Canada Post Strike Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is happening exactly?

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) announced a national strike starting November 15, 2024. Canada Post customers will experience delays due to the strike activity. Mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered for the duration of the national strike, and some post offices will be closed. As of now, we do not know how long the strike will last. Learn more here. 

What is Whatnot doing in response?

BUYERS: In order to prevent further delayed shipments due to the strike, we temporarily paused Canada buyer purchases from international (non-Canada) sellers. Canada buyers will still be able to purchase from Canada sellers via alternative shipping options, which sellers have received communications for.

SELLERS: In order to prevent shipments that get stuck in Canada Post’s network, Whatnot is temporarily disabling regular Whatnot label generation with Canada Post. Sellers will be able to leverage our “Bring Your Own Label” (BYOL) program to ship items to their buyers. See below for a step-by-step guide on how to use BYOL. You can also learn more about BYOL in the BYOL FAQ here.

How do I use BYOL?

1. Go to whatnot.com on your web browser.
2. Click the profile icon in the top right-hand corner and select Seller Hub. 
3. Click on the "Shipments" tab then select the livestream you just ran.
4. Click on the order to find the address information for each buyer.
5. Purchase the trackable label from UPS or Fedex’s website. The label must be trackable. Shipping service levels without tracking cannot be used for the BYOL program. 
6. Return to the Whatnot Seller Hub and select Enter Tracking Code on the right-hand side of your screen to update with the UPS or Fedex tracking number.
7. Drop off all packages within two days of your show
8. You will be paid seven days after the order’s tracking number is entered. Your payout will include the total order amount and the shipping costs paid by the buyer

For more in-depth information, read the complete BYOL FAQ here. Please note if the cost you pay for a label for UPS / Fedex is greater than what we charge buyers for shipping, you are responsible for the overage, and Whatnot will not reimburse you.

I already shipped something using Canada Post and now it’s stuck - what’s going to happen?

We will be reviewing Canada Post issues with our support team on a case-by-case basis to come to the best solution for each individual problem. In general to accommodate these circumstances, Whatnot will provide exceptions for high shipping delays due to the strike.

When will Whatnot return to usual service?

At this time we do not know when Canada Post workers will conclude their strike and resume operations. Until then Whatnot service will proceed as outlined above.

Should I expect higher shipping costs from Canadian sellers?

As a buyer, there will be no changes to your shipping cost during this period.

I’m a Canadian buyer. Why can’t I buy from a US seller?

Due to the ongoing strike and potential shipment delays and complications, we temporarily paused Canada buyer purchases from all international sellers. Canada buyers will still be able to purchase from Canada sellers via alternative shipping options. We are actively monitoring the situation to see when we can lift this restriction as soon as possible.