USPS shipping is becoming a liability.
Summary: bigbite4me expressed frustration with USPS delays affecting eBay package tracking, causing transaction issues. Suggestions from others included using a local "shipping" company that scans packages, extending handling time, and scheduling postal pickups. oldwestgold, a retired postmaster, recommended contacting USPS directly and filing complaints for ineffective management. sfau and others suggested arranging for mail carriers to pick up packages, ensuring they get scanned, while luckythewinner advised that extending handling time is a feasible option to manage buyer expectations. Throughout the discussion, participants debated the efficiency of USPS and shared various personal strategies for coping with delays.
The USPS is wrecked right now. I suspect it has a lot to do with it being deliberately sabotaged with the constant political interference in its operations that I won't go into.
But my big problem now is unless I wait in the VERY longline for an hour and watch employees hand-scan shipments, they get tossed in a big bin, and they won't get scanned in for days, and usualy miles and niles away. Local postal management has told me this is what they are being told to do. Not scan package drops across the counter. The problem is Ebay and buyers treat this tracking information as GOLD and hold me accountable for it. Packages that have shipped and are not showing up for days is creating transaction defects that go on my record. Not to mention the extra work of answering emails from buyers concerned that it looks like something has not shipped. What can I do about this? My customers often prefer the USPS option for price reasons. Cna i just extend my handling time?
luckythewinner
·1 month agoOf course you can.
It is very easy to do.
Just edit you listing (or your shipping policy, if you use them).
inhawaii
·1 month ago · EditedI've never ever waitied in line at the post office just to get a scanned receipt.
All my packages are picked up at my house daiiy by my mail carrier.
They are scanned within seconds of entering the mail truck.
I've never had an issue with packages not being scanned or INR complaints.
ruby_c_took
·1 month agoThis is what I do also, and it works really well for me. I have heard many people admonish other sellers for putting packages in the mailbox as they can be stolen . . . which I suppose is technically true but I live in a small town and it's very unlikely.
stephenmorgan
·1 month agoIf you do not get the Acceptance Receipt then absolutely their could be a liability issue if the item is lost as you have no proof you mailed item.
gurlcat
·1 month agoBeen there, done THAT.
onefootflipper
·1 month ago · EditedMessage erased, leaving forum due to threatening forum member following me around on the internet.
simply-the-best-for-you
·1 month ago@bigbite4me I didn't see anyone mention this, but I only looked at the first 10 comments or so. If your PO has an APC Kiosk, you can scan items yourself! If yours doesn't, find one near you that does. It's a HUGE time saver, as I have a PO with ridiculous lines. For USPS it is a provisional scan, but for eBay it is a real scan & I do it every day as my Acceptance Scan.
sfau
·1 month agoMy mail carrier picks up packages from my house and scans. Is this an option for you?
oldwestgold
·1 month ago · EditedThere is no Political interference now or in the past at the working level that would negatively impact the USPS operations.
You state you stand in long lines watching employees hand-scan, yet you also state they do hand scan packages over the counter. Which is it?
A lot of your tracking problems sound to me like you are mishandling your packages when handing them over to the Post Office. There is no mandate telling anyone to not hand scan any thing over the window. If someone is telling you this at the PO, then take their name and title down and go up the food chain.
I have mailed over 20k packages over the past few decades and rarely have scanning issues, IF the USPS employees are going by the book and doing their jobs. They work directly for you. Hold them accountable. If you don't like the answer you get from a Supervisor or PM, ask for their next-in-line manager's name and contact info. Ask for the District Consumer Affairs phone number.
And you do know that the USPS will pick up and scan your packages at your residence for free? Use it. You should not be standing in any line for mailing packages out if you have them labeled, postage paid, and ready to enter the mail stream.
tools*
·1 month agoSeriously? Wasn't DeJoy a big stinking pile of political interference?
oldwestgold
·1 month agoI will repeat this as a retired Postmaster for 33 years. If you are having problems with anything related to USPS. #1. Go to USPS.com and open a mail problem case. #2. Contact the local Postmaster/Station Manager/ Supervisor. #3. Go online and contact your Congressman or Congresswoman. All are very simple and take only a few minutes. Do all three. Don't complain here - you are wasting your time. No one here can directly fix your USPS problem unless you don't want your USPS problem resolved and just want to vent or hear someone tell you a story about their Grandma not getting a birthday card back in 1965. If you need additional help, as always, you can PM me. I know how the beast works, or doesn't work at times.
mam98031
·1 month agoIf ANYONE is having issues getting their packages scanned, they need to complain to their local PO. Talk with the local manager. While some will say this is useless, others of us that have done it will tell you it saved them. But if for ANY reason you do not get the desired results then go to USPS.com and file a complaint. Again, some will tell you it is useless and others will tell you it got their problem resolved.
https://emailus.usps.com/s/personnel-inquiry
I am one that has used both option and have gotten my scanning issues resolved. So why not give it a try.
smilekc
·1 month agoRather than going to the big Post Office & standing in line for an hour to get my parcels scanned, I found a small Post Office close to me that has a counter & PO boxes only, no delivery. At most the line is one person, usually no wait. They scan the parcels in seconds. These small PO's are out there, you just have to look for them. I've never found a small PO that won't scan when you are there.
theteamsetguy
·1 month ago@bigbite4me ,
You’ve only shipped 10 orders in the last month and currently only have 3 things listed. If you don’t want to stand in line and get a receipt then continue to take your chances by dropping them over the counter.
