Anyone else having major trouble with eBay Standard Envelope Shipping this month?

[asuka_was_here]

Over half the packages I sent out last week—picked up by USPS—have seen no tracking update, not even origin processing. Others have been stuck in limbo at a distro facility for over a week with no movement. I have buyers asking me where their packages are and I can't even tell them because USPS won't acknowledge that they have them. All outgoing local mail gets routed to White Plains, NY for sorting and they seem to be seriously failing, and I have major concerns about having to my item not received rates this quarter tanking through no fault of my own—all my envelopes shipped out next business day and then vanished in to the ether. Anyone know what's going on? Is this a local problem or did USPS like, update it's scanning software and break everything?

It's not unusual for one or two packages here and there to have spotty tracking, but this kind of volume is unprecedented.

[1786davycrockett]

@asuka_was_here 

Your problem may be simply the manner in which you are mailing your ESEs.

USPS can not acknowledge receiving the ESEs, if the ESEs have not been mailed properly, and this seems to be one of the major issues that many eBay sellers have been discussing regarding using the ESE program.

The initial "scan" can NOT be done at a local post office, as the ESE can not be identified by the hand scanners used by the USPS counter employees, nor can the ESEs be scanned by USPS delivery drivers.

USPS considers the ESE to simply be another piece of contracted business metered mail.  So, if you drop your ESEs in the "Metered Mail" slot in your post office lobby, these envelopes are mixed in with other business metered mail, and are immediately added to the sorting machines at the next USPS Distribution Center, where they will receive their initial "scan" -- and that USPS Distribution Center is normally in another city or county (as you had indicated).  

Depending on the day that the ESEs are mailed, the initial "scan" may be delayed by several days, especially if a weekend or holiday should intervene.

Similarly, if you drop your ESEs into a USPS "blue-box," or your residential mailbox, or a business mailing system, your ESEs may not receive that initial "scan" for several days -- if ever.  And sometimes the ESEs also never receive that initial "scan" if the ESEs are simply handed to the USPS counter clerks.

The final "Delivered" scan only indicates that the ESE has been received by the post office matching the ZIP Code of the residence address of the buyer -- and NOT the buyer's actual address.   Delivery of the ESE to the buyer's home may take several additional days.

And ESEs which are not sufficiently flexible will also be delayed -- the ESE should be flexible enough to nearly bend in half.

If the ESEs are sufficiently flexible, and are mailed in the "Metered Mail" slot in the post office lobby, there seem to be very few problems with delivery.  I've been using ESEs for several years now -- with no problems, no returns, and no buyer complaints.

Don't give up yet!

[worldcoinauctions]

I usually drop mine in the blue box and have no issues. I did have one that went out Saturday that has no scan, although all the rest from that day and yesterday do. I figure it will get scanned when it gets to the destination center. Happens, even had a priority box that didn't get scanned until it was out to be delivered. Don't panic, they are probably moving through the system just fine.

[12345jamesstamps]

eBay standard envelopes are considered "metered mail" and are treated different than an envelope with a stamp on it. Those envelopes get scanned somewhere along the way...not always as an accepted scan or a delivered scan. Thus, the delay is shipping or dishonest buyers who ask where is my item.

I am using the good old .68 stamp for mailing my cheap items...they get 4-5 days cross country...and haven't had anything lost last year plus this year.

[pennysue1234swimwear]

My account has gone below standard after using these label's.Even after you give the tracking number you are still responsible for them being delivered.I have been on here 10 years and never had this problem

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Some sellers have major problems with ESE EVERY MONTH,

What you sell and how it is packed is the likely problem.

Lack of uniform thickness and too much rigidity are big problems. Seems like card sellers who use top loaders have more trouble than sellers who sell stamps or labels.

I do not share the belief that which slot at the PO you drop it in is the cause of such issues. Metered mail is not segregated during most of the shipping process. If it has an effect, it is likely to be close to the first scan.