COVID-19: We Will Deliver to Pick-up Points in Slovakia Without Restrictions
As we did in the spring, this time again we will regularly inform you about everything that will happen in connection with the COVID-19, both here in Packeta and in the field of e-commerce and logistics throughout Europe. We will continuously update this article so that you have fresh information, for example, about changes in carriers, etc.
Now the situation for e-commerce will be even more challenging than in the first wave of Covid-19, because Christmas is just around the corner and online shopping is growing every day. In this way, we will all have our hands full in the next few months. We will do our best to ensure that shipments are delivered to your customers on time and as soon as possible, and to make your work as easy as possible.
25.11.2021, 7.30 pm
SLOVAKIA: Packeta
We Will Deliver to Pick-up Points in Slovakia Without Restrictions
Dear Customers and Partners,
In Slovakia, a nationwide lockdown has been declared effective from 25 November 2021. We would like to assure you that the above-mentioned restrictions based on the decision of 24 November 2021 of the Slovak Government do not apply to our network of Packeta pick-up points in Slovakia.
The government measures are effective from 25 November 2021 and the lockdown will last for two weeks, according to the Slovak government.
Despite the hard lockdown, our pick-up points will be open, as the provision of postal services falls under the so-called essential services according to the Slovak decree and are thus subject to an exemption.
The Packeta pick-up points will operate standardly even in the current regime (for parcel processing) as they did during Wave 2 of the pandemic. Therefore, you can continue to have your parcels sent to Packeta pick-up points in Slovakia and e-shops can deliver to the pick-up points without any problems.
We are currently in the process of determining which facilities will remain open for Slovak Packeta customers during the lockdown. Based on the experience from the previous lockdown, we expect that more than 90% of the pick-up points will remain open despite the tightened measures.
In the event that the pick-up point you have selected for delivery is closed, your parcel will be automatically redirected to the nearest possible pick-up point. We will inform you of the redirection of your parcel.
We are constantly monitoring the situation and will keep you informed of any changes.
08.03.2021, 7.30 pm
HUNGARY: Csomagküldő
Our Pick-up points in Hungary are open!
Dear clients,
we have additional information for you on the current situation in Hungary, where new security measures apply from today, March 8, 2021. First of all, we want to assure you that the delivery of parcels continues and we will do everything we can to provide you and your customers with the highest quality services.
Based on an official statement from the government on the Magyar Közlöny portal, a significant part of our pick-up points can continue to function as usual. We currently have 400 open and we expect their number to increase. We are also in contact with the E-commerce Hungary association, with which we deal with delivery and pick-up issues at pick-up points.
What about parcels?
Our colleagues in Hungary actively monitor all parcels that go to closed pick-up points. Subsequently, they will contact the recipients, inform them about the situation and together with them arrange the redirection of parcels to another pick-up points. Parcels that are currently at closed pick-up points will be transported to our depots as soon as possible and processed.
Thank you for your understanding,
Packeta
3.12.2020, 11.30 am
The Capacities of Carriers in the Current Situation
Dear Partners,
The numbers in the e-commerce segment have reached record numbers in recent days, which shows substantially in the number of parcels, which are heading from e-shops to the customers; therefore, the logistics network of most carriers is overfull at the moment. In the Czech Republic, Zásilkovna delivers most parcels to pick-up points on the next day (97 %), similarly as during the rest of the year. Zásilkovna provides the additional service Home delivery via external carriers such as DPD or WeDo, which have limited us by applying maximum daily limits of the number of parcels, and they have informed us that due to the current overload of the logistics network, delays can occur during Home delivery.
Please Inform Your Customers of the Situation
For this reason, we kindly ask you to place a message about the current situation on your e-shop. In Zásilkovna, we believe that sincerity and openness are the most important traits nowadays, and thanks to sufficient awareness, the customers will understand, that at the moment, logistics is going through a situation which has never before been experienced in the Czech Republic. It is a test for all of us – for customers, e-shops and carriers, and we are sure that together we will manage the situation. A fair approach will definitely contribute to the situation, when we will inform customers in advance that their goods may be delivered to them with a delay.
Redirecting from Home Delivery to Pick-up Points
In Zásilkovna, we are now limited by the capacities of the cooperating carriers and unfortunately, we are not capable of impacting these statutes. The service Home delivery is now managed using the capacities which the carriers preserved for us. The number of parcels exceeds these capacities; therefore, we have approached to the redirecting of some parcels heading to the address to the closest pick-up point. You can find all the details in the statement of Simona Kijonková below.
We have informed the customers about this procedure on our blog, Facebook and of course, with the help of e-mails, SMS and push notifications on the mobile application Zásilkovna.
