Suddenly my post office is refusing acceptance scans

[sharonlpk]

I have a copy of the memo back in March 2016 from Kelly Sigmon, USPS VP Retail & Customer Service that states All eBay prepaid parcels MUST receive an acceptance scan.

Today I presented 4 packages (which is a large amount for me...) and was refused a scan.  First the clerk cited a brand new memo from Washington DC, then I called the branch when I got home and spoke with the supervisor who said they are no longer required to do scans but if I wanted any done then I had to come in at 8 am...   So I really think there is no 'new memo' about the scans and that the post office is not following procedure.

In addition, the supervisor said that no packages, even those left on the counter, would be scanned locally and that the first scan wouldn't be until the main post office (in this case Cleveland).

Before I take this to any next steps, I am curious if anyone else has a post office that has suddenly refused to do scans, citing new procedures....  I suspect there aren't any new procedures but still checking 😉

[itsjustasprain]

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@sharonlpk wrote:

Before I take this to any next steps, I am curious if anyone else has a post office that has suddenly refused to do scans, citing new procedures....  I suspect there aren't any new procedures but still checking 😉

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There arent any new procedires. There is an Ebay rep on here named ship-like-a-pro (not sure if I have that spelled right) who has asked to be told when there is an event like that and he will follow up with the Usps and the actual post office invovlved to straighten them out.

If you really want to be official and correct then you coult try printing out a SCAN form which they are required to scan and give back to you. Its one scan that represents every package in your batch that day. My post office never asks for one and just scans each package inidiviidaully - but you are havning troubble with yours so that might be oneway to force them to follow their rules. 

[usmc*usnmom]

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@sharonlpk wrote:

I have a copy of the memo back in March 2016 from Kelly Sigmon, USPS VP Retail & Customer Service that states All eBay prepaid parcels MUST receive an acceptance scan.

Today I presented 4 packages (which is a large amount for me...) and was refused a scan.  First the clerk cited a brand new memo from Washington DC, then I called the branch when I got home and spoke with the supervisor who said they are no longer required to do scans but if I wanted any done then I had to come in at 8 am...   So I really think there is no 'new memo' about the scans and that the post office is not following procedure.

In addition, the supervisor said that no packages, even those left on the counter, would be scanned locally and that the first scan wouldn't be until the main post office (in this case Cleveland).

Before I take this to any next steps, I am curious if anyone else has a post office that has suddenly refused to do scans, citing new procedures....  I suspect there aren't any new procedures but still checking 😉

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Next time you go to your PO, ask the Postmaster why they don't want credited for the packages they accept. That's one way how USPS determines how much money each PO gets each year--by the package volume ACCEPTED at that particular branch.

Are they rolling in so much dough that they don't need funding? Do they realize that another PO will be getting credit for  THEIR packages?

[myra2.0]

"Next time you go to your PO, ask the Postmaster why they don't want credited for the packages they accept. "

Don't they only care about such things when their numbers are being audited? (which is twice a year, I believe)

Regardless, it seems like the clerks' training is perpetually 2 years behind the current policies.  See how long it takes for you to get the postmaster to the front when you question their policy statements. 

[a_c_green]

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@itsjustasprain wrote:

There is an Ebay rep on here named ship-like-a-pro (not sure if I have that spelled right) who has asked to be told when there is an event like that and he will follow up with the Usps and the actual post office invovlved to straighten them out.

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Well... the correct ID is @ship_like_a_pro (pinging him thusly), and one such request for details can be seen in a posting from last April here, although the system indicates that he has not been on-line in this group since then, so we shall see if he responds.

[penguins_dont_fly]

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@sharonlpk wrote:

I have a copy of the memo back in March 2016 from Kelly Sigmon, USPS VP Retail & Customer Service that states All eBay prepaid parcels MUST receive an acceptance scan.

Today I presented 4 packages (which is a large amount for me...) and was refused a scan.  First the clerk cited a brand new memo from Washington DC, then I called the branch when I got home and spoke with the supervisor who said they are no longer required to do scans but if I wanted any done then I had to come in at 8 am...   So I really think there is no 'new memo' about the scans and that the post office is not following procedure.

In addition, the supervisor said that no packages, even those left on the counter, would be scanned locally and that the first scan wouldn't be until the main post office (in this case Cleveland).

Before I take this to any next steps, I am curious if anyone else has a post office that has suddenly refused to do scans, citing new procedures....  I suspect there aren't any new procedures but still checking 😉

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Are you using a SCAN sheet (PS form 5630)?

They are required to scan the SCAN sheet when it is presented to them.

If you continue to have issues, even when presenting a SCAN sheet, you should contact your Area USPS Consumer Affairs Department.

Write a polite professional letter or email detailing who you talked to and when.

Ask them to please educate your local branch regarding scans.

You can find your Area CAD here:

https://ribbs.usps.gov/locators/find-cam.cfm

[emerald40]

At our main Post Office,, clerks make it known they cannot scan packages when it becomes too busy.  And the Postmater backs them up.

You are told if you want it scanned go to one of the less busier Post Offices.

And in these very troubling times making a fuss in a Federal building would not be your best move,

[sharonlpk]

I appreciate all of the information from the various posts and will be taking next steps as I get frustrated when people lie to me, which is clearly what the clerk and 'supervisor' were doing... 

