Canada Post and Lettermail packaging

I have a seller account on Amazon that I use to get rid of things I no longer use... mostly textbooks. So I'm at Canada Post kind of frequently and I always package my books the same way - in kraft paper. Whenever the books are small enough to be sent as lettermail, I do that.

But today I went with a small book wrapped up in kraft paper and the lady at the counter said that, since it wasn't in an envelope, it was considered a parcel and would be quite a bit more expensive to mail. I thought that was very odd, because why would CP care how the piece of mail is wrapped? It's all just paper, isn't it? I mean, if I really wanted to, I could fashion an envelope out of kraft paper, make a little flap and voila - it's not a parcel any more.

I didn't want to argue since the lady was very nice so I bought a 10-cent envelope and stuffed the book in there. But I'll be going to a different location next time. It just seemed so odd to me, so I came here to ask if anyone else has had the same issue, and to type my little spiel. ;)

I had this happen, too, at Christmastime and I just put a book in an envelope instead. I guess they just have their rules....

Unfortunately you got a postal service worker who doesn't know what their doing. It DOES NOT have to be in an envelope as long as it meets the size requirements.

(I do a ton of ebay shipping)

I find sometimes you get postal workers who don't know all the rules and kind of made their own. Just like the one postal worker here who didnt know that small packet for stuff other then lettermail can go to the USA cheaer Lmao!

I think some of them are just crazy. I ship boxes of parcels to my family for X-mas, and use CP all the time. My dad thought he would try CP, as he always used a different service. First time they told him that he had to have the whole box wrapped in kraft paper. (this box was a big box to, the kind you get the whole case of toilet paper or something in) I told him no I don't do that, just tape it up really good. So he went somewhere different, and voila off it went. So long story short, I think some of them are crazy lol.

It's probably just the level of training that some employees have over others.

I always have trouble using the postal outlets in 7-11. Once the lady charged me $54 dollars to priority send a parcel to nz. She said boat delivery was ~25 dollars, but I wanted it sent by air.
I dunno what she plugged into her register wrong, but it definately went by boat and it definitely wasn't sent priority. The package arrived FOUR AND HALF MONTHS later, after I had thought it was lost forever (and there were water stains along one edge.)

Now I go to the real post office if I can. The people there seem a lot more knowledgeable (if a bit less friendly.)