Compensation Is a Must
If the parcel happens to be redirected from home delivery to pick-up point, you as e-shops will be charged with the fee for delivery to pick-up points, instead of the fee for Home delivery. After that, customers will also receive compensation in the form of sending one parcel free of charge.
If the procedure described above should cause you any potential complications and is not suitable for you, we kindly ask you to temporarily turn off the service Home delivery on your e-shop.
In case you decide to continue to use the service Home delivery, we kindly ask you to communicate with your customers, that in case the maximum daily limit of parcels of couriers is used up and it is not possible to hand over the parcel via Home delivery, it can be delivered to the closest pick-up point of Zásilkovna.
We assume that this will apply to the lower percentage units of all parcels for Home delivery, but we also want you and your customers to have up-to-date and sincere information. The current situation does not affect the service Delivery to pick-up points– we deliver parcels here in the same manner as you and your customers are used to, and if pick-up points are open even on Saturday, we deliver parcels here on this day as well.
We thank you very much for your cooperation and wish you many satisfied customers.
Yours sincerely,
Packeta
25.11.2020, 6.30 pm
Delivery to Address and the Capacity of Carriers
The Current Situation of Carriers in the Market
Dear Clients,
You know very well, that within the service of Delivery to address, Zásilkovna hands over your parcel to our cooperating couriers DPD, Geis and WeDo (formerly Intime).
What is the current situation?
PPL and GLS refused to cooperate with us in the year 2020. During the first pandemic wave, the courier companies DPD, Geis and WeDo (formerly Intime) limited us with the maximum daily number of parcels, which we can handover to them. This is why we were forced to apply, for you, unpopular measures, when we had to cancel direct submission to specific couriers. We had to work with these limits during all of year 2020 and unfortunately, we have received further limitation by DPD and Geis (same owner), which is another 50% decrease of the current limit effective immediately. This stance is justified with the current situation in the logistic market and the difficult Christmas season.
Zásilkovna did not neglect anything considering preparations for this year’s season. Unfortunately, our courier partners have decided to limit us as a large customer in the number of parcels, which they takeover. We guarantee that we will make a maximum effort to hand over your parcels to these carriers. On the other hand, the daily limit of parcels, which we are allowed to hand over to the couriers, is clearly stated and we are not capable of increasing it. We are not capable of impacting the decision of the courier companies, it is very unpleasant for us, and furthermore, it is even more difficult due to the upcoming Christmas season.
Temporary Automatic Parcel Redirecting to the Closest Pick-up Points
Due to the reasons above, we had to proceed with the process of automatic redirecting of certain parcels, which will exceed the limits of the couriers, to the closest convenient pick-up point of Zásilkovna. We assume that this will consider the lower % units of all parcels for Delivery to address. Your customers will be properly informed of these measures via e-mail, SMS and the push notification in the mobile application Zásilkovna. They will get to know specific information about the final address of the pick-up point and also the reasons for redirecting. Afterwards, they standardly receive the password for the parcel pick-up.
Dear E-shoppers, we ask you of two things:
- In case you decide to continue to use the service Delivery to address, we ask you to communicate with your clients, that it is possible, in case the maximum daily limit of the couriers is exhausted and it is not possible to hand over the parcel by Delivery to address, the parcel can be delivered to the closest pick-up point.
- If the procedure explained above will potentially cause complications and is not suitable for you, then please temporarily turn off the service Delivery to address in your e-shop.
In Zásilkovna, we are trying to do the maximum to deliver all of your parcels and Christmas presents on time. This change will not impact the standard service Delivery to pick-up points.
Thank you for your cooperation and I wish you plenty of health and success in the Christmas season.
Simona Kijonková
Founder of Zásilkovna and CEO of Packeta group
23.10.2020, 10.20 am
SLOVAKIA: Zásielkovňa
The pick-up of parcels is uninterrupted in the Zásielkovňa network
Dear partners,
In connection with the current situation around COVID-19 and today’s decision of the Government of the Slovak Republic to tighten security measures again, we want to assure you that the mentioned restrictions do not apply to our network of pick-up points. Delivery of parcels from online stores to pick-up points is an exception to government regulations.
Government measures will take effect on October 24, 2020
Unfortunately, the government has not given us too much time to prepare, but we are a digital company, we act immediately and we can do it! Orders delivered today at dispensing points will be redirected to the next open one in the case of a closed dispensing point.
The dispensing points of the Zásielkovňa, similarly to the spring pandemic, also operate in the current regime (for the purpose of processing the shipment), when the Government of the Slovak Republic restricted retail sales. Shipments from e-shops can thus continue to flow to the dispensing points of the Shipyard. At the moment, the Mail Order has most of the dispensing points involved in the system.
