Can the USPS even be trusted anymore?
I see their workers regularly and see how much their services cost and how slow they are, so I already had my doubt. Then I ordered something myself that was only 200 miles away. It said 2-4 days. The package has travelled over 6000 miles now and has only just reached my city, a week later. I can only imagine what will arrive if it ever does. As a seller I'm deeply concerned that buyers are experiencing what I am experiencing right now on a regular basis and I do not like it and can not see how they would tolerate it. Why they will just go to amazon to get the item right away. I've never seen anything like this before. Spare me the spoke wheel theories. The longer a package is in transit the more likely it will be destroyed and the more likely customers will not buy from again. I know I have absolutely no interest in ever purchasing again.
cugrad16
·8 months agoWhile the others here endlessly shame you, your query is 100% legit.
I worked US Postal years ago in a very responsible safe environment. But that was MY office in the day. We didn't hire clowns, and none working on the staff, but doing their job correctly. No packages 'flung' etc.
But that doesn't speak for the other 1 million postal offices where this most likely occurs. But duly also at FedEx and UPS offices. The greatest issue here is rising cost because the postal has undergone tremendous revenue loss with e-commerce etc. Shipping that used to be $3-$4 now almost $7. Not including any priority. So you must ask yourself if you can afford the shipping fee or simply tack it into your email sales price.
gurlcat
·10 months agoWhat are "spoke wheel theories"?
Why are you worried about buyers going to Amazon when most of your items are handmade or pre-owned (as in, not available on Amazon)?
stephenmorgan
·10 months agoMaybe this
gurlcat
·10 months agoHmmm, that's just a straightforward definition, not a "theory." Also, don't all shipping carriers employ that strategy?
I really think the OP meant something else.
kibble-net
·10 months agoSay what you will about USPS but I've never had them lose a single package in 26 years. Delays, yes. But the mail has always gone through.
A lot of the problems USPS experiences come from the top down. Two words: Louis DeJoy
mommaknows
·10 months agoEmpathy can be hard for some.
Best to you.
fullers_uk
·10 months agoDont worry the seller will be financially punished because USPS are ebay partners and the pacakge is late, corporation always win.
ryry-jj
·10 months agoUSPS is my go to carrier. Airlines have that "on time" statistic...do shipping carriers have anything like that? on-time %, successful delivery rate%....?
If we were to drop every carrier who fails, we would all be hand delivering our sold items. I think the best solution to avoid any carrier issues is to not sell 🙂
carlmarxx
·10 months agoThat is nice that USPS is your go to ,But it isn't mine anymore when they dropped First class parcel mail by combined it with parcel post for their Garbage Ground Advantage shipping . also some of locations USPS sorting centers have seeing increase of Ground Advantage and Priority Mail delays ,loss's damage parcels . I got a Ground Advantage parcel delivered to me heavy damaged with no tags from USPS about the damaged .
gurlcat
·10 months agoI think Ground Advantage was the best thing the USPS has ever done (well, in my time anyway). No more worrying about whether 15-point-something ounces will trigger a correction charge for Priority, also $100 free insurance on GA, which First Class didn't have. I know some people think GA moves slower than FC did .... but the fact is ALL packages (including Priority) move slower than they did before DeJoy and before all these hub consolidations started. The switch from FC to GA just happened to occur in the middle of all that, so it's just an illusion of the former being faster than the latter.
Also in case anybody thinks the "ground" in Ground Advantage means the packages don't fly, that's absolutely false. Aint no way a package goes from the Gulf of Mexico to Alaska (not even a hub city but a small town in the boonies) ..... in 4 days ..... via truck. Could UPS do that? Could FedEx? I don't know, but I sure know they wouldn't do it for $5.20.
Edit: And yes I said the Gulf of MEXICO! If it can swallow my house anytime it wants, I get to call it what I want. 🤣
carlmarxx
·10 months agoUPS can do it with their smart mail for 16 oz or less parcels under $8.00 . eBay has the service listed labels aren't printable for some reason .
jbbowers12012
·10 months agoHi, We here in New Jersey have been selling on eBay for around 13yrs. now & have always used USPS. Though there have been some sloooooow issues - not once did one of our shippments "fall off of the map" & not reach our customers. So, Kudos' USPS.
toysaver
·10 months agoI trust the PO but they are short staffed and almost every facility has a help wanted poster hanging in the lobby. In lieu of this I purposely upped my handling time to 3 days but ship same or next.
