Etsy has recently sent its sellers in regards to Canadian postal delay due to labor dispute so I would like to take this chance to remind my buyers that all packages are sent via first class regular mail from my shop. This is stated on all of my etsy listings. With first class mail, there is no tracking unless you are in the US. First class mail does not come with insurance for both US and international packages which means, as with anything sent with regular mail, there is a risk of items getting lost/stolen and as my shop policy states, I cannot be held responsible for lost/stolen packages for first class mail.
Unfortunately USPS does not provide much options when it comes with shipping, especially international packages. First class international mail only comes with a set of custom form number that shows when and where and to what country the package is sent and going to. It does not track nor has insurance. Registered mail, although is another option that feels like it provides a better layer of security, only shows tracking for some countries, not all and may require signature upon package arrival. Much like first class mail, registered mail does not come with insurance. Only EMS (express mail) comes with both tracking and insurance (up to $100).
I understand when a package takes awhile to arrive or got lost, it is frustrating on both ends. As a seller, the time and effort have already been put into making the product and making sure that the package is shipped out in a good timely manner by delivering it to the post office. As a buyer, when a product is lost/stolen, money has been sent but without getting the product in the mail. Either way, the situation is never a satisfying one. As both seller and buyer myself, I understand when I only pay for first class/regular mail, I am taking a risk that there is a possibility of package getting lost (and yes, it has happened to me before as a buyer). I am hoping my buyer can also understand this when it comes to purchasing items from my shop.
At this point, I will still use first class mail as the lowest cost option to help the buyers when it comes to both US and international shipping but if packages start to have problem not reaching to its destinations, I may need to permanently use either insured mail or registered mail on all packages which will result in an increase in shipping fees.
On the side note, I have added a new shipping fee just for Canadian buyers since the postage fee is lower compared to all other international postage fees. This takes effect starting today.
Thank you in advance for reading and understanding.
