesterday, May 16, it was in Winnipeg being “processed“ yet another time. This is all bad enough, but tracking also states it will be delivered to me today in London Ontario. It isn’t even in the city yet, but they’re telling me to expect delivery. Needless to say, I don’t.
Montreal to Richmond BC instead of Mississauga, back east to Winnipeg, and I should have had it last week if it weren’t for all their stupid wasteful screwing around. Absolutely pathetic service.
Thanks for providing a forum for people to vent about the terrible way their mail is being treated.
---
Update 2021-05-17:
Sorry that wasn’t clean. DHL hands over to Canada Post in Montreal. I’ve ordered from this German company before and this is how it’s been done, but this is the first time it’s been shipped across to Richmond BC from Montreal. When I saw that, I got onto online chat with a CP assistant and she told me that “some parcels are being processed in Richmond now.“ But tracking also says it was processed on arrival in Montreal so that sort of strikes me as sounding like BS.
As of right now there is no update from it being processed in Winnipeg yesterday, and tracking still says to expect delivery today.
---
Update 2021-05-19:
An update to my music stuff sent from Germany April 6: after I wrote you, the package was sent from Richmond BC to Winnipeg, where it sat for three days. As of this morning it's been sent to Hamilton. Remember, the destination is London.
Ian Ferguson (2021-05-12):
My package left Pickering, expedited, on May 7th for Toronto, a 30 minute drive. The online tracker said that I would receive the package on the 11th, but the delivery never arrived and no further information was available. I'm now expecting to receive the package on the 13th.
I've received 2 packages from the other side of the Earth while waiting for this one to travel a 30-minute journey.
Henry Gehrs Sr (2021-05-03):
I sent an envelope containing small gift (baby onesie) from Kitchener to Toronto. Clerk at post office at Shoppers Drug Mart said it qualified as letter rate and I only paid $3.60 tax included postage. It’s been two weeks now. It still hasn’t been received in Toronto. Unbelievable.
Anonymous (2021-04-30):
People need to NOT accept that this is the only service and DEMAND CHANGE. But no one will, because that's the society we live in.
P.K. Schrader (2021-04-01):
My Amazon item was to arrive in Ancaster on March 31, 2021. It is late (no weather problems, picked up on time, just stupid complacent CP mistakes). It arrived at the local Hamilton distribution centre March 31, 2021 at 10:14am (several hours late), apparently due to the infamous “external factors” BS comment in tracking info. that nobody at CP can or wishes to explain. Then it gets shipped to Mississauga by mistake; arrives there at 2:39AM. This same error has happened to me 3 times in the past 3 months! Now, due to Easter long weekend approaching, CP says it is not scheduled to arrive until a week later; between Wednesday April 7th and Friday April 9th!
CP needs to really improve their services, as I believe that Amazon will stop or minimize using them just like they did with Purolator for most items shipped within Canada. CP employees need to know they are not un-replaceable and if they want to keep their jobs, everyone at CP needs to pick up the slack and focus on their services and shipping time guarantees! (from my past experiences, their delivery time guarantees really mean nothing as they have loopholes to explain every stupid mistake). CP should be forced to refund shipping costs to the sender for every late shipment caused by stupid CP employee mistakes in order to hopefully make CP more accountable. Just like a fine for an error in driving can, at times, help drivers to improve; CP too should be fined!
The CP business model has a proven past for near bankruptcy. They may have increased their revenues with association with Amazon, but their poor quality of service shows the same as in the past. This is an opportunity for a new and fresh Canada-wide shipping service to take over CP business and end the lackadaisical attitude of many CP employee’s still “coasting along” and relying on pensions that should now probably be done away with. Nothing lasts for ever!
Maggie Scarrow (2021-03-27):
I sent a letter/parcel from Halifax intended for Ontario mid February, It’s now March 27th and it still has not been delivered.
Linda Davis (2021-03-12):
Received Xmas card from Alberta in Feb 2020!! (I live in North Vancouver). Thought it was a one time thing. Not so. Mid January this year, received Xmas card from relatives.
Giving allowances for last year because of pandemic, friend mailed birthday card on Feb 16 from Osoyoos. (Birthday was Feb 18.) As of March 12 still no card. Latest screwup: sent birthday card on March 4 for Mar 15 birthday. Shouldn’t take 7 days to go to Coquitlam. B.C!!
They’re complaining their [Lettermail] revenue is down. Is it any wonder people aren’t using their services?
G.Trevor O'Connor (2021-03-10):
I have been waiting since December 18 2020 for a parcel from B.C. I live in Ontario and for the life of me can't understand why or how such a important service can be so broken. Why can't they fire any worker who doesn't actually do anything? If I owned it, I'd sell it off and can every lazy person and get rid of the unionized workers and hire people who deserve to work. There's nothing that make me more angry than lazy workers or entitled sad little humans. There's plenty of hard working non-union workers who would gladly do the work. Fu$&@n ridiculous.
Maranda Ortega (2021-02-25):
Package from Mississauga goes to Montreal, past my city, for no good reason. I have been given 3 different estimated days of arrival in the past 6 hours and my package is just sitting in Montreal even though I'm not in Quebec and the package originated in Ontario. My local Canada Post is not overrun anymore; they even say as much. There is no excuse except for inefficiencies and laziness.
Canada Post is a horrible company and I avoid them whenever I can because I don't actually want to contribute to hundreds of miles of gas being used, just so my package can leave my province, even though it originated in it. This type of practice is abusive, to the consumer and to the environment. They are less organized than me on a bad executive functioning day and I'm severely disabled. Even I wouldn't send a package out of province to turn around and come back to my province. That makes no sense.
Tanner Greenwald (2021-02-21):
I placed an order for an jacket that came from China. China Post got it to Canada in 3 weeks. Upon being handed over to Canada Post, it's no longer tracked. It arrived to Mississauga sorting facility on January 19th. As of this date, it's been in Canada for 1 month and I still don't have it. This is the second order of an item like this in a row that Canada Post threw down a bottomless pit. Thanks for literally nothing, Canada Post.
Anonymous (2021-02-16):
Canada Post's Credit Management Group is aggressive about collecting overdue balances from its commercial customers. They will let you know in no uncertain terms when payments are late and will quickly cut customers off. We mail our cheques to Canada Post, and we are diligent about sending those payments well before they are due. In response to a recent Canada Post demand for payment of "overdue" bills, we emailed back saying, "The cheques have been mailed and as I am sure you are aware Canada Post delivery has been very slow!" Imagine the irony when the Credit Management Group pushed us to start paying by electronic funds transfer (EFT) instead of paying by mail, helpfully providing a document with all the details.
Sorry Canada Post, you need to improve your service. Letters should not take two weeks to get to your accounts receivable department!
---
Update 2021-03-16:
The Credit Management Group conceded in an email message that a cheque mailed more than six weeks earlier "may not come through." And it further stated that if it "does not come by next week, we can authorize you to re-issue payment less $25.00 service fee." This concession and offer to accept payment minus the stop-payment fee charged by the bank is a notable change in a credit department that is usually unsympathetic about Canada Post's service failures.
John Fabrik (2021-02-10):
I was expecting a time sensitive parcel from Ontario to Saskatchewan. We took into account any slow down related to Covid and allowed a 7 day window. The parcel was shipped Xpresspost 12 days ago and still has not arrived. When I contacted Canada Post the agent told me the parcel was in Calgary! What the. It completely skipped my province. I asked him why it skipped the mail sorting center in Saskatoon? He told me they are experiencing a high volume of mail and parcels in Saskatoon so it was re-routed. It was processed in Calgary but had to be sent back to Saskatoon for final sorting! NOT IMPRESSED!
There is no way a private sector company would survive doing business like this. I was a big supporter of crown corporations, believing they could keep costs down for the public. I have since changed my mind. If this is the way Canada Post does business maybe it’s time to sell it off to the private sector where they might care about unhappy customers. I won't be shipping anything by Canada Post in the future if I can help it. They will be a last resort.
IT'S TIME TO SELL OFF CANADA POST!
Jessica Darling (2021-02-07):
Canada Post has to stop routing Ontario parcels through Mississauga! Since December, most of my packages have been sitting there for 2-4 weeks with no more than an “item delayed” notice on the tracking info. Meanwhile, the few packages that manage to avoid going through Mississauga arrive within a few days to a week, which is perfectly reasonable. When Canada Post first introduced Mississauga as a central hub, and rerouted all packages through that facility rather then shipping directly from one post office to another, their firm position was that it would not cause delays and was actually more efficient. I didn’t believe it then, and it’s obviously not true now. Living in the North I am dependent on Canada Post, and it’s letting me down. I am so frustrated with Mississauga!
Elaine Robillard (2021-01-28):
This is the 2nd time I received notification that "Canada Post could not deliver the package". It was scanned in Richmond BC. I had no problems receiving other items from the same US manufacturer. I will order it again for the 3rd time. I would like to know why Canada Post could not deliver the package? Frustrating to say the least!
B Baker (2021-01-23):
Where do we begin?
Notification from shipper that the parcel was shipped, BUT that is only a shipping label. I do a track package. Delay: ‘Parcel submitted after receiving time’. BOGUS, it is COVID-19, and according to Peterborough postal facility Canada Post is working overtime. Best joke in history. Parcel supposed to arrive yesterday. By end of day, ‘In transit’. But hold onto your hat, CANADA POST SHIPPED IT UP TO THUNDER BAY, about 14 hours away!!
Had it been shipped from Mississauga, it would have been 1 hour and 36 minutes! Canada Post is SLOTH EXPRESS.
Willie Chree (2021-01-20):
Canada Post is probably one of the most inefficient organizations on this planet. I paid $40US for an expedited international packet from the US on the 12th of December and it is still stuck in Edmonton having been sent from San Francisco to Fort Collins CO then to Richmond BC, eventually arriving there on the 6th of January, then sent to Edmonton on the 10th after release by CBSA, and it is still stuck in Edmonton. Obviously there are serious issues with Canada Post right now with these completely unacceptable delivery times and this should be a matter not for the Ombudsman but for the Federal Government to have a crown commission to scrutinize Canada Post from top to bottom after this pandemic is finally done.
Colin Quentin (2021-01-15):
They offer services and accept payment for delivery standards they can't and don't keep. I paid 16 dollars, 30% of the item cost, to have Xpresspost and a 1-2 day delivery standard. It's been 12 days and delivery standard keeps getting delayed. I can't ask for a refund because I didn't ship it. Delivery standard went from Jan 12 to Jan 18 - Jan 19 and who knows how much longer.
It should be illegal to offer 1-2 day delivery only to turn around and take potentially longer than 16 days after the customer paid for 1-2 day delivery.
From Groovy Girl (2021-01-12):
It costs me more to mail a dinner plate to a customer in Lethbridge, Alberta from London, Ontario ($26.04 with a weight of 0.5kg | 33 | 33 | 27) than it does to mail the same plate to California as a Tracked Package ($18.54). Granted, the customer in Lethbridge will receive the plate faster in most cases however, Canada Post needs to add a lower-cost domestic shipping option where speed is less essential than cost to ship. Most of our tableware going to Canada cost us anywhere from 35-65 percent more to send to Canadians than it does for us to ship to our American Customers.
From Amanda Wilson (2021-01-04):
I live in Armstrong, BC. All our mail goes to Richmond, BC. When it gets there, it stays there for extended periods of time. I realize that during the holiday season and also during a pandemic, things are slower. The problem is they promise to deliver on a certain date through a message update, but it is never delivered.
I worked for Canada Post at Gateway in Mississauga. While there, I observed how employees work. They are union. I watched as mail sorters would drop a letter on the ground and instead of picking it up, they would wait for the next shift to get it. I watched as employees would throw around parcels that were marked fragile till they broke.
The only workers that actually work hard are the outside workers. The inside workers seem to think they don't have to work hard. Having seen first-hand how Canada Post workers work, I know why mail is late. The problem is that management cannot fire them. They have a strong union. So when a worker doesn't do their job, nothing happens.
From Rod Wright (2020-12-29):
I ordered an item from the Canadian entity of an American business on Nov. 29, 2020. The item was on sale which ended the next day or two I believe, so I ordered to take advantage of the Black Friday deal. The website stated clearly that I would receive it before December 24th. I thought ok. A month is pretty long, but I can have it under the tree before Christmas. Wrong!
Two weeks later I received a happy little email from the company, "Your item is on the way!!" I thought, two weeks to actually get it into the mail system? So that was December 14th. This email had a Canada Post tracking number. I can now at least track the parcel. Still probably ok to get here before Christmas day. Wrong!
I waited a few days to see where along the mail chain my parcel was. Hey, Dec. 18, processed in Montreal!! I thought, wow, ok four days from Richmond BC to Montreal - not bad. Thinking, ok it'll get to Moncton in a few days and then on to Halifax maybe by the 21st, and distributed to where I am outside of Halifax, but not far, by the 24th. Again, wrong!! But this time the expected delivery date changed to the 29th. Ok, not here for Christmas, but in between Christmas and New Year's. I guess I have to live with that. Be patient I said to myself.
Every time I check the status it tells me its in delivery but apparently it must be invisible because it shows the last post office to handle it is Montreal, on the 18th. Yet the cute little delivery graphic clearly shows it's "In Transit" with the day's date, but is going to be delivered by end of day Dec. 29th, which is BS, because if it were to be delivered by the end of the day it would be showing as on the delivery vehicle, but is only showing as "In Transit".
So why has it apparently sat in Montreal for two weeks? Canada Post has to upgrade a few things to be competitive. They have to fix the mail chain to be quick and easy coast to coast to coast. Having bottle necks in their delivery chain obviously is causing big problems. My wife has also had to packages sitting in Montreal since around the same time. Canada Post may want to UP their service maybe by using bonded 3rd party delivery companies in times where mail volumes exceed a certain limit.
Yes we're under Covid regulated times, but 1 month from Richmond to Halifax is pathetic. I will also be contacting the company that sent the item for sitting on an order for 2 weeks.
From Matt R (2020-12-26):
Ordered a parcel from Ontario on Dec 1 and it didn't make it in time for Christmas (I'm in B.C.). It was an important gift, a real lesson learned for me. Next time it will be DHL delivering my mail. Sad because I love Canada but the postal service is akin to hallucinating chimpanzees throwing poo at each other.
From Michele Russell (2020-12-20):
Over 2 months ago I was forced to rent a box in another city, a half hour dangerous drive, as I found our post office temporarily closed when I moved here [Nelson, BC].
