Info for the looming Canada Post Strike

[roadrunners123]

So looking more and more that Canada Post will be going on strike, I did call E Bay and asked what would happen if parcels that were sent to Canada that wouldn't arrive until after the strike started, and the rep told me that they would refund the buyer back if the parcel didn't come by the scheduled time. Will be interesting to see how this will all play out with parcels coming from China, or anywhere overseas for that matter. So many questions will arise from this I'm sure. Will anyone in Canada change there selling tactics before July?, or just do the wait and see approach and deal with it on July 5th? 

[momcqueen]

Except some of us weren't closing anyway, and planned to use couriers for domestic shipping, Cash Pickup for local sales, and daytrips south to use USPS for international shipments. It may be more convenient and less expensive to use Canada Post but if CPC isn't available, I'm not going to let that stop me. The big online retailers aren't closing for a mail strike/lockout either.

[skinnyfarmhouse]

Haha!...Im one of those 🙂 Only me as a driver, and one in the office, plus one to fill in for her time off. We love our customers and treat them right, and everyone loves us..its a great place to work 🙂

[skinnyfarmhouse]

Your welcome!...just shedding light on the fact that we are not all alike...where i work, i am the only driver and we have one girl in the office and one to fill in for her...very small place!...we definitely dont fit into the image ALOT of folks have of the post office 🙂 ....I'll hang in there during this mess, because i love my job.

Valeda

[rose-dee]

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@mjwl2006 wrote:

They will simply have to. If a buyer has been warned about slow shipping, they can't leave not-positive feedback for slow shipping any more than someone can complain their Used item was used. 

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Really?  I don't mean to be harsh, but all I can say is, good luck with that.  Honestly, over the years I've come to be extremely cynical about eBay's pronouncements and announcements.  They almost never work in practice after the fact in the way eBay touts them in advance, and it's the seller who is left holding the bag.  That has been especially true where eBay fee revenue/cash flow is concerned.  

As if that history isn't enough, can you imagine the flood of calls to CS after the strike by sellers who remained open, got burned, and are expecting action on eBay's part? 

I agree with Pierre.  EBay is desperately trying not to lose fee revenue if the strike ensues.  These glib assurances don't convince me that it's worth the trouble or the risk to continue to remain open for the few customers who might be willing to pay courier charges, given eBay's history of poor follow-up.  

EBay's stated "seller protection" in such situations has never been guaranteed in reality.  I prefer to protect myself and my hard-earned reputation 100% -- besides, I can use the time for R&D or R&R. 

[pierrelebel]

"I agree with Pierre."

????

What is the world coming to?

[mr.elmwood]

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@pierrelebel wrote:

"I agree with Pierre."

????

What is the world coming to?

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It is coming to you, apparently.

[rose-dee]

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@pierrelebel wrote:

"I agree with Pierre."

 ????

What is the world coming to?

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Oh, now, Pierre, we've agreed on one or two things now and then.  You just have to choose the right subject. 

[momcqueen]

http://globalnews.ca/news/2785577/governments-online-retailers-prepare-as-canada-post-work-stoppage-...

Governments, online retailers prepare as Canada Post work stoppage looms

By Tania Kohut National Online Journalist  Global News 

A labour dispute could see Canada Post service halt next month.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

- A A +

Listen

Canada Post service could come to a screeching halt in July as ongoing contract negotiations make little headway.

Around 50,000 Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) members could be locked out or strike if an agreement is not reached by the end of June.

READ MORE: Postal union expects Liberals to stay out of any labour dispute at Canada Post

RELATED

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A widespread labour disruption would shut down postal service, save for a few exceptions. There is agreement in place to ensure the delivery of “federal socioeconomic cheques: welfare cheques, pension cheques, things like that,” will continue, Hamilton says.

Canada Post has been warning of a work disruption since the beginning of April. Updates to the situation are posted online, including guidelines for dates to send packages and mail to make sure it doesn’t get caught in the system should a work stoppage occur.

Governments have been putting plans in place to deal with the worst-case scenario. The Manitoba government — which mails approximately 50,000 cheques every month — has made arrangements for government cheques and other essential mail to be available for pickup at designated locations.

