â€œDelivering miracles every dayâ€ Yes, I am an unabashed and unapologetic fan of the US Postal Service. I recently shipped about 35 packages to various addresses throughout the continental United States. All items (except for one, which arrived a day late) were delivered within eBayâ€™s advertised estimated arrival time. And most arrived early. Nothing was broken or damaged. I sent one item from Virginia to Ohio, and it made it in under 24 hours.

New USPS motto | Shipping | eBay Community

pickapaper

·1 year ago

Generally, I also am a USPS fan. Some of my packages arrive a bit late but I have only had one that I had to refund and when it did show up the jerk gave me some stupid reason why he couldn't reimburse me. So much for that.

Since Ground Advantage came out, I have used that almost exclusively. But I recently had a customer buy three items and because of size (double boxed), I shipped each separately. I decided to spend the extra money to send them via Priority Mail. Priority used to be two days, occasionally three, like clockwork; these three packages took about a week and a half to arrive. One other time a few months ago I sent a package via Priority and it also took over a week to arrive; at that time I just thought it was an isolated delay. So, I will really have to think hard before I send anything Priority again.

gator08041971

·1 year ago

948 View listings

I don't use Priority anymore.

I do a lot of media mail, but sometimes using Ground Advantage is actually cheaper (from the eBay discount) than media mail. My last 4 blu ray sales all were shipped using GA instead of Media Mail, because it was as much as 50 cents cheaper for some of them.

Don't get me wrong, Media Mail has been working fine for most of my items I use it with. But from a cost perspective, anything where I can increase my actual Net on a sale is a bonus when I'm using free shipping for the listing.

mam98031

·1 year ago

Owner / Operator19676 View listings

@gator08041971 wrote:
I don't use Priority anymore.

I do a lot of media mail, but sometimes using Ground Advantage is actually cheaper (from the eBay discount) than media mail. My last 4 blu ray sales all were shipped using GA instead of Media Mail, because it was as much as 50 cents cheaper for some of them.

Don't get me wrong, Media Mail has been working fine for most of my items I use it with. But from a cost perspective, anything where I can increase my actual Net on a sale is a bonus when I'm using free shipping for the listing.

I do the same as you. There is the occasion that GA is cheaper than MM, so I will always choose GA when it is cost effective. However I have not noticed any increase in accuracy or service with GA than MM provides except for the insurance. Both methods seem to move at about the same pace for me.

ads.ink

·1 year ago

8569 View listings

lucky you

i shipped 30 items recently, out of 30 items 16 took 5-9 days with two packages currently lost.

this is with PRIORITY MAIL as the service used.

some of the packages went to neighboring states, they took 5 to 7 days. i could have walked them faster than usps delivered them.

ive been on ebay over 30 years, this is the worst and most expensive its ever been for usps

i will have to refund not only item fees but delivery fees for the two lost items..

got a negative because it took 8 days for an item to be delivered that was sent priority.

going to have to look at other delivery services.

DeJoy really ruined usps

mam98031

·1 year ago

Owner / Operator19676 View listings

@ads.ink wrote:
lucky you
i shipped 30 items recently, out of 30 items 16 took 5-9 days with two packages currently lost.
this is with PRIORITY MAIL as the service used.
some of the packages went to neighboring states, they took 5 to 7 days. i could have walked them faster than usps delivered them.
ive been on ebay over 30 years, this is the worst and most expensive its ever been for usps
i will have to refund not only item fees but delivery fees for the two lost items..
got a negative because it took 8 days for an item to be delivered that was sent priority.
going to have to look at other delivery services.
DeJoy really ruined usps

@ads.ink

If a buyer contacts you with a delivery issue or if the buyer opens an INR, IMHO these are the steps to take.

I would strongly recommend that you go to USPS website and review the detail tracking info. On this tracking screen there is a place to file for email updates as there is movement on the tracking. Sign up for that so you get informed right away when something gets entered to the tracking.

Go and file for a TRACE, I don't recommend filing for Missing Mail just yet. The two are completely different actions. The Trace usually gets the job done quicker.
https://usps.my.site.com/emailus/s/package-inquiry

Doing this will usually shake the package lose within 24-48 hours. It only takes a couple minutes to do but it is a terrific way to find those packages and get them moving again.

tarotfindsandmore

·1 year ago

1570 View listings

I just had my very first package (in this selling incarnation) go missing and, lo and behold, the insurance claim has been approved. A check is being issued. That is miraculous!

sreu3058

·1 year ago

363 View listings

Well, for the first time in 1,500 trips, I arrived at the post office today only to realize I left my package at home! Drove all the way back home to get it, told the clerk when I arrived back what I did, and he said: you know, if you had forgotten your card (payment) I could have helped you, but I couldnâ€™t have helped you without the package.