I was given only one key. That key sticks badly and takes 5 minutes to open the mailbox. Since I rented this box, I have had to wait in line, sometimes an hour, to get my mail. Usually the mailbox is buried behind heaps of filled shipping boxes. When I get my mail, I have to go to the back of the long line again to pick up parcels.
Last time I was asked for ID for the first time. This was even after the worker saw me get my mail. I had to go back in line. I refused. Then they told me they could not find one of my packages.
I paid good money for this mailbox so I could have mail. I should not have to pay for a mailbox if there is none in my town and I certainly should not have to wait in line with other paying customers when I have already paid for this service!
From Jennifer Shepherd (2020-11-24):
Omg. Unbelievable. I'm a new ebay seller. I mailed the very first item I've ever sold at a Vancouver Canada Post outlet on Friday evening, making it VERY CLEAR it was not to be left at the recipient's door. I got the signature option, tracking, and paid for $900 worth of insurance. I even wrote on the box that it had to be signed for by the recipient only. The person at the post office even highlighted this in yellow! I was ASSURED it would not be left at the door; that if the recipient wasn't home a card would be left instructing them to pick it up at a post office. I've been tracking the item. Today I found out IT WAS LEFT AT THE DOOR.
I phoned Canada Post immediately. I was told the mail carrier "made a mistake". I was told I could file a complaint (which I did).
I cannot believe this. I will NEVER use Canada Post to mail any packages again! Canada Post what's wrong with you.
From Belle Craig (2020-11-18):
I have ordered quite a few things this year online due to Covid. As I'm sure many people are doing the same. But why do the packages just sit for weeks in the Richmond BC post office? This is very frustrating especially with Christmas around the corner.
From Sandy Winter (2020-11-05):
I've been having problems for almost 2 years with not receiving my mail. Sometimes I get mail, then I don't. I don't have my own box. My mail goes in a box shared with others. My husband and I are separated and I still live in the marital home. I have told the owner many times about the mail but it's like talking to a wall. He says I'll get my own box someday. He blames the missing mail on his employee.
Dealing with separation, my mail is of importance (lawyers etc.). I've had thoughts that my missing mail has been given to my ex. I wouldn't put it past them to do so.
I have anxiety and dealing with this is hard. I'm not a complainer, just looking for a little guidance. Getting my mail should be simple but instead it's a burden. Besides, why are the hours of the post office so strange? If we had our own boxes with key that would be less of a pain. Not sure how to fix this. Any help would be appreciated and less stressful for me and others.
From Sharon Narrow (2020-11-05):
I just got my new glasses and still struggled to read the form to fill in on the back of my flat rate parcel box. Could the print not be made larger? Even a little larger?? Please.
From Anonymous Postal Worker (2020-10-25):
Happened to come across your site so I'll leave something here as to what's wrong with Canada Post [at my processing plant].
Biggest problem is the employees of all levels (CUPW, APOC, Human Resources & Management) that they are all greedy and lazy. For example, plant manager Marcel [redacted] is an arrogant man who cares about himself and punishes people who don't see eye to eye with him. Also he spends a lot of his time in his office watching sports games on the television.
Next is CUPW, aka postal workers in [my] mail processing plant. Extremely lazy, they often work slow or pretend they're working or hardly work at all by relying on temporary workers to do the work for them. It is a big disgrace that lazy people like them are paid $28 an hour. It is no wonder people are always pissed off with the postal service being slow and unreliable. Here are some examples. Postal worker Sandra [redacted] has been relying on other people including temporary workers to do 90% of the workload for her. Why is that? Because she's lazy. She would rather socialize, browse the internet on her phone and read books during the entire shift than work. The thing is that she's been doing this since she first started working here 15 years ago. Postal worker Arthur [redacted], who's also worked for over 15 years is another lazy employee. He only got the job because he's acquainted with Ruby [redacted] of Human Resources and speaks Filipino. He never had the skills nor education to qualify for the job. This guy hardly works because he treats this as his second job. His primary job working at [a local hospital]. All he does here in Canada Post is going around collecting money for his Lotto 649 and Lotto Max pools, as well as socializing in Filipino with other people. He doesn't do much sorting and processing customer's packets. He even throws them like they are basketballs and they end up being damaged. Ranpreet [redacted], another lazy employee who reads customer's magazines. Often times, he doesn't show up to work because he has another full-time job. All these problems are often turned a blind eye by supervisors and management. They are afraid of being racist towards Filipinos and East Indians.
Whenever there is a payment issue on the paycheck such as shortpaid on work done, Human Resources would always deny and put the blame on you or someone else. They are unprofessional and extremely rude people to deal with.
Anyways, that's all there is to comment about the current degrading state of Canada Post. The public has been right all along, the majority of postal employees are overpaid, spoiled and lazy who don't deserve a job and doesn't care about the business and its customers.
Fed up with the crap in this corporation. It's so embarrassing.
From IP Gardner (2020-10-10):
I am a 15 year veteran dealing with Canada Post's dumpster fire. I've had endless problems with them, including the following:
- Hundreds of incidents of refusal to try to deliver parcels, instead they dump a non-delivery ticket and run.
- There's a Shoppers Drug Mart with a postal outlet less than a km away; I can see it out my window. Canada Post refuses to drop our undelivered parcels there; instead our mail is dumped in a faraway post office on a street where the buses only run once per hour. Whenever they don't deliver a parcel I am forced to walk 3 km each way on a walker to pick it up, take a cab, or wait 2 hours for buses there and back. They refuse to consider switching post offices for our building.
- They often dump non-delivery tickets with the wrong post office listed on the ticket. Twice I have had to spend over $50 on cabs on wild goose chases to pick up undelivered parcels.
- They dump other people's mail in my box, and lose my mail. Their illiterate carriers can't tell the difference between "apartment #1" and "apartment PH 1". I nearly lost my long term disability pension last year because they lost an important letter from my insurance company.
- They allow customers to choose not to receive junk mail, but then they ignore that choice and keep dumping it anyway. The junk goes in first, any legitimate mail is discarded so they can stuff the mailbox with junk. I had to file three complaints to finally stop the flood of garbage into my mailbox.
- They suddenly started forwarding all of my mail to an address in rural Manitoba. I only found out when the recipient in Manitoba started sending my mail back to me - opened. Among the mail was credit card statements with my full card number. At the time, my credit card company did not offer paperless billing. I had to have my credit card replaced. It took two months of complaining before Canada Post took the forward off of my address.
- They completely stopped delivering parcels the moment covid-19 was announced. They only delivered items which could be crammed into our tiny mailboxes.
- Now they've started to deliver some items to people's doors. However they dump the item and run without knocking or ringing the doorbell, then it gets stolen. Another trick is to leave parcels outdoors in front of the main building doors, especially large or heavy parcels. I've had three parcels stolen in the past few months. To make matters worse, they've stopped scanning parcels en route which means the recipient doesn't know to expect the item when it's dumped.
- I had to tell Amazon to stop sending my orders by Canada Post. After they were forced to give me three refunds for stolen parcels and two refunds for lost parcels, they were happy to ship my orders using other couriers.
- Speaking of cramming things, once the Canada Post carrier crammed a box into my mailbox, it was wedged so tightly that I needed a keyhole saw to cut the box out. I could see the boot mark on one side of the box where they kicked it into my mailbox. When I finally got the pieces of the box out, it was addressed to someone else (not even in my building).
- I have escalated three tickets to their ombudsman. Every time, I had to wait weeks for a reply and then I'd get a very rude and abrasive email accusing me of making unreasonable demands that I never made and refusing to address my original complaint. They provide no means to respond to their falsehoods. I call these "take it or leave it letters". Overall, I've found it's a waste of time to bother complaining: they know they're doing a lousy job and they don't care as long as there are lemmings willing to hand them money.
- As I write this I've been waiting over a week for an overdue parcel which is being shipped a distance of fewer than 10 km, from the Black Hole known as Mississauga to Etobicoke. Normally I avoid businesses that ship by Canada Post like the plague, but I made the mistake of being tempted to buy something that was a lot cheaper than usual. I won't make that mistake again.
From Rick Harrison (2020-09-17):
Paid extra money for one business day delivery, dropped off parcel at Canada Post on September 14. It was late in the evening and was told that it would be picked up the next day September 15 by 5pm and delivered by the 16. It's now September 17 evening and still isn't delivered. Tracking says it will be delivered September 18.
Why would they charge extra money for one business day delivery and can't deliver?
I chat online and they said that they put the parcel on the wrong route. That is not my problem. If they realize that that happened they should of made a special delivery to solve the problem; but instead they said that I have to wait. It's disappointing that you pay extra money for a service and they don't correct their mistakes. I will never use Canada Post for a one day delivery again because of the service they provide.
From Philippe Gagnon (2020-06-18):
I have about half a dozen packages that have landed in the black hole known as Mississauga. Packages go in but rarely or never come back out.
Canada Post, they say is severely backlogged. Triple the usual amount. It just goes to show how completely unable they are to cope with even the slightest inconvenience.
So now, Canada Post has apparently sought help from crappy, never-heard-of companies like Apple Express Couriers to help with the backlog. Well, Apple Express has had some of my packages "out for delivery" for over a week! The packages were picked up, so they say, right here in my hometown. They are still out for delivery over a week later!
Thanks, Canada Post, for screwing things up even more than you already have!
From Alex Corley (2020-06-08):
I have waited on several orders that Canada Post has picked up and held on to for weeks before shipping to the U.S., from pet medicine to vaporizers. I have given up on ordering from companies that only deal with Canada Post, even if I have to pay more, or from companies that charge more but have different shipping options. This seems like it would be bad for small companies in Canada. I am not an impatient person and I can easily accept a 14 day wait from Canada to North Carolina and order accordingly, but the lack of tracking updates and the amount of time Canada Post holds items is foolish. They are like the Trump of postal services, blaming everyone but themselves. That system needs a factory reset because it is severely damaged and bad for everyone involved.
From Rob and Lisanne (2020-06-01):
Our package from China arrived but was sent to Richmond for further processing on May 8, 2020 (hasn't even reached customs yet). There has been no movement since. We filed a service ticket that went nowhere -- I'm not sure anyone even looked for the package.
From Ciortan (2020-05-19):
Our mail sometimes gets lost. Bills sent from town office sometimes goes to Regina or other places for sorting or so I have been led to believe. There is no sense in sending it out to other places when they are mailed right here in town. Our post people should be able to do this.
I feel Canada Post needs to inform their postmasters/postmistresses that this an unacceptable practice or if this a Canada Post decision they need to step up & re-evaluate their position on their idea of service.
From Paul Charles (2020-05-07):
I am finding the Canada Post web site completely impossible to navigate. If you are a large business, fine they are all over you but if you are an individual just wanting to send a letter or a package prepare for a huge runaround. Worst web site I have ever attempted to use. And their help is a mobius loop so don't bother.
From Paige Walters (2020-03-13):
My package was lost by Canada Post. It said it was delivered yet it was nowhere to be found, a package valued at nearly 150 dollars. I was told by one agent I would be reimbursed by Canada Post. Then another told me they would reimburse the sender if they [the sender] opened a claim and then I would have to contact the sender to get my money back. So which is it? This makes absolutely no sense as I was the one out the money.
I was also told you only check my claim for a missing package as a courtesy because the contract is only with the sender which also does not make sense. The contract should be with both parties. Thank God the customer service where I had ordered my items from was and is always excellent, as I had no issue receiving a refund from them and they were very apologetic even though the error was on Canada Post's part. If this was an independent seller or a business with poor customer service why should they care if the package is lost? They already got their money, why would you reimburse the person who already paid for the package, the receiver?
The receiver paid for the package so it is theirs, not the person who sent it. The sender gets paid twice for your stupidity. Your customer service is atrocious and your business practices deplorable, absolutely no accountability for your errors and you leave customers high and dry. I'll pay the extra few dollars and use a more reliable courier and have my packages delivered straight into my hands because obviously you guys are not to be trusted. How disappointing I always thought you were better than this.
From Brittanie Foley (2020-03-05):
Canada Post has been sitting on my package since February 17th. It's March 5th now. It's just chillin where the packages chill and just needs to be put on a truck to be delivered to my door. Like tell me which location and I'll go get it myself and save your asses from having to work. Like you wonder why no one wants to use Canada Post.
From Anonymous (2020-02-12):
I would like to talk to someone about night pick up in our town. We no longer have night pickup. This impacts time sensitive letters and parcels. This has resulted in customers taking their mail elsewhere that do have night pickup and that results in possibly small town post offices closing because of lack of volume.
Our community is getting older and travelling further is not an option. Duck Lake, SK, S0K 1J0.
I have tried [to talk to someone] by phone and tried online and getting nowhere. I do not do social media.
From Philippe Gagnon (2020-01-20):
I have a package stuck in the Richmond BC postal outlet. It has been there for over two weeks without moving. All the processing, customs, etc., is done. It just has to be sent on its way. I have chatted 3 times with a customer service rep at Canada Post. It was worse than useless and beyond frustrating.
Word of warning to all: If your package ends up in Richmond, BC, you might as well kiss your package goodbye. You will never get it. The Richmond BC outlet is like a black hole. Packages go in but never come back out.
Canada Post does not care. One of the reps even went so far as to tell a customer, "You should have supported us during out strike. You will get your package when we feel like sending it out." Well, that pretty much says it all, eh?!
Yeah, Canada Post, go ahead and do another strike. And you wonder why you have such a bad reputation and everyone hates you? Duh!!
From Gord Stone (2019-10-20):
I want to cancel my Canada Post Business Account but can't find that option on their site.
Every time I try to deal with them I find it too frustrating to get anything done.
I want to know how I can get access to my account so I can delete my contact info so that they can never contact me again.
---
Changing your business contact and account information at Canada Post can be an exercise in frustration. Earlier this year we needed to update our company login info and it literally took hours to get it done. Changes have to be made by Canada Post staff because there is no way to do it yourself even though the business account portal make you think you can. There were three different departments that had to be involved before the changes finally took effect.
From Kevin Campbell (2019-11-25):
Here's how Canada Post is stealing the money out of your pockets by ignoring their Expedited Parcel $100 automatic insurance coverage policy and also by offering to refund shipping when an item is delivered late:
Part 1: Canada Post loses my parcel, a vintage bottle
I have used Canada Post for several years and I spend thousands of dollars a year at Canada Post. I never had any issues up until March of 2019. Ever since then they have been completely unreliable and negligent in their policies. They are changing their policies to suit them, leaving long-time customers out in the cold, all while DRASTICALLY INCREASING their rates.
