General Notification Regarding Covid19 Postage Delays

Is there any way you can display a general notice regarding expected delays for deliveries during the pandemic. International deliveries are taking up to 8 weeks to arrive due to fewer airplanes flying and border delays. It would be helpful if customers knew this before placing orders. Thanks

Comments

  • 18 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • Don't you think we all know there is a huge delay in mail delivery? I do believe I am getting mail every other day now. I don't mind waiting as I know the buyers have done their part in getting orders to the Post Office. I don't need to be reminded that it will be delayed. It's all over the news.
  • I have had three customers contact me this week wondering where their orders are.

  • edited April 2020 0 LikesVote Down
    I send an email to each customer when I ship their order, and as part of the email I state "Please expect postal delays due to Covid-19 disruptions". I have not had any customers yet complain about delays. Looking at feedback from customers some are getting their orders quickly, and some are taking more time than usual,
  • I understand, Deborah. I know when I'm on the other side and am a buyer I get antsy about my order. But then I stop and think about what is going on. And I understand some don't stop and think. But much like Dennis, I do send an email to each customer and advise when their order goes to the Post Office. From there, we flip a coin.
  • Just curious: why do you send an email instead of a message through the Contact Buyer button on the sales page? I always send my messages this way because they are there forever, and it's easy to see what prior communication has gone on between me and the customer.
  • I send an email because I was finding the PM's were not being read. In the email I also send the invoice with a note as to when the order goes to the Post Office. In the subject line I always mention Hip Stamp and my store name.

    If in the event there is a problem with their order I use both PM and email. One way or the other, the notification is picked up and usually it's from email.
  • Debora, are the three shipments international?
  • Yes, all international.
  • The following message was posted from Shipping Easy regard USPS Internal changes for US shipments

    On Friday, USPS announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on transportation availability, some services will experience delays beginning April 17, 2020. Below is what you need to know.
    • USPS Priority Mail Express: This service will not experience any delays at this time.
    • USPS Priority Mail: Local 1-day delivery will not experience delays. However, the 2-3 day delivery window will now be extended to 3-4 days
    • USPS First-Class Package Service: 2-3 day delivery windows will be extended to 3-4 day delivery windows.
    USPS will still do its best to deliver packages as quickly as possible. Please check our COVID-19 updates page, which has the most recent delivery information, for up-to-date information on domestic and international shipments for all carriers.
    All the best,
    Jack at ShippingEasy
  • I have just received a request from a Buyer for a full refund since he has not yet received his purchase after 3 weeks. This was a cross border mailing from Canada to the USA and I am experiencing the same type of delays from the USA to Canada. Under these trying circumstances around COVID19, what would be a reasonable time frame for these cross border mailings? I have requested the Buyer to be patient for another week.
  • In the original post, Deborah said deliveries were taking up to 8 weeks. I would go with that as mail may be held at both Customs.
  • Thank you. Yes I just sent that info to the Buyer.
  • In looking at my feedback, I can see that a stamp mailed to California from London, ON got to its destination in about a week, and that a mailing to Belgium got to Belgium in about a week. On the other hand a cheque coming from Florida for a purchase has still not arrived about 2 weeks after its posting, but I am only going to my box once a week to check for snail mail.Its going to take time for the postal system(s) to figure out how to move mail with vastly reduced airplane service ( Bring back Railway Post Offices :) ) and we are all going to have to be patient, and advise our customers to be patient.

    https://www.hipstamp.com/store/fatdanes-stamp-store
  • Based to feedbacks received, mailings to NJ and NY took a week, 2 weeks for NC and 8 & 14 days to United Kingdom and a surprise Hong Kong took 20 days IF the buyers all did their feedbacks as soon as received...which is very very rare.
  • Dennis - that old chestnut "my cheque is in the post"?
    Seriously though, I'm finding deliveries from the UK to the USA are currently taking around 25 to 30 days and from the UK to AUSTRALIA around 30 to 35 days.
  • Here is the link for the USPS international service disruptions.

    https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm

    There are some countries in Europe that are no longer getting shipments via airmail but they are going via surface mail through the Netherlands. (It's about a dozen countries at the moment)

  • Tania - The customer sending the cheque is a repeat customer and the cheque did arrive, just took a bit longer for it to arrive. So far I can not figure out any rhyme or reason for what mail goes where and when it arrives. I had a shipment going to France returned to me, but according to Canada Post there is still service to France. Letters from the Canada Revenue Agency seem to get thru quickly but they never contain good news.
  • Perhaps being in upstate NY and close-ish to NYC makes a difference, but items I've sent to Great Britain lately have arrived there within 7-days.
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