Talk:Canada Post

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Contents

[edit] Why is there no criticism section?

This article reads like a piece of Canada Post propaganda. As many Canadians, myself included, have discovered, Canada Post provides poor service at outrageous prices compared to almost all other countries in a world. In addition to high prices, common complaints include:
- lost and stolen mail (the one incident of mail theft mentioned in the article is not an isolated one)
- mail repeated delivered to the wrong address
- mail delayed at one location for excessive amounts of time (often in the infamous "Mississauga Sortation Plant")
- the lack of a modern tracking system (what are claimed to be tracking numbers on their website are actually just id numbers with limited tracking functionality, which customer service only tells you after they've lost your package)
- fraudulent insurance coverage (even if you buy insurance on an item at the post office, some items are not insurable, which they only tell you after they've lost them)
- extra charges for customs processing ($8 minimum charges by canada post for giving you the privilege of allowing canada customs to charge you duties)
- lying customer service representatives (who like to claim that you mail is stuck at customs to escape responsibility; when you contact customs you then find out that the mail was actually transfered to canada post a week before)
- slow delivery (it can take a week to deliver in the same city!!!)
- mail delivery on only four days of the week (no mail on weekends, and many postmen only work 4 days a week)
- lack of mail delivery to homes in new neighbourhoods
- parcel delivery drivers who drop off missed-package slips without bringing the package from the depot, and without knocking/ringing the door (while you are at home waiting for the package)
- parcel delivery drivers who don't even come by, and let your normal mail carrier give you a missed-package slip
- leaving parcels and mail that require a signature in your mail box or your steps in plain view for anyone to steal
- related to the above, impatient delivery drivers who enter a scribble as your signature themselves, even when you are standing right there (which is probably what they do when you're not there and they dump it on your doorstep too)
- rude employees, particularly customer service
- a dispute resolution process with only one possible outcome -- you lose
- parcels left out in the rain or damaged in transit
- Canada post's ownership and operation of Purolator, which is designed to provide an illusion of competition

If I remember (unlikely), I will try to find sources for some of these assertions, and add them to the article. Some will be easier to prove than others -- it is easy to show that Canada Post has incredibly high prices compared to other postal carriers. For instance, sending a package from destination X outside of Canada to destination Y within Canada using a foreign postal service is almost always cheaper than doing the reverse using Canada Post. However, given the nature of the most of the complaints, I doubt many have much in the way of reliable sources, which is unfortunate. All you need is a quick google search to see how many people have horror stories about Canada Post. --Ultiam 08:06, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] graffiti relay box

I request that a picture be uploaded that's in good condition. It would look nicer. Although I must admit in some communities they are often treated that way. Nastajus 03:11, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

... I agree - it's not the best example of Canada Post boxes Themepark

Changed address example for Montreal: no street in Montreal is directionally either NW, NE, SW, SE, N or S. On North/South streets, numbers ascend northward from where the island meets the Saint-Lawrence. East/West streets are numbered with Saint-Laurent street as 0. Streets that cross Saint-Laurent have duplicating civic numbers, so the W and E directional suffixes are used. I'll try to change the addresses so that they correctly reflect their postal codes (seems appropriate given the context). :)

[edit] epost?

epost redirects here, but the article makes no mention of the service at all .. --142.242.2.248 17:09, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

I suppose nobody has had the time or inclination to add information about it. You're more than welcome to do so, of course. Certainly, this article needs expansion, especially about the various activities of Canada Post. Mindmatrix 18:06, 7 April 2006 (UTC)
I notice that someone has recently introduced a blurb about E-post. If I'm not mistaken, this wasn't created in 2000 as suggested by the new addition, but was officially launched by Canada Post. The company dates to at least 1995 (see this). I thought this was an independent company that was purchased by Canada Post in 1999 or 2000, but I can't find any info about that. Mindmatrix 16:32, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Unreliable?

