Preparing for a Canadian Border shutdown

[sin-n-dex]

I'm not sure how likely this is, because there's lots of rumours going around. But there's discussion of possibly shutting down the Canada-USA border (from our government).

This puts me in an awkward selling position since I ship to the US, and if ChitChats can't bring my parcels over they will be stuck in Canada until it's lifted.

So to prepare for this (and not alarm my customers), I'm selling as normal. Informing everyone of the courier (which is typical to do the day they purchase so they know why it's taking days to ship). If there's a border shutdown, I'll inform everyone promptly that this affects my courier (my packages could even be stuck with the courier if there isn't much notice given).

I'll keep funds available and be prepared to refund anyone who doesn't want to wait for this to be sorted out.

The good news is, I have lots of very good and quite reasonable customers that are understanding of the challenges of shipping to USA from Canada and using a service to offer domestic shipping rates that are competitive with other USA sellers. So I don't expect a problem.

In all fairness, I get a nasty message only a few times a year from someone who didn't read my notes, or who was right on top of the tracking and saw it took a few days between printing the label and reaching the post office. The last customer (that I wrote about earlier this week) has not contacted me since the tracking started to show up online (and he was provided with the courier's link as proof they were doing something with his package before it arrived in Niagara).

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

Guess I could work for Deliveroo or DoorDash - my bike has a trailer and I have a strong set of lungs.  Albertson's is hiring delivery people and I actually saw a Safeway truck in our little dead-end road (no one in my road is elderly or ill, so I hope that neighbour is just being cautious instead of having to be quarantined).  There may be some opportunities there for people needing work to make ends meet right now.

Failing that I'd either go on a bike tour or clean out the basement. 

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The personal shopper carts were out in full force at Superstore at lunchtime. I'm not sure if we offer delivery service for food here in Canada (at least not around here), but you can order what you want and go and pick it up.

I have a network with friends that if one of us gets sick or quarantined, we will bring food and leave it at their front door. My partner lives 40 miles from the city and wouldn't be able to drive to a store if he's sick, so I check in with him every day to see if there's anything he needs.

C.

[picknparley]

I think with the schools closing people are realizing they'll need food at home for the kiddos. People that will telecommute will be eating at home, too.  If they can stock up and stay home, then the plan works.  The stores were not prepared for this and really failed their communities by not imposing quantity limits. 

It's just sad to see how selfish some people are - after all, who needs 4 CASES of hand sanitizer? The Dollar Store buyer's response was: I go through a bottle every 2 weeks!  So, okay, she now has enough for several years - but her friends and neighbors don't get any to get through the next month.  And she saw nothing wrong with this. I came home and sent an email to $ General corporate insisting they put ethics over profit and impose limits. It's crazy that any business has to put limits on their products, but people themselves don't know how to behave.

[sin-n-dex]

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@picknparley wrote:

I think with the schools closing people are realizing they'll need food at home for the kiddos. People that will telecommute will be eating at home, too.  If they can stock up and stay home, then the plan works.  The stores were not prepared for this and really failed their communities by not imposing quantity limits. 

It's just sad to see how selfish some people are - after all, who needs 4 CASES of hand sanitizer? The Dollar Store buyer's response was: I go through a bottle every 2 weeks!  So, okay, she now has enough for several years - but her friends and neighbors don't get any to get through the next month.  And she saw nothing wrong with this. I came home and sent an email to $ General corporate insisting they put ethics over profit and impose limits. It's crazy that any business has to put limits on their products, but people themselves don't know how to behave.

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This reminds me of when I'm considerate and "leave some for someone else", and then when I need more and go back, they're all gone because someone took them all. (It was towelette wipes on a Greyhound bus, I had assumed there would be some the next time I used the restroom because there were lots, and most people don't go on the bus. An hour later a woman took them all. People were going up to her to ask her for a wipe.)

C.

[luckythewinner]

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@sin-n-dex wrote:

But there's discussion of possibly shutting down the Canada-USA border (from our government).

This puts me in an awkward selling position since I ship to the US, and if ChitChats can't bring my parcels over they will be stuck in Canada until it's lifted.

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If they do close the border, I suspect they will give a day or two of notice so that Canadians in the USA can come home, and vice-versa. 

That should give you enough time to ship your last packages and edit your listings. 

[sin-n-dex]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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@sin-n-dex wrote:

But there's discussion of possibly shutting down the Canada-USA border (from our government).

This puts me in an awkward selling position since I ship to the US, and if ChitChats can't bring my parcels over they will be stuck in Canada until it's lifted.

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If they do close the border, I suspect they will give a day or two of notice so that Canadians in the USA can come home, and vice-versa. 

That should give you enough time to ship your last packages and edit your listings. 

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Two problems...

1. It's a two day process for me to get them out to the courier and have them get to the border, so there might not be enough notice to get everything out (but everything is going out Monday morning, so hopefully that will be OK)

2. My courier can stop services regardless of when the border shuts down. I can't afford to ship them for $16-18 in postage from Canada for each package.

C.

[luckythewinner]

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1. It's a two day process for me to get them out to the courier and have them get to the border, so there might not be enough notice to get everything out (but everything is going out Monday morning, so hopefully that will be OK)

If in your hypothetical situation you hypothetically do not get enough notice, then you may have to hypothetically refund one day's worth of packages. 

2. My courier can stop services regardless of when the border shuts down. I can't afford to ship them for $16-18 in postage from Canada for each package.

You don't have to pay $16-$18 in postage;  you can charge a shipping fee to your buyer and make them pay it. If that makes your listings uncompetitive and no one buys from you, then you won't have to worry about shipping anymore.

