USPS Ground Advantage Shipping Question

[ezvj0dv]

Hello,

I hope everyone is doing well tonight. I have a question and I'm just curious if anyone else is having a similar issue.... I've been selling on ebay for a couple of years now and have figured out all the nuiances with UPS, Ebay Standard Envelope, and USPS. I have never had issues with the initial scan or scans being updated with USPS priority mail, but as of late, with USPS Ground Advantage, I have had multiple high dollar items show that "Label Printed" but no scan happened, or that the initial scan took place from the local post office but no follow up scans. I've never had this issue before and haven't changed anything in my process as it pertains to USPS with their higher shipping cost. I refunded for the first time ever on an order over 20 dollars for 3 items I know I shipped out for 80 dollars. I now have another individual that is telling me that they haven't received their item, and there hasn't been a shipping update since the "Item departed the post office on 11/3".

Is anyone else having issues with USPS Ground Advantage? The tracking and system updates a few weeks ago went down for a week roughly and I have seen a lot of issues spilling out now that I have never seen while shipping with USPS.

[inhawaii]

I'm having no issues whatsoever since the switch to GA.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

There are some areas where GA shipments enter a black hole.

You may have refunded too soon.

You can attempt an insurance claim with USPS but the items will probably be delivered before you can file the claim.

[theteamsetguy]

No issues here and I send out 100 plus packages a week.

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

I have never had USPS lose a package. Ive seen signifcant delays and gaps between scans but never a lost package.

I have found some success with filing a missing mail search on the USPS website... i found it "bumps" or "nudges" the package when it's either MIA or stuck at a certain distribution center.

I believe you refunded way too soon. I play it out as long as possible and reassure they will either receive their item or a refund but I try to get them to remain patient and my goal is to not have to refund because they may still get the item and I'm out item + $$ and can't file insurance.

[dbfolks166mt]

      I am having no issues with GA in particular but I take all my packages to the PO to have the initial scan done and obtain a receipt. I had issues in the past with simply dropping packages at the PO or having USPS pickup the packages. 

    As a shipper  I have had two packages in the last six months that USPS managed to loose, both were Priority Mail. I filed claims with USPS for both of those items and was reimbursed by USPS for both the item and the shipping cost. 

     In July I had one incoming package that I never received but not a purchase on eBay. The seller fully refunded my purchase and filed a claim with USPS which he also won. I stayed in contact with the seller just in case the package arrived which it never did and USPS closed out the case/claim. 

[slippinjimmy]

@ezvj0dv 

Maybe switch to Carrier Pickup or drop them off at a different Post Office.

There is zero reason that GA would be handled differently than any other mail. Once it reaches and then departs from the Regional Facility you should be all good. If you are using it for Packages over one pound as an alternative to Priority understand that GA over 1lb used to be called Parcel Select, the name changed but the service is the same, a mostly SURFACE delivery so for distant delivery points the next tracking may take a few days.

If you are not see tracking at all or not see tracking after the drop off location then that is where the problem is and you should speak with the local Postmaster to let them know what is happening. If they are not willing or able to investigate them find another drop off point.

Is this a recent issue? I notice that on your most recent listing you are still using "First Class" (priced like the old FC Package) which is a service that no longer exists. eBay if that is how you print your labels should be converting them to Ground Advantage but the rollover exception period has ended so if you print labels elsewhere there are still some lame services using the old terminology which now results in them  getting kicked out the system, still delivered eventually with a deficiency charge billed to the sender.

I kind of doubt this is the source of the problem  but in any event you need to update your shipping policies because First Class is only valid for standard letters with no tracking.

First thing is to do what I suggested at the top of my post.

FYI - 45+ years using USPS, a total of 2 lost packages domestically.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@ezvj0dv wrote:

 I refunded for the first time ever on an order over 20 dollars for 3 items I know I shipped out for 80 dollars. I now have another individual that is telling me that they haven't received their item, and there hasn't been a shipping update since the "Item departed the post office on 11/3".