I live in another Commonwealth country, and I have found that mail service to Canada is extremely unreliable. Possibly as many as 1 in 10 packages I send there never show up. Canada is one of the few countries that my country's postal service will not insure to. The others being third world Mexico, Brazil, amongst others. I feel this deserves some mention in the article. Davez621 10:24, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

A few questions:
  • From which Commonwealth country?
  • Can you provide a verifiable source for that claim?
  • Can you verify that the fault lies with Canada Post, instead of your country's postal service, the air carrier, etc.?
Regardless of this, it may be that your packages were going to Montreal, which had a delivery employee hoarding mail over a five-year period for reasons known only to himself. Of course, this doens't occur just in Canada. Mindmatrix 14:23, 26 April 2006 (UTC)
I can't say I've ever had any significant problems with the mail service in Canada .. and I work in a mailroom, so I receive quite a bit ;). Their distribution services (XPressPost, Priority Courier, etc.) are horrible, but general mail delivery happens pretty well on schedule. --Q Canuck 04:36, 27 April 2006 (UTC)
I am from Australia. Any Australia Post employee will tell you the same thing. They say the Canadian mail service is one of the slowest in the world. Even Canadians will admit this. The fact that Australia Post no longer provides insurance to Canada should back what I've wrote here. Davez621 11:52, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
That is hardly true. The United States Postal Service is one of the slowest in the world. I've never had a problem with Canada Post. In fact, they have always surpassed my expectations. The problem with international delivery is probably Canada Customs.
I live on the Canada/US border and I actually will go to the US to send a package to Canada because it is much cheaper (save $20+ on an Express Parcel 5kg) and it will get there in the same amount of time. So to answer your question, it isn't the speed of the package delivery, its the value for money. You can get your mail delivered overnight in Canada, with signature confirmation, but it will cost you much more than a comparable service in other OECD nations. Perhaps it is the climate + distances + population density. When comparing apples to apples, say regular parcel mail, you will pay more for slower service in Canada than in most places. Also remember that in Canada the mail only is delivered Mon-Fri (mail moves and is collected on Sat. but isn't delivered) and that even then many mail carriers do not deliver one day a workweek.
Also note that any home built after about 1990 doesn't receive front door delivery. Thats why you see the "Superboxes" all over every newer community in Canada. Also much of Canada Post's function is contracted out including neighbourhood post offices, rural mail delivery, and of course intercity transport. Curiously rural post offices were never privatized because of the political backlash caused in rural areas where post offices act as de-facto meeting places/government information bureaus. rasblue 04:10, 11 June 2006 (UTC)
We don't have weekend delivery here in Australia either but that would not affect anything. And no front door delivery - thats absurd!! What's the reasoning behind that? Where is the mail delivered to then? Davez621 14:58, 13 June 2006 (UTC)
The mail is delivered into Superboxes. These are big metal boxes, provided by Canada Post, painted in Canada Post livery, that are a fixture of every newer Canadian Community. Each box is divided into smaller mailboxes (in my case 12 smaller boxes 10cm x 10cm, one medium sized, one larger 25cm x 25cm). An outgoing mail slot is also included. Each box has an individual key and each homeowner/rent receives a key. The boxes can be located across the street from your home (as in my case) or up to a kilometre away with all boxes grouped together in the community. These boxes become something like a community information spot with notices and petitions pasted near the boxes, people see their neigbous, etc. Homes built before 1990 (need a reference) still receive mail delivery at the front door but the standards are constantly being challenges by the letter carriers. The will not deliver if the path is covered in ice and snow, they will not deliver to a mailbox or the steps to the mailbox are too high/too low, and they will not deliver if an aggressive dog is present. But I noticed there is no article on Superboxes. I think I will have to take a photo of my box and make an article out of it. rasblue 15:13, 13 June 2006 (UTC)
Hmm aren't there safety issues though? If mail is delivered to your door then anyone, any age can receive mail. If its delivered 1 km away you need a car - you're not going to send a little kid on a 2km trek to fetch the mail are you? Or, if you're a famous politician, celebrity, or the like, do you really want to be seen in public collecting your mail every day? Wouldn't these kinds of people prefer the mail delivered to their house directly? (I suppose you could send someone to collect it for you, though). It raises all kinds of privacy issues. What if you receive mail or a package that you don't want anyone else to see? i.e. you require discretion? Oh, and you mention newer communities have these. What if a brand-new house is built in an established community? i.e. an old house is demolished and a brand-new one built in its place, but on an 'old' street? Does it get a mail box? Davez621 10:09, 14 June 2006 (UTC)
Great Questions! Yes, safety isues are the main reason why the letter carriers have taken a stand against unsafe working environment. Personally, I don't blame them for pushing the issue. One bad slip on icy steps and it impact your life greatly in a negative way. As for famous people worried about being spotted picking up the mail, wouldn't you think that would be a job for the help? As for privacy, isn't that what envelopes and boxes are for? Remember, it is a felony, at least in Canada, to open someone elses mail. But if you truly require verification of receipt, you can always send it registered mail and get a verifiable signature. As for newer homes in older communities, they still receive mail delivery to the front door. The classification is based on age of address, not age of home. rasblue 14:20, 14 June 2006 (UTC)
Just because someone's famous doesn't necessarily mean they're wealthy. If you're retired, for instance, and you just want to live a quiet undisturbed life, thats not really possible if you have to go to a 'communal' mail box where all the neighbours see you every day and you might get bothered by people who recognize you. These people might not have any help or be willing to pay someone to collect their mail every single day.Davez621 12:09, 15 June 2006 (UTC)
It seems to me that most people who want to live in relative anonymity rent a PO box .. which has to be collected, as well. --Q Canuck 13:38, 15 June 2006 (UTC)
True, but these 'superboxes' aren't a substitute for a PO box. If someone knows your home address, there is no way they can find out where your PO box is located. On the other hand, finding your superbox would be a piece of cake Davez621 14:36, 15 June 2006 (UTC)
I don't know what point you're trying to make. I never tried to suggest that the superbox was a substitute for a PO box. I just said that the whole famous person walking to the superbox issue was rather moot, as they'd probably prefer to have their mail delivered to a PO box, so they wouldn't have to give out their home address all the time. Really, though. Who cares? These people have to leave the house to get groceries and do a number of other things, anyway. I've only lived a couple places with the boxes, but it was never more than a couple of blocks from our house. --Q Canuck 18:23, 15 June 2006 (UTC)
As far as I know, these superboxes are only in either newly built up residential areas or in areas where the Post Office deem door to door delivery is uneconomical. Other places do get front door delivery.

