‘I’m not shipping with Canada Post’: Jewelry maker’s lost packages spark outrage

A Grey County business owner is frustrated with Canada Post after seven packages go missing for more than a month. Scott Miller explains.

Genevieve Smolders makes and ships hundreds of pieces of handmade jewelry from her Neustadt, Ont., store HEN + Bear across North America.

Just after Christmas, she had a Boxing Day sale and had a large shipment to customers across the province, which she brought down the street to her Canada Post depot.

“On Dec. 28, I had 10 packages expedited through Canada Post. Seven of which were not delivered,” explained the Grey County business owner.

After a week or two, customers started asking where their orders were. Smolders contacted Canada Post, who said the packages weren’t scanned correctly when she dropped them off, and told her they might not be found.

Fearing the loss of her customers, she remade the jewelry and shipped them out a second time, only to have the first shipments found and delivered on Feb. 6.

“After it was all said and done, I was like, ‘You know what? It’s not my customer’s fault. It’s Canada Post’s fault, and I need to replace their packages or give them their money back.’ All my jewelry is handmade, and it was seven packages and some of the stuff was one of a kind,” said Smolders.

“Some of it takes hours and hours to make. So, this put me out not only hundreds of dollars, but also my time.”

In a statement to CTV News, Canada Post says Smolders’ packages weren’t properly scanned when they were received by Canada Post, which caused them to get lost in the system.

“This was an unfortunate human error. This does provide us with an opportunity to refresh and coach our teams to follow closely our procedures in instances as these. Regardless, we apologize to the customer for their experience,” Canada Post said in a statement.

Canada Post says they’ve refunded Smolders’ postage, which is $10 to $12 per package, but Smolders says she hasn’t received any such refund. She says Canada Post also denied her insurance claim for the cost of the products shipped because she was told she was supposed to physically watch her items be scanned before leaving the drop-off site.

“I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars with Canada Post. And then to have this lady tell me it was my fault was so, so frustrating,” said Smolders.

In the end, Smolders’ packages were delivered, twice, and she is still out hundreds of dollars.

But it will be the last time Canada Post gets her business.

“Out of principle and spite, I’m not shipping with Canada Post,” says Smolders.