A YouTuber has lashed out at Canada Post over delays of his pre-orders Playstation 5. He has since received backlash for his comments.
Playstation 5 is on the horizon. It’s no secret people are excited about the next generation console. It’s no real surprise there is a lot of excitement over the system. After all, how can gamers not get excited for it after seeing tech demo’s showing photo realistic graphics from engines destined to appear on the system:
This has helped lead to even bigger demand that has been documented late last month. From Tech Radar:
The PS5 has clearly struck a positive chord with consumers, as early demand for Sony’s next-gen console has already eclipsed that of the PS4 – in the US, at least.
Speaking to Reuters, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said: “The demand as expressed by the level of pre-order [sic] has been very, very considerable.”
To put that figure into perspective, Ryan said that Sony has pre-sold as many PS5 units in the first 12 hours in the US as it did in the first 12 weeks of pre-orders for the PlayStation 4.
When you consider the fact the PS4 has sold more than 100 million units to date, it’s clear that the PS5 could get off to an even stronger start than its predecessor, which was hardly a slouch at retail.
So, even from Sony’s side of things, the warnings were clear: you can expect delays on shipping.
Still, that didn’t stop one YouTuber from expressing frustration at Canada Post for possibly not being able to deliver his pre-order to him on day 1 of launch:
FUCK CANADA POST AND FUCK BEST BUY FOR USING CANADA POST
— Troydan (@Troydan) November 9, 2020
FUCK CANADA POST AND FUCK BEST BUY FOR USING CANADA POST
The tweet from Troydan is a followup to another tweet:
bestbuy is a legit joke. MONDAY? pic.twitter.com/7hToCECMCx
— Troydan (@Troydan) November 9, 2020
bestbuy is a legit joke. MONDAY?
Clearly, this YouTuber didn’t look into what Canada post has been experiencing in the last four to six months. Had he done so, he might have found out that volume going through Canada Post has been unprecedented. When COVID-19 hit, businesses were forced to shut down. This meant that people’s methods of connecting have been narrowed to people in close living proximity and online. It also meant that people would be forced to buy more online as well. The Canadian government handed out stimulus checks to keep people afloat as they were forced to stay home for months as well.
The question is, what do people do with lots of time they didn’t have before, money to spare, an Internet connection, and knowledge in buying things online? Doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out. The results are, in many ways, predictable. People are buying online and most products ships through Canada Post.
Indeed, that’s exactly what happened. As early as August, we’ve seen reports about unprecedented volume going through the mail. The overwhelming volume has been noted as dating as far back as April. From City News:
As brick and mortar stores were forced to close up shop during the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown, Canada Post was busier than ever as online shopping went into overdrive.
In April and May, even as the volume of mail dropped significantly due to a reduction in direct advertising mail, the agency reported “Christmas-level” volumes of parcels. The surge was a result of Canadians staying home during the pandemic and turning to online retailers for everyday essentials that would usually be picked up on a grocery run.
“We saw parcel levels that we would normally only see around Christmas — we would deliver up to two-million parcels in one day — that’s what we would see around Cyber Monday, Black Friday week sales,” says Jon Hamilton, spokesperson for Canada Post.
Hamilton says as the weeks in lockdown progressed, people began expanding their online shopping to other, more unusual items.
“Things like barbecues and patio sets. We even saw a pair of kayaks go through our facilities,” says Hamilton.
In addition to the surge in volume, new safety protocols like social distancing within postal processing facilities led to further delays and substantial backlogs, well beyond expectations.
Warnings from Canada Post has repeatedly been given in the months since. From iHeartRadio back in August:
Officials with he postal service warn they expect to deliver a significant amount of online shopping packages this year and are asking Canadians to start shopping early to avoid a backlog.
A Canada Post survey shows nearly 48 percent of shoppers plan to spend mostly or exclusively online this year.
To help meet the demand, 4,000 temporary seasonal employees will be hired and weekend deliveries will be scheduled in many communities.
Here’s a recent report from CTV:
Nothing has been normal in 2020 and that will be true of online shopping this year, too.
“This is going to be a season like no other,” Graham Robins, CEO A&A Customs Brokers, told CTV’s Your Morning on Monday.
“It’s going to a season of tremendous online shopping, so we have to get ready for that.”
Now that many Canadians are still working from home and perhaps considering virtual gatherings with family and friends in December that would mean shipping presents rather than giving in person, the country’s busiest shopping season is expected to look very different.
Robins says large couriers are gearing up for a record-breaking season. He recommends that Canadians shop early – that is, now – and to consolidate their items into single deliveries as much as possible.
Robins also says consumers should consider shopping locally, too.
The closure of the U.S. border means that many Canadians who have parcels shipped to a post-office box on the other side of the border and drive over to pick them up have to make new plans this year.
Robins says an option when companies don’t ship to Canada is to have a local parcel delivery company handle getting it across the border.
The bottom line is this: delays in Canada Post is not a phenomenon only seen in recent days. Why should the shipment in game consoles be any different?
While others had expressed similar frustrations to retailers and Canada Post, others pointed out that the mail has been completely overwhelmed:
Poor baby has to wait for his console. Chill man, mail is overwhelmed these days, have some realistic expectations.
— i am altered (@iamaltered) November 9, 2020
Poor baby has to wait for his console. Chill man, mail is overwhelmed these days, have some realistic expectations.
Covid numbers climbing steadily, some hospitals starting to get back into gridlock; businesses going back into stage 2 or 3; people out of work; but yeah let’s tantrum about a gaming console that maybe a few days extra 🙄
— Speechlady63 (@Speechlady6300) November 10, 2020
Covid numbers climbing steadily, some hospitals starting to get back into gridlock; businesses going back into stage 2 or 3; people out of work; but yeah let’s tantrum about a gaming console that maybe a few days extra
OMG right? How dare a global pandemic inconvenience the man baby gamers of the world! Only 10,000 Canadians dead in 6 months… No reason to inconvenience you.
You give us gamers a bad name.
— Rob Bieber (he/him) 🌈☮️♿ (@rob_bieber) November 10, 2020
OMG right? How dare a global pandemic inconvenience the man baby gamers of the world! Only 10,000 Canadians dead in 6 months… No reason to inconvenience you.
You give us gamers a bad name.
The resulting backlash also caused Canada Post to briefly trend on Twitter in Canada that day.
One other thing to note is the fact that Canada Post shut down for Remembrance day as well. It’s logical given that this is a statutory holiday. If anything, it’ll likely mean a brief reprieve for employees likely working atypical hours for months now.
Still, despite the backlash, Troydan appears to still be clamoring for his console:
I’d do anything for a ps5 tomorrow
— Troydan (@Troydan) November 11, 2020
I’d do anything for a ps5 tomorrow
Guess we going camping tonight
— Troydan (@Troydan) November 9, 2020
Guess we going camping tonight
If anything, for those waiting for their next generation consoles, give the system a few days to catch up. The employees are already working like crazy to handle the current volume. With Christmas holidays just around the corner, employees no doubt feel like they are going to get screwed by volume at this stage. They’ve already been working through the pandemic so you can stay home and they deserve credit and huge respect for doing so. This is especially so since there have been cases where Canada Post facilities have already been hit with COVID-19 infections.
Drew Wilson on Twitter: @icecube85 and Facebook.
“Only 10,000 Canadians dead in 6 months… No reason to inconvenience you. ”
Too bad it was only 10,000 Canadians. Canadian people are a cancer on this world, a zit to the face of people and the aids of human life.
That’s one way to broadcast being a douche to the world.
Keep sucking Best Buy’s dick
Riiiight. Pointing out facts and reality is doing just that.