Why Every Business Should Never Waive Canada Post's On-Time Delivery Guarantee
Published on December 20, 2023
Are you planning to negotiate with Canada Post any time soon?
Let me stop you for a bit and give you this friendly advice — never ever agree to waive the On-Time Delivery Guarantee!
Why? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to let you know everything about it by the end of this blog.
But I’ll tell you this now — everyone who agreed to waive their On-Time Delivery Guarantee, lost a great deal of money. I assure you, that is one of the most regrettable mistakes they made for their business.
And that’s exactly why we, Buster Fetcher®, are here. To make sure that you won’t commit the same mistakes for your business, and lose tens of thousands of dollars in pure profit!
That’s right. It may sound like just a simple thing, but let me put it into perspective — approximately 6% to 12% of packages delivered by major carriers experience some delay.
If you do the math, 12 out of 100 packages end up being delivered later than promised. See? That’s a lot of opportunities to save money on shipping!
So yes, if you’re still wondering whether or not it’s worth it to protect your rights for the On-Time Delivery Guarantee, you’ve already got your answer.
What Exactly Is Canada Post’s On-Time Delivery Guarantee?
So, the question still remains — What is the On-Time Delivery Guarantee? And how does it affect the profitability of your business?
Basically, when you decide to ship your packages with Canada Post using one of its services such as Xpresspost™, Expedited Parcel™, and Priority™, there are three things that they promise. Take note!
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Deliver it to the Right Customers: It’s Canada Post’s responsibility to deliver your packages to the correct recipients, at all times!
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Deliver it in Good Condition: You should expect your package to arrive in one piece. This means that it should be in pristine condition, undamaged, and intact.
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Deliver it within the Promised Timeframe: Canada Post will also promise to deliver your package within a specific time frame that’s based on their delivery standards.
These are the three things you should expect from Canada Post’s On-Time Delivery Guarantee.
If any of these commitments aren’t met, especially when the package is delivered later than promised, then you’re eligible to claim your well-deserved compensation.
Yes, and this is also where opportunities for your company’s profitability arise!
The Specifics of the On-Time Delivery Guarantee
But hey, be careful. There are specific terms and conditions that apply, and it would be best for you to understand them completely!
We’ve compiled everything you need to know about the On-Time Delivery Guarantee, and these are all according to Canada Post’s terms and conditions:
Compensation for Late Deliveries
If your shipment doesn’t arrive on time, Canada Post offers replacement service or credit equivalent to the shipping charges. However, there are certain conditions attached to this policy.
According to their General Terms and Conditions, Canada Post will not be held liable to the Customer for any failures or delays in performance due to:
- Causes beyond its reasonable control
- Acts of God
- Epidemics
- Labour disruptions
- Fluctuations or failures in:
- Electrical power
- Heat
- Light
- Air conditioning
- Telecommunications equipment or lines
- Other applicable equipment
- Delays imposed by customs authorities
Of course, the time frame is measured based on the published delivery standards.
Service Exceptions to the Guarantee
Keep in mind that the On-Time Delivery Guarantee isn’t applicable to all of Canada Post’s services. For instance, the Regular Parcel™ service isn’t included.
Return Service Labels are Not Included
Oh, and you should also know that Return to Sender Items and those that are shipped using Return Service Labels are not included in the On-Time Delivery Guarantee policy.
Factors Affecting the Guarantee
The On-Time Delivery Guarantee is based on normal delivery conditions and may be subject to change without prior notice. It may also be modified during peak seasons. For timely updates regarding these crucial changes, you can visit Canada Post’s Notice Page.
Finally, it’s very important to note that unforeseen conditions and events beyond Canada Post’s control can suspend the On-Time Delivery Guarantee. These events include:
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Extreme Weather Conditions
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Epidemics
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Acts of Terrorism
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Labor Disruptions
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Flight/Ferry Delays or Cancellations
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Customs or Regulatory Authorities
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Acts of God
Am I Eligible to Claim Refunds?