Now how nice is that? See, me turning up there in person time after time after time, he would have trusted me.

Pretty, pretty good.

Plus 1 for USPS

continentalcollectibles

·1 year ago

32064 View listings

Wow are you a USPS employee???

animal-house-8

·1 year ago

2935 View listings

Other than a bunch running late by a couple days which could very well be weather related, I have not had a broken item since Jan. 2024 which took 6 months of haggling to finally get my money back thru their so called ins. Now on the flip side I had a broken item by Fedex 3 months ago first one in 25 years since they broke a fishing rod I shipped.

After filing the paper work I got a call from Fedex apologizing for the broken package and had a $330.00 check in my box 7 days later. I think USPS is OK just need some work on the customer service end.

kandf_vintage_finds

·1 year ago

2230 View listings

Yes this is the norm for me (Although not as many packages)

I have NO issues with USPS

dabunk2000

·1 year ago

1392 View listings

My last order went from GA to to Jacksonville FL PO where it was to be delivered to then instead of being delivered was then sent to CO by way of a mule train. Delivered 2 weeks late

lakefor94

·1 year ago

113 View listings

@fbusoni

I would have to agree with you on USPS's services. I don't have any late deliveries.

Though I will add that I only use USPS about 50% of the time for eBay, perhaps less than that with the UPS Ground Saver as an option. UPS gets ALL the expensive sales unless it goes to a PO Box.

Anything going to or around Indy gets UPS as well.....

For the AMZ sales, if there is an issue with a certain city or delivery route, Amazon's Buy Shipping does not even offer USPS as an option. Anything I ship thru AMZ is protected from INR or any other delivery issues. So with that said, the major majority of AMZ shipments go USPS as they are 95%, small and light.

USPS still does an amazing job overall considering the challenges they face. I would reckon that most of the issues sellers face are from inadaquate packaging/labeling etc.

I have sent several thousand in a row across venues via USPS with no issues.

sreu3058

·1 year ago

363 View listings

My post office was on the way to my daughterâ€™s high school, which I used to drive her back forth everyday, soâ€¦ but recently she got her own car and is leaving for college in 3 months, and I am rethinking my shipping practice.

mam98031

·1 year ago

Owner / Operator19676 View listings

I ship a lot of packages every week. I primarily use Media Mail. The vast majority of my packages make it just fine to their destination. I get it that USPS is having a whole lot of problems and occasionally that is visited upon my buyers. I handle them as quickly as I can and work directly with USPS to resolve the issue.

If it is of any interest. I ship from home. I rarely drive into the PO unless I have had a really successful selling day. Those unfortunately are far and few between anymore. I do however do a Carrier Pick up from time to time.

sreu3058

·1 year ago

363 View listings

I have had very few shipping issues, the few I have had (rerouted extended traveling package) I have been able to handle on my own with customer communication.

However, I labor at driving to the post office, standing in line (moves along decent pace) and handing over item to watch each item scanned and verified.

Some sellers say this is the only way, their particular post office cannot be trusted -

simply-the-best-for-you

·1 year ago

5943 View listings

@sreu3058 wrote:
I have had very few shipping issues, the few I have had (rerouted extended traveling package) I have been able to handle on my own with customer communication.

However, I labor at driving to the post office, standing in line (moves along decent pace) and handing over item to watch each item scanned and verified.

Some sellers say this is the only way, their particular post office cannot be trusted -

@sreu3058 One way or another, it's in your best interest to get that Acceptance Scan. How you want to do it, is up to you. You can wait in line. The average wait at my PO is about 45 minutes on many days, no way in you-know-what would I EVER DREAM OF waiting in that line.

I either use the APC Kiosk AND in addition, after I do that, I physically walk it over to the desk where we're supposed to drop them & they scan them (which has been working lately), I like the double assurance since the Kiosk acceptance scan is not quite the same as a regular acceptance scan.

Alternately, I become very close with my carriers, which didn't work for the almost 2 years I didn't have a regular, but now I have a regular again. I communicate with them directly via text to let the know I have pkgs & they lmk if they're on vacation, so I don't have to risk a sub doing it who doesn't know how. I know that my regular carrier knows how to do it right!

