Per my USPS PO Clerk, Here's the Scoop on the Houston/Missouri City TX Mail Delays
I've seen other posts about Missouri City/Houston scans and processing delays.
I'm experiencing major delays on seeing any movement of my last 3 parcels due to the fact that (YAY ME!) Missouri City is apparently my "new" sorting facility because "we outgrew the North Houston facility" according to my local clerk.
The Missouri City sorting facility was, also according to my trusty clerk, "Opened up without any sorting machines. All of the mail is being sorted by hand."
That facility has been making the local Houston news fairly regularly for mail, including prescriptions, just sitting there for weeks as well; and the reporters are not getting any type of official response from USPS.
I don't know how to approach this. I cannot simply opt to use a different sorting facility. ALL of my mail will go to that facility and come from that facility - I have no choice. My own mailbox is empty more often than it has mail in it lately.
Other sellers cannot opt for a different sorting facility either.
I've considered contacting the higher ups at USPS, because it can't hurt.
This guy is the VP of Facilities:
https://about.usps.com/who/leadership/officers/facilities-vp.htm
This is that guy's boss (he just got there in Sept 2023 and apparently his main focus is electric vehicles, not sorting machines or actually getting mail delivered to where customers paid for it to be delivered. They created the position for him, so make of that what you will):
https://about.usps.com/who/leadership/officers/facilities-fleet-mgmt-sr-vp.htm
Any suggestions on what to do other than email these two guys every single day like a lovelorn wanna-be girlfriend and maybe getting on social media?
Small packages using FedEx or UPS and driving them to a town 20 miles away where they have the actual scanner is not an option. It's just not worth the time, effort and money. Plus, no one is going to pay that much for the small items I sell, even if the drivers were to stop by at a predetermined time (lol) and scan them for me.
This is all on USPS and nothing to do with eBay for once lol.
Should I pull all my listings rather than accept money for items that might never leave Missouri City, Texas, especially since I'm aware of the glaring issue? The one I mailed last Saturday is still not moving according to non-existent scans.
Others put in traces for lost packages, but I'm betting there are machines used to find them.
Until speaking with my postal clerk, I thought this was just a little hiccup that we see from time-to-time, but this is very big imo.
cardsforauction
·2 years agoAccording to a news report I heard the other day, one location has to do the sorting by hand because the new high-tech scanning machine did not fit and the contractors are working there. I guess once the contractors finish the job, the new high-tech scanning machine will be installed and things will start rolling again.
larrbalki_0
·2 years agoIm currently trying to find out what other post office I can drive my stuff to so that it won’t get routed to Missouri. I have even considered using a courier service to drive them out of Houston for me, a bit excessive I know, but I can’t afford to close down my stores until Missouri figures this out.
in the meantime I share link to news reports to buyers as soon as the payment is received and I just added a notification on my bio including link to news reports to make potential buyers aware…..super annoying problem to be having!
carlmarxx
·2 years agoI had a seller in Fort worth Tx. shipped a priority mail and I got it here California. I recommend FedEx ground if have one near you . The other option is UPS ground if it is the nearest to you. Far as the Post office your choice would be Fort worth or Dallas .
shipnowsports
·2 years agoI am feeling the effects of this. I have 3 ebay stores, one of which is high volume and I'm a top rated seller with 100% feedback. Because of this Missouri City issue, I have one customer who swears I'm a scammer and has vowed to leave me negative feedback, although I've shared news articles, assured him his package is in transit and that I take the matter seriously. He's filed an INR, so I have just refunded him since the package is 3 days late with no promising movement. I'm preparing for his negative review, which I fully expect to be flagrantly exaggerated and untruthful.
I figured I can't be the only seller affected, yet each time I call eBay, they seem to have absolutely no knowledge of this issue. It has received Congressional attention yet, eBay is unaware?
My items are also very light weight and cost less than $10 in most cases, so Fedex and UPS are simply not feasible. A customer won't pay $11 to ship a $6 product. Additionally, this is my only income so I can't just put my store on vacation indefinitely. I feel the solution is for Ebay to put notices of delayed transit out. That way customers expect delays for packages coming from/pass thru our region.
