Question
Canada Post has eliminated the green customs sticker for small packets and replaced it with a white 2-part form. The first part is fixed to the package and the second part is stamped by the post office and retained, along with the post office receipt, by the sender.
I've attached images of the front and back of the form.
Good news: $100 insurance is now included.
Bad news: More time is needed to fill out the form. Plus, it appears that it is now mandatory that you take your small packet packages to the post office instead of being able to drop them into the nearest red mailbox.
I would still like verification that taking of the package to the post office is required. I called Canada Post and got conflicting information from two difference customer service people. I do understand that a trip to the post office would be necessary for insurance protection. However, in some cases I'd be willing to absorb the in-transit risk if the value of the package is small. My post office is miles away and is always an inconvenient trip... One person said it was because I needed a post office receipt as proof I paid for small packet. I responded: "well don't the postage stamps I affixed to the package prove that?"
Answer
Hi Irene:
My post office hasn't mentioned anything. As a matter of fact she just ordered me 300 green stickers.
The only 2 part form I use now is the expedited parcel form but that is for packages over a 1 kg.
You mentioned pics of the form but there aren't any there.
Jill
Answer
Hopefully this time the pictures will post.
I found out about the new form from my brother. He was at the post office today. The clerk told him about it and pasted the new form over his green sticker. This must be the first day as he was at the post office on Saturday to mail a small packet and no one said anything about his green sticker then.
Edited to add, I see the the images are smaller than the ones I uploaded so the back side is unreadable. The backside talks about the $100 in insurance coverage.
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According to the person I talked to on the phone, if you are signed up at the Canada Post web site as a business, they you can order forms which I think will have your address pre-printed on the form or maybe you can do it on-line. Frankly, the whole conversation was confusing which I guess is to be expected the first day when the change is new to everyone. I'm going to wait a few days before I try to talk to Canada Post again.
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By the way, the minimum dimensions for small packet for years has been 14 cm by 9 cm.
Apparently this new form is approx. 4-1/2" x 5-1/2" (11-1/2 cm. by 14 cm.). When I asked how the form was to be affixed to a small package I was told that the form replaces the need for a separate address label. I just translated that second size to centimeters now and as you can see, the form is LARGER than the minimum acceptable size small packet. Why didn't the post office consider their published acceptable dimensions for small packets when designing the form?
It was also suggested that if the size of the form was a problem, the form could be placed inside a plastic pouch. I asked what the size was of their plastic pouches. She measured and then told me it was 9-1/2" x 6-1/2". She didn't know what to say when I responded that the pouch was much larger than the custom form and didn't solve the problem.
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I don't mind the new forms, but our post office said that US customs now requires the recipient's phone number on both small packet and expedited. Just one more thing to be fooling around with!
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There is NO provision for a phone number on the new Small Packet customs form. There is a field for a phone number on the Expedited parcel form.
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I think Canada Post really needs to get it together! It's been weeks since we've had to use the white sticker and that we had to have the phone number of the recipient on it, even tho there is not a designated spot for it. They actually will not accept them without a phone number! We were told this by 2 different postal outlets. Hasn't anyone else been told this?
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make up a phone number..
or just use mine, they'll never clue in, they aren't that smart.
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That's what I do if I haven't received a buyer's phone number but don't tell anybody!!
I can't believe that no one else has been told this. How weird!