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General Philatelic/Gen. Discussion : OPINION: CANADA or US?

 

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musicman
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APS #213005

11 Jul 2015
08:35:25am
Just wondered what you might think;

Who has better mail service - Canada Post or USPS?

.....domestic service?

....international?

...special services?

Just curious to hear some opinions! Happy





Randy


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Martyn

11 Jul 2015
08:56:24am
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

I have never had any problems with post to or from Canada, but, with the USA that changes although I have only had 1 post to me go missing I have had 3 to the USA go missing. Many items to and from the USA either arrive very quickly or they seem to take forever and a day to arrive.

So based on that alone I would say Canada post has the edge

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thebiggnome
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11 Jul 2015
11:22:27am
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

This would seem to be a NON-philatelic discussion, Randy. Aren't you the one who keeps complaining about people putting things in the wrong category? Happy

Chris

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BobbyBarnhart
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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin

11 Jul 2015
11:44:04am
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

I don't know about the other moderators, but it is philatelic enough for me, as is anything related to postal services or the UPU.

Bobby

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oldguy
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11 Jul 2015
01:41:12pm

Approvals
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

I think the thread has validity. After all, it is generally the source of cancelled postage....if they cancel the stamps going through the system. I would rate the USPS marginal as a service provider of stamps and cancellations. I too frequently get letters and packages with very nice postage affixed, only to have the USPS fail to cancel the use.

The local PO doesn't even carry new issues. The postmaster says she has to "order" them, that the regional PO just does not sent them out. Consequently, she does not order anything or very little. She just like to use the barcode stickers.

Thus, my opinion is that the USPS does little to promote the use of stamps and to encourage collectors. Actual dependable delivery of mail is a whole other topic by itself.

I don't have much experience with the Canadian Postal System, but I see a lot of similar "did not cancel" complaints in other threads and sites. May be the difference is marginal at best.

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michael78651

11 Jul 2015
02:42:09pm
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

I find that the USPS cancels more stamps than Canada Post, at least from mail that I receive.

Regarding new issues from the USPS, you're right. Post offices no longer get automatic shipment of new issues. USPS cut that out a couple of years ago. The person who made that decision is no longer there. Maybe her replacement will re-institute the process. Post offices also have had their budget for purchasing new stamps cut significantly.

At my post office, the clerk in charge of ordering new stamps asks me what is coming out, and how many do I want. He orders them for me, and lets me know when they arrive. Try to befriend someone at your post office who is willing to get the stamps for you. Other than that, you might get told to order them online. Many post offices don't want to deal with stamps. Too much work for them. Sort of like going to a grocery store and they don't carry groceries, because it's too much work.

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BenFranklin1902
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Tom in Exton, PA

11 Jul 2015
07:30:27pm
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

My local post office is large and the one regionally that's open all day Saturday. That's convenient. But like you said, they never have stamps! I've been there mailing packages and the other clerk is telling customer after customer that they don't have any first class stamps! No rolls, no booklets, no sheet stamps, so they walk away empty handed, or if they had envelopes with them to mail, the clerk just ran off meters for those. What a waste.

Before I knew better, I was doing mailings for my model club show and went in to buy 1000 first class stamps, another time 500 postcard rate stamps. Nope! They told me I needed to call ahead a few days in advance! But when I needed the postcard stamps that day, they called another office 10 miles away and confirmed they had them! My big question is why this big post office didn't!

The post office should go back to automatic shipments of every new stamp to every office. Don't they make a lot of money on stamps that never get used?

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DavidG
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APS member since 2004

11 Jul 2015
10:38:19pm
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

I have used both services, as a postal customer and a stamp collector. I lived in Brownwood, Texas 1994-5. I've lived the rest of my 50 years in Canada (Ottawa, and North Bay, Ontario).

Both services are comparable... but, in my experiences with both, I must say that the USPS is far more efficient domestically; essentially the same internationally and far less expensive overall.

As well, the USPS counter clerks are far more knowledgeable of the products that they are selling, far more helpful, and to a stamp collector, far more knowledgeable about things like hand cancels, plate blocks, FDCs, etc.

The letter carriers in Texas made a point of coming to my door with items that were clearly marked "DO NOT BEND", rather than trying to stuff it in a mailbox like Canada Post.

When I asked a USPS counter clerk, in Syracuse, New York, for a plate block of a recent issue, she checked to see what plate numbers she had, and asked me which corners I'd like. Wow!!! Most Canadian postal clerks have no idea.

In Red Hook, NY, in 2011, I asked the postal clerk for a couple of panes of a specific issue. After he checked his drawer and the fellow's next to him, he asked me to wait a minute and went to the vault in the back. A few minutes later he returned with two and sold them to me. If the Canada Post clerk doesn't have it in his drawer, he tells you to "go to the website and order it there".