This is such a horrible ordeal.
ltldpr
OP2 years agoI put myself on a 30 day vacation. Hopefully that does not prevent the buyers of my last 3 items from contacting me if they want to ask where the bleep their purchases are.
For more context, here's a list of the stories by 1 local Houston TV station going back to mid December:
spark-chaser1
·2 years agoSorry that the whole situation is happening to you. It is beyond me why - out of any other time- they would choose the holidays PLUS the extreme winter weather period to start “ reconfiguring†any part of the system.
My guess is that the ripple effects of this will last for quite a while, and I feel for all of the sellers and anyone else who heavily relies on the PS to move goods.
ltldpr
OP2 years agoThank you and I agree. It makes no sense at all. And to just dump and pile mail into a facility that has no sorting equipment is even more unprofessional. I'm disgusted, and not at lower level postal employees, but the decision makers who make all the money and do none of the work.
I'm one of those weird people who loves sorting things and doing repetitive monotonous tasks (as long as it's not housework 😆). I wish I could go help the real workers sort out the mess, but I know that I can't.
skyque
·2 years agoseems to sum up what's going on with the delays in Houston.
Houston’s USPS Breakdown: How It Happened
In the general Houston area, USPS is facing a logistical nightmare that has left many of us anxiously awaiting packages for weeks, and in some cases, even months now. This post is meant to delve into the intricacies of the internal breakdown, shedding light on how a seemingly routine situation escalated into a crisis, leaving many of us in the dark about the fate of our mail and parcels.
The chaos began innocuously enough in early to mid-December, as the North Houston and Missouri City USPS facilities experienced some congestion. While the backup was noticeable, it was not yet severe. However, the situation took a drastic turn in late December when USPS decided to initiate a mass overhaul of its internal system, meant to “improve it for the long run.†This overhaul brought an immediate halt to the smooth flow of packages, as the new system was forced to be implemented during peak congestion, with the facilities immediately struggling to cope with the sudden changes.
Despite the apparent incapacity to handle new packages efficiently, USPS continued accepting shipments into their facilities, despite barely moving packages at all anymore. This decision sparked an exponential growth in the backlog, a snowball effect that is now crippling the entire system. As the backlog swelled, the North Houston facility reached full capacity, leaving packages with two less-than-ideal options.
The first option was (and is) to stay at the North Houston Distribution Facility, undergoing updates to its system. However, this meant a guaranteed delay in delivery due to the implementation of the new system. However, packages still had a pretty good chance of getting out eventually.
The second option was (and is) to reroute packages to a local processing facility in Missouri City, which is also undergoing updates. Here, these packages would find themselves in an indefinite limbo, adding to the already massive backlog.
The Missouri City facility faced challenges earlier than its North Houston counterpart due to its smaller size, reaching full capacity earlier and swifter. The facility became a bottleneck, as excess packages from other facilities were forced to be accepted as they had nowhere else to go, compounding the backlog to unprecedented levels. Essentially, Missouri City became a graveyard for packages. With USPS handling nearly 23.8 million packages daily, the rapid growth of the backup became staggering.
As if this weren't enough, the situation worsened in early January when seasonal employees were laid off, leading to a drop in the labor force. The reduced workforce translated into slower package delivery times, further exacerbating the frustration of waiting customers.
The backlog, initially isolated to packages, has now seeped into regular mail delivery, with many households receiving no mail at all.
Adding to the frustration, USPS support agents, as you know, possess no more information than the recipients when checking tracking details. The only recourse for concerned individuals was to initiate a help request case or a missing mail case, options that are quickly becoming overwhelmed.
In the early stages of the backup, not many people filed these cases. But as awareness spread and we began exchanging info about our packages and what to do with each other, the number of missing mail requests and help request cases have skyrocketed, now overwhelming USPS's capacity to address them promptly.
As of January 19, 2024, today, the most likely package delivery date, based on observed patterns, is ranging from 8 to 31+ days past the original delivery date. The once prompt review of cases in the early stages of the crisis has now become a complete and utter logistical nightmare that surpasses USPS’ ability.
