Royal Mail offer "Tracked and Signed" to Canada:

https://www.royalmail.com/canada

Canada Post say the original tracking number can be used:

https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/kb/...ubcat=tracking

Parcels usually leave the UK within a couple of days, Royal Mail tracker shows this. Royal Mail website has a link to the Canada Post website but tracking information isn't actually shown by Canada Post. Expected that parcels will "disappear" for a while while they go though customs but according to Canada Post any tracking number starting with an "RN" (seems to be the Royal Mail format) cannot be tracked in Canada. Is this correct?

I don't know for certain, but I made the mistake of sending our spousal sponsorship pack by Royal Mail / Canada Post. Don't do it! Tracks good as gold by RM until it gets on the plane. Disappeared for 3 weeks until Canada Post said 'delivered' - left me sh*tting myself for 3 weeks.

Recommend using FEDEX / UPS / DHL etc.

Tracking also has a habit of dropping for things mailed between the UK and USA - I wouldn't trust the postal service in either direction, for anything that I wanted to be able to track from door to door. FedEx, UPS, or DHL are the only carriers I would trust, not least because there is no "hand-off" between one country and another.

Have had no problems with tracking in either direction. There's usually a couple of days where it stalls (customs) but then the tracking number picks up again and shows its last location and status.

You can use the RM number in the Canada Post website, and vice versa (once it hits that country and clears).

What are the options/costs with the other courier companies for sending parcels eg a 2 kg item from the UK to Canada?

One of the items left the UK on 5 Feb, tracking message on the CP website says:

Unfortunately, the number you entered is not in our tracking system.

You entered a valid number, but we are not able to show the tracking information for one of the following reasons:

• The item is in transit, but we haven't yet received it from the sender
• The item is coming from another country and is not in Canada yet. Track it on the postal website of the originating country first.
• The item was shipped more than a year ago
• The sender chose a service that doesn't include tracking

Please note that this is the most up-to-date information available in our system. Our customer service representatives have access to the same information presented here. If a tracking number is not in our system, our customer service representatives are not able to provide any further details.

Your package evidently suffered some kind of issue. I'm telling you for a fact that it usually works, and has done for me many many times. Call Canada Post and get them to start an investigation. What does the RM tracker say?

Royal Mail tracker says: "Your item is now leaving the UK. More information will be available when it arrives in the destination country." Same message since 5 Feb. Other parcel posted 2 days letter shows the same message.

I've had untracked parcels previously turning up after 4-5 weeks just when I was on the point of initiating a claim. Was hoping getting these tracked and signed would improve this but maybe it makes no difference.

CP chat operator today was adament that a tracking number starting with a "RN" like the numbers provided by Royal Mail couldn't be tracked in Canada. Why would CP start an investigation when according to them they've never received it?

Is it possible it was sent by boat? That's the cheapest option UK to Canada, and it takes weeks once it leaves the UK and arrives in Canada before the tracker updates. I did this once by mistake, never again.

I had my passport returned via registered mail (from Ireland) and the tracking stopped working once it left Ireland. I called Canada Post numerous times and the conclusion I came to is that CP do track these items on an internal system only and this system is not accessible to the public. (I did mange to get one agent who did check the internal system and did confirm it had arrived in Canada).

They are obligated to track registered items from international countries but they are under no obligation to make this information available to the public. If you suspect the item has gone missing the only way to track it down is to get the sender to submit a trace request to Royal Mail

You could always google it. It would have cost me about £30 more then Royal Mail, but peanuts in the scheme of things.

That may no longer be possible to Canada, as I believe "surface shipping" has been discontinued to the US.

International Economy is still available from Royal Mail, UK to Canada, and takes 6-12 weeks. If OP was sent a parcel via this route, it's going to be a long time before his tracking number updates!

Is the tracking preface by RN or RM??

It's probably held up at customs and hasn't got into the CP system yet.