Back in March I sold a vintage soda pop bottle and shipped it from Prince Edward Island to Saskatchewan. Total value of the parcel was $54.53, shipping included, and it was shipped as an Expedited Parcel. I shipped it on the 14th and it was expected on the 21st of March. Sometime around the end of March when it STILL hadn't been delivered, I opened two cases: one for late delivery of a parcel, and a second case for the lost item. They approved my refund request on the shipping, but closed the other case on the lost item. I contacted Canada Post through their online chat option on their website. The agent I chatted with told me the case was closed and refused to investigate further.
The refund I did get on shipping was for $25.11. I actually paid $26.37 for shipping. THEY STILL CHARGED ME TAXES ON THIS SERVICE WHEN IT WAS NOT EVEN PROVIDED!
On top of that, I had shipped that bottle through their Expedited Parcel service which they claim includes an automatic insurance coverage of $100.
Here is a copy of the chat transcript, for those who are interested:
Kevin: Yes, this parcel was supposed to be delivered on 03/21/2019 and has still not arrived. I have received a confirmation on a refund request, but I have not heard back on the service ticket I opened. I would like to know where this parcel is.
CP: I do apologize for the inconvenience. I can certainly provide assistance with this issue. May I ask you a few questions to further assist you?
CP: Are you the sender or the receiver? Is this business or personal?
K: I am the sender, business. This is an ebay sale.
CP: From the information available a refund has been issued, and when this is done all investigations for mailed items are closed. We do not offer a reinvestigation of mailed items that have had claims issued. Further information for this parcel can not be provided by our company at this time.
K: I want to know where this parcel is. Is it going to be delivered or not? Because if not, the value of the parcel is more than the refund that was issued. I don't care about the refund either way, this parcel needs to be delivered. I spend thousands at Canada Post every year, I Just dropped off one parcel with a value of $600. I don't want to be doing that if I can't get information on my parcel with tracking.
CP: The tracking offered by our company is a list of events that have occurred, and locations of where an item has been, not where it currently resides. When an investigation comes to a close our company has come to a determination that a refund must be issued for an item, the item is then deemed unlocatable by our company. We can not guarantee the arrival of this item at this time, and I can certainly have a complaint ticket made in regard to the investigation.
K: Look I have been dealing with Canada Post for years and have gotten plenty of refunds, for LATE DELIVERY OF A PARCEL, and have still had the parcel delivered. I have NEVER had an item go missing like this.
CP: I do apologize, we have reimbursed the amount for the service chosen by yourself that our company provides. This investigation has been closed and there has been no further information provided. We are unable to have any further investigations opened for mailed items, once refunds are issued. We can not specify the arrival of this item, for we can not determine the location or issue the item is currently facing unless there are investigations placed on the item. Once refunds are issued for a mailed items this is the form of reimbursement provided by our company for the postage paid for the servcie selected.
K: So what about what was in the parcel? The total value of that parcel was $54.53.
CP: Insurance must be placed on the item to have further amounts refunded to you when an item is deemed unlocatable. Our company policy we only provide refunds once a delivered scan is provided in the tracking of an item. We only provide a single refund for servcies chosen, and if the refund is requested before the arrival of an item only the postage is provided. We must deem the item unlocatable before the refund is issued to have insurance included in the refund.
K: Absolutely sickening, this is the last goddamn package I will ever ship through Canada Post. I spend thousands every year only for this company to come back with longer expected delivery dates, you lose my parcel and won't even give me my goddamn money back. I don't know what has happened since your last postal strike but your services have gone to shit. There is no good reason for this investigation to be closed. You are taking the money out of your own customer's pockets.
K: I want to speak to a supervisor. I shipped my item as an Expedited Parcel. I was allowed up to $100 covereage. What the hell is the goddamn point if you're going to go back on it?
Part 2: Dealing with the Canada Post ombudsman
Well after getting no satisfaction out of contacting Canada Post about missing parcel containing vintage bottle, I decided to contact the ombudsman. I contacted them explaining everything in great detail. After opening that case on April 11, I had to wait over 2 weeks to hear back from a representative from the Canada Post ombudsman.
By the time they did finally contact me after over 2 weeks, I was dealing with death and did not want to deal with the issue at that particular time that they called. I listened to the message left on my answering machine, which specifically said to call back at my convenience. BUT THE NEXT DAY, I received an e-mail that said the case was closed because their records were showing that I had not contacted their office! (I had to wait over 2 weeks for them to call me!). At that point I had no fight left in me, and I let the issue go and forgot about it.
Part 3: Late shipments with no acknowledgement from Canada Post!
Well unfortunately I am still using Canada Post this November and in the last few weeks I had one parcel go completely missing for 2 weeks. All it was showing on the tracking was when I dropped it off at the post office in my city. It stayed like that until today, when it finally was delivered 3 days past expected delivery date. I assumed it was lost somewhere at our local post office due to the misleading tracking. I had another parcel as well that I sent on Tuesday and should have arrived Wednesday, and didn't arrive until Monday. I opened a case on both of those, both of which were basically rejected instantly.
This is not the kind of service I expect when I pay extra for expedited shipping. Really I only expect what they offered and they can't even give me that!
Part 4: What have we learned
1. BE SURE TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION FIRST WHEN CANADA POST LOSES YOUR PARCEL! DO NOT OPEN A REFUND REQUEST ON SHIPPING UNTIL AFTER YOUR FIRST CASE GETS CLOSED! If Canada Post loses your parcel and you open a refund request for shipping AND a case to have a lost item investigated, they will ONLY refund you the shipping and then CLOSE the case to have the lost parcel investigated! Their excuse: "Well we already refunded your shipping and we only do 1 refund". So you will get the money back you paid for shipping, minus the taxes you paid, and you will be out the loss of your item.
2. PURCHASE ADDITIONAL INSURANCE ON ITEMS OVER $100. (If they will even give it to you when they do lose your item.)
3. WHEN CANADA POST REFUNDS YOU, THEY REFUND YOU MINUS THE TAX YOU PAID. WHO KEEPS THAT TAX. They are still charging you tax even when they HAVEN'T provided the service!
4. They are nothing but sneaky liars who will try to give you the runaround when you are only requesting what THEY have offered through their policies on their website!
From Mauricio Gomez (2019-10-30):
I purchased Mail Forwarding service from Canada Post for 1 full year on Sept 15, 2019 to Sept 14, 2020 and the service has been working fine. I have been using Mail Forwarding services for a few years. I used to be able to change the delivery address in the past during the middle of the service year via online. Now Canada Post has upgraded their websites and now this option of changing the delivery address in no longer there. So I called customer service to notify them to change the delivery address to a new address. They advised me that they no longer allow this and if I want to change the Mail Forwarding service to a new address, I would have to cancel the existing service and purchase a new Mail Forwarding Service contract. They would not reimburse me for the 9 months still remaining on the paid service.
So essentially Canada Post is now stealing money from people for services that they do not complete. I advised them of essentially stealing from customers and the customer service agent just said "This is the new policy and we can't help you." So I asked to speak with a manager and they put me on hold for 20 min and then the phone just hung up. I called back to Customer service to speak to a different agent and this time he understood my problem but still did not do anything about it, I again asked to speak to a manager, on hold again for 15 min and they hung up. Is this how Canada Post customer service is working now, just hanging up on customers without resolving the issue?
If they were to reimburse me for the difference of the prepaid service I paid for then I would be ok, but instead they said that we could no longer make changes during the term and that I would have to cancel the service and not get reimbursed. I call this stealing. I can't believe they are getting away with this. I am going to post this complaint everywhere I can so that people are aware of the tactics Canada Post is going to, to steal your money.
From Gord Stone (2019-10-20):
I want to cancel my Canada Post Business Account but can't find that option on their site.
Every time I try to deal with them I find it too frustrating to get anything done.
I want to know how I can get access to my account so I can delete my contact info so that they can never contact me again.
---
Changing your business contact and account information at Canada Post can be an exercise in frustration. Earlier this year we needed to update our company login info and it literally took hours to get it done. Changes have to be made by Canada Post staff because there is no way to do it yourself even though the business account portal make you think you can. There were three different departments that had to be involved before the changes finally took effect.
From Breanna LeLiever (2019-10-07):
I once tried to ship a package that (in the tracking information) was eventually marked as delivered. Seeing as how I am in close contact with the intended recipient he told me quite simply that it was a lie he never received it. I called to complain/inquire further what happened. It was two days later the package finally reached him so destroyed "it appeared to have gone through a meat grinder." "I believe," were my friend's words.
Another instance was two months of waiting for something from Amazon which estimated the delivery to be a week. (I am quite used to Canada Post's unacceptable delivery times. If I complained every time however, I wouldn't get anything done. Instead I have developed extraordinary patience for the most part when it comes to receiving parcels). When I contacted the seller to see if they had heard anything he replied, "Oh yeah, it was returned to me." I was never notified. Though the seller is partly to blame for not telling me, why was it returned in the first place?
Lastly, I live in a rural community and being tight knit I am rather close to Ann, our post woman. She talks lots about the miseries involved. She says Canada Post tells their employees to "perform exceptionally, go above and beyond", yet the equipment they expect the postal workers to use is pathetic. One day I needed to sign for a parcel and that little digital signature machine thing wouldn't work. She looked like she wanted to hurl it somewhere. She revealed that they were second hand from an independent courier company who decided to upgrade because those particular machines were exceptionally flawed (as I personally witnessed).
Those postal trucks they drive around, she refuses to use because they will work one day but be in the shop the next. Instead she opted to buy one of those European vehicles specifically for the job so, having the steering wheel on the right side made it easier to reach those roadside rural mailboxes. The company quickly reduced her wages because (in their words) "driving a vehicle like that made her job too easy".
Lastly, for the longest time we would get one of those "package held" hostage slips. But more recently Ann was forced, by the company, to deliver packages personally even if they were too big for the mailbox which, of course, requires her to come up the long country driveways to deliver them to the door and she, being a caring person, makes every attempt to protect the parcel from theft such as first knocking really loud and waiting for a fair amount of time. And if no one answers she'll find a place like in a garage/shed or wood box etc to hide parcels in before sticking a hand-written post-it to one of our letters saying where it is. You may think how is this bad? Indeed it is a nice upgrade not having to drive to the post office to claim parcels, but why I list it as a complaint is because the poor dear, to no surprise, is never paid extra for her time. Think about how much extra time she wastes in a day doing that for every parcel, time taken away from her family etc. The least they could do is offer her a bit of financial compensation. Anyways, though I pride myself in being Canadian, our postal service. I have no faith in it.
From Nyx St-Cyr (2019-09-17):
I hate that if the parcel won't fit in my mailbox, they don't deliver it.
I hate the amount of people that have mail going missing because Canada Post will leave a parcel AT YOUR FRONT DOOR when your not home, but won't bother buzzing you to see if you're home when in an apartment like every other delivery company does.
I hate that lately, my packages have been taking almost a month to get to me from the USA, like they just WALK the damned mail across the continent.
I hate that sometimes as I track my incoming parcels, I see it sitting in one place for 2-3 days (often my local processing plant) then I wake up in the morning and there's a delivery card telling me to pick it up at the post office, all the time, like sometimes they just don't bother to scan the parcel when it's received or sent out.
Mostly I hate that I work for Canada Post at a drugstore in Nanaimo BC, and I have to bear the brunt of other people's similar frustrations and anger about delivery, costs and customer service that I experience myself on a daily basis because the drivers, reps and management know that us tellers are the face of the company and that we'll have to put up with it. Tellers can't control how shitty this company is, but we are sorry and actually do understand fully – because we go through the same bullshit as you.
From Pam Postle (2019-09-07):
Canada Post will disappear and they have no one else to blame but themselves. Literally every other parcel delivery service will ring your number when you live in a condo to deliver your parcel. Not Canada Post! For some reason they think they don't need to do that. And even though I can answer my door buzzer on my cellphone literally anywhere in the world, I don't get any notice to come down to get my parcel because they don't bother to do that. All they do is card the delivery and take off.
That is NOT DOING THE SERVICE YOU PAY THEM FOR. Now I know I can request anyone other than Canada Post with Amazon to be my delivery service which I have done. So going forward, good luck Canada Post staying in business with the rotten attitude you have for your customers!
From Sue (2019-09-02):
Why are there so many delays lately? I used to purchase items from eBay that would take, at the most, 5 days to arrive from the USA. Now, they are taking 12 days or more. I was speaking to an eBay seller about this. She used to ship plant cuttings from Europe to Canada for years but since June of 2019, she says the mail has taken so long, that 80% of her sales have to be refunded because the plants die. She says she no longer ships to Canada at all. I ordered something from Vancouver and it took 8 days. There has to be something going on.
From Todd (2019-08-28):
Many people do not have credit cards and use Visa Debit for the payment of transactions. I attempted to purchase services from Canada Post only to find that I could not make Visa Debit payments for the services. Other government agencies like the Department of Mines accept Visa Debit.
My other complaint stems from the inability or difficulty in associating the area code, location depot, carrier route and street names in the precision targeter, and the inability to produce the delivery bar code printout for cash payment in person at Canada Post without a credit card.
From Latasha Leclair (2019-08-27):
I can't say anything about head office, but I had an issue with a package.
The woman I talked to lied so much. First saying that I told her that I had the package and I never did and she tried to tell me that she had the message to prove it. I told her to play it but she avoided doing so and said to call another number.
Then she tells me that she never said the address 205 (it was 105) but in the message she sent me the first time she said 205. Then she also said that I should go get my package. I said I would in the message I sent back to her, but I didn't because I shouldn't have to do that.
Then she tells me that we talked before which is a lie because I've never talked to her before, only in voice mail. I told her that and she got all offended and started to argue with me saying we did talk when we never did.
If I was arguing her points, she got defensive. But when I would bring up my points, she would ignore everything I told her. I said to her nobody likes Canada Post, and she's like, I heard that tons of times like she didn't give give a damn.
Well I have posted a complaint and I'll see if anything gets done!
From Jim Hale (2019-08-17):
Canada Post is outdated. They're behind the times on an extreme level. Their managers are very RUDE and ignorant.
I tried to change the address for our 95 year old grandmother and Canada Post charged our visa twice for the amount of $175 and now they tell us that they cannot refund us for 14 days - something about it's their policy. WTF?? They over charge us and then they expect us to happily wait patiently for them to refund us the amount they wrongly charged us. Not to mention, I was hung up on 3 times by the Canada post customer service rep and once by one of their managers named Nick!! I would not deal with Canada Post ever again. They're extremely incompetent.