Remember this — You can only request a refund due to late delivery if the package has been shipped using one of Canada Post’s services that’s supported by the On-Time Delivery Guarantee.
For Canada, these services include Priority™, Xpresspost™, and Expedited Parcel™. While for packages sent outside of Canada, these services include Priority™ Worldwide and Xpresspost™.
Giving Up a Golden Guarantee? Think Again
Yes, the On-Time Delivery Guarantee is indeed a valuable policy that’s very useful for businesses and companies like yours.
But here’s the thing — some Canada Post representatives might suggest that you give it up! Why? Well, to understand the reasons behind this, you first need to realize the true intentions of your representative.
During negotiations, what do you think is your rep’s main goal?
Is it to ensure that you’re a happy and satisfied client?
To ship the maximum number of parcels from your business with Canada Post?
Or to get the greatest possible margin from you?
Ideally, everything I mentioned above is the goal of your representative. How do I know? Well, we talked to Canada Post representatives.
What makes it even better is that we actually interviewed a former Senior Executive of a Canadian shipping carrier. And guess what? He confirmed everything!
So now that we know your rep’s main objectives, why does he want you to give up the On-Time Delivery Guarantee? Is it because he has a “better deal” just for you? Or does he have something else in mind that would benefit his personal sake?
Most of the time, it’s the latter. So be careful, and think again before you accept that offer!
The Hidden Agenda: Uncovered
What you probably didn’t know is that Canada Post representatives have an income target every year. If they succeed in achieving this target, then they will be rewarded with bonuses and salary increases.
For example — imagine that your rep has an income target of $1 Million worth of packages per year. Now, as one of his clients, let’s say that your business ships 20,000 packages annually. Suppose 4,000 packages were successfully reimbursed to you due to late delivery.
If you think about it — this actually hurts the chances of your rep hitting his income target, right? So now, what he’s going to do is he will try to be “creative” and get your package count as high as possible.
And by being “creative”, what I mean is that he will try to convince you to give up your On-Time Delivery Guarantee. All in the hopes that you will stop claiming refunds for late deliveries and therefore increasing your package count.
Ah, and that right there, is a trap! Trust me, it’s not worth it. It’s kind of like someone offering you to exchange your dime for a shiny penny. As beautiful as a shiny penny may seem, we all know that a dime’s still worth more!
The Costly Lesson: Why Joey Regretted Waiving His On-Time Delivery Guarantee
Now, to further explain the significance of giving up your On-Time Delivery Guarantee, let me tell you a quick story about one of our clients whom we’ll call — Joey.
Joey always wanted to have a good relationship with his rep. So when he was offered a marginally better shipping rate in exchange for waiving the On-Time Delivery Guarantee, he thought it was a win-win situation for his company.
Little did he know, that it was a trap! The representative painted a picture of great savings, and Joey, trusting his rep, signed the waiver — a mistake that he will soon greatly regret.
Before signing the waiver, Joey was having an amazing year with Buster Fetcher® in terms of his shipping savings. We actually helped him save a total of $75,000 worth of refunds!
Now here comes the costly realization — despite being promised better shipping rates, Joey was only able to save a total of $50,000 worth of refunds in a year after waiving the On-Time Delivery Guarantee.
Can you imagine? That’s a HUGE difference of $25,000! The worst part? Joey felt like he was betrayed by his representative, and he will never ever forget it.
Here at Buster Fetcher®, we truly believe that it’s possible for customers to get better rates without sacrificing their On-Time Delivery Guarantee. So whatever happens, make sure to never sign that waiver!
A Win-Win Approach: Ordering the Report
Yes, striving to maintain a good relationship with your rep is really an ideal situation for your business. Especially in the long run!
But hey, it doesn’t mean that you have to lose a lot of money by paying way more than you should. So don’t be afraid to negotiate as hard as you can!
Believe me, we have thousands of customers across Canada who negotiate hard but are still able to maintain a good relationship with their representatives.