At the Post Office in Ogdensburg, NY, I asked the postal clerk if they had a specific commemorative issue. He did. He asked me if I was a stamp collector. I said yes. He then said, "We are supposed to sell the whole sheet, only, but if you need only a block or a single, I can do that for you; because I know I'll sell the rest to regular customers, to-day." Wow!

As one American President said, "The business of America is business".

Canada Post claims they are "In Business to Serve", but I don't know whom!

David


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cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

12 Jul 2015
03:58:16am
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

To be fair, that USA has a slightly larger population than Canada and the USPS handles a bit more mail per day as well.
Any comparison of mail services ought to keep that in mind.

Canada .2014.....9,129,000,000 pieces of mail, or 25,000,000 per day. Population ...35,735,231
USA.... 2013...155,400,000,000 pieces of mail, or425,000,000 per day. Population ..321,270,913

The population is from the "Population Clock" and in the time it took me to set up this post the US gained 100 new persons. That is one person every 12 or 13 seconds.
Click here for current US population

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musicman
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APS #213005

12 Jul 2015
08:14:37am
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

Chris said;

"This would seem to be a NON-philatelic discussion, Randy. Aren't you the one who keeps complaining about people putting things in the wrong category?"



Only in the auctions/approvals, Chris - only in the auctions/approvals.....Big Grin


I tend to agree that Canada has the edge, even though - as Charlie said - we do handle more mail volume here in the US.





Randy
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cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

12 Jul 2015
09:40:11am
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

USA 1.32 pieces per person per day.
Canada 0.699 pieces per person per day.
An important thing to consider, both agencies are handling about 30% less units.
I remember when the USA total per day exceeded 1,000,000,000, one billion items every day That was assuming that despite local counters being closed on Sunday, mail still moved along behind the scenes.

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BenFranklin1902
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Tom in Exton, PA

12 Jul 2015
10:34:53am
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

David- per your analysis, I can say that the USPS performance can vary greatly from office to office or even clerk to clerk. It wouldn't be hard to find examples of both good performance as you gave to USPS, or the bad performance.

Back when I lived in New Jersey, I've been in PA five years, I had a choice of two offices about equal distance from my house. This is a suburban setting. Service was like night and day!

When I did a lot of eBay shipping, Office One acted like helping me was a bother. The clerks were surly and even told me that they didn't have to take more than ten packages per visit. They rushed you and were even chatting between clerks, "Hey Jimmy! Half hour to go, can't wait to get outta here!" This was the office in the town I lived in.

Office Two treated me like a customer. They acted like my business was important. They were interested in what I was doing, and remembered my name when I came in. That's what I'd like to see everywhere! This was the office in the neighboring town.

A USPS regional manager contacted me since it was noted that I was frequenting the second office. His question was why I wasn't using my assigned office. Man did I give him an ear full!




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sheepshanks
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12 Jul 2015
01:54:10pm
re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

Just found this on the web, interesting reading.

Report reveals rise and fall of mail volume across the globe

A report published by the UK’s postal regulator Ofcom has revealed that mail volumes fell on average by 18% in the world’s 17 major market places between 2006 and 2011, with the steepest decline occurring in the UK, Italy, Spain and North America.

The Communications Market Report: International published by Ofcom in December 2012, showed that as a whole volumes have fallen from 355 billion to 288 billion items during the five-year study period, with only Brazil, China and Russia showing an increase in volume over this period – 3% in Brazil and China and 12% in Russia.

The UK, Italy and Spain saw a 25% decrease while North American volumes fell by 23%, but as the world’s largest market this actually represented the biggest decline in terms of mail pieces (51 billion).

In terms of mail revenue, Ofcom’s study also revealed an average decline of 5% since 2006, with the USA recording the biggest drop at -12% (£5 billion). Once again the three emerging markets (Brazil, China and Russia) saw an increase in revenue over the five years, with China achieving an 86% increase and Brazil achieving the largest monetary gain of £1.3 billion (37%).

The report also explored the cost of postage in the 17 countries reviewed, resulting in the UK and Japan being named the most expensive countries to send a small letter (60p and 63p respectively), while the Netherlands and Italy were the most expensive for sending a standard letter (£1.30 each).

The Ofcom study, which also looked at international trends in other forms of communication including TV, radio, internet and telecoms, briefly discussed the popularity of parcels, revealing that British consumers are most likely to have received a large parcel in the last month compared to the other major mail markets – 34% of UK consumers received at least one large parcel in the last month.

For small parcels, France was the highest with 53% of consumers receiving one within a month of the survey. Italians received the fewest parcels, with only 17% receiving small parcels and 13% large parcels within a month of the poll.

Does this mean that the Chinese, Russian and Brazilian stamps will become more plentiful and perhaps encourage more collectors.
Vic

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musicman

APS #213005
11 Jul 2015
08:35:25am

Just wondered what you might think;

Who has better mail service - Canada Post or USPS?