This is the first I've heard of the 1990 rule. I was under the impression that the option for home delivery (rural mailbox by the road) was based on whether you live on a delivery route. If you do, then you can get your mail delivered to your mailbox. Many people prefer the superboxes though, positioning a mailbox is tricky - too far and Canada Post won't deliver; too close and it can be smashed by the snowplow. Pendragon39 19:35, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Slow Mail Delivery

A first class letter posted from two major cities, say Toronto to Montreal usually takes one to two days to arrive. A letter posted from Toronto to a smaller centre, such as Sudbury usually takes 3-5 days to arrive. A letter from a smaller town to a smaller town outside the region will take 5-7 days to arrive. A letter across the country will almost always take at least a week to arrive. Canada Post is structured to provide service between major cities well. The outer regions with their low population density receive much slower service. Overnight first class mail services such as is common in Europe within the same country, or the US within the same region is almost unheard of in Canada, even within the same city. rasblue 15:18, 13 June 2006 (UTC)


How long does it take to ship a parcel from Canada to the US? 128.187.0.165 23:06, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

It depends on whether it is delayed by customs. Atleast a week? Pendragon39 19:39, 24 December 2006 (UTC)
If shipped via surface mail, usually 1-3 weeks, depending on customs. If by air mail, usually 5-10 days. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Lobsterboy79 (talk • contribs) 01:17, 11 March 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Some sources

I did a quick internet search, and came up with sources related to a UPS NAFTA lawsuit against Canada Post and the Government of Canada. This should be incorporated into the article.

I'm going to revert the recent addition (this one) until a source can be found for it.

[edit] Commons

I am currently uploading various labels and tags used across Canada, found at the London Mail Plant and they are available on Commons under the same name, I believe there is a commons link on this article page. After they are up I will be putting them into seperate articles so for now theya re all together WayneRay 20:01, 11 March 2007 (UTC)WayneRay

[edit] Advert and Howto tags on the Mail Format section

I made some semantical changes that I think allow us to remove those tags on this section. I also changed around the addresses as the "these people are fictional..." qualifier was a little suspicious... NByz 02:52, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Major Edit Completed

I took about three hours and cleaned up the whole entry. It does not read like an advertizement anymore and pictures form the Commons have been added, as well as pertinent references.Tomj 02:18, 3 July 2007 (UTC)