Private Postal Outlets....

Did you know that private postal outlets can charge whatever they wish to for postal services?

I was just told by someone.....

I recently mailed two identical packages via Canada Post one week apart.

One would think that the postage should be exactly the same...well, let me tell you...

Pkg # 1 was mailed from an actual Canada Post Office. Postage came to $11.74. Since I knew a second identical package would be mailed in about a week's time, I bought sufficient postage for the second pkg while I was there.

When it came time to mail Pkg #2, I went to the post office in Shopper's Drug Mart. I handed the pkg to the clerk to be put in the outbound mail bag, I was informed that I did not have sufficient postage attached. The clerk proceeded to inform me that I needed to purchase and additional $6 worth of stamps. After explaining how I knew exactly what the postage should be, the clerk offered some lame excuse that Canada Post is unionized and they can say and do anything with impunity and if I wished to mail that pkg from Shopper's then I needed to purchase more stamps.

I told the clerk to stuff it and took back my package and headed to the "real" Canada Post Office, where I would raise hell...

Much to my surprise, the Canadian Postal Clerk took my package, weighed it and tossed it in the mail bag, and it was it's way...When I asked if the amount of Postage I had put on the parcel was right she shook her head and said "yup, no problem"...

She goes on....

Still perplexed by what I was told by the girl in Shoppers, I fired off an email to Canada Post for clarification.
This is the reply I got from them:

"Thank you for your message to Canada Post.
A postal outlet is not a federal government agency and is not owned or managed by Canada Post. For example if the postal outlet is within grocery store or pharmacy it would follow the stores working hours, therefore if the store must be closed, so will the postal outlet inside.
Only Canada Post Depots and Corporate Post Offices are obligated to follow the price of stamps and postal products that are legislated by Canada Post. Any commercial and private establishment may charge extra fees as a convenience to their customers. It is at their discretion to apply additional service fees to products that they sell. We suggest visiting a Corporate Post Office in order to avoid paying additional service charges that corner stores or other establishment may implement on their products."

Is this person full of it, or is it true?

FULL OF IT

the shoppers drug mart outlets ARE Canada Post outlets.

The people working in them are Shoppers employees though, so that cannot be true.

This doesn't make sense. These places have Canada Post logos, they issue postage and as far as I recall, it looks like a Canada Post receipt, so for all intents and purposes, the public thinks they're dealing with Canada Post. But Canada Post says that these franchise outlets can charge what they want. My God, Tim Hortons has more control on their franchisees.

Employees of Shoppers are making about half of what Canada Post employees are making btw.

I have purchased stamps from Shoppers and used them to mail letters. I was not charged extra.

Actually, This e-mail contains mis-information:

Canada Post response:

Over the holidays, a customer contacted us by email to ask us why private sector partners would be allowed to charge more for the same service provided by corporate offices. The reply they received contained misinformation and we would like our customers to know the facts - rates are the same at all Canada Post establishments, both corporate and private sector partner locations.

It is very important to us that your customer experience is the same no matter where you choose to shop.

In fact, the agreement that Canada Post has with its private sector partners specifies that the maximum postal rates that they can charge are the Canada Post published rates. If a postal outlet charges prices that are over the Canada Post published rates, they are in violation of their contract. You should also know that the equipment used by private sector postal outlets is programmed with Canada Post's published rates. Therefore, the rates should be the same no matter where you choose to get postal services.
We are very disappointed to hear of this experience and we are investigating the matter. If you have any questions or concerns about our rates, contact us at http://canadapost.ca/contactus.

Thanks for that.

Today I was in a drug store post office and asked the young lady about it.

She also told me that they have rates from Canada Post on their computer.

However, she did say that what may have caused a problem was the scale that was used. She had two but one didn't always work properly she noticed. They still used it when they were busy though. (interesting eh).

Also, if the scale was out a bit, it could also kick it up a notch, which would cost more.

Sooo....there ya go.

Well, that fianlly makes sense, but you still kind of wonder how the hell they could issue the reply to JTF which started this thread. If you're going to have someone speak for your organization, they should know the facts rather than just pull stuff out of their ass.