Read the full article here 

http://globalnews.ca/news/2785577/governments-online-retailers-prepare-as-canada-post-work-stoppage-...

[momcqueen]

More from article above:

Hamilton says online retailers have also been putting contingency plans in place, as Canada Post ships two of every three parcels that Canadians order online.

“We’re still at the table, we’re hopeful we can avoid a work disruption, but we don’t have a deal yet,” said Jon Hamilton, Canada Post spokesperson.

“We’re still committed to trying to get a deal that’s affordable to the corporation, fair to our employees, and doesn’t place a huge burden on our customers.”

Surely both parties can see that by alienating their customer base, those 'two of three parcels' will join the third already delivered else wise. What if I love UPS so much, I don't go back to CPC? 

[cowanscreekantiques]

I just went and cancelled all my listings, I am just a small girl no store or any thing like that. For sure the employees will be locked out to settle past due issues.

My husband is keeping his store open. But just said he would refund all buyers that purchase items off him starting tomorrow as Thursday will be the last delivery day. He sent 4 parcels out today both should be delivered in Canada Wednesday & 2 to the USA should be in the USA by then as well.

This could be a long one (strike) as the Liberal government kind of already addressed Canada Post to resolve the issue & was kind of against the stoppage of door to door delivery. (Remember the election promise) WE WILL RESTORE DOOR TO DOOR POSTAL SERVICE!!!! 

[i.am.vivian]

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@mjwl2006 wrote:

Is it my turn to sing? I like Touch of Grey by The Grateful Dead, it applies to any scenario.

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I'm going to chime in with a song from The Jazz Butcher, Soul Happy Hour, for those who are taking a vacation during the strike or coping with trying to stay open:

The best things in life are free
But you can give them to the SDP
I want to go to Tesco's store
And buy some drink and fall on the floor.

I don't care for smart new clothes
I don't care for reading books
I don't care for Quinn and Collins
I don't care for magazines

I don't like lemonade
I think milk should not be made
I don't like coffee and I don't like tea
These are the things that mystify me

I don't care for sport or swimming
I don't care for all those nasty old bogies
I don't care what's on TV
I just want to drink til I can't see

I wish I'd been born a tree
Someone'd come and make a barrel out of me
I get in a fury when I'm not in a brewery

Whiskey Vodka Special Brew
All of this is good for you
Gin sling, Cointreau, brandy sour...
Blot right out! Soul happy hour!

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't refund to the buyers if their packages are already out and are on the way to them.  I am not willing to lose $$ and items at the same time because of eBay's insane policy!

[blackbird-customs]

hi, i noticed that you reccomnded moving some items from .ca to .com.... do you find that skies your sales? do you have any info on how to change from .ca listings to .com  ? thanks in advance

[reallynicestamps]

In the context of the upcoming possible postal disruption, do NOT try this unless you have a way of getting sold items across the border to be sent on by USPS, whether to the USA or internationally.

But there is a (terrible no good very bad) Migration Tool that pretends to do this for you.

Or close you eBaydotCA listings one by one, moving as you do the description to a text document.

Then go to dotCOM and open a new listing pasting in the description from your text document.

If you saved your pictures, add those too. If not you will have to make them again.

When you list on dotCOM, again for the duration of the postal disruption, do NOT allow shipping to Canada. They won't get through.

USA and overseas only.

Rmember any member can list on any site, provided she ships to that location.

There is more to it, but your post is somewhat OT.

[fort2b]

No progress.  But interestingly, no 72 hour notices have been issued by either the union or CP.  That means no strike or lockout could begin before Sunday.

I wonder how serious the union is about striking.  Are their members really prepared to give up 2 or 3 months income each ($10,000-$14,000) to fight for somebody else's pension?  And there is no guarantee CP would give in anyway.  They will never even come close to recovering the financial losses of a protracted strike or lockout, regardless how favourable a settlement they end up getting..

CP is in the driver's seat.  They can easily withstand a 2 or 3 month lockout/strike.  Summer is the slowest time of year, they often lose money anyway.  Plus Chopra has a juicy 5 year $2.5 million contract.  He still gets paid during a lockout/strike and will feel zero pain (or sympathy as hundreds, perhaps thousands of small businesses go belly up).