From Anonymous (2019-08-13):
Canada Post stopped delivering mail to me and did not notify me. I have been waiting for important letters that I paid to have shipped to me. I do not have a lock on my mail box and have not had one for three years. Once before they stopped delivering mail because I don't have a lock. I called them and they agreed to continue to deliver mail. A year later, they stopped delivering mail once again, except this time they did not contact me. They will not deliver it and are with holding my mail from me. They will not let me pick it up anywhere.
Canada Post will not deliver packages to me. I have the buzzer code on all of my packages. But instead they leave a notice of delivery and deliver it to a post office for me to pick up. Most days I am home, waiting for them to buzz me and deliver my package. They never do and instead I go to my mailbox to see that they left a note and delivered it to the post office. I pay to have this delivered to my door, not the post office. When I order from Amazon, they deliver it right to my hands every time. They are relatively new comparted to Canada Post. I have never had a problem with any delivery service except for Canada Post.
From Anonymous (2019-08-07):
I am so frustrated.
I tracked my package. I was out for a brief appointment this morning but hurried back with my two-month-old so that we'd be here when my package arrived. This way I wouldn't have to go out to get it myself at the post office. It's hard to get out lately, being a new mom.
So I was back home in my apartment and the buzzer rings, I say "Hello. hello. hello is anyone there. " only to hear nothing but the sounds of someone rustling around. I thought maybe the delivery person doesn't know that they're able to just talk and they don't have to push a button so I went out with my 2 month old down the hall to see if I needed to open the door for someone. but they were already gone. and the truck was already gone. and there was a notice left in my mailbox. They must have rung the doorbell and immediately started writing out this notice, and then run out to the truck and left.
Well, that was upsetting, and so I called Canada Post customer service, went through their long and irritating call routing system, and agreed in advance to do a survey so that they could get my feedback. The automated voice said that the survey would happen after I spoke with a representative.
Well I didn't speak with anyone and then the survey came up. I answered it, and then it said "Thank you for your feedback, goodbye" and hung up on me.
So I called again, and this time I did get to speak with an agent. I told her what happened but there is nothing they can do for me other than take my feedback. There is no customer service, there is no special service to make me less angry, nothing they can do to make it up to me, they can't get the fella to turn around and take the package back, and now I have to wait until tomorrow in the afternoon to get my package and I'll have to go get it myself.
Well, Canada Post, once again, thanks for nothing. If I sound bitter it's because it's not the first experience I've had with Canada Post that has resulted in less-than-stellar service. When I say "less-than-stellar", it is an understatement, admittedly.
From Dean and Leslie Thompson (2019-08-05):
Four parcels from same company: 1 received, 2 sent back to sender, 1 in limbo. Four calls to customer service, no help at all. Open service ticket on 2 -- that's the 2 that got returned to sender. One service agent said it's not our job to make sure parcels are delivered (what the hell??). I told them my phone number is on all parcels and Canada Post's site says they do everything they can to deliver. The mail service agent told me that was not true.
All I got were 1 phone call and that parcel I received.
Canada Post is probably one of the worst run companies in the world
From Rick Etts (2019-07-31):
I've been having issues with Canada Post, and/or Canada Customs, so I sent the letter below to Marketplace at "marketplace@cbc.ca". I also sent it in a Facebook message to them. Might be worth having everyone else who visits your website do the same thing, maybe we can get some formal attention to the issues. This is what I sent to Marketplace:
Have you ever done an investigation into why online orders from China are taking months to show up, if they do show up at all? Packages used to take 2 weeks to a month to arrive, now many packages have been taking 2 or more months, and out of my last 6 orders from May, I have not received anything. If you search online for "slow shipments from China to Canada" or a similar search, you will see that this is widespread through the online community, including eBay.
My last several packages I ordered from alieexpress show the items arrived in Canada June 4th. In researching this, it seems to be a prevalent notion that it is either Canada Post or Canada Customs that is sitting on the packages. The International Postal Union dictates that all member countries must handle the mail of all other member countries for free, and it looks like the overload of packages from China is creating a possible work to rule condition either at Canada Post or Canada Customs. Maybe a review of why this is happening is needed. If the staff there are overloaded I understand, but it is unfortunate that they seem to be holding packages hostage and using the customer as the pawn.
The interesting thing is I can order from alieepress and ship to a US address and it arrives reliably, within 14 days. That, plus the tracking information on my orders to Canada indicates the issue is in Canada. I would love to discuss this more with you, I am at a loss as to where to go to find more information. I have started shipping packages to the US now, as this is the only way to reliably get packages from China. It might not be all shippers from China, but I have noticed it recently on ebay and alieexpress.
Thanks, would love to get some attention to the situation!
---
Canada Post is overwhelmed with parcels from so-called "non-industrial" countries such as China. These countries are charged ridiculously low terminal fees for delivery of parcels in Canada. This has put Canadian companies at a severe disadvantage, to the point where a Chinese company can ship a parcel to a Canadian address for far less than a Canadian company can ship the same parcel to the same Canadian address. Among Canadian companies faced with this unfair competitive situation there is little sympathy for those who have to wait seemingly forever to get their parcels from low cost countries. For more information see the anonymous comment dated 2016-11-16.
From Iwona Jagiello (2019-07-17):
"Lost" my package again. Says out for delivery for 9 days straight.
I appreciate some companies are not using Canada Crap anymore. Chapters/Indigo is using a different courier now. And I got that package in 2 days!
From Michelle Passmore (2019-07-01):
I paid extra to have a card sent to me by express [Xpresspost] envelope. It took more than the assured 3 days to arrive and in that time my husband got an immediate work transfer and we had to move literally the day before the card arrived at our old mail box.
Before we moved I spoke to the postal clerk who told me once I get to our new location to do a change of address and then she would forward our mail to our new location which I did and she forwarded the mail as promised. I paid almost $60 for this. We received the mail everything except for the card I paid over $30 in postage for, which went back and forth between Dawson Creek and Richmond a few times (I moved from Tomslake to Fernie so wtf?).
I called Canada Post several times to get it sent to my new address in Fernie, however they told me they don't forward parcels because it's too expensive. This, however, was a normal sized envelope and I paid $30 in postage. I get large packages from China for less than that, not to mention the fact that I paid them for the postage.
So how is it that sending a parcel I paid them $30 to deliver back and forth between Richmond and Dawson Creek several times (and that they are going to have to refund me $130 for because it wasn't sent on time) cheaper than just sending the envelope to me with all the other envelopes they sent me? Literally, had I paid the regular postage rate of about $1, I'd have my letter.
I was told a supervisor would call me back. I waited 4 days but no one called.
From Anonymous (2019-06-27):
I'm so unbelievably frustrated with Canada Post.
I live in a small town where everybody has PO box numbers and we need to attend the post office to get our mail. The staff are always nagging and badgering everybody to ensure the mail has PO box numbers on their mail, not physical addresses.
I get it, it's easier to sort the mail, but here is where my problem comes. I work for a government agency where so much of our mail is unsolicited, which means we have no control over what people write on the envelope. Every day I go to the post office and get a lecture about how the mail needs to have a PO Box number on it. It's either a reminder stamp, a full on piece of paper stapled to my mail, or if it's a parcel I need to pickup at the counter, I get a lecture. I'm so god damn sick of being nagged and badgered at the post office every day for something that is completely out of my control!
At what point is this harassment and mental abuse and when will it stop?! And if I try to explain this to the staff I get mocked and laughed at and lectured about how Canada Post has rules. Where is the discretion.
These are also staff who have been there for years and years and have everybody's name, address, and PO Box number memorized. And on top of this, yesterday I sent out an envelope and weighed it at work first, the scale said 30g so I put on the standard single stamp. I go check the mail today and the same letter is in my box stating that the envelope is 40g and I needed 38 more cents.
I stomped right back to my office and reweighed it, sure enough my scale still said 30g. I go back to the post office, confront them about it, they reweigh it and it's 30.3g. They laughed in my face for defending myself and forced me to pay the .30 cents more! Again, where is your discretion. They were honestly arguing with me about a .3 gram difference! And this was all for my federal agency sending out mail using our federal postal system.
I'm beyond done dealing with Canada Post!
From Scott (2019-06-13):
I am an ecomm professional for 20 years now, and our mail service is a global embarassment. Certain drone electronics sites that do 5$ worldwide shipping actually make us pay 20$ for express shipping – they can't trust Canada Post.
They don't follow up at all. Put my parcels in the wrong locker for my neighbours to steal, and only cover 100$ of their losses. No follow up, no service.
When they went on strike, I was really hoping we would outsource the whole thing to a competent company like Amazon.
Great to see the site (I randomly googled "Canada Post sucks" to see how thick the hate was from us polite Canadians).
From Jake McGibbon (2019-06-12):
If we don't voice our opinion and stand up for ourselves nothing will ever get done. Let's like and share and get rid of Canada Post already.
Canada Post is destroying small businesses in Canada/North America. People cannot order from a small ma and pa shop because of Canada Post's horrible service. We are forced the shop from places like Amazon because we know we will have quick hassle free shipping.
USPS transported my package from one side of the USA to the other and cleared it through customs on a Saturday and Sunday. Canada Post tracking received my package Sunday night and it's just sat in Mississauga since. No activity Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. How does Canada Post control our mail when they are the absolute worst company at doing it? They really just do not care at all.
There is a big note on my front door saying leave packages at the back door. DHL, Intelcom, Fedex, even UPS can figure it out, but Canada Post is too lazy to take the extra 30 steps to the back door. Half the time they leave it at the back door, half the time they stick the pick up note on the front door. Even though you paid for shipping they just stick the note on your door run away and make you come pick it up.
After complaining and getting a manager to call me back, she was very rude to me, just kept saying that she cannot control how other delivery companies do their business. Told me that they cannot leave packages at the back door because they are responsible. Thirty minutes after getting off the phone with her, a Canada Post package was dropped off at my back door lol. They just go in circles to try to get you off the phone.
Intelcom will just snap a picture of the note on my front door and the package sitting at the back door so they have no liability. They also email me 3 hours before dropping it off giving me a warning and then email me again once it's been delivered. Intelcom is the number one delivery company and I cannot wait until they put Canada Post out of business. Canada Post has been in business longer than Canada has been a country. Intelcom has being around for a lot less time and they are WAY better at it than Canada Post. Just stick to delivering door-to-door mail, Canada Post, because you guys suck at delivering packages.
No point contacting their customer service. They DO NOT CARE. They already know that they have all of our business so they don't need to try. They definitely don't care about keeping customers happy.
From Olive Remo (2019-06-06):
I just want to know why Canada Post mail carriers do not deliver packages; instead they deliver notices for you to pick your own package. WHY?? Need an explanation.
From Rachelle Friis (2019-05-31):
I mailed out 60 gifts in bubble envelopes to my clients, all local. Made sure with customer service that weight and size all fit the standard mailing. Paid $1.90 each, sent all on Monday (customer service was great). Expected to hear from my clients by Wednesday that they received my package – but nothing. Still nothing Thursday. So today asked a few if they had received the package – nope not one I called has. I thought local is 2-3 days. That's what the website says. Now I'm really worried all 60 have gone into limbo and I'm out a lot of money.
From Rod Hancock (2019-05-10):
Trying to verify if a money order has been cashed. an adventure in futility. Chat "help" lines that time out because of agents taking long time to reply and asking for information already given tops the list. Sent a letter from Nanaimo BC to Vancouver two weeks ago; person on other end apparently didn’t get it (a ferry ride takes 1 hour 40 minutes). Perusing endless pages to try and track it myself, always leads to the same place. End up making a phone call and then spend 10 minutes going through the button pushing only to be told there is a "higher than usual number of calls" and to try later.
No wonder the people of Canada are seeking alternatives. That will be my plan for the future.
From Richard Morgan (2019-05-09):
I recently had to move back to my parent's house and got a job in the area. I had a few things to order online, so I set them to be delivered there instead of my old apartment. But it gets worse, since I work full-time Monday-Friday 8 to 6pm, I'm never home when the postman comes and I know that since I received a notice card in the community mailbox. Except the opening hours of the post office are so restricting I'd have to take a day off just to pick up my parcels. I can't even pick them up at lunch time since it's closed from 12 to 2. My parents also can't pick them up for me since they have a similar schedule.
From Donnie (2019-05-03):
Canada Post is the worst mailing service around. Use any other services out there. They also have the worst customer service ever. A whole bunch of stuck up people that hate their job and don't care about helping. They really need to be trained again.
From Bob Mac Dougall (2019-05-01):
I ordered a drone on Amazon. The parcel was sent from Hamilton to Nova Scotia. A signature was required according to the sender as the value was near $2000. Our local driver didn't even load the box on the truck as she figured that a (you-have-a-parcel hostage) card in my community road box would be satisfactory per the lazyarse manual and non-performance bonus decree that is infused in their home-by-2pm attitude. My complaint ticket runaround wasn't appreciated either as the two useless phone operators corroborated the false story that when a parcel is too large to fit in the box then they were obligated to kidnap it and hide it in a station not even in my county and 12.4 kms return. Here follows The Link, the governing rules relating to all types and scenarios relating to PARCEL DELIVERY:
Where are larger parcels delivered?
We'll deliver larger parcels directly to your home if they don't fit in the parcel compartment or if a signature is required upon delivery. If nobody is home and there's no safe place to leave your parcel, or if a signature is required, we'll bring the parcel to a nearby post office. We'll leave a delivery notice card to let you know when and where you can pick up your item.
Please excuse my inability to understand written English but this appears to be CANADA POST POLICY so why do all five of their personnel I interrupted by my non compliance delivery disagreement INSIST that all that is required was a freakin ransom card. Three answers come to mind: (1) sheer laziness, (2) management moneybeans ordered them to hold that line to maintain revenue, (3) the posties don't know or care what the Policy Rules dictate. Good riddance you lacklusture bitches at Canada Post. You couldn't pay me to use your services ever again. Now I will dedicate many hours to improve this service starting with lobbying your New CEO and down to your dismissal.
From Holly (2019-04-30):
Brandon, Manitoba, needs its downtown post office replaced. The east PO just cannot handle the volume since the downtown outlet burned down. The line ups are ridiculous, plus access and parking are pathetic. Surely there is some business that could and would take over the services previously available at Christie's?
From Larry Kehl (2019-04-23):
I sent documents from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, to Medicine Hat, Alberta, by Xpresspost (Snail Mail) and was assured of two day delivery. It has now been a week and it still has not arrived. It is only a 4 hour drive by car and yet Canada Post's Xpresspost service cannot make it in a week.
