Royal Mail at strike in the uk

crazed_ebayer · #1 10-24-2009

Royal Mail at strike in the UK .
Royal Mail workers were at strike on Thursday 22 nd Oct 2009 and friday 22nd october 2009.
I am not currently selling on ebay but when i have i have allways used royal mail for shipping.
The bad news is for UK ebayers is that Royal Mail will be at strike next week also and will keep doing so untill they get change .
What this means is that there is going to be massive delays in the postal service over the coming weeks / months untill the problem gets resolved.
If the problem gets worse then it will destroy most of ebays business in the uk .

Your thoughts please ....

Here We Go Again · #2 10-24-2009

Time for UK sellers to find a different delivery method.
UPS of Fedex?
I am sure there are alternatives out there.
Big companies in the UK were looking into alternatives weeks ago.

GreenBean · #3 10-24-2009

Where have you been,crazed? There have been rolling strikes with Royal Mail for many weeks now. Not new news at all. There are concerns mentioned on ebay uk forums about the overall effect on DSRs. Some have (vague) hopes that ebay uk may withdraw shipping as part of DSR like happened last time.

For sellers, it has been a matter (of some urgency now) to adjust listings to advise buyers of the potential mail delays. It most certainly means stepping up in terms of customer service to keep the buyer happy. There is an adjustment in profits that may be needed to cover delivery costs. That's business.
Sink or swim is what I think. I swim

crazed_ebayer · #4 10-24-2009

I know that the strikes have been going on for sometime now but they have never been nationwide strikes like on thursday and friday, meaning the situation could get grave.
I hear that alternitives to royal mail are much more expensive , meaning people will shop less online and more in store ....

GreenBean · #5 10-24-2009

Might have misread your OP. Actually it was bad BEFORE any national strike. Reduced sales were a fact already, These next six weeks will be what determines how selling goes. In comparison with a brick & mortar shop, I am hoping prices will still be in my favour.

Ebayorbust · #6 10-28-2009

Sales on Thursday and Friday last week were virtually non-existant.

I have had varying problems with the strike action over the last few months. Sometimes items arrive next day, sometimes it is three weeks. The disruption is so unpredictable that some buyers have been really hacked off - "I bought such and such the day after I bought from you and it arrived next day" etc etc.

It is a real shame as Royal Mail delivery times / price are generally excellent - the vast majority of internal mail arrives next working day.

ONE · #7 10-28-2009

So for USA sellers shipping via United States Postal Service (priority international to be exact) to the UK will they be affected?

Last I heard DHL was delivering our priority packages that we USA sellers shipped via USPS.

??

oompaloompa · #8 10-28-2009

^ no the services you mention are not affected, your US package will fo go via a courier partner to the destination....

oompaloompa · #9 10-30-2009

we have got children delivering post around here!

crazed_ebayer · #10 11-01-2009

eh , r u serious ?

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