I have even stopped carriers I've met while out & about & asked if they'd take my pkg. They always do & I always insist they scan in front of me & remind them to switch it from drop off to pick up. Most of them are nice about it.

So, how you get the scan is up to you, it's just important that you get it. Also, many towns have small copy stores or places like that that have a PO in them. We used to have a great one & it was a secret that during the holidays, you could get scans there with only 10 people in front of you, rather than 50 ðŸ™‚ Get creative ðŸ™‚

chevymontecarlo88

·1 year ago

1991 View listings

@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:
@sreu3058 wrote:
I have had very few shipping issues, the few I have had (rerouted extended traveling package) I have been able to handle on my own with customer communication.

However, I labor at driving to the post office, standing in line (moves along decent pace) and handing over item to watch each item scanned and verified.

Some sellers say this is the only way, their particular post office cannot be trusted -

@sreu3058 One way or another, it's in your best interest to get that Acceptance Scan. How you want to do it, is up to you. You can wait in line. The average wait at my PO is about 45 minutes on many days, no way in you-know-what would I EVER DREAM OF waiting in that line.

I either use the APC Kiosk AND in addition, after I do that, I physically walk it over to the desk where we're supposed to drop them & they scan them (which has been working lately), I like the double assurance since the Kiosk acceptance scan is not quite the same as a regular acceptance scan.

Using the Kiosk for acceptance scans can be a great way when there is a line. I would suggest that no one should ever leave their package in the unsecured bins that they place next to the Kiosks. Drop the packages off at the counter like @simply-the-best-for-you suggests or place in a drop box (secured) that the general public cannot access.

gator08041971

·1 year ago

948 View listings

@chevymontecarlo88

Using the Kiosk

lol

I have to laugh, I have never seen these. Our office doesn't have them. We have one postal worker in the building, and one delivery driver here. But they are part of a team that manages at least 3 offices in the area in different nearby zip codes. All 3 are two people teams that all work out of very small post offices.

And I know most of them directly, so its very easy for me here. I feel bad for those that have a much busier post office with multiple agents and lines and can understand why some of you get a bad experience.

chevymontecarlo88

·1 year ago

1991 View listings

@gator08041971 wrote:
@chevymontecarlo88
Using the Kiosk

lol

I have to laugh, I have never seen these. Our office doesn't have them. We have one postal worker in the building, and one delivery driver here. But they are part of a team that manages at least 3 offices in the area in different nearby zip codes. All 3 are two people teams that all work out of very small post offices.

And I know most of them directly, so its very easy for me here. I feel bad for those that have a much busier post office with multiple agents and lines and can understand why some of you get a bad experience.

I use the Kiosk before the PO counter opens (Kiosks located near PO Boxes open 24 hours) and the biggest problem is when the secured drop box is full/jammed. I try not to drop off packages on holidays or the weekend when they start to build up. (jam)

Some post offices are like going to the DMV. ðŸ˜‚

a_c_green

·1 year ago

4132 View listings

@chevymontecarlo88 wrote:
I use the Kiosk before the PO counter opens (Kiosks located near PO Boxes open 24 hours) and the biggest problem is when the secured drop box is full/jammed.

Oh, God, yes. I complained repeatedly to our PO and it does seem as if they finally listened, so at times when someone is working in the back outside of lobby hours, they apparently have been asked to walk over and check the drop chute for clogs periodically.

@chevymontecarlo88 wrote:
I try not to drop off packages on holidays or the weekend when they start to build up. (jam)

Likewise. Unless I'm actually going to be out of town when Monday morning comes around, I'll print my labels on late Saturday or Sunday, then just keep the package(s) until the PO front desk opens again. After the last collection at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, the next outbound truck won't be before that same time on Monday, so there's no point in trying to feed the drop chute anyway.

(I do get a certain amount of satisfaction out of getting a late Saturday afternoon purchase out to the PO before the last truck leaves, so that it's traveling throughout the long weekend. I got one out from Chicago here late last week before the holiday, and it was delivered to the buyer in Oklahoma yesterday.)

simply-the-best-for-you

·1 year ago

5943 View listings

@chevymontecarlo88 wrote:
I use the Kiosk before the PO counter opens (Kiosks located near PO Boxes open 24 hours) and the biggest problem is when the secured drop box is full/jammed. I try not to drop off packages on holidays or the weekend when they start to build up. (jam)