As a customer you pay for tracking and guaranteed 2 day delivery. However Canada Post cannot fulfill their obligation to their customers. They should not even attempt to make such a claim as they cannot come close to 2 day service.
Management at Canada Post wonders why Canadians are no longer using their services. DUH! It is a postal service that has become an utter disgrace to all Canadians.
From Jackson Holtorp (2019-04-17):
In January 2019 I used a shipping company in Japan to forward me my parcel which contained several items I bought from various Japanese sellers.
I selected SAL mail (registered small package) because it was less expensive than EMS mail (express mail service).
EMS has up-to-date tracking every step of the way while SAL has limited tracking; I was ok selecting SAL as many people I knew had selected this option before without issue.
After months of waiting I received a notification in March that my parcel was being sent back to Japan to the shipping company I used.
I later found out Canada Post had my parcel but never notified me. No pick up slip, no email, no text, no phone call, nothing. Completely unprofessional and inexcusable!
Canada Post some time ago apparently changed their international policy and now refuses to accept and deliver parcels shipped with SAL. I guess if there's not dummy proof tracking which is up-to-the-minute it's too difficult for them to do their job (up-to-date tracking seems to be the only foolproof way to ensure your parcel is delivered) It shouldn't matter if someone had their parcel delivered with the cheapest or most expensive option. Delivering the customer's parcel isn't rocket science. It doesn't need to be overly complicated.
I opened an investigation with the shipping company's help where Japan Post would investigate what happened and why the parcel was not delivered. Recently the investigation concluded and confirmed everything I already knew; Canada Post is incompetent and can't do basic tasks. They are an embarrassment to represent the country of Canada if the official Post Office of another country realizes how badly Canadians are suffering and pity us.
Compared to other companies Canada Post is outdated and behind the times with their policies, logistics and common sense. They care more about saving money and cutting costs than the satisfaction of Canadian customers; a substantial number of the population who still use their terrible service not knowing they have other (better) options available to them.
When I contacted Canada Post customer service I was told their system can't track SAL tracking numbers. So either their system is too old to be able to process other types of shipping, they're extremely biased and want customers to select a specific type of shipping for their own convenience, or possibly want customers to select the most expensive type of shipping since larger packaging has higher odds of getting additional fees from Canadian Customs who they work with (care more about making a few extra bucks than customer satisfaction).
Canada Post refuses to take responsibility and refund me my money for their mistake. Most customers like me probably accept the sunk cost because even if we wanted to sue Canada Post, the costs for a lawyer would exceed the sum being disputed (not worth it unless all you care about is pride and exposing Canada Post's BS to the public).
I spent $43.42 on SAL shipping. To resend the parcel I was adamant and selected DHL Express; a company significantly more professional and experienced with international shipping (they have branches worldwide).
Going forward I will never use Canada Post's services again and request DHL Express whenever possible. While using DHL was slightly more expensive I was very satisfied with the speed of delivery and did not have to suffer any nonsense this time because the re-sent parcel never touched Canada Post's hands; they can't screw up again if it's not in their possession.
I have shipped with EMS before but even if it's dummy proof for Canada Post employees this entire experience has convinced me to avoid the company altogether indefinitely. Even if they were to do a complete overhaul of the company and improve everything that still wouldn't win back my trust. Speaking with your wallet sadly might be the only way this idiotic company gets the message that they need to improve or else they become more irrelevant than they already are. Besides parcels what left do they have? Almost nobody sends physical mail anymore or buys stamps.
My assumption is Canada Post never adjusted the structure and workflow of the company to adjust to a world where online shopping (and international shipping) became more common. They're probably still operating like they always have even they're decades behind. Any company with common sense would adjust to the times and constantly find ways to improve service for better efficiency and get ahead of their competitors.
Long story short, Canada Post is full of idiots and I feel sorry for anyone who still uses their service. If you've never experienced any issues with them, good for you! Hope you maintain that positive attitude if/when you eventually experience your own terrible experience with Canada Post and regret you didn't selected a better alternative option sooner.
From Everton Miller (2019-04-16):
Waiting. I am now waiting 13 business days for a simple letter from Regina. I live in Surrey. A month ago a letter sent from the same address only took two business days.
From Ais L (2019-03-21):
Just read my comment from over a year ago. And as per usual, no change.
How in the hell does anyone do business with you as a country if you can't reasonably handle standard mail?
I post birthday cards as registered and express now to get them to Vancouver from Dublin (Vancouver, BC. not Vancouver Island or Texada or anywhere else rural). It costs between 9 and 12 Euro. that is about X1.5 in Canadian dollars.
We're talking properly labelled, packaged and non commercial low value items, less than 1 kg. Letters, cards, small parcels, to almost downtown Vancouver.
I get a tracking number, and I can trace online as far as Toronto or Ontario or sometimes even Vancouver. It usually takes anywhere between 24 hrs to 3 days. Then it sits. and I have to wait 24 days to complete a complaint/non delivery form and claim back the cost, and insurance if I paid it. Three weeks in the depot. I wait, and then complain at our end. and hey presto.
Then. the letter, card or package is delivered, usually within 48 hrs – after 3+ weeks sitting in Canada.
My guess? You've got some kind of mafia sitting in the sorting office, holding onto all items and hoping no one goes looking for them, and only delivering if and when complaints are made. Though really, it beats me and even my imagination as to what you are going to do with kids comics, birthday cards, left behind T shirts and old issues of local newspapers. Can't imagine there's much of a black market for that stuff.
We've stopped sending, by the way. Items go with people travelling, in their suitcases, or money gets sent to buy stuff in Canada via banks. It's a shame. letters and postcards and small packages from abroad are nice things to get.
I'd think twice about living in a country with no postal service.
From Zachary KB (2019-03-07):
Their Richmond B.C. facility is a joke. The management is so wholly, overwhelmingly incompetent, that they refuse to remove lazy, efficiency damaging employees for people who will actually work their hours. This causes anything that goes through that particular station to take forever to be processed. When I asked what was going on over the phone, they simply responded with, "you should have supported us during our strike, it will show up when we feel like sending it out" and hung up on me.
From JB Bachmier (2019-02-26):
Canada Post hired an outright thief as mail carrier about 15 months ago at my address. Despite numerous calls to complain by me and several neighbors, nothing done to remedy the situation by Canada Post management.
To alleviate the problem, went to paperless where I could. However, several important pieces of mail were not delivered, including one important letter that has caused me and my family a lot of grief.
This needed to be privatized 10 years ago.
From T Falvo (2019-02-05):
I live in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and I'm still waiting for some items to arrive that I bought from Manitoba last week. While I am perhaps being a bit impatient, I seem to recall occasion in previous years where Canada Post had already shipped to me in a shorter length of time.
---
Canada Post has changed its delivery standards several times over the past few years. They added a day or more to locations across the country. We believe they did this because late deliveries were costing them a lot in refunds to their big corporate customers.
From Natalie Gentile (2019-01-17):
Customer Service is EXTREMELY RUDE! I called to simply inquire about a delivery that was not completed due to an "address issue" and to ask what the issue was. The customer service representative (I wish I got her name) spoke to me as if I was speaking alien straight from the beginning and spoke over me multiple times. I do not think that people should work customer service if they do not have patience (or at least fake it).
This is not the first time I have experienced rude customer service representatives from Canada Post.
From Mary Garley (2019-01-16):
Was told by Canada Post that my package was delivered. It took about a week for them to tell me they INTENTIONALLY gave it to a complete stranger. How is it so hard to put a slip on the door if someone is not home? I might understand if the person who stole my package was outside my door and claimed to live there. But that wasn't even the case; they said they lived in a unit in the building next door. I can't believe how something so simple has been made such a pain.
From Carole P (2019-01-10):
I buy a lot of stuff from AliExpress. Little electronic components and such – nerd candy. Stuff I could buy in Canada at 5 times the price but if someone can't add value, I really don't feel the need to pay their inflated prices.
I track my shipments from the time they leave to the time they get to Canada. Most of the time Canada Post has a track that will say my package arrived in Canada, then was given to Customs, cleared Customs, and went back to Canada Post. In many MANY cases, within a day or two, Canada Post will replace all that tracking information with something nebulous like 'information received from shipper'.
I assume, since I can track the original information in a few completely independent tracking systems, that Purolator, part of Canada Post, inputs the information until it's given to Canada Post itself. And I also assume Canada Post deletes all the tracking information to try and hide that they have it and how long it's taking to GET to you after they get it.
Which means either they are instructing their computers to delete the information, or they are manually intervening. Either way, no wonder their services sucks and they're losing money. With all this 'special treatment', they spend more time delaying packages than delivering them.
By the way, a great tracking system is this: parcelsapp.com/en.
From Kassidy Laplante (2019-01-06):
What's wrong with Canada Post is they charge exorbitant prices for dead donkey speeds! Their "guaranteed delivery date" feels like a scam to syphon money out of people for a service they don't even honour a lot of the time. Majority of staff working the counters will incorrectly measure packets in front of you then have the gall to ask for 30$ to ship something I could deliver my self. Horrid service added with the fact that small remote communities like mine are cheated the most. Almost never has anything that's been promised to arrive within 2-3 days done so!!
Worst part however is the total lack of empathy and regard for customers that have complaints. More often than not the workers know less than I do about the status of my parcels and I feel like they dont care. I've always had the vision that carrier pigeons have more responsibility and are more forthcoming than postal workers. The day Canada Post changes command or dies, I'll celebrate and feel relief. As for now I'm urging my community to look into opening alternative shipping methods. They cost relatively the same but offer a much more competitive market where they realize that when they get my stuff to me on time, I'm more inclined to use them. Thank god this site exists, doing the good work for the people.
From Rapunzel (2019-01-06):
Even when you CAN track a package with Canada Post, I can get more information from a third party tracking system. Tracking will be marked 'complete' for a package in Canada Post, then one day it just disappears and is replaced with 'information received from shipper'. USPS has a thorough tracking system: you can tell exactly where a package is at any time. Does Canads Post do their tracking manually instead of with computers?
What it appears is that Canada Post doesn't WANT you to know where your package is because it would then be apparent just how poorly they manage the mail. Seriously a package will be scanned in Ontario, then nothing for two weeks and magically pops up in Richmond – which seems to be a black hole for mail. I have had at least three packages that seem to get stuck in a swirling vortex there. One was in Richmond, scanned three times, sent to Newfoundland scanned, then send BACK to Richmond, scanned three more times then lost for a month. then at the beginning of the next month, scanned three more times, then again lost for a month and scanned a few more times at the beginning of the next month. Obviously it's a pattern, and evidently it's not like it made it OUT of Richmond and on to a truck and somehow managed to get sent back – it never made it out of the Richmond facility.
Canada Post needs to be privatized. That would open it up for competition. Private companies realize they have to be efficient to be competitive. Canada Post is the only game in town, and they act like it.
From The Pragmatic Fool (2018-12-30):
Did you ever see this investigative piece on the "Postal Illuminati"?
From Michael Anthony (2018-12-27):
I have had 2 packages go missing in the past month, both correctly addressed to me in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Tracking the packages on the Canada Post app, one showed delivered to a community mailbox in St.John's Newfoundland, while the other had an attempted delivery to a location in Etobicoke, Ontario. Then showed it was "redirected" to an "alternate address", then disappeared from tracking for a few days, and then showed delivered to a community mailbox (no listed location). I can assure you neither were my address.
How packages addressed to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, get sent to two different provinces and delivered to incorrect addresses I have absolutely no idea. It's either plain stupidity or total incompetence. I reported both cases to Canada Post and an alleged "investigation" was done and still nothing. These people are absolutely useless and cannot be trusted with items you pay money for that you will never receive or that Canada Post randomly gives to other people. I'm fed up with these jackasses!!
From Stephan L (2018-12-27):
I really enjoyed your article on Canada Post. Well researched and well written. I knew most of what you had listed but not the unbelievably cheap rates the Chinese were paying.
I sent some similar material to CBC Marketplace, Fifth Estate, etc. Not a peep. So much for investigative reporting.
In any event, we are going to start monitoring late deliveries more diligently. Were you successful in getting them to pay up? Did CP ever exact any revenge on you for your article or for the extra claims?
One thing you can add if you update it. The rates for envelopes is a farce. You can send a 500g envelope from anywhere to anywhere for only $5.00, e.g. Gander, NL to an igloo in Nunavut. They claim it is the sorting machines that allow this to be done cheaply but that is BS. Since we use their shipping API, we produce the necessary bar coded label for tracking, etc. So, why doesn't this work for a package 21mm thick.
Also, if you hand write an address, someone has to intercept the envelope and enter the address manually so they can apply a bar code label that the sorting machine can read. That can't be cheap.
---
On monitoring late deliveries and getting Canada Post to pay up: we have not yet started but we still plan to. One challenge is the ever changing delivery standards. For example during the postal disruptions in 2018 the delivery standards were suspended so late delivery claims did not have to be honoured.
From Dennis Keats (2018-12-21):
A parcel I posted on Dec 02/2018 to Newfoundland is still in New Brunswick. They must be using the contents for themselves. It's about time some other company took over the mailing part of the government. Let them get out and find a real job instead of enjoying other peoples gifts.
From Rick D (2018-12-21):
What's wrong? When you tell me I should be expecting my package today, yet your tracking site told me it took three days from the time it was picked up to the time it was processed at the facility 160km away and is apparently sitting on a shelf. No updated delivery date, no explanation, nothing. Now instead of having a Christmas present to give, I got nothing.
Thanks Canada Post. I'll avoid using you at all costs in the future. I'd rather pay a few bucks more for a reliable service. I no longer care the least about saving Canada Post. I don't need your services these days in the world of electronic deposits and electronic correspondence. Everyone else can manage to deliver a package when they say they will, or at least have the courtesy to tell you why not and let you know when to expect delivery. I hope your funding gets clawed back, companies stop using you, and you all get sent to the unemployment line – executive; management, and workers alike.
Thanks for ruining Christmas.
From Maranda Ortega (2018-12-13):
I just had an employee confirm carriers prioritize flyers over expected mail. If you ask me, flyers are a hell of a lot less important than expected packages. I wanted to cancel some of the flyers but you either cancel all or none. The flyers are not counted in the workload for the carrier for the day either and they usually contribute to most of the workload, which is why carriers cut corners and don't bother to knock and wait.
I get that we need flyers, but at this point they are causing so much backlog that I can't help but feel like Canada Post needs to fix the flyers. Have carriers for flyers and some for packages and normal mail. The reality is I throw out 90% of the flyers I receive. If they just categorized them and allowed people to choose which categories to receive, not only could we cut down the load on the workers, but the waste as well. It seems there is serious room for improvement where these flyers are concerned. The methods for dealing with them are inefficient and outdated.
