So how you going to handle the Postal Strike?

[PoppyGrove]

We'll be carrying on as normal, but monitoring the situation day by day - In our contact with the buyer, we do mention the postal strikes and possible delays through strike action and backlogs. So far this year we've had no problems.

With the strike action a few years ago, we more or less did the same thing, monitored and kept the buyer informed - and to be fair to all our buyers, we didn't receive any complaint from them re the time frame for delivery so they must have accepted and understood that it was something that we could not control.

With regard to purchases we were making at the time, some sellers gave us the choice of whether we wanted to wait until the strike was over before posting or not, and either way, we could not blame the seller for something that was beyond their control.

[hotandvintage]

Bright side.
People losing their income through no fault of their own, and listing on a site where sales are likely to be a lot lower.

Nice.

Depends if you take the long term or the short term view.

[MagnetsAndHangers]

Depends if you take the long term or the short term view.

Both.

[hotandvintage]

I suggest you go read up on how bad it is for sellers over there, and how little they are really making.

But back to the point of the topic, everyone does have a good point about communication, as there will still be a lot of people that have no idea that the postal strike is happening, especially in some categories.

[ukcollector]

But back to the point of the topic, everyone does have a good point about communication, as there will still be a lot of people that have no idea that the postal strike is happening, especially in some categories.

And PLEASE also remember the consequences for sellers. I remember, vividly, the last round of main strikes (not the day here and there ones) that resulted in some buyers making chargebacks through their payment sources, for non delivery. When it comes to chargebacks for non delivery (even though it is no fault of the seller), there will be no sympathies profferred by the money handling agencies. They stand to gain either way. True?
Of course, it will always be the minority of winners who will use this tactic and even if it wasn't a strike, they'd be finding fault in other areas. True? ;-)
Evidence to back this up still exists in the feedback areas of fleabay.
The only good thing about such events, now that fleabay's practices have attuned themselves to having paypal withdraw funds on auto pilot when a complaint comes in, will be a quicker demise for them as an auction site. What a shame eh? I can see you all wiping your eyes in sorrow as I write.
Whaddya mean they are tears of joy? ;-)
Hopefully, unlike them, in the other place,, this venue's operators will ensure that the event (should it get to that stage), will be headlined in just about every area that punters divert to, to ensure, even the minority know that we are trying our best to serve.. Won't they?

[moonwitch]

I've been selling online for longer than I have been here

So yes I was selling through the last 1

I carried on selling through the last one too...just made sure I kept customers informed.

[victorfrank]

I've been selling online for longer than I have been here

So yes I was selling through the last 1

Me, too.

[hotandvintage]

MagnetsAndHangers

Like I said read up about how bad it is for sellers over there, rather than just the select few that are doing well, at others expense, and there is not many of them at the moment, as even the cheerleaders are admitting that they are selling more on their own sites than they are on ebay, as sales are so bad.

And I pointed out their two responses about this on another forum in less than two weeks apart, as I did think it was funny

Ebay says it is aware of its users' concerns over deliveries and reputations. It suggests vendors get in touch with buyers to tell them of likely delays, and buyers get in touch with sellers to double-check mailing dates to get a clearer idea of when their goods are likely to arrive. "We hope that buyers will contact sellers before logging a dispute, and the majority of buyers have a lot of common sense; in 99% of cases, it'll be resolved pretty quickly," it says.

The option for buyers to rate sellers on dispatch time will be temporarily removed for the duration of the strike and for an unspecified period afterwards. Buyers will also be notified that the DSR criterion has been removed for now: though it’s marked *dispatch* time on the UK site, some buyers use this score to express frustration with poor carrier service and delayed deliveries. The original verision of the AB post copied here said this would be from the 15th; this has now been edited out and the assumption is that the star will disappear when the strike starts.

I still chuckle at that one Most buyers are sensible, but we do not trust them that much. (Translation is we will have to look as if we are doing something, even if we are doing nothing, as they will still get it in the neck from clawback and negative feedback.) What is it a small sellers needs to be kicked, two buyer disputes or three negatives.
There was a couple of sellers ended up with three or four negs last time round over there

But I was thinking about this, as royal mail are handing out seven day alerts to the strike, and most of us are at the post office daily, what about some form of alert post, sort of a thing we could monitor and add to, as I recall the last one I hardly ever heard about strikes in other areas, but always heard of the local ones, which I assume others would have had the same problem. So if we can alert each other about our own areas, if it goes to the spasmodic strikes may help the situation.

ukcollector

I totally agree, plus the fact that those paypal clawbacks now show up in the buyer dispute, so will add insult to injury, and may cost them their account.

[MagnetsAndHangers]

MagnetsAndHangers

Like I said read up about how bad it is for sellers over there, rather than just the select few that are doing well, at others expense, and there is not many of them at the moment, as even the cheerleaders are admitting that they are selling more on their own sites than they are on ebay, as sales are so bad.

My original response to this was deleted.
(it is like walking through Tesco and mentioning Sainbury's sometimes in here - unless it is a derogatory comment, you get chucked out - pathetic)

Of course there are some having a hard time.
That applies everywhere - including here!!!!
I made it work for me - dont tell me to go over there and see how bad it is!!! I do good. I made it work in my favour.
I dont have to go over there to read it - forums - both here and there, have loads of comments by people who are dissatisfied.

Ebid is the same - it works for some - and doesnt work for others. It is as simple as that.

No doubt the small minded mods will find a reason to delete this post too.

[MagnetsAndHangers]

I totally agree, plus the fact that those paypal clawbacks now show up in the buyer dispute, so will add insult to injury, and may cost them their account.

Paypal clawbacks can happen anywhere - including here.
As can credit card payments chargebacks.