Canada Post Strike

[salvadord]

I am a little confused as to why eBay is still showing a "ship by" date for sellers in Canada, shipping via Canada Post.  First off, the suggestion that we update our listings to show a longer "handling time" is not realistic.  Most seller have hundreds, if not thousands, of listing, and they expect us to change those listings?

Second, since eBay is well aware that there is a postal strike with no pick up or delivery of mail, why are they not eliminating the "ship buy" until this issue is resolved?  Many sellers will not want to drop envelopes in mailboxes that are not being serviced, and often these mailboxes become overloaded.  It would be much safer to drop your mail off at a postal outlet, once the strike is over.  However, then a seller will be penalized for not meeting their "handling time" - "ship by" date.  Why is eBay not taking action to protect sellers from being penalized for not meeting shipping times?

I will be inclined to mark my sold items as shipped, even though they are not shipped, and once the strike is over, drop the mail at a postal outlet.

[faerieguts123]

It's in eBay's interest to pretend like it's business as usual (with a few caveats) so that they can continue collecting revenue from sales. The burden will fall on sellers who have to deal with buyers who aren't happy that their item hasn't arrived or they have to pay more for shipping. I primarily use lettermail for my sales, so I made the decision to take down all of my low-price listings (under $50) and then changed the carrier to UPS or Fedex in the listing. I'm glad this is just a hobby for me. I sympathize with people who count on CP to make a living. 

[mrdutch1001]

I have never seen so much angst against eBay with regard to the Canada Post strike and yet the UK Royal Mail Strike that went on for 18 months seemed to go relatively unnoticed here on eBay Canada...

Yes, I know the UK Royal mail strike was not a complete shut down, but still rotating strikes and such that sellers there had to work around for months and months and months....

Accept, adapt, adjust and carry on!...or don't ....we all have to make choices around this situation.

Not all sellers only list and sell on eBay...Many sellers have other selling sites, their own websites for their businesses and all these sellers must work with whatever is available to them.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Anyone know what CP muckity mucks and others are doing during the strike? How they are keeping busy? One used to be able to think they were qualified to do some of CP's required tasks in getting "some" mail moving. Considering to a google search there are approx. 13,000 of them.  Being most likely former CP employees that moved up the ranks to get where they are now.  Hmmmm.....Maybe just having safety meetings. No one move. No one gets hurt!!!

[fergua3]

i believe they are not allowed to sort or deliver mail during strike action, except for gov't cheques.

[axmim]

I bought a laptop. Now the seller can't ship because the shipping on my order is "USPS" and export to Canada are suspended because of the strike. I've asked the seller if he could ship with other broker like UPS or Ebay international shipping, but he say he can't because ebay's interface won't let him change. What should be done? Is there a way to contact ebay to unlock other shipping broker on pending shipping order?

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@axmim wrote:

I bought a laptop. Now the seller can't ship because the shipping on my order is "USPS" and export to Canada are suspended because of the strike. I've asked the seller if he could ship with other broker like UPS or Ebay international shipping, but he say he can't because ebay's interface won't let him change. What should be done? Is there a way to contact ebay to unlock other shipping broker on pending shipping order?

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@axmim 

Ask seller to refund. Use problem with address. Then he can make a special listing for you with corrected shipping. Please note, there "can" be problems with any tech that has ion batteries shipping with eIS. UPS is usually more forgiving when it is installed. Then you can repurchase.

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

If you have already paid, eBay's payment mechanism has no way for him to change the amount he charges you for shipping. The transaction is set in stone. 

Ask them if they print their labels directly on eBay. If they do, ask them to tell you how much more you would have to pay them for a UPS or Fedex label. He can simply open the print label page and get a quote without actually buying the label.

If you have ALREADY paid, eBay does allow you to exchange Paypal info for purposes related to the transaction like this. You could Paypal him the difference. Or, if you guys aren't comfortable with that you could instruct him to make a generic listing in the amount you would owe him for the shipping upgrade. So if it will cost $20 more with Fedex, he can make a $20+Free shipping listing (or $25 if he wants you to cover the eBay fees) and call it something like "Private Listing For Axmim - Fedex Shipping Upgrade". You simply buy that listing, and he will then have the money for the shipping upgrade. 

The other option would be that they cancel the order and relist it with Fedex or UPS shipping as an option. You re-buy it.

The third option would be to ask them how long they would be willing to wait to see if the strike ends. If they are willing to wait a week, maybe things resume this week. 

[marnotom!]

@axmim

You’re probably aware of this, but for the benefit of others following this thread quietly seeking advice, keep in mind that the “to Canada” ground services of UPS, FedEx and the like will slug you with some pretty stiff charges for customs clearance and handling tax payments in addition to the taxes due. Those charges won’t be included with the shipping charge unless the seller sets up the shipping that way and will instead have to be paid just before or shortly after delivery unless you are able to opt to do the customs clearance work yourself.

Ancient but still somewhat useful thread on this subject:

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Archive-1/UPS-quot-hidden-quot-brokerage-charges-rip-off/td-p/111957

[ehpluscollectibles]

you have that option but who is expected to shoulder the added cost? It's near impossible to match the CPC lettermail price on any of the third party services.

