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Shipping delays

HoddieHoddie
in Sale / Store Announcements Vote Up0Vote Down
...are starting to rear their ugly head again! With Christmas approaching and the re-emergence of Covid-19 and the related staffing issues and government restrictions, we're starting to receive queries about orders that would normally have been received.

Considering closing up shop until the new year. Everyone is showing patience so far but this may change the closer we get to the big day.

Comments

  • 13 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • Bricks On The MoveBricks On The Move
    edited December 2021 Vote Up0Vote Down
    Has been feeling that pain for 18 months here. We ended up closing down the oversea's shipping here and only gone local for what we sell on a major selling platform away from lego... Even that been painful at times sending packages around the country
  • MalnaborgMalnaborg
    Vote Up0Vote Down
    Normally i send a message to the buyer, that it might take longer than normal for the mail.
    But for the most part, people buy with tracking and can follow it.

    But with "letters" or smaller stuff, i say expect double shipping time than you normally would, and then some days :-P
  • Gaston.La.BrickGaston.La.Brick
    Vote Up0Vote Down
    Strangly enough, letters and small packages from Europe to US/Canada are currently faster compared to within Europe. I have a letter from Belgium to France already 14 days on it's way, where a letter posted the same day to USA was received after 10 days.

    But in essence, there currently are big delays. Frustrating for buyer and seller, but nothing anybody can do about it, I'm afraid.
  • HoddieHoddie
    Vote Up0Vote Down
    @Gaston.La.Brick - similar position here, 9 days to France and still waiting, 15 days to Netherlands.... and bPost still advertise as Netherlands being overnight. Delays are to be expected but they should be managing expectations a bit better - the lady at our local bPost office said today first she'd heard of any delays. "In any case, if one's gone missing, nothing you can do about it." Pfft.
  • Jay37Jay37
    Vote Up0Vote Down
    Recent report here in the UK too - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59629707 This time of year, as @Hoddie mentions in the OP, I'd naturally expect some level of delay, but I guess some customers are now very used to having something in no time at all so the slightest delay is cause for panic. Personally I can remember if you ordered something via mail order you were expected to allow up to 28 days for delivery!
  • White Horse BricksWhite Horse Bricks
    Vote Up0Vote Down
    Agreed. Planing to close at the end of the week. If not delays in postage, I'm too impatient to wait in the crowds in the Post Office in the run up to Xmas, will reopen Boxing Day.
  • SimplyBricksSimplyBricks
    Vote Up0Vote Down
    Don't forget that Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th are bank holidays and the post office will be closed!
  • CalibrickCalibrick
    Vote Up0Vote Down
    And in America, the Fridays of Christmas Eve (12/24) and New Year's Eve (12/31) are Federal holidays, as the holidays fall on a Saturday this year... so no postal or likely UPS and FedEx service (save overnight mail).
  • tons_of_brickstons_of_bricks
    Vote Up0Vote Down
    @Calibrick are you sure? I thought they always bumped it ahead to the following Monday, not the previous Friday.
  • Colorado BricksColorado Bricks
    edited December 2021 Vote Up0Vote Down
    @firestar246 any holiday is observed on the Friday if it fall on Saturday and on Monday if holiday is on Sunday.

    However USPS will be open on the 24th and 31st, probably for half a day as they are usually open on Saturdays.
  • HoddieHoddie
    Vote Up0Vote Down
    Just dropped off my last order of the year at the post office. It's a domestic order so hopefully no issues. Decided to refund two international orders that have been delayed so the buyers can get the bits elsewhere if possible. This time of year should be great for retailers but with shipping delays it usually ends up stressful instead. It doesn't help that bPost's tracking service costs so much that it's unaffordable for international orders.

    Thankfully I don't rely on this income! Hope everyone else has better luck with the post.
  • CalibrickCalibrick
    Vote Up0Vote Down
    Firestar, I am sure - I am a Federal employee also. :-) If a holiday falls on a Saturday, we bump it to Friday... if it falls on a Sunday, we bump it to Monday. Hope this helps!
  • Gaston.La.BrickGaston.La.Brick
    Vote Up0Vote Down
    @Hoddie , frustrating, isn't it? I had a similar discussion, where the postal services point of view was: "you didn't pay for a tracked medium, so it's not our problem if it gets lost in the mail."
    Whereas my point of view: "Even when untracked, I still paid for a service to bring item from A to B. When the item doesn't arrive, the service wasn't delivered. Regardless of the fact it was tracked or untracked."

    And indeed, tracked medium is very expensive here in Belgium. I often get very surprised reactions when I mention shipping costs. And not a "good surprise".
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