Has anyone had experience with no USPS tracking updates on a package that has Pitney Bowes postage?
I ordered an item January 6- was shipped Jan 8 and a USPS tracking number provided. Tracking was shown from the origin post office as dropped off but it was downhill all the way from there. The tracking hasn't updated since Jan 12 - says " arriving late but still in transit". The only thing that seems to be different about this order than any other order from eBay is Pitney Bowes. I have no idea where the package is at this point, the tracking number is useless, and I WANT the order, but in the amount of time it's taken I could've went to the state it's coming from and picked it up 🤣 Any insights? Advice? CLUES? @linkstomembers
13 comments
zh-970042
·8 months agoLooks like your package got stuck after Pitney Bowes handed it to USPS—unfortunately, tracking can go silent for a while. 😕 I’d contact USPS with the tracking number and open a case with the seller on eBay to start a claim. Sometimes patience is needed, but the seller can also resend or refund if it’s officially lost.
psfhobbies
·8 months agoHaving many issues with tracking not updating from the Post Office until it arrives to customer.
Been happening last week or so
itsjustasprain
·8 months agoIf you are shipping to all different addresses and different parts of the country but the only thing in common is that all your shipments are not getting tracking updates then you definitely should check to see that your labels are printing with clear sharp barcodes.
If the only later scan you are seeing is at Delivery it may be that the automatic scanners cannot read the label clearly enough and the carrier is keying in the tracking number manually at delivery time.
yuzuha
·8 months agoYou also want to be sure that you're placing the labels on a flat surface of the package and NOT over the seam where the flaps meet, because that can cause enough of a distortion in the barcode to prevent the scanners from being able to read it properly.
soh.maryl
·8 months agoSimply put: There was an estimated delivery date seen in the listing. If/when that date has arrived, and the buyer hasn't received the package, the buyer can open an item not received case with eBay the day after that date, or, given the current weather conditions and other USPS issues, the buyer can give the package a few more days to arrive, but not more than 30 days.
Have you read eBay's Money Back Guarantee for buyers which explains how buyers are protected if/when an eBay transaction goes wrong?
mamacassidy
·8 months agoI recommend going to USPS.com and opening a missing mail search. You can do this as the buyer or seller (only the seller/ person who bought the postage can file a claim).
In my experience, this type of mail search notifies the branch the package was last scanned at to look for it and get it moving along.
As others have mentioned, Pitney Bowes has nothing to do with it, this is a USPS shipping label/ tracking number just like any other.
a_c_green
·8 months agoPitney Bowes originates the USPS shipping labels purchased through eBay. There's nothing unusual about that, and if your order has been scanned as within the USPS network, then it's on the way, even though it's running late. The In Transit scans are filler entries (maximum of three) for when a package is traveling from one sort facility to the next, and it does look like the truck is running late.
Given the weather combined with today's holiday, it might not resurface until sometime in the coming days, but I would not be too concerned yet. If the latest Estimated Date of Delivery has gone by, you can file an Item Not Received claim, but I would wait until at least the end of this week before going that route.
If you look up the tracking history of your package on USPS.com, you have the option of getting text or email notifications whenever there is a future scan of the package. This will have no effect on getting your package "un-stuck" in any way, but it will have the package reporting to you; you won't have to go looking for updates yourself.
marnotom!
·8 months agoAfter years of being a tracking geek, I came to the conclusion that the value of tracking for buyers is way overrated. It doesn't make items come faster or in better condition, and it gives buyers the illusion that they have more control over the shipment than they actually have.
It makes more sense to make a note of the first estimated date of delivery and start checking on the tracking a couple of days before that if porch piracy is an issue for you. If the last estimated date of delivery has passed at this point, you'll need to make some decisions about how much longer you're willing to wait before you file a claim of non-delivery.
carlmarxx
·8 months agoSellers need to get their packages the acceptance scan at the PO from the USPS employee ,instead of dropping off at the counter which has very high risk of unexplained 3 to 16 day delay seating in the back area of PO . There is also the up load scan at the shipping drop off box in the lobby which does have lower risk of unexplained delays .Not all PO's have that option . The USPS has gone down hill since 2020 thanks to the Orange Blob 45/47 put Dejoys in as post master until he left late 2025 ,and still will not get better.
stainlessenginecovers
·8 months ago@carlmarxx This package HAD an 'acceptance scan' and getting one at the counter (instead of throwing in the bin and walking off) has NO BEARING on items getting 'stuck' at various locations where tracking will state "still in transit" or "running late but still in transit"
@gypsyroselie That happens, about 1 out of 100 packages. 9 days is 'nothing' so I would NOT worry about it as USPS is recognizing it is 'late but still in transit'.
I've had packages 'held up' for up to 3 weeks, but out of 25000+ I've shipped, 100% has ALWAYS made it to its end destination.
Sometimes opening a 'missing mail' on the USPS website helps, but it could just be coincidence since I've opened them after seeing item is lagging more than normal.
carlmarxx
·8 months agoI had a seller recently that did dropped off at PO and stuck for 16 days unexplained and not weather delay or act of god.
fullers_uk
·8 months agoDelivery companies offering tracking numbers is just an upfront admission that the lose parcels, if there systems worked correctly there would be little need for tracking just proof of delivery.
itsjustasprain
·8 months ago*chuckle* Um... okay...
Of course if they DID lose parcels all the time then the LAST thing they would want to do is offer tracking that proves it and leaves them open to having to refund for lost mail. USPS offers $100 insurance for free against that happening.