Postmark changes at USPS
Just read where the Post Office is now changing the method of date stamping mail. Instead of the carrier dating the pickup time when he picks up a package, the date stamp time will be stamped when the package is processed at the regional facility. So, when you mail a package within 24 hours, there may be nothing to prove it.
What happens if the package sits at a regional facility for a few days? Hopefully the scanning by the carrier when he picks up the package will still be what goes to Ebay. Plus, USPS also announced another rate increase for Jan 18.
Isn't that nice.
33 comments
slippinjimmy
·8 months agoAt the following link USPS has posted a lengthy Facts & Myths on this topic.
https://about.usps.com/newsroom/statements/010226-postmarking-myths-and-facts.htm
a_c_green
·8 months agoThanks for that. What needs to be emphasized here - what seems to be a major point of confusion - is that these announced changes are for postmarks on stamped envelopes. This has nothing to do with acceptance scans on pre-paid packages. The USPS stresses this in another FAQ that they posted recently:
Also, mail and package acceptance procedures are not changing, and the date of acceptance will continue to be verified as is done currently.
Ref: https://about.usps.com/what/strategic-plans/delivering-for-america/assets/service-standard-changes-faq-doc2-2025.pdf
(See pages 2 or 11; this same quote appears in two answers in their FAQ.)
goodnu9
·9 months agoPackages will still be scanned on pickup. The change is for first class mail going thru the machines such as bills, voting ballots, ESE, birthday cards, etc. Now that USPS has consolidated their processing plants, expect a longer delay in getting the ESE date stamped and eBay needs to change their policies giving us sellers defects in our Seller Dashboards. It seems the last 2 weeks , I have been filing a claim with eBay to remove defects 2 to 3 times a week. Carrier shows late delivery, shipping after handling time? Excuse me? I mail my items next business day. Example: carrier picked up envelope December 15 from Amherst, NH. First tracking shows December 30, Omaha, NE. WTH? Where's first tracking Manchester, NH processing plant? Lately, my envelopes have been going to Boston, MA for first tracking (of all places!) This envelope was delivered December 31 Tecumseh, NE. I would ask eBay, "What I do? Drive from Amherst, NH to Omaha, NE to drop off a 74 cent envelope?" 😂
The incompetence of USPS is only going to get worse. Don't try to defend them. I'm a retired letter carrier so I know what goes in that hellhole!
blhcollection
·9 months agoMy post office is applying the new rule to packages too. Of course, they never scanned consistently -- probably too lazy or to hide the fact that they are pathetically slow. The counter staff makes up for this by being rude and nasty. Over the holidays I shipped about half of my packages via Fedex and half via USPS with a pickup at my house. Surprisingly all USPS pickups had a pickup confirmation and the packages were scanned at the post office. That changed yesterday -- no confirmation and no scans. FedEx is usually equal to or cheaper than USPS. Luckily I have a Walgreens and a very nice independent mail center across the street from my PO. They have daily FedEx pickups. I guess I will become a FedEx customer now for all my packages except for flat rate. AND I had less issues with shipping errors with FedEx. Buh bye USPS.
breathebrat
·9 months agoI have a local post office who will not scan items dropped off unless you go to the counter and make them scan everything. Another post office said that it was policy to scan everything before it leaves the office. This week after the postmark thing happened nothing got scanned and now everything is late. And not having that proof of drop off is horrible. I guess it is long lines at the post office from now on.
12345jamesstamps
·9 months agoSounds like a package that is picked up and eventually taken to the regional facility...if it's in the evening...it won't get a scan for that day.
How does one get a 'scan' immediately...using USPS postage where clerk accepts it.
kibble-net
·9 months agoYou can thank Mr. DeJoy and the Republicans who hired him.
Yes, rates go up regularly, as do all things. May I suggest using a different mail carrier if you think USPS is too expensive.
theteamsetguy
·9 months ago@kibble-net ,
I think Dejoy retired last year.
christworks
·9 months agoI will thank them, thank you very much.
Since you want to blame conservatives, let's get all the facts out.
The reason why USPS is in such a screwed up state is because of the neglect by previous Postmater Generals. You know, people like Patrick Donahoe and Megan Brennan, both of whom were appointed by Barack Obama's USPS Board of Governors. I'll through in the "Republican" PMG who was there in the 2000s. They all failed to see the changing landscape as things shifted from letter mail to package delivery driven by rising e-commerce sales. They were like the sellers who come here and complain they have no sales even though they have sold for 25 years and are doing the same thing they were doing then.
Failure to anticipate and pivot, compounded the problem with USPS. Like most things people like that get their hands into, it becomes a complete cluster so that there is no clean way to fix things. This is precisely why USPS should be privatized and get the federal government out of it altogether. Practically anything the government gets its fingers into becomes a complete cluster. That goes for whomever occupies The House at 1600.
This change with the postmark may impact larger cities where there are regional processing facilities. For many, many people, there is no change because the change happened some time over the past two decades.
126celler
·9 months agoDeliver to Post Office to be scanned.
buyselljack2016
·9 months agoMy rural carrier scans all packages picked up. Their pay is based upon doing so.
bdmh-enterprises
·9 months agoPostmarks are for stamped mail. This affects when you need to send your taxes not your eBay packages..
buyselljack2016
·9 months agoLetter mail, back in the day was postmarked (by hand or with the cancelling machine) with AM (mail leaving on the morning truck), PM (for mail leaving on the afternoon truck), and -PM (minus PM) for mail accepted after the truck left, but before office closing.
