I'm noticing that packages sent within Canada are taking at least twice as long as they should be (according to Canada Post's own standards).

It also costs 2 to 6 times as much to send a small package within Canada as it does to send the same item to the US or internationally.

And even the lower priced service to the US and internationally is much more expensive than the same and/or better service going out of the US using their postal service.

On top of that, if you try using Canada Post's web site to send something you might consider lettermail, such as a magazine, you'll end up paying up to $12 to ship it because the online tools will not give you lettermail nor letterpost rates. As soon as something is considered a "package," even if it's in the exact same envelope, you're going to pay a lot more for it.

In the US, we have media-mail/4th-class service for things like magazines. Is there not something similar in Canada?

There is something similar, but as a consumer you don't have access to all the shipping options that an advertiser or publisher would have. Magazines would fit into the Lettermail/letterpost classification depending on destination. Specifically in the non-standard envelope rate.

Nothing but parcel rates are available online though.

The packages I ship normally will fit dimensionally within the parameters allowed for the non-standard lettermail. However since I process everything online, I end up getting stuck for large rates within Canada. For packages to the western provinces I was actually losing money on shipping.

The same item shipped using USPS could be sent with first class parcel which provides a much faster service standard and includes up to 4 times the insurance coverage as our postal system does (for parcel). At it could cost as little as $2 total.

It's possible for me to ship to the US for close to $2 but it doesn't include any insurance and takes at least a week. This is the method I was thinking about when I said that I could ship internationally (much) cheaper than within Canada. And lately, with faster (but not guaranteed) delivery times.

Wow. I thought the USPS web site was bad. The Canada Post web site is nearly unnavigable.

My Logic arrived safe and sound. Looks like it was mis-routed in Manchester. I've also ordered some bits and bobs from Sparkfun in Boulder CO also being delivered by USPS. Now the wierd thing is, my Logic came from San Francisco but had to go down to Los Angeles in order to leave the country. But my SFE order left the US from San Francisco! Surely my logic could've been routed from there?

BTW, any ideas for a reasonable way to ship oversize stuff from the US to Europe? Last year we brought a wall hanging thingie from a close-out sale in New Jersey, but both the local post office and DHL quoted postage prices of 200+ USD due to it being oversize. When we asked 6 moths later, the post office suddenly wanted 650 USD for shipping it...

This is why I used a little bit of space on the pallet that was sent over last year from Rob R to Rob V. I think everything goes airmail now so it has become very very expansive to ship anything large or heavy (my item was very heavy). I never found a cheap solution, at the current price of flights it's almost cheaper and faster to fly out and get it your self and bring it back as luggage!

I am pretty sure they stopped surface mail between the US and Europe about 2 years ago now. U may be wrong.

Cheers

Cris.

PS - The letter that triggered this rant finally turned up on Monday, 6 days to travel 14 miles. 1st class my ass, and today they have announced a 3p increase, an 8.3% increase in price for a service which is worse than it has ever been.

Your best bet is probably going to be a passenger airline's cargo service. When I was a kid, my parents had a piece of furniture shipped from Italy and that was the route they took.

canadapost.ca still lists international (outside of USA and Canada) surface mail rates for parcels and "small packets".

-ml

According to multiple people at CanPost, a lot of those "surface" packages go by air anyway, so sometimes it makes a cheaper shipping option.

But I guess canada post can't pick up in the US