[dobo5250]

i have just left them now  having redone over 1650 of my listings taking every day for two weeks to do 4 hours a day --  when they order i tell the situation and then go form there only one insisted that it be deliveried so i put as my refusal non deliverable as the fee to delivery it turned out to 5 times the cost of the item -  good luck we all have a bumpy ride as can post seems to be inplying that a  after xmas settlement  is more likely unless someone breaks at the table or the gov't steps in -- which is possible but then work slowdowns would insue-- so we are all in a pickle- no matter what   

[fergua3]

well, i'm not sure about work slowdowns if the gov't steps in.   There will be a little bit of it but i think most of the workers will be delighted to get back to work and working overtime.

Last Christmas strike, after they were ordered back, there was a period of 'peaceful civil disobedience' called for by the union bosses.  And some participated, walking slowly back and forth on the sidewalks, blocking exits form postal facilities.   Police were called and they were moved.  It lasted a few days but fizzled.  It started to fizzle when Canada's Communist Party showed up to help.....CUPW didn't really like the neg. publicity of that.

[alykat777]

Well, you have more "heart" than eBay.  They have favouritism and it's not to the buyer. They lied to me continuously during the strike. The 'not scanned for 10 days' means nothing now. They forced one seller to pay me back 2 days aftr the strike while another one - they are making me wait 3 months YES THREE MONTHS MY CASE IS ON HOLD to get a parcel i paid way too much in eBays 'international shipping ' charges. And there goes two birthdays and my christmas.  They just 'changed' the hold period again pushing me to wait into the new year.  When IF EVER i get the parcel it better be bloody awesome and i will be closing my account with eBay they can kiss my . . . . . . . . This is BS. 

[reallynicestamps]

@axmim

Too late now but-- they can't change the eBay label, but they can buy a different label - off eBay say from pirateship or directly from UPS- use that one , and eventually get refunded for the unused USPS label.

BUT

"Eventually" refunded.

The new label may cost more than the first one (which, again,  will not be refunded immediately).

The cost of shipping privately can be 300-500% higher than shipping through the postal services.

[sin-n-dex]

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@dobo5250 wrote:

i have just left them now  having redone over 1650 of my listings taking every day for two weeks to do 4 hours a day --  when they order i tell the situation and then go form there only one insisted that it be deliveried so i put as my refusal non deliverable as the fee to delivery it turned out to 5 times the cost of the item -  good luck we all have a bumpy ride as can post seems to be inplying that a  after xmas settlement  is more likely unless someone breaks at the table or the gov't steps in -- which is possible but then work slowdowns would insue-- so we are all in a pickle- no matter what   

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If you have 1650 listings, you might be wise to get auction software (I use SixBit). I can do revisions in a few days on 12,000 listings. It might take an evening to do 3000 listings (making a change and applying it to a bunch of listings at once).

It does have a cost, I think it's like $30 USD a month. I use it to save time. I figure my time is worth money, and if I can spend 1 hour doing something that would take all day, the cost of the subscription is money well spent, I can get more stuff listed. Probably the only way I can handle so many listings is because of the software.

C.

[38e_avenue]

It starts again in 6 weeks? 🙄

Update on the Industrial Inquiry Commission and negotiations with CUPW

Your business is important to us, and we value the trust you put in us to deliver day in and day out. We know last year’s national strike was a challenging period for your business. We understand the significant impacts this type of service disruption can have on a business’s operations.

As we continue to face labour uncertainty with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), we want to be as transparent as possible about the potential for a labour disruption later this spring. This is not the message we hoped to be sharing at this time. But we recognize how important it is to give you the information you need to make business decisions.

Current labour uncertainty

The Industrial Inquiry Commission (IIC) has been under way since the beginning of the year, with hearings held in January and February. Hearings have now wrapped up, and the Commissioner will present a report and recommendations to the Minister of Labour by May 15.

As you know, the national strike at the end of 2024 was paused for the IIC work to take place. The existing collective agreements between Canada Post and CUPW were reinstated and remain in effect until at least May 22, 2025.

This means a labour disruption could happen as early as May 22, but not before. We will keep you informed about any important next steps in the process.

Providing you with the information your business needs

While reaching a resolution remains our priority, we are preparing for a number of potential outcomes, including the possibility of a labour disruption on or after May 22.

We are committed to providing you with the information you need, and supporting your business operations to help you prepare and adjust through this process. We will work closely with you to understand the potential impacts and determine whether your business has any special requirements.

Why we need change

We are committed to securing the future of the postal service by modernizing our operations and enhancing service. During the CUPW negotiations and IIC hearings, Canada Post put forward urgent changes that are needed in the way the company operates and delivers.

The changes we have proposed are critical to better supporting customers over the long term with more affordable, consistent and reliable service.

Committed to reaching a resolution

While we are not where we want to be in the negotiations, we are seeking agreements that reflect the critical changes needed to improve our services for years to come.

We know this ongoing lack of certainty is challenging for your business. We had hoped new agreements would be reached by this point – and providing you with this certainty remains our priority.

Keeping you informed

We will make every effort to be transparent and let you know if there is a risk of a labour disruption. We continue to deliver and we remain operational – ready to support your business.