From Wally McNeill (2018-12-12):
I sent package from Kitchener to London on 28 November. It was sent out for delivery on December 3. It's still not there; now I'm told December 14. London is not that big; how can it take that long? Tracking info is not very accurate.
From Clive Lee (2018-11-23):
I was told than my tracked package from Great Britain to Canada might take 5-7 weeks and this the 21st century. Come on!
From Greg Hammond (2018-11-23):
There are realities to business that make the current Canada Post framework not sustainable in the long run. Letters service continue to decline as more and more companies and groups move to electronic format. In the electronic era, there is less need for mail per say, and from the mail perspective, Canada Post is less relevant, and that will continue to decline. Add that to the fact that there is no shortage of competition in the shipping market, and you have a big business that needs to make some serious decisions on both sides to continue to exist. Yes the union protects workers, but as unpopular as it is to say, it is also standing in the way for Canada Post to make those serious decisions to restructure their framework in the current global economic framework. They are operating in a monopoly of a service that is no longer really valid any more.
The reality of this strike, is that they are pissing off customers. Some people (some of whom have posted on the "What's Wrong With Canada Post"), have needed governmental support like money being stalled by this strike nonsense. Businesses are losing money from people not wanting to order anything because Canada Post does not want to do their job, and so businesses are going to Canada Post's competitors to have things shipped for them (Amazon has started sending things by Fedex for instance). Irony of irony eh? Catch 22 is that the union is trying to play hardball to get employees everything that they need or want, while what their tactic is doing is costing Canada Post money which will cause the company to have to make those tough decisions that will harm employees in the long run.
There are some safety considerations at play yes, but greed is causing a problem here. The money has to come from somewhere for some of what is being requested, and in a normal business they would either go out of business, be absorbed by another, or would have to make cuts to keep going. Much like Air Canada in the past, Canada Post should be privatized so that they operate in the current economic market with regular competitors. They would be forced to improve service, customer service or relations, etc. As it is, the need to get things done have forced me to look at competitors, and I will never be using Canada Post again if I can help it. Might cost me more at times, but as a customer, I will not support a company that refuses to put customers over their own selfish needs. The government should pull the plug on support and privatize Canada Post so the next time this happens, the company will go under and we can have proper uninterrupted mail service from a competitor.
From Kelly Kirkwood (2018-11-22):
I was mailing a package from Milton to Mississauga. a care package to my daughter in college at a cost of almost $18. When I went to mail the package I asked about the strike and the worker said it should be no problem as it is a rotating strike and she should get it in a week. It was mailed Nov. 14 and was just processed in Mississauga today on Nov. 22. The expected delivery is November 27. almost 2 weeks to get from Milton to Mississauga. I regret that I didn't use UPS across the street and I am disappointed that the staff at Canada Post misinformed me. They should not be giving out that kind of information when clearly the packages are not moving. I could have driven there in 30 minutes.
From Kevin Lambing (2018-11-20):
Canada Post employees need to understand, if they keep pushing for more without giving more they will be without a job altogether. They want 2.9% annual pay increase? How many people get that kind of raise? Meanwhile their customers are continuing to switch to paperless billing, and companies are pursuing social media as a more effective way of advertising. The only saving grace for them is Amazon which they are F##king up by pissing off the customers by holding back all the packages with the rotating strikes. What do they think all these pissed off customers going to do after they settle?
Well I will now be using an alternate carrier when ever possible. At least I know I will get packages on time.
From Brad Mitchell (2018-11-15):
Well I ordered a very small package on Nov. 10th. The shipping location is from Mississauga, Ontario. I'm in Newfoundland. The company I purchased from had it shipped on Nov. 11th. The company was very quick in getting my package ready and on its way to me. Now here is the sad part. Upon checking the tracking the estimated date of delivery is Nov. 27th. How in hell does it take 15 days to come from Ontario to Newfoundland? I have driven to Fort McMurray from my hometown before. It took me 5 days. I could drive to Alberta and back and then back to Ontario to get my package before it will get to me. Utterly ridiculous.
---
Mail service in Canada has been disrupted by a labour dispute since October 22, with the union staging rotating strikes across the country. It has been reported that there is now a backlog of some 600 trailer loads of unsorted mail. Canada Post considers a strike a force majeure event which allows it to change delivery time commitments. As long as the backlog grows Canada Post will keep adding days to its expected delivery dates.
From Cecile Alve (2018-11-09):
My package was supposed to be delivered today and my son was home to receive it but the post woman did not hand my package to my son who can sign and receive on my behalf. She asked for me instead but I am at work and my son told her that he can receive my package but she ignored him and instead left a card for me to pickup my package at a Canada Post location.
Unbelievable! What kind of service is that? Terrible service!
Cecile from Mississauga.
From Renee Ryall (2018-11-02):
We live in a condo on the 2nd floor about 20 steps from the elevator.
Yesterday the buzzer rang and a female voice said "Ryall delivery." I said thanks and buzzed her in.
When she didn't arrive at the door, my 85 year old husband got in the elevator and went down to the lobby. She was standing by the elevator waiting for him. When he asked her why she didn't bring it up to our condo she said it didn't fit in the community box and she didn't have to!
Reading the Canada Post FAQ, under "Does Canada post deliver to my door?", the answer was yes, unless the sender asks that a signature be required then they leave a card requiring you to come to the depot or if the parcel doesn't fit the community box. The third part of that answer was the parcel will be delivered to your door if you are within 500 metres of the post office. We are.
Regardless, her attitude did not help.
My husband said, "By the time this old man got out of my chair, put my shoes on, hobbled to the elevator and down. She could have been out the door 5 minutes sooner. But she didn't have to."
This parcel was a toddler size 3 snow suit in a plastic bag. Soft, pliable, and would have fit in the community box. We have received larger cardboard boxes in that box.
Clearly she didn't have to try.
From Martin Banyai (2018-10-31):
Hey I am emailing you because I am sure you are aware of the so called strike. Now my problem is, I am supposed to be getting my cheques in the mail and most are government issued. I have on good authority been told by people in the government they [Canada Post strikers] can't stop the government checks being sent but they still do.
I am sick of people not doing their jobs tell me something. They want more money and go on a strike and whatever. What about the people losing money because of them. the people that let's say have to pay a bill or need important papers delivered but don't get them because of Canada Post? It's sickening and that's just Canada Post.
The police is corrupted like you won't believe. And the people working for government, like welfare agents or Emploi Quebec agents, don't do their jobs more than 70% of the time. I know you guys dedicate your site to Canada Post but no one actually thinks of the problems that other people will encounter because of their own selfish needs.
From Jason Kimmings (2018-10-30):
I ordered a board game online from Canada and the retailer used Canada Post (to Scotland). The item spent five days somewhere after landing in the UK (no useful information on the tracking website) and finally made its way to the local delivery office where it is now On Hold where it had been for the last three days, again with no more information available. As the receiver, I also can't get any more information from them.
From Kirk Muise (2018-09-18):
It amazes me how Amazon/Purolator/UPS/FedEx can get my packages clear across the country in 2 days, for little or no money. but Canada Post takes a week or two.. charges a small fortune and routinely damages things.
I just paid $20 duty and $40 shipping on a $30 antenna shipped from the States. It took almost a month to get to my province and I'm still waiting. This is pathetic.
A few years ago I signed a petition to keep Canada Post jobs. I will never sign another one unless it is to shut down Canada Post for good.
From Juliette Cooper (2018-09-10):
Where does one begin?
Mail forwarding. Although I paid for a subscription to have mail forwarded to me when I moved, it is taking two months to receive items once forwarded. This is ridiculous! Why does it take so long? I only moved an hour and a half away. Before I moved, I lived 5 minutes from the largest Canada Post processing centre in Canada -- the Gateway facility. What happens to our mail when it gets returned to the Gateway facility??
Junk mail. Prior to moving I had a "no junk mail" sign on my mail box in Mississauga and emailed Canada Post at least TWICE requesting the letter carrier not put flyers/junk mail in my mailbox. He regularly did. Please don't blame on local flyer delivery as they knew better.
Magazines. I regrettably have four monthly magazine subscriptions. All senders were notified well in advance of my address change. At my new address I did not receive one magazine for September -- and none so far have come in for October. They're usually several weeks ahead. Where is my mail, Canada Post?
Canada Post website. Even the website at Canada Post refuses to work. This is the message I repeatedly got when trying to submit an online complaint request form: "429 too many requests."
I give up. I've now switched to paperless for almost everything I can and set up a courier account for anything important going forward. Not sure what to do about my magazines as I don't want to go digital so I will probably cancel and just buy them from vendors.
From Andrew Hong (2018-08-17):
I sell small tech related items on eBay. One of the items I sold was a flashlight that weighed 80 grams, and I was charged, get this, $18, to get it to New Brunswick. That meant that I lost money from the sale ($20, after fees, -$5).
Honestly, if there's one thing that Canada Post can bring back, it's first class mail. Trackable, first class mail.
Funnily enough, the government wonders why small businesses struggle -- well, part of the reason is that everything in Canada is marked up, and shipping fees are not excluded. Fortunately, I found another carrier that takes my parcels to the US and ships it back. $4 postage for that item and trackable. Good riddance, CP.
Follow up comment (2017-11-17):
---
First Class Mail, later renamed "Letter Mail" and then "Transaction Mail", has never been a trackable service -- though it certainly would be nice if it were. The bigger problem with Transaction Mail is that Canada Post imposed a dimensional limit (1 cm thickness) on packages which pretty much eliminates using it for most commercial product deliveries. That dimensional limit forces shippers to use the much more expensive, and usually slower, parcel services. Canada Post claimed the 1 cm limit was imposed so that mail would go through Canada Post's automated sortation machinery. But we believe that Canada Post knew that parcels would suddenly cost shippers a lot more and that the damaging effect on shippers was intended. These days automation equipment can easily handle packages of all sizes, so we believe there is no technical reason why Canada Post can't remove the dimensinal limit for Transactional Mail.
It is worth noting that the United States Postal Service still allows, and even promotes, the use of its First Class Mail for bigger packages, including boxes, up to 13 ounces. And tracking is free.
From Kaylee Wood (2018-08-14):
I ordered a few packages, one went to Burlington, another went to Kitchener, another went to Toronto, and one got lost altogether. I live in Napanee, Ontario. How my packages were misdirected is beyond me. I have had this happen to me more than once. I have mailed cards (birthday, anniversary, Christmas) -- I am talking more than one card at a time. It is ridiculous how many times this [misdirection] has happened; there is no reason for this.
From James W. (Jim) Johnson (2018-08-04):
I am a 74-year-old disabled veteran that lives on the 18th Floor of an Ottawa condo building. I am a US-born dual US/Canadian citizen who spends summer here and winter in Florida for health reasons.
This year I have had unbelievable problems with Canada Post in Ottawa.
The first issue involves package delivery from say Amazon. The carrier person first refused to bring the packages to me saying they only have to deliver "one floor up or one floor down."
When I complained, the carrier fellow brought a heavy package, leaned it against the door, and knocked. My wife answered (she's also disabled) and when she opened the door the package fell, almost hitting her. She asked him to pick it up and he said "NO".
When I got upset and told him off, I got a visit from a supposed supervisor insisting that I not have altercations with the delivery people; and he again noted the "one floor up or down" thing.
The second issue I have now encountered is that envelopes I address for the US have been returned with a yellow sticker saying they were not deliverable. This even though I've used these envelopes in Quebec with no problems and used the correct $1.20 postage.
These were bill payments that now need to be resent. I'll incur late fees and am out the $1.20 postage on the items.
From Eric Lee (2018-08-04):
I found this site searching "Canada Post Slow 2018".
Never seen the mail travel this slow. We're finding cheques mailed within Ontario to be taking over two weeks to be delivered in some cases. We've always prided ourselves on paying our people immediately, but this is getting silly. I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing this?
---
We have noticed that credit card statements are arriving late, to the point where we have missed due dates. The late statements have cost us money. For years we could rely on the statements to arrive in time to pay by the due date, but now we are forced to get statements delivered electronically. This may well be yet another reason why Canada Post's letter mail business is declining.
From a Canada Post Technician (name withheld) (2018-07-05):
I work for Tech Services in Hamilton. We use to maintain the equipment thoroughly until the company brought in a program called MAXIMO.
The company is using MAXIMO to get rid of jobs. Management has decided that we no longer need to maintain the equipment properly. Over the last 3+ years they have been reducing our workload through MAXIMO. Our manager has been deleting positions because "we don't have the work". Not only have they reduced our work load significantly, they have also discouraged us from changing parts. The machines are in terrible shape and break down constantly because of worn parts. We have been told to not change parts unless it is broken. It seems like the corporation is more concerned about saving money in an important department than it is in running production.
The company has an abundance of management. We have a manager in Mississauga that oversees the managers in Hamilton and Toronto. Maybe the corporation should look at the excess management throughout the company to save money. Management is a middleman. Local managers could be controlled by one manager in Ottawa.
It's very upsetting that the corporation would concentrate on cutting the SMALL department that takes care of equipment to keep the process running. MAXIMO is cancer. It was an idea sold to the company to cut jobs and save money. This is not the way to run the maintenance department. We should be working together to build a stronger, positive environment. Management needs to involve its workers to contribute, and develop a better Canada Post instead of the opposite.
We need serious change. I am very upset with the corporation. When I came here I felt proud to be involved in a Canadian institution. Now I feel shame and resentment.
From Harbajan (2018-05-29):
First off, Thank you for existing.
My huge problem with Canada Post their very incompetent customer service department. They provide absolutely no answers. It's so infuriating! their website states a delivery date but they always show up with my package 4 days late. I pay the shipper more money to get it quicker, then Canada Post keeps it at their distribution centre for days on end for no reason. I can confirm there isn't a reason to keep it there because every time I call they don't know why it's sitting there.
The worse part is the distribution centre is across the street from my house and I can't legally pick it up because their union passed a law that makes me picking it up from there location illegal. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE END CUSTOMER AND MORE TO SAVE JOBS! I can't believe they're legally allowed to keep my property hostage to save jobs that we don't require in the modern day.
Thank you for listening.
---
Management would like nothing more than to get rid of the unions but can't. Much of the fear of the unions stems from years past when the unions held the country hostage by shutting down the post office. As our dependence on letter mail declines you would think that the power of the unions would decline, and perhaps in the future the declining power of the unions will be tested by management. But in the current political climate in Ottawa, the government has no appetite for allowing Canada Post management to test union strength.
