Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

do you all realize a 1 ounce package shipped from U.S. to Canada using USPS went from 2 dollars and change to $6.16? over a 100% increase on Jan. 27, 2013..it is literally destroying small business.. I have been deeply effected but thank God I sell heavier bulkier items too that are not effected by as steep of increase.. there are people that made a living selling DVD and CD's to Europe and Asia that are being destroyed.. I hope Mike Nobody can chime in on this greed that is so prevalent in today's society..

Dane Ellis Allen wrote:do you all realize a 1 ounce package shipped from U.S. to Canada using USPS went from 2 dollars and change to $6.16? over a 100% increase on Jan. 27, 2013..it is literally destroying small business.. I have been deeply effected but thank God I sell heavier bulkier items too that are not effected by as steep of increase.. there are people that made a living selling DVD and CD's to Europe and Asia that are being destroyed.. I hope Mike Nobody can chime in on this greed that is so prevalent in today's society..

This is why I preferr to use private couriers, who wont get caught.

You know this is because Canada Post would not sign the mutual agreement with the USPS, right? Canada's postal system goes on strike every 2-3 years for months at a time.

what gets me Mike, is that sending a package to Canada using USPS First Class Mail International (4 LBS. or less) used to be comparable to sending a package the same weight and dimensions to Zone 6 or Zone 7 and sending to other International addresses was considerably more costly but made sense due to the distance away..but now sending packages to Canada is the same price as sending packages to Europe??.. go figure..it makes no sense.. since they use the competitive rates now yet bulk mail (junk mailers) pay almost nothing still filling up people's mailboxes with unwanted "spam"

Dane Ellis Allen wrote:do you all realize a 1 ounce package shipped from U.S. to Canada using USPS went from 2 dollars and change to $6.16? over a 100% increase on Jan. 27, 2013..it is literally destroying small business.. I have been deeply effected but thank God I sell heavier bulkier items too that are not effected by as steep of increase.. there are people that made a living selling DVD and CD's to Europe and Asia that are being destroyed.. I hope Mike Nobody can chime in on this greed that is so prevalent in today's society..

You do realize that selling DVD's to different regions violates our trade agreements? USA, Europe, and Asia are all different regions.

As far as increased postage to somewhere like canada.. well, do what every other business does and trickle it down to the customer. Reaganomics 101.

It's worth saying that most people when they order online know that they will have to pay shipping...

if you can provide a link about the legality of selling CD's and DVD's overseas it would be much appreciated.. I am well aware burning copies is illegal when it comes to software but selling my own CD's of Dane Ellis Allen music is not illegal..unless you can provide evidence it is illegal?

Dane Ellis Allen wrote:if you can provide a link about the legality of selling CD's and DVD's overseas it would be much appreciated.. I am well aware burning copies is illegal when it comes to software but selling my own CD's of Dane Ellis Allen music is not illegal..unless you can provide evidence it is illegal?

CD's don't have regions, and nowhere in my post did I refer to them.

sorry guy, I meant DVD and not CD ..

ok guy, you are really making this into an interesting thread.. the different regions and the junk that is illegal to peddle there... do you think ebay will ever crack down? let us see.. I know darn well i can not sell anything to North Korea.. can't send foodstuffs to Canada.. radio chassis and parts a no no to Italy.. and know for sure Italy has the strictest set of prohibitions and restrictions on different classes of junk.. oleomargarine and stuff

I dare you to ship gold or silver to Italy! double dare you!

kramerguy, I am going to have to call you out on the selling DVD's overseas.. Italy that i know for a fact is the hardest country to peddle with has no restrictions or prohibitions about media such as DVD listed..

Country Conditions for Mailing — Italy



Prohibitions (130)

Albums of any kind (of photographs, postcards, postage stamps, etc.).

Arms and weapons.

Articles of platinum or gold; jewelry; and other valuable articles unless sent as insured Priority Mail International parcels.

Artificial flowers and fruits and accessories for them.

Bells and other musical instruments and parts thereof.

Cartridge caps; cartridges.

Clocks and supplies for clocks.

Compound medicaments and medicines.

Coral mounted in any way.

Ether and chloroform.

Exposed photographic and cinematographic films.

Footwear of any kind.