I wish I could do a scan sheet but as I sometimes have to tweak postage weights etc given in the item description, I am not currently comfortable doing the bulk shipping -- usually only have 1 or 2 packages at one time anyway 😉

I am glad for having information for the Ebay contact 🙂

I find it interesting that only post offices that do the initial acceptance scan get credit for the packages lol, you would think the 'supervisor' should know that...

And, not shooting the messenger here, but I would think that if I want to spend 10 minutes standing in line for a scan, that it should be considered post office business and handled, regardless of the time of day...sigh!

[myra2.0]

Next time, just hold one package.  Put the other 2 or 3 in a bag.  Then, after they scan the first, say "oh, I have a 2 more".  Thank you so much!  🙂

[a_c_green]

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@sharonlpk wrote:

And, not shooting the messenger here, but I would think that if I want to spend 10 minutes standing in line for a scan, that it should be considered post office business and handled, regardless of the time of day...sigh!

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Well, of course it is post office business, regardless of what that clerk seems to think. (It also requires about the least amount of time of any counter transaction I can think of: maybe seven seconds, by my estimate.) It's the second half of a transaction that you initiated by printing a label on-line, paying for the label and opening a record for the package in the USPS database. They then take possession of the package, again noting that in the database; that is what the Acceptance record is.

The receipt you get on-line is for your payment; the receipt you get at the counter is for your package: two halves of the same transaction. Realistically, that counter receipt is not really needed, as it will be of no value in any eBay or PayPal dispute later on (although I notice that some places such as the downtown Chicago post offices insist on printing a receipt for everything). As soon as you hear the scanner beep, your package is Accepted.

[couldabeenworse]

The whole point of online postage is to streamline the process, not add an extra layer.  For multiple parcels, senders are supposed to print the SCAN form, and USPS is supposed to scan the SCAN form.  I'm not sure I could complain about USPS not doing it's job when I'm not doing mine.

[sockmonkeydave]

@sharonlpk

I have been inline with a person who had a bin of 100 items, and my PO scanned all of them. (scan sheet)

When I first heard this tail, I ask my PO, and all 4 workers, laughed, and said, everything gets a scan.

[twnpopcards]

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@sharonlpk wrote:

I appreciate all of the information from the various posts and will be taking next steps as I get frustrated when people lie to me, which is clearly what the clerk and 'supervisor' were doing... 

I wish I could do a scan sheet but as I sometimes have to tweak postage weights etc given in the item description, I am not currently comfortable doing the bulk shipping -- usually only have 1 or 2 packages at one time anyway 😉

I am glad for having information for the Ebay contact 🙂

I find it interesting that only post offices that do the initial acceptance scan get credit for the packages lol, you would think the 'supervisor' should know that...

And, not shooting the messenger here, but I would think that if I want to spend 10 minutes standing in line for a scan, that it should be considered post office business and handled, regardless of the time of day...sigh!

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@sharonlpk

What I have done in the past whenever I have an issue with my local PO and the postmaster refuses to do what they are not supposed to do, is file a complaint at USPS.com.  Here is the link to the page to start the complaint.

https://emailus.usps.com/emailUs/iq/usps/request.do?forward=emailUs

I usually say I wish to be contacted by phone with the solution and have been contacted each time within 48 hours with a solution that is workable for both sides.  It may not be perfect but it worked to get me the scans I needed as well as other issues that arose.  They also then have to report to USPS the solution that was agreed upon and at least my PO copied me in the email when they did this.  I only had one issue that a postmaster refused to honor and when I informed him that I was going to refile the complaint and let USPS know that he would not honor the solution they gave me his tone changed immediately and they sent somebody to pick up my skipped packages within 5 minutes.

As somebody else stated, a scan sheet helps a lot and really gives the local PO no choice but to scan the items since it is just one scan.  If you are using Ebay for postage you can only get a scan sheet if you have more than one package and print the labels all at one time.  I am not familiar with Paypals arrangement for scan sheets but I use Stamps.com for my postage and can print labels through out the day and then print 1 scan sheet when I am done shipping for the day.  Stamps.com does offer a free Ebay account if you ask and you can use it for all of your ebay listings and manually enter any others that you want to.  If you are selling on multiple platforms I believe the cost is $15.99 month but it will pull all of your information in from various sites and you can ship all on one scan sheet also.  It also updates the Ebay listings with the tracking information just like Ebays system does.

Good luck with everything and I hope either the Ebay person mentioned above or the USPS site is able to help you get the scans you need.  Many postmasters look at the scans as extra work and one of their largest costs is labor so if they want to look good for budget and promotion reasons many will try to skimp on the labor costs at your inconvenience.

David

TWnpopcards

[doubledz-a2z]

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@emerald40 wrote:

At our main Post Office,, clerks make it known they cannot scan packages when it becomes too busy.  And the Postmater backs them up.

You are told if you want it scanned go to one of the less busier Post Offices.

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That is the opposite of where I am in Northern California.  The clerk says the first scan will be at the main post office for our city and she will not scan any packages.  I quit taking my packages in and I have a great carrier that scans them on pickup.  Plus she gets credit for the packages when determining retirement amounts etc so I have stopped going to the post office altogether.   When I have gone for a high dollar item the clerks get really pushed out of shape but I insist and I get a receipt and a scowl.  

[second-to-none22]

I do not know  the actual policy regarding scanning.  However, I spoke to someone at my local post office and she said when packages are place in the drop box they are not scanned until they reach the destination.   I try not to take packages there because of the wait to have them scanned before I leave.  I didn't do this in the past.  I would just drop them off.  But if I want to maintain TRS I will have to stand there.