Did you know that Uber, and more specifically Uber Courier, offers mail delivery services? According to the rates specified on the site, you can have a package weighing less than 14 kg delivered within the limits of Montreal in less than three hours for $26.24. A package between Montreal and Granby, however, turns out to be ruinous, with a price of $109.52.
Published at 5:00 a.m.
DHL, UPS and FedEx are companies well known to those used to online commerce. On the other hand, it is rather rare for an individual to use their services themselves to send a parcel, and even rarer for them to be used for a letter. But the service is indeed offered, at higher costs than with Canada Post, but the delivery time is often much faster. Each company has its own list of services, which vary in speed and availability. A half-kilo package between Montreal and Granby, to use our example, can be delivered in one day at a cost varying between $33.90 and $48.50, depending on the websites.
« One shot deal »
Theoretically, nothing prevents an individual from opening an account and sending their package with one of the many services aimed at businesses. At Courrier Plus, in business since 1983 and which has 35 delivery drivers, we do “mainly with SMEs, but we can do business with individuals,” indicates the owner and president, Marie-Josée Vanasse.
“We will not necessarily open an account, it will be a one shot deal. For small envelopes, it will definitely be more expensive than Canada Post. But for packages, if you have a 35 pound box, it adds up quickly with them: it may cost less with us. » His company specializes in the Greater Montreal region, but also offers regional delivery, “with partners”.
Since the strike began, she has not noticed an avalanche of calls from individuals, “a few people calling to find out the prices”. “It’s not out of control, I don’t feel a sense of total panic. Now you can do a lot of things online, there are alternatives. »
The manager of another of these delivery services serving businesses, Clément Sabourin, from Nationex, has good advice for individuals: the site machool.com. It is a comparator associated with 26 delivery services, from DHL to Delivro via Loomis Express, Spring, Uber and Chasseurs Courrier.
“We have access here to all carriers, local or national, in one click and at no cost,” explains Mr. Sabourin. If you want to send something, it’s super affordable, prices are compared between delivery services. » Machool, he recalls, was chosen by the Quebec Retail Council (CQCD) for its online platform Envoi Québec, launched in 2020 and which aims to offer merchants a range of delivery solutions.
