First off , please don't tell me to use a scan form. The scan form is useless. Most of you do not know that the packages on the scan form are NOT accepted packages. They are pending acceptance until some one scans the package. If your local postal isn't scanning them and the distribution center doesn't scan them then they are late and your "shipped on time" metric will go down. I only found old posts on this subject with people saying stupid things like " learn to use a scan form". The scan form is useless.
For those of you sellers that only sell 20 items or less a day the horrible service at the United States post office might not be that much of a problem. On my selling account I sell up 40 items a day in my off-season and as many as 100 a day during spring and summer and most of fall. My shipping metrics can go downhill very quickly if the post office isn't doing their job. I have packages that don't get their first scan until they are in another state. That doesn't just happen occasionally it's a regular thing. Many times they don't get scanned for days sometimes an entire week.
I get constant complaints from buyers asking why I haven't shipped. And all I can do is promise them that I shipped their package and explain the problems of the United States post office. I still get more and more negative feedbacks because of shipping problems even though I ship everything 24 hours after payment and eBay will not take them down because the packages were not excepted within 24 hours but they sure as hell were brought to the post office within that timeframe. And the scanned form was scanned but the packages were NOT accepted.
SO, I started insisting that my packages get scared and I get a receipt. Its been ok most of the time because I wait for the same employee that doesn't seem to mind doing her job ( I said the 1 employee that doesn't mind) On one Monday I had 225 packages to scan and she wasn't there. A different employee was there and she told me she didn't have to scan the packages. Because I had more than five and there were people behind me. I told her I was paying for tracking that wasn't being used because nobody would scan the packages. We debated this back-and-forth. It was very interesting hearing things about Postal Service that I know for a fact are not true because of my 10 + years shipping. She actually had the nerve to tell me that everything had to be scanned the moment I got to the distribution center. I told her I know for a fact that wasn't true because if it was true I wouldn't have 100 different packages that got their first scan in another state. I told her even when the packages were scanned at the distribution center it was sometimes days or even a week after I drop them off. She was still indignant. I told her if she was going to refuse to handle my packages properly then I'd have no choice but to leave but I wouldn't be happy about it and that the USPS was ruining my business. And She finally scanned in my packages. And she was nice about it.
Now I have to stand in line with prepaid packages, that should be scanned before they leave the building Evan if I just leave them in a bin ( but they never are) and spend time holding someone's hand making them do their work. I have to argue with postal employees about getting them to use a product, tracking, I am paying them for.
I am paying for tracking. There is no reason I shouldn't demand it be used properly. I am also paying a huge heap of fees to EBAY and if I lose my fee discount those already high fees will go up 10% which in my case will equal over $9000 a year. Ebay just as bad as the usps is. Imagine a company charging such high rates, demanding excellent service in exchange for a small fee discount, And you can't talk to any one about a problem. If you do get some one they are not helpful and often are not easy to understand.
Like I said. I am paying for tracking and the USPS is slowly ruining my business because they won't use it. If I use FED ex I will also be ruined because the increase in shipping cost would put my items at a higher price than my competitors. over 90% of my product is first class mail size. now called advantage select.
I read old posts on this subject where so called former USPS employees were defending the idea that no one scans in a large number of packages. Like thats the way it should be. ( Again , If your thinking of a scan form you are mis guided) I say the USPS should do their job. All of them should. But for some reason they seem to think they are privileged enough not to.
And what does Ebay do about this? Absolutely nothing. Like they do with most problems. And before some one says something stupid like " why are still here then?" its because I built up a large amount of inventory and spent a huge amount of time on this platform creating listings and I am trapped much like a 1920's tenant farmer who is getting a really crapy deal from his landlord but doesn't have anywhere else to go but another crapy landlord. Talking to ebay is basically like talking to a computer that doesn't really speak your language very well. you get no where.
At least I get to argue with a person at the usps. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up.