I unfortunately don’t buy it that you have to wait an hour to have your package scanned. Even if you did an hour isn’t that long every few days.
baydealz
·1 month agoI ran into this this the other day, where I was was expecting a return package and was told had two days to review. It said 'dropped off at front desk, ' but no one knew of it. The post office called the courier who said he left it with the desk....the clock was ticking, it appeared at post office a day later. Don't read conspiracy into it, so many systems, including ebay are just broken. I was trying to fix everything or find workarounds, now I'm just leaving broken systems. Yes, ebay is on that list. I'm not a big vendor so I have other outlets, with less risk.
christworks
·1 month ago@bigbite4me By bringing it up, you went into it and I'm going to respond.
The USPS has been in a decline for decades, long before the current administration. It was poorly run under W. Bush, Obama, and Biden. As a whole, USPS failed to recoginzie the changing world around them. Their customer base was shifting and they didn't see it. As a result, they failed to make the necessary adjustments so they could stay float. Now, they are playing catch-up, which has meant a lot of changes in a short period of time. Changes that, if they had been rolled out over several years, would have generated less of a shock to the system. This does not even get into all the retirement accounts and similar issues.
USPS post offices in smaller towns have been sending first class mail packages out-of-town for processing for at least 10-15 years. When USPS made the change last year so that all post offices followed down that path, for many of us nothing changed.
USPS clerks are to be scanning packages at the counter if you had it to them and you tell them you need a receipt. They can place a limit on how many they will scan at one time. Ten is generally the number you will find. If you have more than that, either get friendly with the clerk or go back through the line. If they clerks are refusing to scan any package at all, then you need to speak with a supervisor. If they tell you they've been told to do that, they are either lying or have a misunderstanding about policy. You can ask to speak with the Postmaster and direct your concern to them.
If you don't want to wait in line or have to worry about a getting a receipt, extend your handling time. Just know if the package never gets a scan eBay will hold your feet to the fire and you won't be covered by USPS insurance.
fm2000
·1 month agoThey already knew by the late 1990s first class mail would eventually plummet to a small fraction of what it was at the time, not overnight but it would happen eventually. And despite that they (and Congress) did absolutely nothing to prepare for it, kicking the can down the road year after year.
neocurio
·1 month agoI put a very nice note out for my mail person asking them to plz scan or eBay will penalize me inside my mailbox. When I do leave a package in my mailbox I also leave a small snack. I do try to take my packages mostly to a small sub station not the main larger office. They scan and lines are generally way shorter or not eat all.
duffy4444
·1 month agoHas anyone thought of talking to the local postmaster? I've done that a couple times at my local PO, when things at the drop-off counter got a little sloppy with scanning. The result was that he cleared it up immediately and re-exerted his control over the employees. Lasted about a year. Did it again with the next postmaster, same result. Human nature, even at the USPS.
I've actually developed good acquaintances and joke with a couple of the counter employees, which especially comes in handy at the drop-off counter. With such a rote job, they need a smile occasionally.
If the local postmaster doesn't clean up the local scanning debacle, there's always the regional manager.
TALK to the local postmaster... you'd be surprised that often they will listen and take action.
Cheers, Duffy
lb23cavaliersmvp
·1 month agoI've shipped using USPS exclusively for ~ 20 years and the reliability rate is ~ 99.5%. My wait times to have items scanned is 1-5 minutes. Given that they are now requesting in real time your level of satisfaction before printing your receipt I find it hard to believe routine wait times of an hour. Then again I don't live in a major metro city. Are you limited to 1 PO? Within a 10 minute drive I have 5 PO to choose from.
wstoler
·1 month agoI can certainly sympathize with you. Here are some suggestions:
#1: Tracking time is always a suggestion. If you ship enough items, you will have some that will take long and some that will seem to get delivered before you drop them off. The post office is not consistent on their delivery times. The occasional ding on your record will usually be outweighed by your consistent final delivery of the item. I would not worry so much about perfection in delivery time. If someone calls and asks about it (or emails), it gives you a chance to interact with that customer and plant some goodwill (it's on the way, and oh, here's an offer of 20% off your next item from me ...)
#2: The post office will come by any day for free to pick up your packages if you have them already labelled (as eBay shipping goes this for you). You just hand them to the postal person. In most cases, the postal person will scan the package. If they don't, it's still in the system and will (hopefully) eventually get scanned. But it will, in 99.9% of the cases, get delivered in a timely fashion.
