Slow mail service

[sakic92710]

I certainly wish buyers would understand, due to the virus, mail has slowed down; especially when it is crossing the border.  Already gave 2 refunds this week & have another buyer looking for their mail because it is **1** day late according to eBay's schedule.   I know long term buyers understand this & it's always the new members who can't figure it out.  eBay should not be predicting mail delivery right now.  Good luck to us all.    🙂   

[slippinjimmy]

Do you help new buyers by informing of potential delays when you ship?

I sell lots of International, I have lots of delayed deliveries but I'm not getting inquires from my buyers, they are all patient and perhaps it's because I send every buyer a detailed notice about potential delays.

The notices I send to buyers are not a new thing, I've always done that, the notices now contain specific information relative to the buyer location.

I also have an extended handling time and use generic shipping services so that the estimated delivery windows are reasonable even at this time.

[sin-n-dex]

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@sakic92710 wrote:

I certainly wish buyers would understand, due to the virus, mail has slowed down; especially when it is crossing the border.  Already gave 2 refunds this week & have another buyer looking for their mail because it is **1** day late according to eBay's schedule.   I know long term buyers understand this & it's always the new members who can't figure it out.  eBay should not be predicting mail delivery right now.  Good luck to us all.    🙂   

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I had one buyer become completely unglued and messaged me some 50 times after he purchased the item. He expected me to walk across the Niagara Bridge the very next day and hand it over to USPS. 

I told him the following things in my various replies (I generally don't ignore a buyer who had purchased, just so I have done everything I could to make things right):

1. I live 100 miles from the border

2. The border is closed to pedestrian traffic

3. It takes 24 hours for the package to go from my house to Chit Chats (the courier, I supplied him with their link but he kept telling me it was asking him to log in... I have no idea what he was trying to do but he didn't follow the link)

4. Chit Chats is really slow right now with processing mail

5. Social distancing in my province is not making it possible for the entire company to work full time

6. Chit Chats said they delivered your package to Niagara NY and there are delays with getting it scanned

7. Yes I know you think you are getting packages quickly, but all my sources are telling me due to COVID-19 there are Christmas like conditions at the post office without being fully staffed, and they are behind in processing mail.

I must have told him I live in Canada a dozen times, and kept saying "I don't understand why you can't walk down to USPS and hand it to them and make them scan it right now".

Sheesh. I never had anyone become so unglued about getting a coin/token, at least not any time recently.

In the end he left me positive feedback and said he's a happy customer. I will point out though that once USPS in Niagara finally got around to scanning his package, I didn't hear another peep from him until the package arrived (which he sent me a message to let me know).

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

Do you help new buyers by informing of potential delays when you ship?

I sell lots of International, I have lots of delayed deliveries but I'm not getting inquires from my buyers, they are all patient and perhaps it's because I send every buyer a detailed notice about potential delays.

The notices I send to buyers are not a new thing, I've always done that, the notices now contain specific information relative to the buyer location.

I also have an extended handling time and use generic shipping services so that the estimated delivery windows are reasonable even at this time.

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I've added a couple of sentences in my standard "I live in Canada and the cross border courier pick up is Monday" message to let them know that Chit Chats is very behind in processing mail.

It's not just CCE that's behind, but FedEx took three days to deliver a package 150 miles from me (when it's always been one day, except maybe around Christmas time). And when CCE has it, it's taking them 2 or 3 days to process it. I understand they are having people working later hours and on days they are closed to try and get caught up, but they can't have everyone working at the exact same time.

Canada Post told me they are behind in mail processing too (heard this from my local postmaster when I shipped out my Canadian packages earlier in the week).

I've cancelled international mail unless I'm contacted for an exception (where I can explain the delays first, rather than after they buy the item). I did a few international packages for people who contacted me. They were minor items, I didn't think it would do any harm. That was over a month ago, haven't heard anything from the buyers.

C.

[jennsmall7605]

I have given 7 refunds and have gotten two defects 
I no longer do international and mail priority only

but mail is still getting stalled and buyers are getting their refunds

should I close until this gets fixed?!?!?!

HELP!?!?

[typintracy2000]

I’ve had several packages that are stalled. It’s not just the coronavirus but the new postmaster general. Seems my packages to California have been delayed. Like over a month delayed. Here’s the internal memo that was sent by the new postmaster. Looks like this thing is bigger than us!

https://context-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/default/documents/cb927dbc-fff9-4915-904e-fe1d2f20...