Shipper triples prices due to traffic jams during Tet

Accepting the fee of 60,000 VND for a 4km distance, many shippers still cannot find a delivery person (shipper) these days due to traffic reasons.

Ms. Ly - the owner of a store specializing in imported and hand-carried goods in Van Mieu (Dong Da, Hanoi) has just announced that customers should come to the store to receive the goods because the shipper is overloaded. Every day, when she "explodes" an order on Facebook, a shipper will immediately accept the delivery, but today, she posted for more than 3 hours but no one accepted. The order was from Van Mieu to Xuan Thuy (Cau Giay), a distance of about 6km, the normal shipping fee is only 25,000 VND, now it has been increased to 60,000 VND but still cannot find anyone.

Orders 5-6 km away are charged twice as much as usual but no shipper accepts them, partly because they are overloaded and partly because the roads are too crowded during Tet.

Similarly, at most online shops, orders are pouring in these days and shipping fees are also announced by shop owners to double or even triple. Some shops clearly state the policy that if the delivery is in the evening, to a few locations that are too far away, or orders under 500,000 VND, discounted items... will have to charge a higher shipping fee, but customers still have to "bite the bullet" to receive the goods.

"Especially when shipping to districts far from the center such as Ha Dong, Long Bien, Hoang Mai..., all shippers are hesitant, offering a much higher price, almost equal to the value of the item, but they still refuse to accept it," complained a shop owner named Minh who sells imported handbags in Thai Ha, Dong Da.

Near Tet, orders from online shops increase three or four times more than usual, but the roads are constantly congested, and there are many orders, so many shippers have more opportunities to be "snobbish". Some shippers even require that they do not need to pay in advance to accept orders. "On normal days, I do not accept it, especially if I am not a regular shipper, but on Tet, I still have to give them the order for delivery, I only hold my ID card, otherwise I will lose customers. Even though my products are mainly phone accessories that are not too expensive, I am still nervous," said Mr. Ngoc Anh - owner of a phone accessories shop in Chua Boc.

In fact, when they cannot find a shipper, many shop owners have to personally go out to the street to deliver the goods, mobilizing relatives, parents, and children to help, but still cannot keep up. "Honestly, only after trying to get a shipper from the store on Tran Duy Hung to Thai Ha these past few days have I understood how hard it is because the roads are so congested, everywhere is congested, not to mention the drizzle this time makes the traffic even more congested," Minh lamented.

Half a month before Tet holiday, the revenue of the stores also increased, but many shop owners admitted that the number of complaints from customers also escalated, mainly "complaints" about shipping fees. In many cases, customers agreed with the owner of the goods to ship at 25,000 VND, but when they arrived, the shipper charged 30,000 - 40,000 VND. "In reality, shipping during Tet must be so expensive, the roads are congested so the shippers also 'strike' if they still charge normal prices. However, sometimes because we have not clearly informed the customers or the customers do not understand, they complain. If you are not careful when doing business these days, it is easy to lose your reputation," said Mr. Chung, the owner of a home decoration store in Kim Ma Thuong.

According to VNE