Haberdashery and sewn articles of any kind, including trimmings and lace; handkerchiefs; scarves; shawls, needlework including stockings and gloves; bonnets, caps, and hats of any kind.

Hair and articles made of hair.

Human remains.

Leather goods.

Lighters and their parts, including lighter flints.

Lithium cells and batteries — including items containing lithium cells and batteries under 135.6.

Live bees, leeches, and silkworms.

Live plants and animals.

Nutmeg, vanilla; sea salt, rock salt; saffron.

Parasites and predators of harmful insects.

Perfumery goods of all kinds (except soap).

Playing cards of any kind.

Postage stamps in sealed or unsealed First-Class Mail International or First-Class Package International Service shipments.

Radioactive materials.

Ribbons for typewriters.

Roasted or ground coffee and its substitutes; roasted chicory.

Saccharine and all products containing saccharine.

Salted, smoked or otherwise prepared meats; fats; and lard.

Tobacco.

Toys not made wholly of wood.

Treated skins and furs.

Weapons of any kind and spare parts for them.

Restrictions

Coins; bank notes; currency notes (paper money); traveler’s checks; jewelry; and other precious or valuable articles must be enclosed in an insured Priority Mail International parcel in order to be mailable to addressees in Italy.

Postage stamps for philatelic purposes are admitted in registered First-Class Mail International or First-Class Package International Service shipments on condition that the package bears a completed Form 2976 and the addressee complies with the Italian financial regulations.

Observations

A parcel may be addressed to a street address or to a post office box. A local telephone number for the addressee should be provided when the item is addressed to a street address and must be provided when the item is addressed to a post office box.
For Priority Mail International parcels, an invoice, in duplicate, is required for all commercial shipments regardless of value and all personal shipments valued at $300 or more. The invoices must be affixed to the outside of the parcel or may be enclosed in PS Form 2976-E with the customs declaration.
First-Class Mail International and First-Class Package International Service shipments may not contain dutiable articles.
Shipments containing books must bear a PS Form 2976.
Many articles are subject to an import license or quantity restrictions. Senders should ascertain from the addressee before mailing whether the articles will be admitted or whether the necessary documents, if required, are held.

I played 5 times last week in Toronto. I only brought 90 CDs with me because they will usually take them out of my suitcase and count them and charge a tariff. Went through 3 different customs agents before getting to the cashier. When I told the cashier I was coming to play in a congregation for passover and a church for easter, he assumed I couldn't possibly be there to make any money.

But I was out of CDs by the end of the 2nd gig and ended up taking mail orders at the other places. We added $4 Canadian to the $15 price to cover the shipping (less than $1 each) and the tariffs per CD.

In New York to release my newest song (Remembering) at the UN Center last night; going back today and will ship that to Canada tomorrow. I'll stop back by the thread to let you know how much it was for 60 CDs to go parcel post, media mail.

But yea, you used to get one free piece of luggage for an international flight too...but they told me this time that Canada isn't considered "international" by American travel companies.

Ha! Try telling that to customs?

I don't think they will let you ship a pack of CDs via Media Mail. I ship books that way, but if you read the USPS guidelines, media mail is only supposed to be for shipping media/books to/from libraries! Even the PO guys don't know that.

The reason that mail to Canada is expensive as to Europe is the reciprocity thing that Canada Post would not sign - basically it is an agreement that says Canada Post will not 'backcharge' the USPS for mail sent from the US to Canada locations. By NOT signing it, the USPS has to pay Canada Post a fee for each item, so that's why the mailing rates went up. UK is worse, though - I sent a slim padded package with 2 CDs there recently and it was almost $10.

An old adage comes to mind.

How did that go ?


Ah yes, I remember now.


Screw em . . .

I own a internet biz selling curtains ; shipping to Canada is expensive.
But its the price of doing biz.
USPS has traditionally had postage way too low to meet their expenses
Me thinks you need to reevaluate your business model - if you cant survive without their unrealistically LOW postage than you have a prob ...
You dont think the USPS will be around forever do you ?
" chime in on this greed that is so prevalent in today's society "
Gimme a break - you want to make a buck ; I want to make a buck
Dude - USPS has for decades had way too low postage - thats why they are in that bind they are in.
Good luck