The entire letter (including the 'replay') is an internet hoax.
See some of the other forums
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=I+recently+mailed+two+identical+packages+via+Canada+&meta=&aq=f&oq=

JTF, you punk'd us. Shame on me.

Naw. I got the email and was just wondering about it.

Deank wrote:FULL OF IT

as I explained previously FULL OF IT.

Trust in the Dean and ye shall be set free.

Your permanent record will show that it is very important to show how you arrived at your answer though, Dean.

my family has worked in postal offices for 98 years
I am very familiar with postal regulations.

How often are/were you required to have the scales checked if ever?

I'd think that would be a regulation just like scales in grocery stores and gas pumps. Annually?

This thread just reminds me of my funny postal service story that just happened to me. I just want to share. (does not have to deal with private postal outlets!!)

So I haven't received mail since last week, so I was wondering where my mail was I called my mom to ask if the postal service on strike, she said nope (she probably thought I was crazy). You're probably thinking that I just have no mail, Oh but I do. My cell phone bill, cause Rogers called me. Last night after coming home from my parents I happened to look out my front window (we park in the back at my house) and there is a HUGE snow drift blocking my walk way!! I seen my mail lady today apologized like crazy and she said it happens quite often. Now today I have to shovel that huge snow drift as my boyfriend is out of town =(
Long story short my mail service returns tomorrow!!!

Just wanted to share my wonderful mail story.

JTF wrote:How often are/were you required to have the scales checked if ever?

older ones ( non electronic) was weekly.. not sure why the electronic ones would be any different.

love&hate wrote:This thread just reminds me of my funny postal service story that just happened to me. I just want to share. (does not have to deal with private postal outlets!!)

So I haven't received mail since last week, so I was wondering where my mail was I called my mom to ask if the postal service on strike, she said nope (she probably thought I was crazy). You're probably thinking that I just have no mail, Oh but I do. My cell phone bill, cause Rogers called me. Last night after coming home from my parents I happened to look out my front window (we park in the back at my house) and there is a HUGE snow drift blocking my walk way!! I seen my mail lady today apologized like crazy and she said it happens quite often. Now today I have to shovel that huge snow drift as my boyfriend is out of town =(
Long story short my mail service returns tomorrow!!!

Just wanted to share my wonderful mail story.

true story...

slips and falls can hurt us all
http://canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/aboutus/community/safetyfirst.jsf?LOCALE=en&ecid=murl09004598

Canada post is actually having a contest to get people to keep their sidewalks clean.

A company I used to work for, we would put the outgoing mail on the counter and when the mailman came ( he was a driver, not a walker) he would pick up the outgoing mail. We changed mailmen and the new guy stopped picking up the mail, and when we called to inquire we were told they don;t have to pick up outgoing mail, it's at the carrier's discretion and if he does, he is doing you a favour. Couldn;t beleive it - esp. since outgoing was usually 5-6 letter size envelopes. Not like we were sending packages or anything!

heh.. your story reminds me of when we moved into our current house.

Where we rented was delivery to the door. and now its delivery to one of those post boxes.

We were expecting it to be slow getting the mail changed over, but did not know how slow. We were expecting a refund cheque from the lawyers because of the timing of payments and such. nto much a couple hundred dollars but whatever I knew that was coming. First week goes by, I come home from work every day.. ask the wife.. any mail from the lawyer yet? She says... no..
Second week.. still nothing. So I call the Post office to make sure my change of address was being processed and I call the lawyer and say... umm where is my cheque... PO says, yup its being processed. Lawyer says... sent to new address 1 week ago. Hmm..

Third week goes by.. still nothing.. Not even a bill or the letter my mom said she sent or anything. The old house owners are asking for mail that was sent to them to and my wife keeps saying.. no mail.. no mail. WTF? already so I happen to have a day off and think well I might as well check the mail. I ask her for the key and ask her BTW which box is ours?

She says what do you mean? Its on the front of the house? I said.. WHAT? you mean to tell me that for the last 3 weeks you have just been looking at the front of the house? LOL

oh man... so we called the PO and said.. yeah.. umm we just purchased this house... where the heck is the mail delivered to?

LOL they guy came and changed the looks and brought a huge freakin box full of mail over to us...

LOL awesome Deank!