To save money mailing packages, send them from Canada Post offices, not franchise locations like Shopper's Drug Mart.
For details, read this story.
Note: I normally mail my package via Canada Post through Shopper's Drug Mart or Pharmasave. I checked online canadapost.com for the expected postage and was never charged more than what the website quoted. Maybe this person's experience (below) is limited to certain locations of Shopper's Drug Mart.
Story
"I learned something over Christmas that I feel compelled to share
with you. This won't change your life dramatically or help you survive
the apocalypse but it will save you some $$$.
I recently mailed two identical packages via Canada Post one week
apart. One would think that the postage should be exactly the
same...well, let me tell you...
Pkg # 1 was mailed from an actual Canada Post Office. Postage came to
$11.74. Since I knew a second identical package would be mailed in
about a week's time, I bought sufficient postage for the second pkg
while I was there.
When it came time to mail Pkg #2, I went to the post office in
Shopper's Drug Mart. I handed the pkg to the clerk to be put in the
outbound mail bag, I was informed that I did not have sufficient
postage attached. The clerk proceeded to inform me that I needed to
purchase and additional $6 worth of stamps. After explaining how I
knew exactly what the postage should be, the clerk offered some lame
excuse that Canada Post is unionized and they can say and do anything
with impunity and if I wished to mail that pkg from Shopper's then I
needed to purchase more stamps.
I told the clerk to stuff it and took back my package and headed to
the "real" Canada Post Office, where I would raise hell... Much to my
surprise, the Canadian Postal Clerk took my package, weighed it and
tossed it in the mail bag, and it was on it's way...When I asked if
the amount of Postage I had put on the parcel was right she shook her
head and said "yup, no problem"...
The Truth comes out:
Canada Post Offices charge postage for packages at the published
Canada Post rates. Franchise locations, such as Shoppers Drug Mart,
can charge whatever they like. So remember if you regularly mail
packages at franchise locations (ie Shoppers Drug Mart,) you are
probably paying too much. Franchise locations are found in shopping
malls, drug stores and private businesses everywhere. From now on, all
of my mailing will be done from a real Canada Post location.
Still perplexed by what I was told by the girl in Shoppers, I fired
off an email to Canada Post for clarification. This is the reply I got
from them:
"Thank you for your message to Canada Post.
A postal outlet is not a federal government agency and is not owned or
managed by Canada Post. For example if the postal outlet is within
grocery store or pharmacy it would follow the stores working hours,
therefore if the store must be closed, so will the postal outlet
inside.
Only Canada Post Depots and Corporate Post Offices are obligated to
follow the price of stamps and postal products that are legislated by
Canada Post. Any commercial and private establishment may charge extra
fees as a convenience to their customers. It is at their discretion to
apply additional service fees to products that they sell. We suggest
visiting a Corporate Post Office in order to avoid paying additional
service charges that corner stores or other establishment may
implement on their products.
Regards,
Veronika Strofsk,i
Customer Service"