eBay

momcqueen · ‎12-08-2018

https://globalnews.ca/news/4741376/canada-post-delays-holidays-charities/

“Canadian charities are calling on Canada Post to expedite deliveries, saying delays are causing trouble for their holiday plans.

“Imagine Canada, an umbrella company that encompasses the country’s charities and nonprofit organizations, explained that the holiday season is “critical” for organizations trying to help those in need....

“....MacDonald said that is the advice many charities are giving Canadians as well — to go digital this year — but it’s complicated.

“‘Seventy-four per cent of all receipted donations now come from people who are 50 years of age and over and in fact 30 per cent come from people who are 70 and over. This is a group that feels most comfortable with mailing in their contribution.’”

reallynicestamps · ‎12-09-2018

Do they mean their donor base is not mailing the cheques or do they mean they won't get the cheques until January?

I don't doubt that my population tranche are more comfortable with mailing a cheque than sending a donation online, but I wish you kids would remember that Bill Gates is 63.

momcqueen · ‎12-09-2018

@reallynicestamps wrote:
Do they mean their donor base is not mailing the cheques or do they mean they won't get the cheques until January?

I think a little bit of both. Donors leery of using lettermail at the moment and then worry by those who do that it won't arrive before end-of-year?

I was looking at it in terms of the ripple effect.

Canada Post is widely recognized as being backlogged so small online sellers like those on ebay and etsy are affected; small business is affected, and charities are affected. Consumers too are affected because they cannot confidently make their online purchases and be assured they will receive them in time to gift on Dec 24 (or even sooner) depending on family schedules.

Also couriers are growing increasingly backlogged as well because the large retailers have for the most part shifted all their important shipments away from Canada Post for the present. (At least that's what I'm seeing as a consumer.)

And then I have an order for more boxes from a local supplier on hold at the moment and until the postal situation resolves itself so then shipping suppliers are also affected.

The ladies who work at my local retail counter -- the authorized postal dealer nearest me -- are seeing fewer mailings so their numbers of shifts aren't keeping pace with what they would normally count on at this time of year.

I see an impact that has grown beyond the surface of labour action by CUPW and I'm sure that what I've identified is merely scratching at that surface too.

It's an interesting look into the Big Picture, I think, when you can start to see new issues emerging from a problematic situation. There's probably an economic term for this but I wouldn't know what it is.

momcqueen · ‎12-09-2018

Like, if my cheque to donate to the local soup kitchen doesn't reach its recipient by Dec 24 does that mean they must serve fewer meals at Christmas to their clients of underfed homeless people? Does the ripple of labour action by CUPW reach that far? It would be interesting to discern. There is probably no more vulnerable person in society to be affected than the homeless.

With sales suffering as a lingering result of job action, for example, my personal capacity to give to my non-profits of choice is restricted. What short- and long-term impact does that have? If I cannot afford to give new, unwrapped toys this year to my local women's shelter, does that mean someone else will do it in my stead or will those children go without? I suspect the latter if the reach is as wide as I suspect. The box seller isn't selling me boxes so he cannot afford to do it and the ladies working at the drug store postal counter aren't getting the shifts they need so they cannot afford to do it....