Some post offices are like going to the DMV. ðŸ˜‚

Just answered you elsewhere, but ours is often jammed DURING THE DAY LOL. Good luck trying to get someone to unstuck it. My PO is something like 3x busier than all the other PO's put together in my city, so it's always crazy in there with very lengthy waits. Also something like 35 managers in 26 years, so not a lot of employees who care about anything LOL. One time recently, yet another new mgr, is in the lobby screaming that only those in line will get served & no one else can get in line. I say to him, your cutting off entry into the line 1/2 hour before closing? He'd gotten confused over what closing time is ðŸ˜€ Worse than the secure bin locking during the day is when the APC's run out of paper or something, you can wait 1/2 hour for help in the middle of your transaction. There's often a long line even at the APC's.

simply-the-best-for-you

·1 year ago

5943 View listings

@chevymontecarlo88 wrote:
@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:
@sreu3058 wrote:
I have had very few shipping issues, the few I have had (rerouted extended traveling package) I have been able to handle on my own with customer communication.

However, I labor at driving to the post office, standing in line (moves along decent pace) and handing over item to watch each item scanned and verified.

Some sellers say this is the only way, their particular post office cannot be trusted -

@sreu3058 One way or another, it's in your best interest to get that Acceptance Scan. How you want to do it, is up to you. You can wait in line. The average wait at my PO is about 45 minutes on many days, no way in you-know-what would I EVER DREAM OF waiting in that line.

I either use the APC Kiosk AND in addition, after I do that, I physically walk it over to the desk where we're supposed to drop them & they scan them (which has been working lately), I like the double assurance since the Kiosk acceptance scan is not quite the same as a regular acceptance scan.

Using the Kiosk for acceptance scans can be a great way when there is a line. I would suggest that no one should ever leave their package in the unsecured bins that they place next to the Kiosks. Drop the packages off at the counter like @simply-the-best-for-you suggests or place in a drop box (secured) that the general public cannot access.

That's the way it's always done at my PO. It's at the end of the counter where the clerks are, so they would see if anyone came took a pkg. I tend to agree when it's the big bins though, cuz mine used to do that, it was a huge bin right when you walked in the door & I once had a really bad day, took a pkg to the PO, but it in the bin & drove home & realized I'd forgotten to print the label, drove back, pulled it back out of the big bin & no one ever noticed or said a thing. That said, I left it unsecured many times over the years b/c everyone at my PO does (the drop box is often locked even during the day) & it's never been an issue.

sreu3058

·1 year ago

363 View listings

Please share: do you weigh and print all labels at home? Through eBay shipping? Do you then drive to post office and leave packages on a counter, or in a box?

fbusoni

OP1 year ago

0 View listings

Yes, I do all the weighing and labeling at home. I use eBay shipping, and I ship the same day 99% of the time. I go to the post office and I wait in line to have the packages scanned.

sreu3058

·1 year ago

363 View listings

Thank you, appreciate your posts and information.

lakefor94

·1 year ago

113 View listings

@fbusoni wrote:
Yes, I do all the weighing and labeling at home. I use eBay shipping, and I ship the same day 99% of the time. I go to the post office and I wait in line to have the packages scanned.

Just brutal.....

fbusoni

OP1 year ago

0 View listings

@lakefor94 wrote:
@fbusoni wrote:
Yes, I do all the weighing and labeling at home. I use eBay shipping, and I ship the same day 99% of the time. I go to the post office and I wait in line to have the packages scanned.
Just brutal.....

I understand why youâ€™d say that, but my circumstances are perhaps a bit unusual.

Iâ€™m retired, so I have no responsibilities as a general proposition. My post office is about a mile down the road, and I go usually late morning, when itâ€™s empty. Thereâ€™s often no line, and the postal clerks there all know me, and I actually enjoy seeing them and chatting with them, theyâ€™re all very nice people.

I regard the scanning process that I wait for as a necessary part of my selling experience and responsibilities. I simply do not trust a carrier to pick up my packages outside my front door and scan them for me.

There is a kiosk in the post office lobby area, where I can scan and get a receipt and drop the item in a large box, but I know from experience that that box is not always emptied at the end of the day.

On a more personal note, in 26 years of selling, I have never had a late shipment, and I have every reason to suspect that eBay pays attention to that particular metric. I also enjoy it very much when people leave me feedback and note that I shipped my item the same day that they ordered it.

lakefor94

·1 year ago

113 View listings

I know, I know.... I was just sayin'.....

Everyone does not have the carriers I have. All contractors and they all do their job, every day.

I do have to drop the UPS stuff 3.5 miles down the road, but that is a leave it and run. They scan everything as well and I can drop USPS shipments there as well, if needed.