It's not a perfect world and it seems to me the level of imperfection grows all the time.
fern*wood
·10 months agoI've had slow packages, a few damaged and out of approx. 17K shipments I can only recall two lost. There may have been a couple more, but I just don't remember them. The misrouted and slow ones started after dejoy did his magic, so I hope no more damage is done to USPS because I need them.
I do remember all the hassles with fedex when I used them for some larger packages for a short period of time. I almost always had add-on fees for something. I have no desire to use them again, or UPS.
pickapaper
·10 months ago@skeletonstore @meme6253
I have read on here that it is absolutely imperative that shipping boxes not have any kind of bar codes, or even remnants of bar codes, on them as they can interfere with the bar code on the shipping label. Any bar codes on a box should be removed or completely covered up. If you recycle product boxes, this is also true.
I experienced this first hand one time. I took a box to the PO and the clerk even had trouble scanning it. It was because I used either a #4 or #7 USPS box and the bar code printed on the top of the box interfered with the label. The clerk told me it would be okay and sent it on through but that package did get delayed a couple of weeks before being delivered.
I
meme6253
·10 months agoGreat question!, I have had packages travel around the country before finally getting to their destination, But luckily no issues with customers about it., I don't know what they are doing, maybe trying out a new system?
chapeau-noir
·10 months agoIt could be re-routes due to cargo space on flights.
johnrj1226
·10 months agoWhen I sold on eBay - shipped 16651667 items - only 2 went lost - like poor ole Charlie did in this Kingston Trio song ( need to have gray or no hair to know it) click this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Jw_v3F_Q0
Had less than a handful later than the USPS ESTIMATE deliver time - yes humans and machinery are convolved in the sorting/delivery process.- guess they folks didn't get all As on there report cards either ((I didn't in 17 years of formal education either - A's or 4.0's were scarce.
As a seller I had a 1 day handing and scanned in time by our carrier or at the USPS main Office.. Received lots of Pos FB on speedy shipping. Received 62% FB of the items shipped. The customer is always King/Queen in my book in my eBay selling carrier and the were in my 41.5 year selling career.. And when in doubt do what is right.
eBay ain't going to be an Amazon type. But eBay sellers can come close.and offer tons of used stuff to the marketplace - like Goodwill does.
Only shipped via USPS Priority Mail with package siz less than 1 cu. ft.. Shipped to all 50 states, US Protectorates, APO/F.PO, Purto Rico and a few less that 1 lb. First Class mail with tracking - most items were about 1 lb+ - none over 10 lbs.
Wouldn't worry about what might happen - on this site people like to share their side of a bad experience..- always two sides of every story. - get divorced and get to listen to both.
'nough said
chapeau-noir
·10 months agoYou cannot get on Amazon what you can get here.
ed8108
·10 months agoDo the majority of items offered here satisfy needs or a buyer want, this is of importance if & when disincentives to buying here grow or increase
Less spending here ?
An Increase in unhappy buying experiences here, will likely result in some increased spending of discretionary buyer income in a different place such as for travel, etc., instead of spending on ebay
roccotacodad54
·10 months agoI think it depends somewhat on location. In an area where people feel rushed, hurried and in the proverbial rat-race running on the hamster wheel it seems service in general is lackluster, Not limited to the USPS.
I retired to a rural area and my mailman will walk in blowing snow and smile. I provided a little out of sight place up by the highway for packages and deliveries from USPS and UPS so they don't have to come all the way to the house to show my appreciation for what they do.
Slower pace of life and good service out here. In the years I've lived here I can'r remember any delivery service not providing great service. Well except FedEx which will often kill a purchase for me. I'd rather pay more and not get a filthy torn up package carelessly shoved off the back of a truck.
mr_lincoln
·10 months ago@skeletonstore
My experience over 10 years is similar to what @dhbookds describes. Not perfect but for the vast majority of shipments USPS has done their job. I had more issues with FedEx years ago with being charged double for what Buyer's paid for a gaggle of labels so I stopped using them.
vintage-camerastuff
·10 months agoI sent a Thank You card to a neighbor who lives 2 houses down from me. Mailed on Sept. 24th arrived to her house on Oct. 21st. USPS is a MESS!
gurlcat
·10 months agoSeriously? I wouldn't blame your route carrier for "accidentally" losing that somewhere in the truck for a while. 🤣
bashort
·10 months agoThis did not used to happen, the USPS cheer squad will be along to say things like I have shipped 50,000 packages and this has never happened or it must be something that the seller is doing wrong.
