# Canada Post Free Shipping in October



## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

In case anyone's interested

Free shipping Tuesdays 2021


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## markxander (Oct 24, 2009)

Package has to be less than 5kg, so probably no guitars but definitely pedals


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

I'm guessing you folks have small business accounts... 

*Canada Post Solutions for Small BusinessTM members can send one free parcel within Canada every Tuesday, all month long!*


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

SWLABR said:


> I'm guessing you folks have small business accounts...
> 
> *Canada Post Solutions for Small BusinessTM members can send one free parcel within Canada every Tuesday, all month long!*


My wife got one with a made-up business name. Accounts are free.


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## t_lecuyer (Jan 21, 2021)

This is excellent, thanks for sharing!


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

BlueRocker said:


> My wife got one with a made-up business name. Accounts are free.


I also have one, never had to make up any name, just gave them mine. Yes, free to anyone that asks. 
"Expidited", their shipping method, ships faster than regular mail and as fast as Xpress within the province.

Xpress post is faster the further away you ship. 
Expidited is slightly less to ship and you also get a small percentage off anything they sell in the store.


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## Markysharky (Aug 28, 2019)

Thanks for the info. I’ve never heard of this type of promotion from Canada post before


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## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

Markysharky said:


> Thanks for the info. I’ve never heard of this type of promotion from Canada post before


They've been running this for quite a few years. At the time I used it, I mailed back some heavy shingles (for warranty purposes), which was nice!


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

I'm going to mail a big box of foam to myself.


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## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

player99 said:


> I'm going to mail a big box of foam to myself.


_"Today, Canada Post announces an increase in postal rates due to so many people taking advantage of the October free shipping on Tuesdays. It was further announced that an unprecedented number of large, yet very light boxes were shipped across the country."_


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## Vally (Aug 18, 2016)

SWLABR said:


> I'm guessing you folks have small business accounts...
> 
> *Canada Post Solutions for Small BusinessTM members can send one free parcel within Canada every Tuesday, all month long!*


Just go online and make up a business name with Canada post, no business number required


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I attempted to do this, and am somewhat stymied. I've been waiting for something from Canada Post as the last mile in being able to do this, but have not heard from them. Now I'm wondering if they check business registries in the region where the sender is, and simply stop interacting with anyone who doesn't appear registered. That said, it's "only" been 3 days since I last heard anything from them, so I'll cut them a bit of slack. But I'll say this: it's not an easy freebie.


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## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

markxander said:


> Package has to be less than 5kg, so probably no guitars but definitely pedals


Correct. I’ve mailed a couple packages over 5kg and all it does is discounts it the amount the 5kg would have cost. I think the package was $35 and it knocked $21 off.


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## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

And one of the biggest scams with Canada Post is “dimensional weight”. Lee Valley even took them to court over it. What is it? Well the easiest way to describe it is...

How _big_ does your box weigh?

You put in your measurements and they ask the weight but they will determine the weight based on the size. For example, I have standard size boxes I use all the time. It’s 31x24x17cm or roughly 12x9x7 inches. About the size of a shoebox. According to Canada Post, it weighs 2.53kg or 5.6 lbs. EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!

My shipments usually weigh between 0.5kg to about 1.25kg. Even though my shipments are almost always between 1 lb and 2 lbs (never exceeding 3 lbs), I’m forced to pay for 5.6 lbs.

Wait until you try shipping a guitar that weighs 20 lbs with case and packing materials. You’re going to pay for at least 60 lbs.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I'm trying to mail a pedal back to a forum member, and am about to give up on the "free shipping". Too many hoops to jump through.

Years ago, when I was moving back to Montreal from St. John's, I took my belongings down to the docks to send home by boat. The fellow at the shipping place asked me "How much you figure you got dere, b'y?". "Oh, about 300 pounds, I figure." The guy took me at my word, look up 300lbs on his chart and charged me to the penny.


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

2manyGuitars said:


> And one of the biggest scams with Canada Post is “dimensional weight”. Lee Valley even took them to court over it.


It isn't a scam, and it isn't unique to Canada Post. It's been around for decades, but was previously only applied to larger parcels/pallets/etc, more commonly used in the freight industry. It was adopted more widely by all major carriers to apply to almost all parcel sizes in the last 5-10 years, as parcel shipping volume has absolutely exploded in that time.



> What is it? Well the easiest way to describe it is...
> 
> How _big_ does your box weigh?


That's actually a pretty good way of putting it. Canada Post refers to it as "Volumetric Equivalent". So, your definition is kind of spot on.

Though it's often listed as a weight (number in kg or lbs), it isn't a measurement of actual weight. It's a calculated value that takes into account not only the impact of weight, but also the amount of space the parcel will occupy in the truck/warehouse/etc.

Weight primarily impacts fuel costs. Volume impacts how many parcels can actually fit on shelves in warehouses/trucks/etc. As overall shipping volume continues to rise, that space becomes more and more valuable. As such, the calculation has been skewed towards size/dimensions being the bigger factor in shipping cost, and it continues to be pushed further in that direction each time the carriers re-evaluate their pricing structure.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Nicely put, Jon.


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