Why? The reason is actually simple — it would be a lose-lose situation for your rep to drop you as his client! It’s not a good thing for representatives to lose clients, because it would also mean losing their chances for salary increases and bonuses.
Again, never be afraid to negotiate! Whether you negotiated well or not, the quality of service you’ll receive from Canada Post won’t be affected. Your packages will still be delivered by the same delivery person and processed by Canada Post accordingly.
Having a Good Relationship with Your Representative
But wait, let me just make things clear — I’m not saying that it’s totally okay to have a bad relationship with your representative, no!
What I’m trying to say is that it’s still possible to maintain a good relationship with your rep while ensuring that you get what’s best for your business. Yes, there are several ways to make your representative happy!
Let’s make Roger’s story an example. What do you think would happen if Roger decides to give his rep a $100 bottle of wine every month? Or to treat him and his wife to an all-expenses paid trip every year? Would he like it? Absolutely!
And it totally makes sense! Just compare how much you’ll spend in buying $100 bottles of wine monthly or a $3,000 all-expenses paid trip for two vs. losing $120,000 each year. See? The difference between them is night and day. But hey, some reps might refuse your offer and that’s totally fine as well.
Unlocking the Hidden Value: A Personal Insight from An Industry Expert
Let me just share with you the origin story of Buster Fetcher® and with it, I think you’ll appreciate more the importance of the On-Time Delivery Guarantee.
Yours truly, Matt Lessard, Buster Fetcher’s founder and CEO, got the idea of creating this company from my father. Between the years 2007 and 2010, my father struggled with the challenges of express delivery for his own online store in France.
With this in mind, my father contacted his Canada Post Representative and insisted that all the services he’s using are guaranteed. And there it is! The rep told him that whenever a package was delivered later than promised, all he needed to do was contact Canada Post. Then the shipping fees will be reimbursed.
For many years, my father emphasized the value of making claims. However, I always thought that the process was too complicated and not worth the effort.
But get this — everything changed in 2017 when I encountered a customer complaining about the same thing as my father. When I realized this, I started to track all the late packages and filed complaints to Canada Post.
To my surprise, I discovered that almost 20% of my packages were delivered later than promised! And guess what? All of these were successfully refunded to me.
Let’s just say that every month, 100 out of your 500 packages are delivered late. If you do the math and assume that the average cost of shipping is $20 — you’re looking at a potential saving of $2,000 per month!
As you can see, every delayed package in the world of e-commerce shouldn’t be taken lightly. You have to realize that it’s an opportunity for your business to save money and grow even further!
And hey, you do realize that giving up your On-Time Delivery Guarantee would also mean giving up on these golden opportunities, right?
Conclusion
The bottom line? Never ever waive your On-Time Delivery Guarantee. It's too valuable and precious for your company’s growth to surrender!
Instead of giving up your On-Time Delivery Guarantee, you should learn more and capitalize on it to gain more profits for your business. And that’s exactly where Buster Fetcher® comes in — helping businesses claim refunds for late-delivered packages!
All you have to do is sign up, and we’ll do all the heavy lifting for your company. Don’t worry! It’s completely free. And you will only be charged a small amount when we’ve successfully secured your refunds. A win-win situation indeed, right?
Oh, and in case you’re wondering — this also works for other shipping carriers like FedEx, UPS, and Purolator. Just contact us at 1-844-311-3088 or visit our website https://www.busterfetcher.com/ to learn more. We’ll tell you everything about it in detail.
So, what are you waiting for? Unlock your shipping savings today with Buster Fetcher® and soon, you’ll win the shipping game!
References
- 6 Useful Tips for Dealing with Shipping Delays | Easyship Blog
- Parcel Services Shipping in Canada - On-Time Delivery Guarantee
- General Terms and Conditions
- Air Stage Offices - Overview | Canada Post
- Notices | Canada Post
- Voxware Research Indicates that Consumers Have Little Patience for Incorrect or Late Deliveries, Especially at the Holidays | Business Wire
- The True Cost of Package Delivery Delays - Blog | AuditShipment.com
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