Canada Post FlexDelivery: Review Appendant

This is second installment of (or shall we say a supplementary to) my earlier blog about Canada Post’s FlexDelivery feature.

After experimenting with some packages, delivered to my local post office, from different sellers I have come to the conclusion that unless a package is trackable with a tracking number, FlexDelivery system will not email you to notify that your package is ready for pick up at the post office.

Someone has mentioned in one of the comments under my previous blog on this topic that the packages ordered from abroad are not being notified about via email when they are at the chosen post office. In my experience, most sellers who send packages overseas – across the border in case of most of the US – they use the cheapest modes of shipping, which, in most cases, do not offer a tracking number; even if they do it is useful only within the country of origin of the shipment. The barcodes from other countries are not scanned by Canada Post.

My guess would be that if an overseas seller uses an expensive or more reliable shipping method, there is a good chance that FlexDelivery will notify the buyer about the arrival of his or her packages.

In my observation, when a good (read expensive) shipping method is used by a seller abroad, the parcels sent so, once they enter Canada, are given Canada Post’s own tracking number barcodes which will be scanned, unlike those issued outside Canada, at the time of delivery to the post office of buyer’s choice.

To put it simply, if your package is trackable in Canada, FlexDelivery will notify you by email about its arrival at your PO Box address. Otherwise you are liable to potentially lose your long awaited parcel if you do not obsessively keep checking with your post office either in person or by phone.

Canada Post FlexDelivery: Early Review

In early May 2015, Canada Post introduced a new parcel delivery feature which has been dubbed FlexDelivery. It is simple enough and cheap enough – it’s free – that it can easily attract a huge following among online shoppers… IF it works.
Don’t get me wrong. It works but only 50%. At least that is the case in my experience.
FlexDelivery is very similar to buying a mailbox in your local post office but it’s free and it has better perks.

• You sign up for FlexDelivery online at www.canadapost.ca.
• You choose post offices that you would like to pick up your parcels at. You get a different address for you for each post office. Each address will have a P.O. Box in it.
• Instead of your own address, you use one of your post office addresses for receiving parcels.
• Once your parcel is at the post office ready to be picked up, you get an email alert.

I am of the view that for FlexDelivery to work two things have to happen.

1. Your parcel has to get to your chosen post office. CHECK
2. You should be able to pick up your package at that post office. MEH

To be able to pick up your package at the post office you should be notified first that it is there. You see, in my case, I never did get that notification that was supposed to be emailed to me.

I checked my email daily, kind of obsessively, to no avail. Called Canada Post a couple times. They gave me no reason FlexDelivery might be at fault.

Finally, one day, I walked into my local post office and poured my heart out. The little old lady at the counter looked at my ID, without saying anything, walked into the storage room behind her and came out with a parcel with my name on it. It was revealed to me that the much coveted package had been there for an entire week.

I called Canada Post and inquired as to why I had not received any emails as promised by their website. I have been told that I am the first person, who has had problem with email feature of FlexDelivery.

Now I am thinking I am probably the first person who has signed up for FlexDelivery. I never signed up to be a beta tester of a pilot project.

Did I mention you have to persuade your shipper to use regular mail and not one of the couriers like Purolator, UPS, FedEx or DHL?

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See also:

Sequel of above post: Canada Post FlexDelivery: Review Appendant