[patd3283]

Have you figured out why they decided to move this post?

[femmefan1946]

Mexico has 12 cases.

Well, not exactly.

Mexico has identified 12 cases.

Without testing, it is difficult to impossible to know how many have caught CORVID-19,  and how many are panicking over a cold or the this year's version of the flue (which has killed some 8.200 Americans out of 15,000,000 cases).

However, viruses including corvid-19 and flu, are destroyed by UV light, so Mexicans may be partly protected just by being in a warmer climate where they are outdoors more.

Ottawa, Canada has set up a drive through testing centre at the Civic campus of the Ottawa Hospital.

We're inVictoria BC, which has a large contingent of retired elderly. (DH has a centenarian bridge partner, for example.) He was in our doctor's clinic today and by noon they had stopped taking walkins, and were only seeing by appointment. Normally, without an appointment a walkin is seen within an hour. Victoria BC, which has a large contingent of retired elderly. (DH has a centenarian bridge partner, for example.)

Here's PM Trudeau's press conference today about his wife's illness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjEgtT98jqk

It's a bit long, because he repeats everything in both English and French.  But he does mention that the kids are also home from school and playing Legos.

[sakic92710]

I am truly fed up with the overreaction to the coronavirus.  There are 7.8 billion people & 145,000+ reported cases.  It is not a killer virus any more so than the common flu.  It isn't the plague from the 1300s!!  Of the closed cases, 93% have recovered.  This does not count the people who had it, didn't know & were cured by their own bodies.  So, the recovery rate is probably 3-4% higher. I'm not going to change a single aspect of my life.   A HIGH percentage of the people affected are in China, Italy & Iran.  3 countries.  Yes - it isn't safe for the elderly (mostly).  The elderly should stay indoors & out of crowds.   Do people in their 20s 30s 40s need to lose work or have their lives almost put on hold for this?  Nope.  It is dangerous - for some.  The way peanuts are dangerous - for some.  1/2 of the population isn't going to be wiped out by this.  PS - I was washing my hands long before this came around.  You??  lol

[picknparley]

You're most certainly entitled to your opinion, but if you won't listen to the health experts, who will you listen to?  The idea that 20, 30, 40 year olds can just ignore all this and go about their merry way is selfishly incorrect. Nobody is invincible. Even you. 🙂

And even if you don't get sick, you have no right to risk the health and well being of your family, friends, co-workers, etc.  Please, just go with the flow and be careful. That's all. This is temporary and it's important we all do our parts. 

And here's another thought to consider - if we do a bad job of stopping the spread now it will have the opportunity to reappear again in the Fall.  Do you want to go through all this again?  

Just be patient and if you're young and healthy - be helpful. 

[johnrj1226]

@picknparley 

You are spot on.  When one simply states that the elderly, over 60, should stay indoors & avoid crowds as they are most vulnerable, they are referring to about 68 million+ people in the US .  Wonder how they will get their food, prescriptions etc.  Maybe the young guns should offer to help for little or no compensation.

 Wife & I are  '44 & '45 models.  We are fortunate that our son lives close & has offered to help but many do not have family that will or can.

[mudshark61369]

@sin-n-dex,

I was at a small B'day gathering last night and asked a friend who works in the Detroit office of Homeland Security, if the Detroit - Windsor border would be closed to vehicular traffic.   His answer was that there were no imminent plans to do so but the office was notified to be prepared for the possibility.  He also said that he didn't think the whole border would be closed, but some cities might see a closure if there was an increased outbreak regionally.  He also said they were to schedule classes for agents to learn how to use the quick temperature gauging devices which were to be delivered by Monday, which could be used to turn away anyone running a fever. If I have a chance later I'll call him and ask if there are plans to hold up cross border mail/package deliveries. 

[disneyshopper]

My hubby and I are in our 70's.  We usually go to a breakfast and a lunch buffet during the week.  After thinking about how many people touch those serving spoons, we decided that was probably not a good idea.  Our last outing was to a Denny's on Friday, and we have since decided NOT to go out to any restaurants for the next 2 weeks.  We have plenty of food in our freezer and can definitely wait this out for several weeks.

I live less than 4 miles from Disneyland, and they are closing their doors as of today.  Those poor tourists who have paid lots of $$$ and now many venues with over 250 capacity will be closed or have their events postponed.  Many businesses will be impacted, but I think it's a good idea to be cautious and safe.

[sin-n-dex]

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@mudshark61369 wrote:

@sin-n-dex,

I was at a small B'day gathering last night and asked a friend who works in the Detroit office of Homeland Security, if the Detroit - Windsor border would be closed to vehicular traffic.   His answer was that there were no imminent plans to do so but the office was notified to be prepared for the possibility.  He also said that he didn't think the whole border would be closed, but some cities might see a closure if there was an increased outbreak regionally.  He also said they were to schedule classes for agents to learn how to use the quick temperature gauging devices which were to be delivered by Monday, which could be used to turn away anyone running a fever. If I have a chance later I'll call him and ask if there are plans to hold up cross border mail/package deliveries. 

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Thanks for sharing that.

My courier uses the Niagara Border (Lewiston I think) for their packages. They might go to another one to keep providing service to customers. Glad to hear it's not the whole border, and if memory serves from times the border has been closed, it's been for a very short time.

C.

[bulkcover]

This is a true problem indeed if Canada-USA border is getting **bleep** down.

But most likely this could be a ban for regular transport routes (bus / train connection). The border should be open for people living near, so they could visit their relatives and friends that side the border...

What exactly does the warning note (if issued) say about the shutdown?