Anyone feeling the effect of the USPS intentional slowdown?

USPS is only following the guidelines, rules vs and regulations set forth by that country. And that is a new sticker that was issued in April 2020 due to the virus as USPS had to do something to stop you from mailing to certain countries that have restrictions on mail.

 

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couple issues... if packages are not being accepted, postage should not be sold (though the label was Paypal) and also the USPS should not have accepted this and scanned it in when I mailed it and then took 5 weeks to return it.

 

..you're absolutely correct
USPS Suspends Package Services to Australia Due to COVID-19 Outbreak. ... Due to the latest outbreak in Australia, it has forced mail centers across the country to close amidst new lockdowns across the country. For this reason, USPS has taken the decision to stop sending packages to the country for the time being.Sep 3, 2021

 

It's not even their choice either, it's the destination country that shuts it down.

 

View from the other side .

IMAG (International Mailers Advisory Group) noted that the USPS suspension of packets to Australia that begins on September 3rd will be in place until further notice. It said letters and flats would not be impacted, and it noted in a Tweet on Wednesday that Australia was a major destination for outbound international mail.


eBay sellers in Australia discussed the issue, and one seller published a letter they received informing them of the domestic package-pickup suspension. The following is an excerpt of the letter from Australia Post that details some of the challenges it’s facing:

“As you know, across the country we are all managing the sustained challenges of the COVID pandemic. With two of our largest States and some 15 million people in lockdown, the fluctuations in customer online shopping have significantly increased.

“We are also dealing with the impacts of the Delta strain and in any given day, we have close to 500 people out of our workforce as they follow necessary self-isolation and testing before clearance back to work.

“This is putting increased pressure on our network like nothing we have experienced before, as we manage staff shortages, temporary facility closures, and parcel volumes as high as Christmas peak period.

“To help us clear excess parcel volumes in NSW, ACT and VIC due to these impacts, we will be suspending customer collections in these areas.”

eBay Australia posted the news on its Announcement board where it outlined ways it would protect sellers impacted by the mail suspension:

How we’re protecting you

Given the ongoing government restrictions, protections are already in place for sellers based in or posting items to NSW, VIC and ACT, whereby:

• We have extended estimated delivery dates nationwide. Based on this latest disruption we are further extending estimated delivery dates
• We will remove your late shipment defects
• We will remove your Item Not Received (INR) count in Service Metrics, along with any related Negative or Neutral Feedback. To be eligible, upload valid tracking before the estimated delivery date

eBay notified US sellers on Thursday, though it did not say if it would extend any protections to sellers. eBay warned that packages would be “returned to sender” if mailed during the indefinite suspension. It also noted that its eBay international standard delivery and GSP were not affected – “both services will continue to provide timely delivery to Australia,” it said.

Etsy also advised its sellers on Thursday and wrote, “As an alternative, you can choose Global Postal Shipping as a carrier when you purchase labels on Etsy. They are still able to deliver packages into Australia.”

Jim

 

Then why did they take your money for the postage!
Go back & ask for a refund

 

So correct! I thought I explained that.

 

eBay announced this but I asked at the post office and the clerk had no idea what I was talking about. He even checked his computer.

 

Same problem, different day. Nothing has changed........

 

It's been going on for years. They're just now owning up to it.

 

Sigh

 

No doesn’t bother me as long can track. With current tough times it is what it is. Get used to it. I am just glad my stuff gets to me.

my gosh people are broke many going hungry and homeless….

intentional based on what? Some corpie?

 

No - I will not.

 

You see, unlike other carriers GPS are able to render all packages and personnel immune to coronavirus!

 

They may not have called you on it before, but the change from 16 to 13 oz happened several years ago.

 

Well, if the decision was made around the beginning of September (Sep 3 date on @omnius1's post) and the package took five weeks to be returned on Oct 7, it may be because they couldn't predict the future.

 

I’ve been retired from the postal service almost 4 years now and it was 13 ozs before I retired for sometime.