From S.M. (2018-05-12):
The people working at the office in Canal Flats, BC, are EXTREMELY rude and incompetent and have wasted our time and money.
Some time ago, I had someone pay $100 to have a package shipped in 2 days. According to the Canada Post website, my parcel had been delivered to the post office. I was staying out of town so I had to get someone to drive me to the post office (which costs gas money) only to be told my package was not there. It was because the employees had not bothered to sort through the packages. That was on a Friday.
I had to wait until Monday to go get my package. So, my package took 5 days to arrive instead of 2. My friend paid the $100 for nothing. I also had to delay my travel plans which also cost me money.
I called the post office explaining what happened (being very careful to stay polite and emphasize that I was just very frustrated and it wasn't personal against her) and that my friend should get a refund, and when we finally came to pick up the package, the woman THREW it at us! Saying "Here you go”! It was a soft light package, but still.
My sender friend could not get his refund so he wasted $100 rushing a package to me that I got at the same time as regular shipping. This is because it HAD been delivered on time, but the employees did not sort through the packages which is why they told me it hadn't been delivered yet (in other words, they lied).
The employees also gossip about people's mail as this is a small town, so I strongly suggest you don't have anything important shipped to you as they cannot be trusted with sensitive information and have spread rumours in the past, like telling as many people as possible that so-and-so is getting drugs shipped to them, or sex toys. Rumours like this could really affect someone in a small town.
Right now I know 7 other people who have had major issues with the employees at this post office, so we are all going to submit our complaints at once.
From George Younes (2018-05-03):
I have sent three packages through regular mail, two from Kingston to Montreal and one from Kingston to Ottawa, with Canada Post. The lady at the post office told me that in such cases, going with the express option [Xpresspost] will only take off one day from the delivery time, seeing that distance wise the three cities are close. I was guaranteed that the post has a very reliable service and that to both Montreal and Ottawa my parcels should be there in three to four business days maximum.
I have been keeping in touch with the recipients, and it has been ten days (eight business days) I have sent the parcels, and nothing has been delivered yet.
Also, my university which is in Kingston sent me a document by mistake via mail four days ago, and I still have not received anything. I live in Kingston and it is literally ten minutes walking distance for me to go and pick up my document. I am not sure what is happening with the post service.
If there is any [possible] delay in the service I think people should be aware of that to see if they [wish to] send their parcels or letters with Canada post or. use another mailing service. Some people have hard deadlines, and can't just wait a month for a document that should have been delivered within two business days maximum.
From Ghisele Bouchard (2018-03-28):
I have been seeing a bad practice of Canada Post's for a few years now and today had a Canada Post employee actually admit that they are allowed to leave parcels outside of individual apartment doors anytime! I am relatively certain that it has been this practice that has led to lost packages on at least two occasions and am outraged they are even allowed to do so.
If they are so afraid of losing business this practice will only add to their problems; they are inviting theft to happen and that should bother them enough to stop this practice!
A very unhappy customer.
From Leo Varios (2018-02-26):
The problem that we have with Canada Post in the Vancouver Lower Mainland is with the mailboxes. I am continuously receiving mail in my mailbox that is not mine. Some of my mail ends in the wrong mailbox. This problem has been non-stopping for at least the last five years. I have reported this issue with Canada Post at least 6 times but noting has changed.
Parcels are being lost at a rate that some European sellers don't ship to Canada anymore.
From Brendon Hull (2018-02-24):
Packages from UK are taking longer than packages from China. Waiting over 10 weeks for small packages sent airmail. Still waiting on items from December 2017. One annoying thing is the response from Canada Post Facebook that nothing is wrong. If you are purchasing an item from UK in 2018, I suggest you go with tracking at all times. I am in Vancouver, not a remote isolated town. Christmas volumes should be well over, so I don't understand why the issue.
From Ais L (2018-02-18):
I see loads of complaints on the blog of the cost of mailing from Canada and nothing much about the difficulty of getting foreign mail delivered to Canadian addresses.
It costs a lot to send from Europe to Canada, and I expect to get what I pay for.
My experience is that posted items may or may not arrive in Canada, regardless of how they are posted. Control from Europe stops once the items have left here. After that, everything from tracking to complaints is entirely up to Canada which is the worst system I have ever come across. No access, no responsibility and the only response is blaming it on incorrect labelling.
From here on in, if I have to post to Canada, I will be using DHL or UPS; but mostly, I'll be trying not to, which means Canada joins the same non-compliant nations like Russia, North Korea, and non-recognised states.
My brother and his growing family live in Vancouver. We send post frequently from Ireland, for birthdays, Christmas, special occasions etc, both cards, letters and parcels and have been doing so for over 10 years. Less than 50% arrive in time, and 25% don't arrive at all.
The one thing you can count on, is that the post will not arrive in Vancouver either on time, or in good condition, or at all. Cards posted at the same time from the same letter box arrived 3 months apart. Registered parcels (2kgs or less) may arrive anywhere from 10 days to 2 months later, or not at all. We have a 75% success rate of non valuable items arriving.
We are talking about properly labelled, custom declared and registered, or express items, with RTS labels clearly printed on the back. We're talking downtown Vancouver – not the outback. What is wrong with the Canadian postal service?
When visiting Vancouver we used to send postcards; we don't anymore. Less than 1 in 10 get through. Still waiting (Feb 19 2018) for a post card sent 4th Oct 2017. Our family in Vancouver doesn't post – they use UPS or DHL or other courier service, but usually wait until someone is going to Europe and ask them to bring and post package.
What the hell is wrong?
From Maureen Deschner (2018-01-30):
We received a phone call from someone identifying herself as being from Canada Post and was asked if we have received our passports. My husband said no and the caller ended the call. This was very suspicious and I investigated further and was worried about where and who has our passports. The number showed on our phones as +1-613-734-1083 Ottawa, Ont. I phoned back this number and received only a recording and no chance to leave a message. So I phoned Passport Canada and find that a mail truck had been in an accident and our passports will be destroyed. This was no way to deal with this problem. When we were called by Canada Post. There was no explanation about the accident. How she found our info and phone numbers? She just wanted to know if we received our passports. Of course we are apprehensive and should not have been put into this situation about worrying about this caller. Is this identity theft? How much longer to wait for our passports now? And most of all, having to phone Passport Canada to confirm what is going on. Totally unacceptable.
From Sanford Borins, Professor of Public Management, University of Toronto (2018-01-20):
Here's a post I just put up on my website about Canada Post's lousy service:
Please feel free to post it.
From Valona Filippini (2018-01-19):
Two Xmas parcels posted from the UK to Canada 8th and 14th December and still not received as of today 19th January 2018. Apparently there is a huge backup in Toronto. Isn't it time Canada Post was made accountable for their poor service? I also have four service tickets issued with them dating back to November and not once have they been acknowledged. Disgusting. Perhaps the government needs to step in to sort this because I know I am not alone with my dissatisfaction of the system.
From Poco Thue (2018-01-12):
I ordered items from Amazon that were to arrive Thursday. The tracking shows that the items were out for delivery. The next tracking entry said "Item redirected to recipient's new address" which really means they put the box on the wrong truck. After that the box was processed twice Thursday afternoon and once on Friday morning at 10 am. The tracking page indicates "Out For Delivery" at the top but no indication of that in the tracking information. I called customer service to find out why and the agent kept saying the same words and phrases over and over again. "The package is moving through the mail stream." To which I said, "No it is sitting in the sort facility." To which he said, "The mail is not moving every second." He never did answer my initial question about why tracking said "Out For Delivery" when the tracking info did not say it was. I also asked why tracking said "Item redirected to recipient's new address" when it really meant the box was put on the wrong truck. I asked him if this could be changed so in future the information would be accurate. He said no that is the only choice the delivery people have and he couldn't change it. I asked if he could request a change. He said "No, that is the only message that is in the system." Even though he apologized several times I felt he did not really empathize with my situation and he was only interested in giving me company speak.
I contacted Amazon about this situation and after explaining my problem to them they offered me a $10 credit for future purchases which I certainly did not expect. Amazon was essentially paying for Canada Post's ineptness. Canada Post should take a lesson from Amazon's customer support.
From Ed Gonsa (2017-12-23):
I have sent post cards from Thailand and Malaysia to Canada months ago and none have been received, and now I'm learning that Canada Post has loads of backlogged mail from Asia on trucks and in warehouses. This is not acceptable.
From Mark Vrieling (2017-12-20):
I read your page on Canada Post lowering the bar, and how last Christmas they just decided to only refund late packages if they were two days late during the Christmas season (shouldn't this be their most efficient time?). Anyways, I am not sure if you noticed, but this Christmas season, they have also tacked on an extra day to delivery times for Expedited parcels. So if I send a package within my own city, it used to be 1 day delivery. Now it is two day delivery, plus that extra day grace they gave themselves last year. So they can take 3 days to deliver a package within the same city. Outrageous!
Have you gotten feedback from Canada Post on your site?
---
No, Canada Post has not commented on the charge that it is lowering standards in order to cut refunds. Even our postal representative was unaware of the change. And, yes, we did notice that Canada Post arbitrarily added a day to delivery times before Christmas 2017. We also notice a lot more parcels are going astray than ever before; so far this year Canada Post has sent us notices of delivery errors more often than usual.
From R Benoit (2017-12-16):
I live in Canada and I wish they would change their name. Because of their stupid management, Canadians lose money on online sales and customer get very long delivery times. I have been informed Chinese shipments are deliberately delayed because they don't make a profit on those parcels. This Christmas I will not receive the Christmas gift ordered in November. Really disappointed.
From John Young (2017-12-13):
I am also a small business seller that has a difficult time with Canada Post. I used to sell mainly in the USA, but sell more online in Canada now. The prices are ridiculous and HST is added?! Do you have a Facebook page? Have you gotten any politicians to respond to your concerns?
---
No we don't have a Facebook page. Maybe we should! And no, no politicians have ever contacted us. We offered to make a submission on behalf of small business owners at the parliamentary review of Canada Post in 2016 but we were not selected to speak.
From Ryan Thompson (2017-11-29):
I've complained loudly and repeatedly to Amazon about Canada Post not attempting delivery and then lying about it. Now I cancel and return all packages that are left at the post office for pickup – what's the point of ordering online of I have to pick it up?
UPS delivers every time right to my door but Amazon doesn't let members pick a shipping carrier, even if you subscribe to their Prime membership, which I did until today. Just called Amazon and cancelled my Prime memberships for both Canada and USA while specifically blaming Canada Post.
Over the past 7 years I've placed over 100 orders a year with Amazon and now it will be 0 because of Canada Post. So I think that's the best way to attack the problem – loudly complain to CP's customers and cancel business citing their unacceptably poor service levels as the reason. If you do order and they don't attempt delivery then just cancel the order and leave the item until CP have to return it at their expense to the sender.
Thanks for having this site! I feel better already getting this off my chest.
From Carol Lee (2017-10-23):
I have a parcel that is shipped from Vancouver, B.C. to go to Burnaby, B.C. and the package goes to Mississauga, Ont. I have contacted Canada Post as to why this could happen and they state they do not know. They refuse to look for the package or contact their supervisor to aid in the search. They said that what they see online is the same as what I see so they can't and will not do anything. Canada Post has been sending my husband packages back to sender rather than deliver them. They say that some information is not located on the parcel. However, that was not correct. My husband had to go to the sorting depot to pick up the parcel (after they returned to sender twice) that the supervisor at the depot held for him so that the carrier would not ship it back (for a third time) to sender. Now, when the package is clearly labelled with all the information, Canada Post still sends it to some other region. I hope they do not expect me to go to Ontario to pick up the parcel because it has not moved from that local for 3 days. This is terrible. Why do we pay these huge shipping costs when they are clearly not doing their jobs correctly. When I called about the missing package the CSR stated that they could/would not do anything about it because I was not the sender and their protocols do not allow them to do this. Their protocols must then tell them to ship packages back to sender if they do not want to sort the item and send packages to another province even if it was already in the correct province. Wow.
From Tony Niu (2017-10-18):
I was sending off a 12" x 9" x 5" size 0.8kg parcel to China. It costs this much (6 choices):
1. Small Packet - International Surface $21.21
2. Small Packet - International Air $43.84
3. International Parcel - Surface $60.61
4. Xpresspost - International $97.55
5. Priority Worldwide Pak $153.72
6. Priority Worldwide $216.76
WAY TOO EXPENSIVE.
I was informed by the staff there that it just takes one month to China for the cheapest one. But when I got home I opened the Canada Post website and it says that it takes 2-3 months – without a tracking number! Angry about this and went down to the post office and they said they cannot recall it because it's already gone on the truck.
From Zhengzhong Li (2017-10-17):
Worst postal service in the world! Lost one of a pair of boxes/parcels with two single channel amplifiers. Only one delivered/survived! And the survived one is useless now. After I filed a service ticket and was told they would give me a settlement, now three weeks gone. I called them so many times, and there is always only an answer machine waiting for you. They don't even dare to talk to me. Shutdown please you Canada Post! Don't hurt more taxpayers.
From Said Hasnain (2017-10-13):
Needless to say, Canada Post has given me rough day. Why? Delivery guy rang from downstairs to confirm he had a parcel for me and told him to enter the code to get in, but he just ran off, not even leaving a notice. Called Canada Post and they were very vague in resolving the issue with me, especially since it is not trackable. Meanwhile, I gave them a piece of my mind to show what second rate lazy unreliable bloody asses these guys really are. What service is this? However, I got in touch with the sender to resend the package should he get it back and apologized on behalf of the blundering of delivery post and will see what's next.
From Paul Francis, Walks in Spain (2017-05-28):
We despatch hundreds of packs around the world to guests coming on our walking holidays, the only country that we experience problems with (and that includes Africa and remote parts of Australia) is Canada! Come on Canada you're not supposed to be a third world country!
From Judy Heil (2017-02-05):
I recently joined a group called The Northern Birthday Box Project. We sent stuff to Inuvik, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut, Northern Quebec & Labrador. We were informed about new flat rate box that cost $19.99 for 5 kg. Nearest location to me is Toronto which is 2 hours away. Tried all locations, 2 different times, once in January, again in February, but no such luck -- always out of stock. Would like to pre-order them online but was told I could not because it's a new product. So now I have to pay 3 times as much, and because of this, cannot afford to continue with this birthday project, which means somebody's children will not get a birthday box.
From Alex Kim (2017-01-12):
My name is Alex Kim, who's running small mail-order business in Korea.
We have a lot customers from Canada, for which we are really grateful, but it is becoming a nightmare because of Canada Post.
