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ESUS Tracking Still Extremely Unreliable
Hi. I still don't know if eBay ever hears any of these posts, but I wanted to put this here for the record.
The ESUS tracking system is still far too unreliable, and it causes headaches for sellers because buyers look for a package and it often seems like we sellers haven't even bothered to ship the item. When we have.
I spent weeks digging for "Best Practices" for shipping, and I'm doing them all:
1: I print ESUS shipping labels directly onto envelopes, so there is no tape getting in the way.
2: The envelopes are 4 3/4" x 6 1/2" and I scale the printing so the shipping codes are within 1/2" of the upper right corner. (See photo)
3: What I ship is coins. I fold the coin into the packing slip, center the wrapped-up coin in the envelope, and even affix it there to the inside of the envelope with a small piece of tape so the coin won't move.
4: When I seal the envelope, I put a protective piece of clear packing tape over the back seal, which protects the envelope and also smooths out any rough spots from the coin holder.
I literally can't do any more than I do, yet most weeks at least one of these envelopes is not being scanned by the USPS distribution center. This week I had light sales and only had two coin sales. BOTH failed to be scanned. So I have reached out to the buyers to let them know that, yes, I actually could be bothered to get off the couch and get their purchases to them & no I wasn't being lazy. Because if a buyer relies on tracking numbers to see where their purchases are, WAY too often it looks like we sellers simply don't care.
What makes this worse is that eBay then sees the tracking data, also thinks I didn't send the items on time, and dings me & threatens to reduce my seller rank -- and reduce some of the benefits. It is an actual financial hit to sellers when the USPS doesn't do its job.
That's not a viable system, eBay.
-- Harry
Stori3D Past
kh-light
·9 months agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
vintageautoliterature
·9 months agoI am in the same boat. Utilizing the Ebay mail labels we found both issues with customers showing delivery and saying they did not get it, with the "Delivery" scan being in the wrong towns, and many who don't show any delivery at all, but leave feedback stating they got the item. Ebay is aware of the issues and has a dispute with the post office concerning these issues but yet are still not helping sellers get through the problems that they're own system or product has caused. I was solicited on the phone, more than once, to convert my listings to offer this option as we sell alot of small stickers and decals, I took the time and effort and adding it to our store options for these items, over 100,000 line items worth (not joking), and now with the system failing the "system" flagged my account for too many open cases - most all of which were items showing delivery, but had not yet reached the few day grace period before they could be escalated to Ebay to close out - and suspended my payouts. We are a month in to getting funds for item we have sold, and somehow Ebay has the idea to hold funds until packages show delivery - when they darn well know the tracking is not working properly questionably legally withholding funds for items we shipped that customers are confirming via email and feedback that they got. Anyone else in similar shoes or did I just tick off a few agents there?
quicksilverdiecast
·9 months agoI had the very same issues, and ship a great number of decals, even waited when ebay 1st rolled this out as if you been around ebay long enough you know better than to jump on the band wagon right away as 99% of the time there are "Issues"...so I thought this was a good idea until I found out all the "Issues" and created a huge mess all summer.
The first thing is who in their right mind would offer a service of this type on a platform where a buyer and seller being able to check tracking is paramount! And does NOT require an acceptance scan! Right there is where the huge red stop sign flags shows up. I just had one come back 2 days ago that was shipped last July! Never made it to buyer.
I trashed this entire ebay envelope system in the fall and had to have ebay repair the account being dinged with INR cases etc.
When trying to file a loss claim with here is what they tell you...
To file a claim, select the button below and add the following information to the form:
What they do not tell you is that you have to refund the buyer and show them proof before they refund you the shipper or they will not pay the claim. as shown below, while you set there waiting for payment....This was never requested as shown above in order to file the claim, and what if they decide not to pay it for one reason or another, yet it is shown proof as lost. When a case is filed by the buyer, ebay makes sure the buyer get refunded period. And as the case will show how it was resolved between ebay and the buyer with the seller. Their insurance is worth about as much as a roll of Charmin...