The Liberal gov't has reiterated that it will not table legislation to end any strike or lockout.   It could go on a very, very long time, to the detriment of the entire nation.  With the economy already weakened by the plunge in oil prices, the last thing needed is a significant disruption like this.

[dutchman48]

Wait till Ebay does it for you after escalation and you get an unresolved dispute strike. A few of those and you will not longer have to worry about any policies or non policies.

[rose-dee]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

In the context of the upcoming possible postal disruption, do NOT try this unless you have a way of getting sold items across the border to be sent on by USPS, whether to the USA or internationally.

But there is a (terrible no good very bad) Migration Tool that pretends to do this for you.

Or close you eBaydotCA listings one by one, moving as you do the description to a text document.

Then go to dotCOM and open a new listing pasting in the description from your text document.

If you saved your pictures, add those too. If not you will have to make them again.

When you list on dotCOM, again for the duration of the postal disruption, do NOT allow shipping to Canada. They won't get through.  USA and overseas only.

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I thought I'd mention that I devised a somewhat simple way to manually migrate my listings that is a bit different from the above, and may be faster.  

I open eBay.com in one browser, eBay.ca in another, keeping them both slightly minimized but so that I can see both on my laptop screen.  I then end each eBay.ca listing (one at a time as I work), open it up on browser A, start the new listing on .com on browser B with the normal SYI form, then simply cut and paste the whole description section and whatever other text I can from browser A to browser B.  

The rest of the bits (like flat shipping prices, some details of Item Specifics, etc.) I have to enter manually on browser B on .com.  

Pictures are a bit more fiddly, but rather than taking the photos all over again, I open each one from the old, ended eBay.ca listing, where I can right-click and save each as a .jpeg image in a folder on my laptop.  Once I have the whole group of photos saved, I switch over to browser B (.com listing), pull up the gallery section and upload my pictures as usual.  

I hope this helps some who have not yet started moving to .com because of the fear of errors with the Migration Tool.  Personally, having read all the issues and problems sellers are having, I wouldn't trust the Migration Tool as far as I could throw it.  In my view, sellers with less than a few hundred listings are better off trusting themselves. 

Incidentally, although I haven't actually tried it yet, Pierre says it is possible to move listings around (from .ca to .com or vice-versa), create new listings, and revise old ones, without any of this being visible to anyone but the store owner, while a store is "on vacation" with listings hidden -- but of course only for sellers who actually have a store.  I would imagine normal listing fees continue to apply, even if the listings are all hidden. 

Your suggestion about limiting shipping options on .com to exclude Canada during the strike (for those who have access to USPS) is a good alternative for those lucky sellers close to the border.  I suppose services like Chit Chat who deliver over the border to USPS will also be having a field day as a result of the CP strike. 

[indiansummernights]

I doubt the liberal government will let it go on for a very long time. If the union and CP don't come to an agreement within a month, they will likely change their mind and intervene because Justin Trudeau would look completely incompetent as Prime Minister if he did nothing as the economy declined and the liberal government wouldn't stand a chance of getting re-elected. 

[ypdc_dennis]

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@indiansummernights wrote:

I doubt the liberal government will let it go on for a very long time. If the union and CP don't come to an agreement within a month, they will likely change their mind and intervene because Justin Trudeau would look completely incompetent as Prime Minister if he did nothing as the economy declined and the liberal government wouldn't stand a chance of getting re-elected. 

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I don't remember seeing anything about the Liberals doing back-to-work or not doing back-to-work. I remember newspapers spinning the non-answers into sort-of facts.  So, I suspect it will come up if there is a long lockout/strike.

As for re-election: one year ago saying the Liberals would form the next government would have branded you as a die-hard-Liberal. Saying that the Liberals would get a majority would put you in the lunatic fringe.

The next federal election does not have to happen until 2020 so the effects of this dispute will be minor, there will be lots of other issues to make or break a party.

-..-

[orphanitems]

Dutchman48 -

Too Bad you don't realize this is NOT a Strike - it is the Canada Post Management that is about to LOCK OUT the Workers - instead of staying at the table to work out the issues!