Actually, we are figuring out what is wrong with Canada Post lately. Shipping to Canada causes more frequent delays and problems than any other country. Pretty much as bad as Russian Post, but at least Russian Post provides tracking visibility which Canada Post does not. I got an email from Canadian customer who ordered in Oct (which we already refunded) and she says received the package today. Of course, there was no proper explanation for this long long delay. I don't know how Canadian people feel about your mail system, but in here Korea, Canada Post is notorious for lack of responsibility.
About 2 years ago, I remember Canada Post used to be very trustworthy. Way better than USPS. Their tracking system was solid, delivery was quite fast. But all of sudden, I can no longer trust Canada Post. Any clue what is happening there?
I am really curious how Canadian people feel about their mailing system. Apparently there must be a large scale mailorder business in Canada. No doubt there are many problems, too. How are you guys managing this?
From Craig Nadeau (2017-01-11):
I operated a mail order business for a couple years. We shipped products to and from just about everywhere in the world. Number two on the worst list was Canada Post. (Number one is Australia so we only used UPS there.) I would cringe when I knew a package was in the hands of Canada Post. Once it crossed the border into the US we could always relax. If a package was getting lost it was in Canada. I have shipped enough to know that there is significant theft in the system. The most valuable or interesting items would always go missing. The insurance system is a complete scam. What other business make you buy additional insurance to cover the basic service. The Chinese postal systems are so good it is amazing.
The reality is that UPS and the other big courier businesses staying in touch with the times, they were not political. Canada Post lacked any foresight to stay in the game and they could have. It won’t be long before Canada Post is just in the history books and delivery is managed by private business.
From Earlb1 (2017-01-09):
Tried to open a small business but Canada Post will not honor delivery times on international mail. As a result, my business lasted 4 months. Had to refund every item shipped because it took 2 months for items to arrive at destination. Also could not get product in a timely fashion; items were taking 2 months to arrive when 7-10 business days was what I paid for. Bankrupt in less than 6 months. Time to move to USA.
From Anonymous Postal Worker (2016-11-16):
I am one of your clients and I've read your page on the issues with Canada Post. I also work for Canada Post as a letter carrier and I understand your frustration with some of the service issues with us.
I want to apologise first for my bad writing. I speak French and I and not sure I you are going to read me if I write in French, therefore I will write in English.
Before you complain about the packet and parcel rates you have to understand the complexity of the issue. Canada Post has to adhere to different laws and regulations. (You already mention on your website the different federal and provincial taxes.)
According to Canada Post Corporation Act and the Canada Post Charter, the Canada Post Corporation (CPC) has to provide the same level of service to all Canadians at affordable rates (definitions are in the Act) and need to conduct its operations on a self-sustaining financial basis. So basically it means delivering mail to all Canadians at no cost for the taxpayers.
If Canada was the only country in the world, this would stop here. Unfortunately (or fortunately) we live in a vast world with close to 200 countries (and they all send mail).
As you would imagine, all the countries in the world send mail and want to be able send mail to others. This requires ships. planes, trains, and somebody to pay for all this. And because some countries send more mail than others, we need a system to compensate the countries that deliver the parcels over the ones that collect the money from the clients. This is why the UN created the United Postal Union (UPU).
There are a lot of very complicated and mostly secret rules about who has to pay for what, and you will understand why you (as a Canadian company that uses mail services a lot) have to pay more than the others.
First, the country that send the mail has to pay for the shipment to the destination country, but because most of the non-industrial countries are not very wealthy, they have a preferred rate on the terminal dues for delivery of the packets and parcels.
Basically an industrial country receives 82 cents per packet delivered from a non-industrial country. On the other hand, a non-industrial country will receive $2.31 for a packet from an industrial country.
It costs the CPC approximately $3 to deliver a packet in its network (depending on size and weight) because of the very low density of our country. Every time we receive a packet from a non-industrial country, we lose $2.19.
Because the CPC is not permitted to lose money, somebody has to pay the $2.19 per parcel it costs to deliver the inbound packets and parcels (guess who?).
You can look at this PowerPoint that explains in detail the complexity of terminal dues.
More bad news for any Canadian business is who is considered to be a non-industrial country. I am sure you got this one right: China, India, Brazil, and Russia are in the group. So you were wondering how it was possible to order an iPhone charger from China for 79 cents but it costs $10 to order it from Canada.
The effect of Amazon or Alibaba will be really bad for the Canadian economy, especially e-commerce. We are currently flooded by products from non-industrial countries. The CPC just built a new processing plant in Vancouver and it is already at overcapacity. They now have to rent industrial warehouse to process these products daily, and I believe it is just starting. The only effect it can have on the domestic rates is to increase them even more (bad news for any Canadian retailer that uses the mail) because the CPC has to be financially sustainable and can't print money.
I know that the UPU terminal rates are renegotiated every four years (2016 is one of them) and that they are planning to change to model as well as the grouping of countries. But I also know that these negotiations are very secretive and there is not a lot of information about this that is shared in the media.
I hope I helped you to understand the complexity of this issue, and I also hope you will continue to do business with the CPC because I hope I can keep my job for another couple of years.
I also agree that the CPC is probably a hard company to do business with and doesn't do much to keep their customers happy (neither to keep their employees happy).
Follow up comment (2017-11-17):
If you are curious and want to know more about the distortions caused by the UPU terminal rates you can read this report, The Economics of Terminal Rates, ordered by the United States Postal Service (USPS).
On page 34 and 35, it highlight some of the issues. For example the non-designated operators (FedEx, UPS, EMS, etc.) don't have to pay the terminal dues even if the CPC or USPS have to deliver the "last mile" for them.
China uses the terminal dues as an economical advantage to keep competition away; because China receive more compensation than it pays, it can keep its rates low and no private companies can compete with its rates.
From Anonymous Postal Worker and Customer (2016-09-05):
There are so many things wrong with Canada Post. This corporation is not a very honest one when you have lousy management, corrupt union and a CEO like Deepak Chopra running it into the ground. In addition, lately it seems like they are trying to cover up anything that can affect the reputation of the company. Ever since news broke out of mail thefts occurring within the Calgary Postal Plant. Here are some examples:
As an employee of over 10 years and customer who uses the service, it's very bad. I'm so disappointed to work for a company who hires these types of people. Here is my experience working here. As a Canadian citizen I'm very disappointed with the horrible treatment here in the Calgary Plant. I have been discriminated on a daily basis because I am not Filipino and do not understand their native language they use in the workplace. 60 percent of employees (Full-time, part-time & casuals) in the plant are foreign workers from Philippines. There is very strong lazy work ethic going on daily as most workers do is either chat or browse facebook on their mobile phones, as a result mail is being delayed. Management is no better, as most of them do not treat you like a human being rather more like an animal especially the PCR Manager and Tech Services Manager. They take their aggression on postal clerks by making our work lives as miserable as possible for their own benefit. Management does not care about company or anything else except for themselves and their bonuses. The Plant Director sits in his office watching TSN sports nearly everyday! The PCR Staffing officer is just as guilty because she brings and hires mostly Filipino workers. Once they're in, she secretly accepts gifts from them as bribes.
I used to ship packages to my friends in Japan only for them to call me up and told me that they received it damaged which really upset me a lot even though I placed numerous FRAGILE label stickers on the packages. Apparently the postal workers don't care. I found this out when the Filipino postal workers are simply tossing parcels and packages like they were basketballs! Even though the supervisors are around, they simply turned a blind eye for them. I wish I could video record all these wrong doings going on in the Calgary Plant but apparently it's illegal to do that according to company policy. Overall as a customer, I feel cheated from paying such expensive postage fees for low quality service.
That's all for my comments and rants. I apologize if it's very long but this is the truth that Canada Post Corporation will not disclose to the public and Canadians. I hope people will understand the dark truth of the Canadian Post Office.
From David Lay (2016-07-29):
So who is doing what about it? There does not appear to be any political incentive to make Canada Post more competitive internationally. Not much point in my bitching at my local MP if he can safely ignore me.
I found your site in a web search, along with the CTV article on the subject; Pricey parcels: Why does it cost so much to ship from Canada?. Canada post refused to be interviewed.
So how do we make this an issue?
In May 2016 the federal government announced that a review of Canada Post's operations. This is an excellent opportunity to tell the government how Canada Post is hurting your business. We strongly encourage all businesses to get involved with this review. Tell all your business friends and associates to submit their comments too.
From Mahnaz Golshekan (2016-05-07):
I had a package which was a little heavy for me to handle. So I stayed home for the time they deliver. The delivery date, a Monday, I received a delivery notice that they brought it on Monday and I was not home. I called post office (in Shoppers Drug Mart) during their working hours and the lady tell me my package is there (that was before the end of the day when they return the packages). I asked the lady why they did not deliver it to my door, she said they are not supposed to that. Can you believe it? Why do I pay for shipping if they are not delivering to my door. Then I called Canada Post and they said they have to do the first delivery after that leave the notice.
Now I am trying to track a package I mailed the other day and their website takes me to a very strange screen and then epost which I DO NOT need.
Thanks for having this.
From Myles Vaux (2016-03-19):
Who makes the decisions on raising prices for the light packets? Does Canada Post know what they are doing?? I sell very cheap items to the USA via eBay and Etsy and it is no longer affordable and am unable to compete with China etc. on shipping rates.
From Don Snell (2015-11-09):
Just wanted to say that your website is great. As an eBay user I have been dismayed at the high cost of shipping items sold on eBay. Comparatively high shipping rates by Canada Post is killing the chances of small business or individuals to compete. Maybe it is time for them to go or drop their prices.
From Paul Gill (2015-10-21):
This is major complaint. I'm have a disability. I wait for my cheque all month. When my mail carrier has not arrived with my cheque, it is past four and now the bank is closed and I have no food or money. This is unacceptable. I want the supervisor and manager disciplined or fired. They work their cushy jobs while we low income people suffer without our basic needs. This is from the city of Victoria. I live in Saanich. I am so fricken angry yet I know you will respond with a bullshit excuse I have contacted my MLA and govt offices.
From Martin Pagnan (2015-08-11):
How about 2 weeks to get an ordinary letter from Ottawa to Vancouver?
From Art Wong (2015-08-03):
Don't get me started. I agree with all the examples cited. I used to sell items on eBay. Mailing even the small items costs $9-10 quite often more than the item is worth.
From Mark Fowke (2015-06-12):
We are currently in a dispute with Canada Post over surcharges. The crux of the issue is their rounding of parcel sizing and weight, more commonly known as volumetric measurement. When they round the size of our parcels, it bumps it to the next pricing category and we get dinged with a surcharge for what I call 'air freight' since I'm paying to ship air. By not using actual measurement they get away with this illegal practice. And their Ombudsman Office is simply a shill of the Corporation. no help here at all. As you have pointed out, it would be simpler, and cheaper, to produce our product in the USA or elsewhere and ship it into Canada. avoiding the tax and usurious postal rates. We are exploring this possibility at this time.
From Stanley Green (2015-02-18):
We need to privatize this comedy called Canada Post. My suppliers in the UK, who dispatch orders for Canada the same day they are received are amazed at the length it takes for the parcels to arrive in Surrey, B.C. The employees in the Surrey sorting centre could not care less that my parcels are lost, arrive TWO MONTHS later, are vital for my existence.
From Elie Descoteaux (2014-07-15):
First, I would like to fully share my support and extend my gratitude for you to have put this website to show the real color of canada post disastrous management and price structure.
My name is Elie. I have an online business and feel the pain every day, and have come to the realization that Canada Post is creating a literal business sabotage in Canada.
I really like that you took time to order from overseas to show the difference on price structure.
If ever you want to exchange ideas, please feel free to contact me. I might not have the 40 year experience you have but I am very interested in logistics in Canada and the real cost we have to pay for it. I use USPS and Canada Post and can see first hand how much it is creating a wide gap in price equality in both countries.
Here are some points that I think would maybe help create influence:
- The interesting point is that 70% of the parcels delivered by Canada Post come from overseas; this is a huge trade deficit.
- These parcels that are not sent from Canadian businesses, this is revenue lost in Canada, and it is taxes lost in Canada, and all the related indirect jobs being lost and not created.
- We know on big delivery days Canada Post can deliver 1,000,000 parcels. If we take an average of 300,000 a day x 250 days = 75 million parcels. If 70% come from overseas, that is 52.5 million parcels. Let's say at 20$ in value, it would be over 1 billion $. This is very conservative calculating; the real number is more likely close to 3 billion.
- We are not trying to stop parcels from overseas. But what if we started the race on the same line? What if we started to export more? What is the real cost of high cost parcel mail? What is the revenue lost from a society stand point? All this does is cause businesses to close down or never open.
- Why does it cost more to send a peanut across the street than to receive a parcel from 15,000 kilometres away? - The mailing sorting machine upgrade at Canada Post will read delivery confirmation information from the equivalent of letter post of incoming international mail. But this will not be offered to Canadian businesses. It will accept international mail packages thicker than 2 cm, but not mail packages from us.
Unfortunately, there is not much lobbying for small business like us. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.
From Kelly Pickell (2014-05-06):
The fuel surcharge should be related to distance and how much fuel is used not price. I believe they could be breaking the law with this one.
I ship the same small package from BC to:
BC fuel surcharge $.62
Alberta fuel surcharge $.65
Saskatchewan fuel surcharge $.67
Ontario fuel surcharge $.72
Quebec fuel surcharge $.78
How can it cost only $.10 more in fuel to ship to Ontario than BC? Canada Post calculates the fuel surcharge at 11.50% of the cost, not the distance.
No matter how you slice it we are getting screwed.
From George Irwin (2014-05-06):
Finding your web site was very uplifting - thank you!
Having volunteered to work on a community association committee to deal with Canada Post's Community Mailbox Program I had proposed developing a website to capture the issues and facts that would allow an informed debate to take place. Your website is inspiring and I will be proposing to use it as a model. Our plan is to create a network of community association websites to allow the community associations to collectively work together to get answers from Canada Post.
From Brendan Heng (2013-12-23):
I recently wrote an article on my Dropshipping Blog.
I decided to do my part and spread some awareness around the issue. Like you said, I don't know why mainstream media hasn't picked up on this. It is no secret that Canada's E-Commerce is lagging compared to everyone else and this could very well be a reason. Let me know if have any feedback on the article as well.
"Canada Post", "Postes Canada", "Lettermail", "Admail", "Small Packet", "Expedited Parcel", "epost", and logos are trademarks of the Canada Post Corporation.
Website conceived and maintained by Richters Herbs.