International shipping delays due to Covid19

[cccentral]

This questions is for buyers and sellers.  What are some of your experiences currently due to the new increase in Covid19 flare up in testing positive in deaths overseas.   I am a seller on Ebay and would like to know current shipping experiences internationally.  I am in U.S. California.   I have a few of packages completely lost and or delayed with no movement.  I have buyers originally agreeing to delay notices but the ones that exceed the estimated ship dates are now asking for refunds or filing not receive claims.  Ebay seems not helpful to resolve.  I gave up on a couple of these packages and gave full refunds as to not exhaust anymore of my personal time on the cheaper value packages.  Based on Ebays response it is "cost of doing business".  I have a package valued at $1500 stuck in the USPS system.  USPS clearly states there will be not guarantee on ship times.  This package has been shipped Express mail to France on December 4.  It was somehow shipped to and stuck in Canada for two weeks then ship back to California? Now it has finally made it to French land.  Again no movement. 

Have many of you stopped shipping internationally? Or have you continued to ship internationally?  Does it help to use Ebay international shipping option? Please let me experience and any advice.  Thank you and be safe.  cccentral

[slippinjimmy]

Postal backlogs exist EVERWHERE, a great deal of the delay is due to the lack of air cargo capacity as result of thousands of cancelled flights.

My international orders to many countries are taking two or three times as long as the old normal. Some countries, mostly in the EU, have been arriving fairly fast in recent weeks.

I use consolidators exclusively, no USPS shipping for me other than domestic, I'm not sure it's that much faster but I know for sure it is much cheaper.

The eBay arranged International shipping (not GSP) is a similar service to what I use but too expensive for me to use since I can get lower rates elsewhere and I don't have to pay to send it all the way to the coast depot first.

If you are wondering, yes I have had a couple go missing but my biggest loss through the Covid times has been a domestic shipment.......the first one I've had in 20 years.