I have put my shop on holiday mode (for the rest of December, or longer if there are more strikes). I’m sending my best sellers to Amazon for FBA.

Yep - because I paid extra for it (6 greeting cards) to go via Evri (instead of a RM LL) & avoid the strikes (meaning I probably made a loss), but the driver just chucked the box (green neon FRAGILE sticker on) up their driveway. It would fit easily in a letterbox. So of course I got a 1 star review. Amazon wouldn’t remove it (so much for protecting us), when the reviewer clearly said “the problem isn’t the seller”.

I’ve switched off all my greeting cards. Had 1 customer today - 2 cards sent 9th November 1st class - INR. I explained that even resending, there was no guarantee. Then I put my calendars on sale to shift as many asap. Hoping the print orders start to die down.

It’s a complete mess for the 3rd year in a row. A complete lottery as to how fast items go, or get lost. And I too will be shutting up shop asap. Or in other words, resending & dealing with “where’s my…?” emails from folk, most of whom don’t even seem to know there are strikes.

Not had any bad feedback but don’t get much feedback anyway this time of year. Also been using APC and upgrading mail to help with the demands.

I have had plenty of queries to contend with not just on here and it is horrendous. It is not just Royal Mail now but this is spilling over onto other couriers and pushing them back as well. I can only guess that Amazon FBA are up against it.

My sales are hugely down and I am getting lots of customers just getting in touch asking for reassurances that I cannot give them.

Royal Mail although arguing and squabbling between themselves have really stuck it to businesses this year. It isn’t going unnoticed.

From a sellers perspective it really doesn’t matter who it is to blame, whether it is the unions, the bosses, the workers. They are Royal Mail and there to provide a service and regardless of the reason why, if they fail to supply it adequately enough the buck stops with Royal Mail. Said it on a few other posts but Royal Mail. as we know it could be finished as the damage has already been done.

We can’t put this down to unforeseen circumstances. Royal Mail are short sighted because they think they can do whatever they please to each other internally and when it is all over, business as usual. Well it isn’t business for me because both sides have forgotten the most important thing in all of this which is their customers.

My patience was already Waring a little but thin and it will be interesting to see how Royal Mail are going to win back business that they have lost during this. An aggressive pricing strategy? an improvement in service.? Compensation ? They will still have the cheek to try and add a surcharge for printing a manifest on a day they couldn’t be bothered to colllect.

When they come back it will relieve the pressure they have put onto other services but their competitors are learning to cope and I for one will want to continue to be loyal to the services that have at least attempted to help me through these struggles unlike Royal Mail who have actually caused this.

Their actions will have a knock on effect and break businesses. They will first of all break the businesses that depend on them so won’t have this mail to pick up in future. They will lose the businesses like me who have switched and will maintain the switch after this is all over.