"Hello, please send proof showing your refund to the buyer or proof of replacement.
Thank you,"
FINAL NOTICE: The documentation we previously requested regarding the lost or damaged item(s) has not been received. The claim is now voided but can be reinstated once we receive the required documentation.
As Vintage says, this system is far too unreliable, as USPS dislikes this system and many branches take it upon themselves to adhere their own idea of policy to it....examples are...get kicked out and ends up in USPS never never land, comes back to seller with a postage due stamp on it...Now keep in mind these were all sent with the correct envelopes, placement of labels,etc. to the letter.. Being scanned when delivered only...being sent on the scenic route...had one that went to Portland Or. Buyer lived close to Portland....it hung out at the depot for a week or so and then took off for Alaska where once at that depot, every postal worker got to look at it and scan it numerous times for 3 days in a row and sends back to Portland, the buyer stated it finally arrived, yet no scanned confirmed it....It is so bad that if you notice there is a blue notice about shipping labels issues when you go to customer service help this appears at the top...
"We’ve identified shipping labels you purchased on eBay that may reflect tracking events not associated with the order. Please check your eBay Message with the subject line 'USPS tracking issue for recent orders' for resolution status and seller protections for these transactions."
quicksilverdiecast
·9 months agoToday bit of conflicts
Many decals that I ship are "instructional" example, Jacking Instructions decal...key word "Instructions" same with emissions setting instructions, tire pressure instructions etc. and as stated in Media mail "Instructional" items are permitted to be sent via Media Mail, as it does not contain or show advertisement of any product etc....and as such shipping is set as Media mail, however ebay has taken it upon itself to change it to the ebay envelope system and there are 2 chances I will send it that way...slim and none...will have to use click n ship to generate postage to get around ebay.
goodnu9
·2 years agoI mail baseball cards under $20 using ESUS. Most of the time I have no problems but this week has been horrible and I even dropped off my ESUS envelopes at the town PO! 8 showing no scans at all and you can imagine what it does to my "Top Rated Seller" rating. Why should I be charged with defects when it's a third party who is screwing up? I notify eBay every time this problem happens and will continue until this is corrected.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoAs other posters have said, you can experiment with how you pack your items,
It probably will still not yield a reliable result. What works to one destination will not work to another, And the USPS workers who are ticked off by the problems will not help avoid delay.
The equipment processing these letters is of varying ages and not necessarily maintained to the same standards everywhere in the country.
It is probably never going to be replaced.
This is a scheme by USPS to replace some of the traffic loss by the effective demise of First Class Letters.
USPS is required to continue to deliver FC letters 6 days a week, and lose money on every one of them, in spite of rate increases.
The long term future of Ebay sellers who sell very cheap products which do not justify the cost of tracked shipment is debatable. And Ebay has taken advantage of this service offered by USPS. If it fails to work, it is only the sellers who will suffer. Their only choices are to go back to stamped or metered letter or use tracked services and raise their prices or shipping costs if they want to consider selling these low value items.
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoESUS is "metered mail" and not "stamped letter"
And a stamped letter will arrive quicker than a "metered mail"
Tracking takes longer.
I use a .68 stamp and never had anything lost last year or this year by the USPS.
Because my item arrives faster than ESUS I have a nice crowd of "repeat buyers" who want their items in 2-5 days max. Because there is more items with tracking and metered mail stamped letters arrive quicker.
Just my own opinions.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoUSPS divides mail into 3 classes for sorting: Letters, Flats, Packages
ESE is metered mail, with the same physical requirements and classification as a letter. It does not have tracking in the traditional sense; it cannot be scanned by a hand scanner. ESE travels at the same speed and on the same sorting machinery as a stamped letter. No preferential treatment is given to letters with a postage stamp vs letters with a metered barcode.
