eBay officials are asking buyers and sellers to be patient as they wait for shipments and payments in the wake of Hurricane Irene, which flooded several states in the eastern United States.
Hurricane Irene dropped 5 inches to 15 inches of rain over the weekend in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Vermont and five other states, flooding streets and causing delivery delays, officials say. The hurricane did the most damage in North Carolina, where it hit first and where postal carriers are finding it most difficult to get operations back to normal. The hurricane also left millions of East Coast resident without power.
U.S. Postal Service says several of its facilities were out of power and inaccessible in North Carolina over the weekend. The carrier stopped delivery in that state on Saturday and says it will decide if it can deliver parcels on a "street-by-street" basis. According to news reports, UPS is not making pickups in North Carolina, but operations in other areas are getting back to normal. However, some roads and bridges remain flooded.
FedEx says it expects delivery delays in Connecticut, Main, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and parts of Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
As a result, eBay is asking customers to be patient and understanding as things get back to normal for the East Coast.
"If you are involved in an eBay transaction with a buyer or seller in one of these affected regions, please note that their ability to communicate or complete transactions may be delayed due to these severe conditions," eBay notes in its General Announcements. "We encourage you to be patient in this matter, both throughout the transaction and when providing feedback once your item arrives."
Experts estimate it may cost billions to repair the damage Hurricane Irene left behind.
Auctiva staff writers constantly monitor trends and best practices of those selling on eBay and elsewhere online. They attend relevant training seminars and trade shows and regularly discuss the market with PowerSellers and other market experts.
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