.....domestic service?

....international?

...special services?

Just curious to hear some opinions! Happy





Randy


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Martyn

11 Jul 2015
08:56:24am

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

I have never had any problems with post to or from Canada, but, with the USA that changes although I have only had 1 post to me go missing I have had 3 to the USA go missing. Many items to and from the USA either arrive very quickly or they seem to take forever and a day to arrive.

So based on that alone I would say Canada post has the edge

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"Collect whatever YOU like, not what someone tells you."

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thebiggnome

11 Jul 2015
11:22:27am

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

This would seem to be a NON-philatelic discussion, Randy. Aren't you the one who keeps complaining about people putting things in the wrong category? Happy

Chris

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They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
11 Jul 2015
11:44:04am

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

I don't know about the other moderators, but it is philatelic enough for me, as is anything related to postal services or the UPU.

Bobby

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke"

www.bobbybarnhart.ne ...
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oldguy

11 Jul 2015
01:41:12pm

Approvals

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

I think the thread has validity. After all, it is generally the source of cancelled postage....if they cancel the stamps going through the system. I would rate the USPS marginal as a service provider of stamps and cancellations. I too frequently get letters and packages with very nice postage affixed, only to have the USPS fail to cancel the use.

The local PO doesn't even carry new issues. The postmaster says she has to "order" them, that the regional PO just does not sent them out. Consequently, she does not order anything or very little. She just like to use the barcode stickers.

Thus, my opinion is that the USPS does little to promote the use of stamps and to encourage collectors. Actual dependable delivery of mail is a whole other topic by itself.

I don't have much experience with the Canadian Postal System, but I see a lot of similar "did not cancel" complaints in other threads and sites. May be the difference is marginal at best.

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michael78651

11 Jul 2015
02:42:09pm

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

I find that the USPS cancels more stamps than Canada Post, at least from mail that I receive.

Regarding new issues from the USPS, you're right. Post offices no longer get automatic shipment of new issues. USPS cut that out a couple of years ago. The person who made that decision is no longer there. Maybe her replacement will re-institute the process. Post offices also have had their budget for purchasing new stamps cut significantly.

At my post office, the clerk in charge of ordering new stamps asks me what is coming out, and how many do I want. He orders them for me, and lets me know when they arrive. Try to befriend someone at your post office who is willing to get the stamps for you. Other than that, you might get told to order them online. Many post offices don't want to deal with stamps. Too much work for them. Sort of like going to a grocery store and they don't carry groceries, because it's too much work.

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BenFranklin1902

Tom in Exton, PA
11 Jul 2015
07:30:27pm

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

My local post office is large and the one regionally that's open all day Saturday. That's convenient. But like you said, they never have stamps! I've been there mailing packages and the other clerk is telling customer after customer that they don't have any first class stamps! No rolls, no booklets, no sheet stamps, so they walk away empty handed, or if they had envelopes with them to mail, the clerk just ran off meters for those. What a waste.

Before I knew better, I was doing mailings for my model club show and went in to buy 1000 first class stamps, another time 500 postcard rate stamps. Nope! They told me I needed to call ahead a few days in advance! But when I needed the postcard stamps that day, they called another office 10 miles away and confirmed they had them! My big question is why this big post office didn't!

The post office should go back to automatic shipments of every new stamp to every office. Don't they make a lot of money on stamps that never get used?

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"Check out my eBay Stuff! Username Turtles-Trading-Post"
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DavidG

APS member since 2004
11 Jul 2015
10:38:19pm

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

I have used both services, as a postal customer and a stamp collector. I lived in Brownwood, Texas 1994-5. I've lived the rest of my 50 years in Canada (Ottawa, and North Bay, Ontario).

Both services are comparable... but, in my experiences with both, I must say that the USPS is far more efficient domestically; essentially the same internationally and far less expensive overall.

As well, the USPS counter clerks are far more knowledgeable of the products that they are selling, far more helpful, and to a stamp collector, far more knowledgeable about things like hand cancels, plate blocks, FDCs, etc.

The letter carriers in Texas made a point of coming to my door with items that were clearly marked "DO NOT BEND", rather than trying to stuff it in a mailbox like Canada Post.

When I asked a USPS counter clerk, in Syracuse, New York, for a plate block of a recent issue, she checked to see what plate numbers she had, and asked me which corners I'd like. Wow!!! Most Canadian postal clerks have no idea.

In Red Hook, NY, in 2011, I asked the postal clerk for a couple of panes of a specific issue. After he checked his drawer and the fellow's next to him, he asked me to wait a minute and went to the vault in the back. A few minutes later he returned with two and sold them to me. If the Canada Post clerk doesn't have it in his drawer, he tells you to "go to the website and order it there".