Items kicked out as non-machinable because they're too thick/rigid will take longer, but the same applies whether it's metered or has a postage stamp.
Watch the process in this video, scroll forward to the 2 min mark.
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoSorry but some of my stamped letters have been arriving 3-4 days cross country.
Please, can anyone here say ESE arrives at the same speed?
Then I will give in there is no difference.
But receiving positive feedback from buyers in 3 days from shipping items out...and getting multiple quick shipping feedbacks from the buyers I cannot change my tune at this time.
Plus I never had anything lost last year and this year.
Anyone with ESE using for 2 years...please let me know how you are doing?
wastingtime101
·2 years agoI don't want or expect you to "give in" to anything. All I did was provide some facts about how ESE is sorted and processed at the same speed and on the same machines along with regular stamped mail.
I only ship ESE on my personal account, not my biz account, so my numbers are pretty low for that service in terms of volume. So far I haven't had any ESE packages lost or kicked out as non-machinable in the past 2 years. Delivery time average is approx 5 days. Range is 3-7 days.
This one I printed the label Feb 13, I shipped it Feb 14 and it was delivered in 3 days on Feb 17 to zone 7.
I've had mixed results with stamped letters. Last month I mailed a birthday card and it took 9 days to be delivered to zone 5. No inserts, nothing unusual about the card.
1786davycrockett
·2 years ago@stori3d_past
As both @12345jamesstamps and @wastingtime101 have pointed out, the ESE is treated as regular business metered mail by USPS -- and the most reliable method to mail regular business metered mail is by dropping the ESEs into the "metered mail" slots available in the lobbies of most post office lobbies.
At the end of each business day, this pre-sorted metered mail is shipped to the USPS Distribution Centers, where it is immediately transferred to the automatic, high-speed sorting machines, where the first "scan" is received. That first "scan" is critical for eBay's transaction defect rate on your Seller Dashboard, as well as to ensure that your ESE will be covered by eBay insurance (not USPS insurance!) should an ESE become "lost."
According to the experiences of other individuals from other threads, alternative methods of mailing the ESEs may not be as trustworthy for receiving that initial USPS "scan". Those alternative methods have included mailing the ESEs from home mailboxes and/or business mail services; dropping the ESEs into the USPS "blue-boxes; and handing the ESEs to USPS delivery carriers and USPS counter employees.
I've been dropping my ESEs in the "Metered Mail" slots for over two years now, with NO problems, and NO complaints from buyers -- plus receiving (at the very least) the initial USPS scans.
Perhaps you might consider this option, as well.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoIt really depends on one's local service. Every one of my ESEs has shipped either through carrier pickup or by handing a bins of packages over at the PO. Never had an issue with ESE.
Just like transit time is going to vary based on service at the to/from locations, and stop points in between. It's why I can ship something to zone 5 and it takes 9 days, or ship something to zone 7 and it takes 3 days. It's not based on stamp vs metered printout. It's based on service levels at those facilities, whether they're backed up, the way the sorting machines have (or have not) been maintained at those facilities, etc.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoThe coin should be off to one side, not in the center @stori3d_past . The center of the envelope is the part that needs to be the most flexible. Coins are problematic with ESE to start, and centering them will cause issues with the more sensitive sorting machines.
stori3d_past
OP2 years agoThanks I'll try that. Unfortunately that advice is opposite to other advice that I've read, where balancing the envelope was considered most important! But the logic of what you're saying makes good sense. So should the coin be on the side of the QR/bar code? Or should it be on the opposite side, away from the code? Does it matter? Does anyone actually know or is this kind of everyone taking their best guesses? (No disrespect meant to best guesses -- we're all doing our best here.)
In the end, if a seller has to jump through ever tinier hoops in order to hope against hope that the system will work right, then the system doesn't work right!
- H
wastingtime101
·2 years agoFor a coin, I'd put it on the left while the label goes on the right. But there's another seller here @onefootflipper that says he alternates every other envelope - right / left.