eBay and Canada Post co-branded Flat Rate Box will simplify selling and
shipping for eBay sellers
TORONTO, May 15 /CNW/ - Canada Post and eBay Canada today announced the launch of a Flat Rate Box for eBay sellers in response to growing demand for a simple, convenient and environmentally sound shipping solution for items bought and sold on eBay.ca.
The new eBay and Canada Post co-branded Flat Rate Box, designed for new and casual eBay sellers, is available exclusively through eBay. Shipped using Canada Post's Expedited Parcel(TM) or Expedited Parcel(TM)-USA ground parcel service, the Flat Rate Box allows users to send items at three convenient flat rates: Regional C$9.99 and National C$12.99 (for shipments within Canada), and USA C$17.99 (for shipments to the United States).
The Flat Rate Box is being offered at introductory discounted flat rates for the first three months: $8.99 Regional; $11.49 National; and $15.99 USA.
"Canadian eBay users ship millions of parcels through Canada Post each year," says John Swettenham, general manager of parcel strategy at Canada Post. "That makes the eBay community an extremely important customer base. Canada Post saw an opportunity to improve our service offering for eBay Canada's users, adding to our role in the growth of e-commerce in Canada. We're looking forward to a positive response from eBay members."
The Flat Rate Box shipping solution is expected to improve the eBay user experience considerably. eBay listings that include shipping costs are more likely to end in a sale, and both sellers and buyers will appreciate the online tracking and delivery confirmation. Sellers will find it easier to list their items without the weighing and measuring previously required, and will appreciate being able to drop their parcels in any street letter box or at any post office.
The three flat rates apply to items up to five kilograms (11 pounds) that fit in the one-sized Flat Rate Box, which measures 28 cm by 21.5 cm by 14 cm. Canada Post's Expedited Parcel and Expedited Parcel-USA services offer reliable delivery to every address in Canada and the United States, including post office boxes. The Flat Rate Box includes tracking and delivery confirmation, an on-time delivery guarantee (within Canada only), and coverage for loss or damage up to C$100.
To send an item in the Flat Rate Box, an eBay member will create, buy and print a Flat Rate Box shipping label through eBay's online shipping tool, which self-populates with the sender's and recipient's addresses (www.ebay.ca/flatratebox for more information), affix the shipping label to the Flat Rate Box, and simply deposit the box in any Canada Post street letter box or at any post office.
"A shipping product that is convenient and simple to use provides real value for our sellers," says Andrew Sloss, country manager for eBay Canada. "Flat-rate shipping, delivery tracking, the ability to print shipping labels with postage included, and not having to make a trip to the post office will make selling on eBay easier, faster and more convenient. The Flat Rate Box takes the guesswork and the legwork out of shipping items sold on eBay."
The boxes are free, with a shipping and handling fee of $1.95 for a bundle of three. eBay members can order the boxes online at http://stores.ebay.ca/CanadaPostFlatRateBox, and the boxes, folded flat, will be delivered by letter carrier within ten days to most Canadian addresses.
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eBay Canada by the numbers:
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- eBay transactions account for one-quarter of the roughly $5-billion
(US) spent by Canadians in online purchases each year, excluding
travel and groceries.
- Of the approximately 24 million Internet users in Canada, one in four
is currently registered on eBay.
- Canadians spent more than $1 billion (US) on eBay in the past 12
months.
- eBay is the number-one visited retail site in Canada and is visited
by almost one out of every two Canadians online.
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About eBay Inc.
Founded in 1995, eBay Inc. connects hundreds of millions of people around the world every day, empowering them to explore new opportunities and innovate together. eBay Inc. does this by providing the Internet platforms of choice for global commerce, payments and communications. Since its inception, eBay Inc. has expanded to include some of the strongest brands in the world, including eBay, PayPal, Skype, StubHub, Shopping.com, and others. eBay Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California. In Canada, eBay was visited by more than 10 million Canadians in February 2008. (comScore Media Metrix, February, 2008).
About Canada Post
Canada Post delivers over 11 billion pieces of mail each year to 14 million destinations. Its 72,000 employees and 6,600 post offices - the largest retail network in the country - serve 32 million Canadians and over 1 million businesses and public institutions from coast to coast to coast. In 2007, net income for Canada Post and its affiliates, which include Purolator Courier Ltd., Progistix-Solutions Inc. and Innovapost (jointly owned by Canada Post and CGI), was CDN$ 54 million on revenues of CDN$ 7.5 billion. Canada Post is a world leader, providing innovative physical and electronic delivery solutions, creating value for our customers, employees and Canadians. www.canadapost.ca.
For further information: Media Contacts: Catharine Heddle, Environics Communications for eBay Canada, (416) 969-2729, cheddle@environicspr.com; Briana D'Archi, Porter Novelli for Canada Post, (416) 422-7166, briana.darchi@porternovelli.com
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