In summary, what started as typical congestion in the holiday season has transformed into a systemic breakdown within USPS, affecting so much of Houston. The consequences are felt not only in delayed package deliveries but also in the disruption of regular mail services. With no immediate resolution in sight, we’re just left to wait.
txentosupply
·2 years agoThanks for posting this. I've been looking for answers for the past couple of months. I originally thought it was mostly due to holiday delays, as we've had no serious weather issues except for last Monday & Tuesday. However, the problem continues & seems to be getting worse. UPS & FedEx are not an option as most of my packages are under 6 ounces.
ebeths_eclectic_collectibles
·2 years agoThe big question for me is how to handle this as a seller. I have a package stuck at North Houston and my customer has filed that they have not received the package. In a few days I will be forced to refund or eBay will refund the customer. Is there any recourse in this situation or do we just lose due to the postal services issues
spark-chaser1
·2 years agoIf your buyer filed an INR, if you can't produce tracking that shows the item was delivered to the address when asked to submit it by ebay, then you will need to prepare to issue a refund.
If your buyer can be patient, you could point out to them that the item is still moving and just delayed at the DC, or file a package research case with USPS and see If it can: A) jostle the package loose ( never been proved to work, but when filed, always seems to ); and B) show the buyer that even though the situation is out of your control, you are assisting in the best way possible...
Best of luck, I hope you get a positive resolution.
ebeths_eclectic_collectibles
·2 years agoI think once they file an INR it would be hard to get them to retract it. My guess is if they live in the affected area they already probably know the situation. Unfortunately eBay has not done their job and issued any statements or relaxed delivery time standards for this area
jjddmwi
·2 years agoDefinitely upload tracking into the INR case and file a missing mail claim w/ USPS. The tracking will show that a missing mail claim has been filed.
Hopefully that will be enough to buy you some time, and it proves to the buyer that you are trying to help.
I can empathize. I have one stuck in Houston right now that was mailed on 1/4.
spark-chaser1
·2 years agoCorrect, once the INR is filed, it has to be followed through to completion.
My comment is mostly based on the possibility that your buyer has not yet filed a case and you can catch them ahead of time and ask that they be patient. That way, you aren’t having to refund, and they will receive the item which WILL eventually arrive without having to go through the work to repay you.
jjddmwi
·2 years agoI am sorry you are going to have to deal with this on a daily basis. That really sucks! I cannot imagine the stress this will cause for you and everyone using that facility.
I have one package stuck in Houston - way before the weather hit. Missing mail claim opened yesterday.... nothing happening yet. I am hoping that my buyer continues to be patient.
Hope this gets resolved soon!! Hang in there OP.
ltldpr
OP2 years agoJust tried to submit a search form.
This is what I was told after filling out the form:
🙄
spark-chaser1
·2 years agoGotta love that, after filling out a ton of info… and being asked to submit more details… and then asked again to submit more details… then ZIP!!!
“Try again laterâ€â€¦ and what, do it all over just to get dropped again? 🤪
rare that it happens to me, but when it does…🔨
golden.lion.trading
·2 years agoI have about 50 packages that were supposed to be delivered by Wednesday. However, I dropped them off on Tuesday without scanning, assuming 24 hours would be enough for them to be scanned. That’s on me. I believe all my packages pass through the Missouri City center, but only a few have received updated scans, the rest still show as not received .
ebeths_eclectic_collectibles
·2 years agoHad to deal with this form myself yesterday and today and found the only solution was to call and wait for a person to take the information
spark-chaser1
·2 years agoI can only shake my head at some of the things that are happening here.
I receive a lot of items from sellers in Ukraine, and Ukrposhta does an outstanding and efficient job of moving items out of semi- occupied areas under combat conditions, through areas being shelled, mortared and rocketed, into and thru Kyiv and to the US in record time, but the bulk of time it takes to arrive to me is while it is inside of the US.
Don’t get me wrong… I still think the USPS in and of itself achieves the impossible and use them on a daily basis, and that I always have positive experiences dealing with PS personnel… it is the fact that they have to try to do the job while being repeatedly and unnecessarily hamstrung by procedures drummed up to fix things that weren’t broke.