At the Post Office in Ogdensburg, NY, I asked the postal clerk if they had a specific commemorative issue. He did. He asked me if I was a stamp collector. I said yes. He then said, "We are supposed to sell the whole sheet, only, but if you need only a block or a single, I can do that for you; because I know I'll sell the rest to regular customers, to-day." Wow!

As one American President said, "The business of America is business".

Canada Post claims they are "In Business to Serve", but I don't know whom!

David


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"President, The Society for Costa Rica Collectors"

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
12 Jul 2015
03:58:16am

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

To be fair, that USA has a slightly larger population than Canada and the USPS handles a bit more mail per day as well.
Any comparison of mail services ought to keep that in mind.

Canada .2014.....9,129,000,000 pieces of mail, or 25,000,000 per day. Population ...35,735,231
USA.... 2013...155,400,000,000 pieces of mail, or425,000,000 per day. Population ..321,270,913

The population is from the "Population Clock" and in the time it took me to set up this post the US gained 100 new persons. That is one person every 12 or 13 seconds.
Click here for current US population

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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
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musicman

APS #213005
12 Jul 2015
08:14:37am

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

Chris said;

"This would seem to be a NON-philatelic discussion, Randy. Aren't you the one who keeps complaining about people putting things in the wrong category?"



Only in the auctions/approvals, Chris - only in the auctions/approvals.....Big Grin


I tend to agree that Canada has the edge, even though - as Charlie said - we do handle more mail volume here in the US.





Randy
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
12 Jul 2015
09:40:11am

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

USA 1.32 pieces per person per day.
Canada 0.699 pieces per person per day.
An important thing to consider, both agencies are handling about 30% less units.
I remember when the USA total per day exceeded 1,000,000,000, one billion items every day That was assuming that despite local counters being closed on Sunday, mail still moved along behind the scenes.

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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
Members Picture
BenFranklin1902

Tom in Exton, PA
12 Jul 2015
10:34:53am

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

David- per your analysis, I can say that the USPS performance can vary greatly from office to office or even clerk to clerk. It wouldn't be hard to find examples of both good performance as you gave to USPS, or the bad performance.

Back when I lived in New Jersey, I've been in PA five years, I had a choice of two offices about equal distance from my house. This is a suburban setting. Service was like night and day!

When I did a lot of eBay shipping, Office One acted like helping me was a bother. The clerks were surly and even told me that they didn't have to take more than ten packages per visit. They rushed you and were even chatting between clerks, "Hey Jimmy! Half hour to go, can't wait to get outta here!" This was the office in the town I lived in.

Office Two treated me like a customer. They acted like my business was important. They were interested in what I was doing, and remembered my name when I came in. That's what I'd like to see everywhere! This was the office in the neighboring town.

A USPS regional manager contacted me since it was noted that I was frequenting the second office. His question was why I wasn't using my assigned office. Man did I give him an ear full!




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sheepshanks

12 Jul 2015
01:54:10pm

re: OPINION: CANADA or US?

Just found this on the web, interesting reading.

Report reveals rise and fall of mail volume across the globe

A report published by the UK’s postal regulator Ofcom has revealed that mail volumes fell on average by 18% in the world’s 17 major market places between 2006 and 2011, with the steepest decline occurring in the UK, Italy, Spain and North America.

The Communications Market Report: International published by Ofcom in December 2012, showed that as a whole volumes have fallen from 355 billion to 288 billion items during the five-year study period, with only Brazil, China and Russia showing an increase in volume over this period – 3% in Brazil and China and 12% in Russia.

The UK, Italy and Spain saw a 25% decrease while North American volumes fell by 23%, but as the world’s largest market this actually represented the biggest decline in terms of mail pieces (51 billion).

In terms of mail revenue, Ofcom’s study also revealed an average decline of 5% since 2006, with the USA recording the biggest drop at -12% (£5 billion). Once again the three emerging markets (Brazil, China and Russia) saw an increase in revenue over the five years, with China achieving an 86% increase and Brazil achieving the largest monetary gain of £1.3 billion (37%).

The report also explored the cost of postage in the 17 countries reviewed, resulting in the UK and Japan being named the most expensive countries to send a small letter (60p and 63p respectively), while the Netherlands and Italy were the most expensive for sending a standard letter (£1.30 each).

The Ofcom study, which also looked at international trends in other forms of communication including TV, radio, internet and telecoms, briefly discussed the popularity of parcels, revealing that British consumers are most likely to have received a large parcel in the last month compared to the other major mail markets – 34% of UK consumers received at least one large parcel in the last month.

For small parcels, France was the highest with 53% of consumers receiving one within a month of the survey. Italians received the fewest parcels, with only 17% receiving small parcels and 13% large parcels within a month of the poll.

Does this mean that the Chinese, Russian and Brazilian stamps will become more plentiful and perhaps encourage more collectors.
Vic

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