I no longer trust USPS with anything over $150 or so, someone buys multiples over that I switch it to UPS.
sammiea1460
·10 months agoI use USPS for more than 99% of the time. Overall, I have received excellent service from them although sometimes a package will take a national tour. My items are small and lightweight so USPS is my only affordable option.
I have read many complaints about UPS and Fed Ex charging additional shipping after delivery. That has to be a nasty surprise. So much for cost accounting.
You Tube has plenty of videos showing drivers heaving packages over locked fences, running from loose dogs, enduring extreme heat and unplowed sidewalks.
I wish deliveries were perfect but you couldn't pay me to do their job.
12345jamesstamps
·10 months agoHave you worked on your feet 8 hours 5 days a week and listen to customers complain about everything every day?
Have you worked outside 8 hours 5 days a week in weather when it's raining, hailing, snowing, hot like 120 degrees in Arizona or cold like -40 below degrees in the midwest?
I have not had any problems with the USPS.
Unless it's a 'live organ' I don't see what's the rush for it to get to someone's doorstep as long as it gets there.
As far as Amazon...employees or those who are not considered employees who work with them...come and go like there's a revolving door...at some point they will run out of people who want to work there.
stainlessenginecovers
·10 months agoJust a rare fluke. I ship 50-100 pkgs a week and have since 2011. Out of the 25000+ pkgs shipped USPS, including this year 2025, 99.9% always get to the customer on time.
py_2132
·10 months ago@skeletonstore
I am with you 100% with the USPS ...
I have personally witnessed a Postal girl behind the USPS counter "Frisbee" my sold package I sent to a buyer in to the postal bin (about 10 feet away) without even getting her lazy behind off of the chair ... Typical.. just spin your chair around and toss the package ...
My security cameras recorded USPS male and female tossing my purchased eBay packages from a good ten feet away from my porch on to my porch ... I am also a buyer and that purchase was a add-on security camera ...
^^ Now if that item was broken by the negligence of the Postal Service.. the seller will be held responsibe for that item ... (Big time Unfair)
Then you got the ones with 100% ebay status that do not sell here anymore and you figure they are trust worthy just by their 100% ebay status (Guess Again) .. they're just looking for easy rip-off pickings of your item(s) then coming up with some **bleep** so they get the refund and then they keep your item too ...
^^and or they will send you back some nonsense package with nothing in it just to show eBay the product was returned to the seller ... << YOU LOSE your product and refund money
World Series game 1 tonight and I am tired of ranting and raging ...
Good night all
inhawaii
·10 months agoI trust the usps. I use them.
If you don't trust the usps, perhaps you shouldn't use them.
dhbookds
·10 months agoConsidering how many packages USPS handles.......our record with them has been very good......some breakage, but don't remember lost ones. On time mostly. A few "scenic" tours, but understanding buyers.
Really need to look at things in perspective.
dariudaudery_0
·10 months agoHey it happens, i ship from EU to USA (used to before tarriffs) and 1 of 10 packages would go and dissapear for 2 months for no reason all the time. Even had to set my handling time to maximum to avoid buyer complaints... Now those who buy from me know that it may take a while.
fullers_uk
·10 months agoA few years ago Royal Mail here is the UK caught USPS out big time, parcels that were sent air mail to the UK were flown across the US but then they were put into a shipping container in New York and put on a ship that took 7 days across the atlantic to Southampton then put into the royal mail system, the scam worked well for about 5 months until some idiot at USPS stuck routing labels directly on to parcels and not the mail bags, USPS claimed it was technically an air mail service because items were flown across ammerica to New York.
ryry-jj
·10 months agoWhat was the scam? it is airmail if it was flown across the county. After all, airmail is never dropped to its final destination anyway...it all eventually goes by truck. From mainland to Hawaii it goes by "ground". It is just the shipping charge name applied to the service