The transport workers are still striking, and as of yesterday the temporary Post Office workers at Witspos (Gauteng), South Africa’s largest mail centre, are also on strike.

Both industrial actions spell problems for the delivery of parcels, including, of course, the ones with the good bought on bidorbuy.

Even without strikes, delivery and safety in transit are among the biggest hurdles for expansion of ecommerce. As far as we are aware, South African Post Office has not done much to improve things in this sphere. On the contrary; judging by a recent post on the bidorbuy Forum about SAPO’s new point of sale system, things seem to be going from bad to worse.

Internationally, some big retail chains are trying to solve the “last mile” problem with click-and-collect programmes, or even drive-though outlets, where customers pick up the items they ordered online.

But that’s for scenarios when the customer is relatively close to the supplier, which is often not the case with bidorbuy buyers and seller. (Not to mention that collection is often not an option in a crime-ridden environment.)

All in all, it seems that the only thing bidorbuyers can do is to arm themselves with extra dose of patience. Sellers should remember to inform their customers about possible delays in delivery. As for buyers, try to look at it from an optimist’s angle: the longer you wait, the more thrilled you’ll be when that parcel finally arrives.