In trouble - need help!

[myboardid]

On Monday December 7th I shipped just over 90 packages.  I took them to my Post Office and with the help of a postal employee loaded them into bins separated by first class and Priority.  Later in the day they were loaded onto the afternoon outgoing truck and taken away.  Approximately 60 were first class and 30 were Priority.  The Priority ones have mostly been delivered, but in the last few days I have been getting INR cases opened and I have figured out that they are all for packages shipped that day and they all say "departed (my) post office" that day and nothing else.  

I see potential disaster coming.  Besides the financial loss of a couple thousand dollars how much trouble will I be in with eBay if I have upwards of 60 INR refunds?  I'm sure to get the increase in fees plus lose my TRS status, maybe get kicked off the sight?  I can prove they got to the Post Office but there is no delivery so far.  Actually one got delivered, I figure it got accidentally put into the Priority bin.

Losing my ability to sell here would be a financial disaster for me.  It is not my only income but this year it has been a mainstay because of COVID restrictions/financial losses on my retail store & rental properties. 

Any ideas would be appreciated!

[dhbookds]

Others have posted a strategy on how to relist to get repayment after a refund, but in doing so and just marking the package as shipped (with no tracking number) wouldn't that also mess up a sellers metrics??

I asked that also of CS and they assured me that since the messages would be in ebay messages they would "recognize" the reason for no shipping.  I thought I might get a ding on metrics that I'd have to call about, but none so far........ 

[postcardcountry]

patd3283,

It must not have been just your PO....my packages for Dec 7 were  the same.  No PO scans.

In fact, the packages placed in the bins the rest of the week were poorly scanned.

Still have 8 of the 26 still floating around.

[antiques10101]

Just to give some timeframes on the way things are moving, I had a package leave the post office here in the suburbs of Chicago on November 30th.  It was just scanned in at Charleston, SC today (12/18) with no prior scans in between.   There are other packages that I mailed on November 24th, still sitting at hubs sprinkled about the country.  Right now I have six left I'm waiting on (I stopped selling at the beginning of December).  About one package a day makes a move.  At this rate, I might be clear by the new year, but who knows.

[kktexan]

I'm in the same boat, though on a much smaller scale. 

Search online for "USPS delays" and there are articles detailing the problems with delivery delays.  There are trucks filled with mail and packages that are just sitting full outside mail centers that can not be unloaded because there is no room inside.

I called my local post office and was told packages might not be scanned until it reaches it's destination.  So, even if it's 'moving', there may not be any record of it.

[frodobagginskennedy]

I read on another forum that Priority mail is getting faster service over the first class.  First class is sitting waiting for things to calm down according to a Post Master in CO.   Makes sense since you see movement in Priority.

As long as you deal with the issues that arise you will not get kicked off fee bay.

[myboardid]

Thank you ALL so much!  It means a lot to me that you would help and comfort me! 

My DH is at the Post office right now talking to our postmaster.  Yesterday we delivered a Christmas gift to them - a big deli platter with all the fixin's so they could grab quick, not homemade lunches.  It is a small office with only 8 employees.  This screw up was not their fault, they did their jobs and do them well every day. 

I have filed missing item forms on all of the packages that I have complaints about, which is now about 12.  I'm thinking that if they actually find these, they will find the rest. 

I already have one neutral feedback from a newbie 0 feedback buyer, but I'm not surprised that he would be quick to complain. 

I'll let you all know how it goes.  Sending masked hugs to you all!

[immortalfigures]

I am having the same experience and you have my sympathy since it is super frustrating. Several hundred packages, all with minor delays, some with major, a few with ridiculous. The thing that really adds gas onto the fire is that every package is delayed in different ways with different tracking notes to describe the situation. Some were stuck at my local central sorting facility for days, others are getting clogged at the buyer's post office. My favorite was a priority mail package that was not even scanned in at the origin postal annex so it still said post office waiting to receive package -which just is an awesome optic for the buyer to see. Responded to angry buyer (rightfully so angry by the way) and assured them it had been dropped off, but even in light of the other delays going on, I was beginning to wonder if I had made an error since I have never had that happen before. Then 8 days later tracking updated with the first tracking entry showing it pop up at the post office near their home and it was delivered a few hours later. I will give my buyers credit, many have been angry, but only one so far has opened an INR case with the item still in transit. The best advice you can get, and echoed here many time,  is to respond politely, be empathetic about their situation, but assure them this is happening everywhere and that they are getting to their destination.

Good luck, and see you on the other side of this.  

[georgefix]

they'll show up, if you get any cases make sure you load the tracking in the case file

[ra_201044]

I have filed missing item forms on all of the packages that I have complaints about, which is now about 12.  I'm thinking that if they actually find these, they will find the rest. 

Probably. In your situation, it seems that the Priority bin made it to the mainland and went on from there. The FC bin probably made it too, but was pushed off to the side and others moved in front of it.

We all hope they find them for you so they can be on their way!! Hopefully they will extend the time if anyone files an INR for you if there is movement - and they include shipments prior to the 12/16-12/31 timeframe that they stated in their 'extended' seller protections from this pandemic.

[isatwin74]

So sorry you are going through this. My local post office is delaying delivering mail and they are just delivering and picking up packages to get them moving. I talked to my postal guy who picks up my packages and delivers my mail and he said we are only picking up and delivering  packages right now. They are short staffed due to covid and have a ton of packages so they are delaying mail. 

I sent a package to the state next to me 12 days ago and it is still not delivered. My buyer has been very understanding thankfully. I also have a return that has been sitting in Texas for the last 2 weeks and I opened a where is my package case and it still has not moved. I already refunded my buyer since it's not their fault.