We did not neglect anything and we carefully prepared for the second wave. We are strengthened on customer lines and in operation, and we continue to strengthen the delivery process to.
We are constantly monitoring the situation and will keep you informed of any changes. We have again created sections on our blog where we will constantly update the information we obtain about COVID-19. At the same time, we will regularly inform you about everything on our Facebook.
Believe that we will not leave you in this and we will do our best to deliver your shipments to customers, either through dispensaries or directly to customers’ addresses.
I wish you all a lot of strength and above all a lot of health!
21.10.2020, 3.20 pm
CZECH REPUBLIC: Zásilkovna
The pick-up of parcels is uninterrupted in the Zásilkovna network
Dear e-shoppers, Dear clients,
Regarding the current situation with COVID-19 and today’s decision of the Czech government to tighten up security measures once again, we would like to assure you that the mentioned restrictions do not apply to our network of pick-up points of Zásilkovna. Delivery of parcels from online shops to pick-up points has an exception from government regulations.
Government regulations will be effective as of tomorrow, October 22nd, 2020 at 6:00
Unfortunately, the government didn’t give us much time for preparation, but we are a digital company, we react immediately and we can do it! Regarding orders delivered to pick-up points today, in case the pick-up point is closed, it will be transferred to the closest open one. We do not expect a considerable number of closed pick-up points with regard to the exception that we have as a pick-up network.
Pick-up points of Zásilkovna, similarly as during the spring pandemic, function in the current regime, during which the Czech government banned retail sale. Therefore, parcels from e-shops can continue to flow to pick-up points of Zásilkovna. At this moment, Zásilkovna has most pick-up points involved in the system.
We did not neglect anything and we have prepared thoroughly for the second wave. We have strengthened customer support and also operation and we continue to strengthen the process of delivery to address.
We are constantly monitoring the current situation and we will inform you of possible changes on a regular basis. We have once again created sections on our blog, where we will constantly update information, which we will obtain regarding the COVID-19 situation. At the same time, we will regularly inform you of everything on our Facebook page– Zásilkovna advisory center.
You can trust us that we will not leave you behind and that we will do the maximum to deliver your parcels to customers via pick-up points or directly to the address of the customers.
I wish you lots of strength and especially good health!
Simona Kijonková
CZECH REPUBLIC: Zásilkovna
New Government Regulations Will Not Affect Pick-up Points
Dear e-shoppers,
We would like to inform you that the new regulations of the Czech government did not affect pick-up points of Zásilkovna for now and only a minimum of them were temporarily closed. We therefore continue to deliver your goods to pick-up points without any changes.
Only about 1 % of pick-up points are closed at the moment due to the regulations
Due to government regulations, fitness centers, gyms and sport grounds had to close, where we had 34 pick-up points. Some of our partner pick-up points are restaurants, bistros and bars, but they are allowed to have a serving hatch open from which they can hand over parcels to customers. At the moment we have no information of any pick-up points in restaurants being closed. Therefore, more than 3500 pick-up points continue to function without restrictions.
We take care of pick-up points in order for them to be at your full disposal.
Even this time we distribute thousands of protective and hygienic aids to all pick-up points, in order to contribute to the health of our employees and at least provide help to a certain extent for our branches to function without restrictions.
The maximum utilization of capacities of our pick-up points
Due to the pandemic and the Christmas season, we expect further growth of e-commerce and more online purchases, therefore we are introducing reduced storage time to 5 calendar days (instead of originally 7) starting November 1st, 2020 with the option of extending by one day only. We want to ensure the quicker dispatching of parcels in order for the capacity of pick-up points to cover the demand of your customers.
5 calendar days
1. 11. - 24. 12. 2020
The pick-up network of Zásilkovna functioned even during the most difficult times during the first wave
In practice we know that the regulations can change day by day. Even if areal closing of retail stores occurs, we believe that pick-up points will be affected minimally. During the first wave of Covid-19, we had already appealed to the Czech government to at least enable stores the issuing of goods from e-shops – and this was permitted. The issuing of parcels is at least a partial compensation for the decline in sales for many storekeepers and small and middle-sized enterprisers, and therefore pick-up points continued working in their own interest. Therefore, we strongly hope that if the restriction of retail sales occurs any time soon, the situation with issuing parcels will remain without restrictions like during the first wave of Covid-19.
We are monitoring the situation very thoroughly and we will inform you continuously and quickly about the development and all the possible changes.
You can rely on us even during the busiest season of the year for e-commerce.
Yours sincerely,
Packeta