#3: related to #2 above. You can set this up on a continuing basis by going to usps.com and creating a free account with your delivery address. You can schedule daily pick-ups for at least 6 months in advance. I did this for years at my business address. The post office actually stopped by about 90% of the time. And they were picking up 20+ packages every day. But they will also do it for one package at a time. The pick-up is generally at the same time your mail is delivered.
#4: related to #1. When someone emails to say they haven't received the package, it gives you an opportunity to shine in the customer service end by verifying where the package is in the delivery process and give an updated time of arrival (if known) or to assure the person that the package really was delivered to the post office and will eventually get there.
So far I have shipped about 28,000 packages on eBay through the post office (over the last 29 years). I stopped worrying about that first scan. Life is too short to wait in long lines (my opinion).
Wayne Stoler
my_boston_baked_beans
·1 month agoIn Memphis as in other hubs( I have read) it can take 4 to 5 days to move out of the hubs, and that really adds to delivery time!
a-lotta-stuff
·1 month agoWe have an unique deal with the post office - their loading dock is on the other side of the real store backyard fence - we just hand things over to whoever is loading that day, they scan, sort and 'bin' right there.
gurlcat
·1 month agoThis just sounds like bragging. How can it help the OP?
adamcartwright
·1 month agoCould you and OP work out a deal where you ship his packages for him?
kensgiftshop
·1 month agoWhat you do is wait in line, get them scanned and ask for a receipt.
Yes, you can extend your handling time.
authentic*vintage
·1 month agowhy are you not scheduling a pickup and printing a scan sheet? Is it not available for you?
gurlcat
·1 month ago@bigbite4me THIS^ is the solution right here. Do you know what they're talking about??
kandf_vintage_finds
·1 month agoSorry you are having troubles.
My USPS mail carrier picks up daily, without scheduling a pickup, and yes he scans each and every package.
His reward from me comes every Christmas.
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 month agoI have sufficient handling time that I can drop my items in a USPS drop in my lobby and not worry about first scans.
No way I am going to the PO to stand on a line.
fabrics24
·1 month agoExtending handling time sounds like a good idea; that will give you some wiggle room. I find that 3-4 days is great because it accounts for delays while still being a reasonable amount of time in the eyes of most customers. More than 5 and some customers get turned off.
Might I suggest scheduled pickup instead of going to the post office? Then you don't have to stand in line for a long time. I've never had any issues doing this.
mordecai8614
·1 month agoI drop my packages in the chute & they're usually scanned within an hour.
chapeau-noir
·1 month ago · EditedScanning with drop off isn't a problem here, either, but the OP seems to have a difficult situation.
adamcartwright
·1 month agoYears ago, I dropped an $850 sale in the chute. Not even a kiosk scan.
Fortunately it was delivered fine, but that was a bonehead move on my part.
I know better now and either get a counter or kiosk scan. Expensive items and authenticated items, always counter scan.
pickapaper
·1 month agoYou have to wait in line for an HOUR? Why? Maybe I don't understand what you are saying but you said the employees hand-scan packages but then you said management tells employees not to scan package? I don't think employees can refuse to scan packages if a customer stands in line to have them scanned.
Sounds like something is not right at that post office. I think I would try to find another post office branch, if possible.
bigbite4me
OP1 month agoMy post office is always swamped. I live in a college town with kids always sending international packages and a lot of businessess local. The employees are told not to scan packages dropped off. They will scan if you wait in line for a receipt. The drop box is broken so your choice is to wait in a very long line, or pass them over the cunter into the drop cart. Where they don;t get scanned. I live ina. house and can;t catch the mail guy every day.
grann-4629
·1 month agoOops ... big spelling error ... Can you find it?
mantle1951
·1 month agobusinessessssssss
oldwestgold
·1 month agoSo many excuses. None will fix your problems.
shire123
·1 month agoIf your post office does not scan when received you might have a few options. Maybe they will work for you.
I drop my packages off at a post office in a community of 20,000 so they are not swamped and have always scanned the packages very rapidly. But if they stopped scanning I would shift my drop off to a local "shipping" company that accepts USPS packages and always scans them. My shipping company (WePack) scans USPS, UPS and FedEx.
adamcartwright
·1 month agoYou know, that's a good point.
My local shipping/mailbox place will scan USPS, FedEx, and UPS packages.
liawri-75
·1 month agoThe USPS needs to find efficiencies and get some robots in to do the work that's manual.
oldwestgold
·1 month ago · EditedThe USPS is the most efficient and technically advanced in the world. You can even receive photos of the mail each morning that you will receive that day. Some trivia: the USPS delivers in ONE day more mail than FedEx and UPS combined deliver in ONE year. The USPS actually developed the fax machine. Prior to the internet being available to the general public, the USPS had the most computer nodes of any other company or organization in the world for a long time. Finger scanners were developed for the USPS over 15 years ago. The USPS leads the world in mail processing automation.
adamcartwright
·1 month agoI feel like the Star Spangled Banner should have been playing as I read that.