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For the item you issued a refund, when was it sold? What date did you ship it? What is the EDD? Did the buyer open INR for that item? Did you respond to the claim with the tracking number? 

[albertabrightalberta]

@ezvj0dv 

Are you sure you're using GA? Your items have 99-cent shipping or free shipping and based on the selling prices of the items, you'd be selling and shipping at a loss with GA. 

[inhawaii]

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@theteamsetguy wrote:

No issues here and I send out 100 plus packages a week.

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100 a week?

Are you sure?

How can the be?

How can people find and buy your stuff?

The search is broken.  😉

[mam98031]

I don't have any more problems with GA than I did with FC Parcels.  

I have NEVER seen USPS tracking go down for an entire week.  Heck a full day would be highly unusual.

When a buyer tells you that their item has not been received and you don't see the scans you should on the tracking, the first thing you do should NOT be to refund.  The first thing is to file a TRACE on the package.  Also sign up for Email notifications each time the package gets a scan.

That will usually loosen up the package in just a couple of days or so.  But if after about a week it doesn't, then go and file a report for MISSING MAIL.  

And all along keeping in contact with your buyer to let them know the steps you have taken and anything you have learned.  The vast majority of the time the package will get delivered.

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

So @mam98031 ... pardon me but what the heck is a trace? Is that the "Help Request Form"? If not, please explain.

When i go to the missing mail site I see these steps ...

1) Check Tracking

2) Fill Out Help Request Form

3) Missing Mail Search. (MMS)

The details for Help Request Form say "do this first, and wait 7 days before before MMS" but in the details of the Help Request it says they will send the request to your local post office. I mean ... am I looney or is this pretty pointless? Most times my issue is the item has LEFT my local post office and is stuck at a regional distro center. What will a request sent to my local post office do? I could see if USPS does this to cut down on MMS filings by impatient people, but if have experience with tracking, you know when there is or isn't a problem... personally, I read "fill out this help request form, we'll forward it to local PO", I laugh at that, and skip to Step 3 MMS

I'm assuming your trace term is Help Request according to USPS ... so is there really benefit to Step 2? By my reading, Step 2 help request casts a very small net, and refers to local PO, and step 3 MMS casts a wide net and covers regional distro? If I know my item isn't at the local PO I feel I'm wasting a whole week (especially bad when an impatient buyer is involved).

So I ask, and I mean no disrespect by this, do you know there to truly be benefit to the multi-step process, or are you simply relaying the advice given by USPS because that's what they suggest?

My cynical side says this: A "Help Request" is a clever low-level action/request that is less burdensome on USPS and buys them theoretically a week delay before you file an MMS for the package to get moving on its own organically w/o intervention, and then they in turn aren't burdened by a slew of more intensive MMS requests... just sounds like a organizational version of "here, fill out this form, and we'll get back to you next week to start the process" to just lie to you and get rid of you for the time being...

[mike_jayroe]

Only problem I have had is some scans don't say more than "in transit to next facility". And this line might appear two or three times in a row with different times and dates.

But it eventually get's there. Best of luck with future shipments.

[nobody*s_perfect]

That "in transit" message isn't a scan; it's a placeholder while your package is riding along on a truck for more than 24 hours. It means nothing more than "Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you."

[kickin.assets]

Never had missing package till last week. Item had been scanned at local post office but showed nothing, not even original scan. A few days later, magically it was in Nashville, out for delivery. So item showed zip nada zero until that time. And the ONLY thing under tracking was that, Nashville, out for delivery! So thankfully item was delivered on time, but with showing no other scans, we get a ding for what ebay will believe, that item wasn’t scanned on time. It was.

Now this week, we have another one doing the same thing! Hopefully this will turn out like the above, but we can’t continue to have dings for not scanning on time, when we are. Not sure what is going on as we have never in 7 years had this happen. Now twice in as many weeks?!

Frustrating.