Unlike Ukraine, the US is under peacetime conditions. It should be more realistic to expect what’s happening here to be happening in eastern Europe, not the other way around.
ltldpr
OP2 years ago"Unlike Ukraine, the US is under peacetime conditions. It should be more realistic to expect what’s happening here to be happening in eastern Europe, not the other way around."
I absolutely agree. I also agree with the amount of bleep the postal workers have to put up with because the fat cats up top do things like force a facility without sorting machines to open. It's asinine.
stainlessenginecovers
·2 years agoThey opened a 'new' sorting place to help 'alleviate' the burden on 'just the one'.
Emailing, Social Media, News Reports will do the following:
Absolutely NOTHING.
It IS what it IS until they get the sorting machines.
You can either stop selling/listing until it's resolved, or you start using Fedex, UPS instead- until then.
ltldpr
OP2 years agoAre you going to research addresses to make sure that any Texas based buyer is NOT located anywhere near Houston?
I'm not the only one affected by this.
Anyone with a buyer whose item has to go through that facility is very likely to have delays for possibly weeks.
Do you know what cities are being forced to use that facility so you can cancel the purchases or tell them it might take weeks to arrive, if it ever arrives?
stainlessenginecovers
·2 years agoWhat does ANY Of that have to do with NOT Using USPS and possibly using UPS or Fedex?
ltldpr
OP2 years agoSo you don't use USPS?
And I already explained why UPS & FedEx for small items is not an option but whatever.
stainlessenginecovers
·2 years agoI've ALWAYS used USPS (and no other) and have NO issues (sure, sometimes items 'hang up' but it's few/far between and I ship from West Coast to Texas, Arkansas etc. so I'm sure many items use those/that hub.
As far as you not using Fedex or UPS- I didn't say it was 'ideal' but change handling time to 5 days, drive the 40 mile round trip but even more so...
I'm SURE there is a local 'UPS' or Fedex drop off that will pick up your items and scan as received within a day (so again, add a couple days to 'handling').
There is ALWAYS a work around but if making $0 to NOT go out of your way one way or another is worth it for you, then THAT is your option.
gadgettatic
·2 years agoUnfortunately this sounds like the only possible mailing solution at the moment.
I'm still waiting for my packages due to this situation.
At this rate I'll be very fortunate if I even get any of them. ðŸ˜
Again none of these are the fault of the ebay Sellers .
mtgraves7984
·2 years ago@gadgettatic
You did remind me of two packages that I completely lost in 2021, so I paid two refunds. Heads up again, @ltldpr.
ltldpr
OP2 years agoAdding this to my post:
70+ people have contacted congressional reps, but even they just get a canned written statement from USPS.
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/local/2024/01/19/474987/houston-mail-delays-missouri-city-facility-investigation-congress-members/
A google search showed that a bride-to-be has her wedding dress stuck there too. Prescriptions, bills, payments, eBay items.
I'll be contacting my congress people as well.
mtgraves7984
·2 years agoI don't know how to approach this. I cannot simply opt to use a different sorting facility. ALL of my mail will go to that facility and come from that facility - I have no choice. My own mailbox is empty more often than it has mail in it lately.
@ltldpr
Well, not the optimal advice... but you could put your items on Time Away until things get better. Good luck.
ltldpr
OP2 years agoI was thinking that as well and thank you. I hate it though.
mtgraves7984
·2 years ago@ltldpr
I hate it, too... but my kneejerk reactions are usually pretty good.
I can see you've thought it through when you say, "Do you know what cities are being forced to use that facility so you can cancel the purchases or tell them it might take weeks to arrive, if it ever arrives?"
I'd not want to deal with the cancellations with no expectation that they'd be washed. I'm in Nashville and back in 2021 (I think) it was the Memphis Distribution Center. For me... nearly unavoidable for anything crossing the Mississippi.
I took some time off... still no regrets and I slept like a baby. Evaluate it and do what feels right to you. Godspeed.