UPS Adds Demand Surcharge, Suspends Pickups For Canada As Postal Strike Continues
UPS has instituted a demand surcharge and pick up restrictions for Canadian shipments as postal strike drags on, leaving online marketplaces scrambling to keep their sellers and buyers in the loop during critical holiday shipping period.
eBay is to be commended for taking a proactive approach to communications, making an announcement in their Canada community forum today about the surcharge and other service impacts.
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Due to a surge in shipment volumes, as of December 8, 2024, UPS has applied a demand surcharge of $2.00 CAD to all parcels in its Canadian network—domestic shipments, imports into Canada, and exports from Canada to the United States.
This surcharge has been reflected on eBay Labels and in calculated shipping starting December 10, 2024. If you purchased a UPS label on eBay between December 8 and 9, you will not be issued the surcharge.
Additionally, UPS has suspended on-call pickups for Domestic Standard shipments as of December 4, 2024 due to the surge in parcel volumes. On-call pickups remain available for Air and International UPS shipments.
Sellers can still access shipping from UPS and FedEx at eBay-negotiated discounts through eBay Labels.
eBay will continue to monitor the situation and adjust guidance as necessary. Please keep an eye on the Community Board for further updates.
It's good to see that eBay is automatically reflecting the surcharge in calculated shipping, but of course sellers who use flat rate or free shipping may need to make manual adjustments if they wish to account for the surcharge in their pricing.
I've yet to see other marketplaces or shipping providers making similar announcements, but it's a safe bet this doesn't just affect labels purchased through eBay.
The Canada Post strike has now stretched into its 4th week and is causing massive disruptions across the country's entire shipping network as other carriers buckle under the increased volume being diverted their way.
Liz Morton
Are you seeing surcharges or pickup suspensions from other carriers or communication from other marketplaces about the ongoing shipping disruptions to Canada? Let us know in the comments below!
eBay has responded to my BBB complaint twice. The first time they told me that I deserved below standard because my shipping scans were below the threshold. However, I had to quote their own website to them saying that shipping numbers cannot lead to downgrade to Below Standard.
The second response they just said I would be restored on May 20th completely ignoring the issue at hand, admitting an issue existed, or offering any type of solution.
If this concerns you, this happened to you, or worried it may happen, please take action. In fact, take action anytime eBay is doing somethning wrong. They will change nothing if you don't say anything. If enough people speak up, they do make changes.