12345jamesstamps
·9 months agoAnd election mail-in ballots....
annadryl
·9 months agoAs I read it, this is the traditional hand-stamp on your letter or package which dates when mail was received, not the modern scan which is electronic and online. This change is more concerning when that physical stamp is used to determine cut-off dates for things such as mail-in ballots and tax deadlines.
homerunrally002
·9 months agoI hope this isn’t true because I have same day shipping and I never know when the mailman scans the packages, hopefully I’m not affected by this change
annadryl
·9 months agoScans have not changed. It's the physical hand or machine stamp that traditionally cancels a stamp. This is somewhat archaic, but you can still request one at the counter if needed to verify that date that just gets eyeballed.
Your package labels don't get this, your carrier does not do this.
Google this guys, it's been blown out of proportion.
dhbookds
·9 months agoAgree with @christworks letter postmark does not equal scan for package.
https://nstp.org/article/usps-announces-changes-postmark-date-system
@devon@ebay
@kyle@ebay
Just a suggestion that ebay get out in front on this with an announcement......as there ARE going to be questions about it.......as some will assume it involves the scan to prove shipped within handling time.
slippinjimmy
·9 months agoThanks for the link, it clarifies that this is not very relevant to the average eBay seller.
It will be important to people mailing letters that must be "postmarked by" such as tax returns, vote by mail and other letter mail with strict deadlines for mailing.
kyle@ebay
Hey @dhbookds thanks for the tag. We've gone ahead and passed this to our shipping team for review!
findersltd
·9 months agoIt does involve the scan to prove shipped within handling time. I thought it was just letters, also, but it's not that way. According to the article on USPS you can print out an acceptance letter that states USPS picked up package, because they have to scan that. The other way is sending it certifies because they have to scan that.
findersltd
·9 months agoIt does apply to packages. See above what I replied to christworks.
rugerskick
·9 months agoI hand over each package to be scanned individually at my post office. They get time stamped right then and there.
(I suppose I should say I also recognize for people that may drop off dozens/hundreds of packages a day, or drop items off after hours in a drop box, or any other exceptions, this may not be feasible for everyone. I just know this way, they are stamped when handed over, and I get a receipt/proof.)
yeswayrecords
·9 months agoCannot stress this enough...
Getting a physical receipt from a real employee which shows actual proof of shipping is the best way to handle shipping by USPS.
It's the only way to be certain that a package will get scanned.
christworks
·9 months ago@fallgold4031 The postal rate hike is not new info. It has been known since at least October and it should not even be a surprise since USPS has been doing this for years following the conclusion of the holiday surcharge.
Also, the changes involve postmarks, not acceptance scans for packages. Those are two different things. eBay tracks whether a package has been accepted because that is what is tied to the tracking number. Mail carriers should still scan a package accepted when they pick it up. Some already don't do that, and leave it to be done when they get back to their facility. Regardless, the acceptance scan should happen before it goes to the regional facility.
The postmark change will impact standard letter mail. That would include eBay Standard Envelope. For a lot of people, including myself, the change won't be noticeable at all because our mail has not been postmarked locally in about 20 years. If I were to mail a letter to an address 3 miles from my home, it would take 3 days to be delivered, because it has to go an hour away to get the postmark, which is often not until the next day. If you have something truly time sensitive that needs a postmark, postal clerks will still be able to manually stamp the postmark for the current date at the counter.
findersltd
·9 months agoActually, according to the article, I read it refers to the acceptance scan as well. It's on their website. I was wondering as well so I did some light research and of course asked my mail lady.
Anytime a package is dropped off in a box it will not be scanned. Even if you drop it off at the post office box. It's supposedly to "streamline" procedures. The scan for all mail and packages will happen at the first regional location it goes to. Now the caveat some may not get there for a few days. Some mail will go out right away from there so will get scanned sooner.
The article states for time sensitive mail that need a date postmark to show being mailed on time, you can ask for a manual stamp at the post office. That's just a date stamp.
To get around this for packages they say to get an acceptance print out for the post office or carrier to scan because they have to scan that. I am assuming that is the bulk shipping label we can print out. Also, it can be sent certified mail which will get a scan.
Now, as far as my mailperson is concerned, she hasn't heard anything about it, she will still scan my packages, but another driver might not. That was the problem I had Monday with 3 packages not scanned at pickup and not getting scanned until it hit Opa Locka 3 days later. It resulted in 3 defects against my account.
simba6
·9 months agoIt's common in rural post offices. Had to switch to three day handling to avoid late shipping dings.
slippinjimmy
·9 months agoWhere did you read this?
FYI - The specifics of the Jan 18th increase has been known for a month, the fact there would be an increase has been know for years since the price adjustments on the third Sunday in January has been a thing for about 20 years.
Personally I'm more interested in this announcement that may open things up for more "zone skip" providers.
https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2025/1217-usps-announces-bid-solicitation-for-access-to-last-mile-delivery-network.htm
tobaccocardyahoo
·9 months agoThis is a desperation move by USPS who is heavily dependent on Amazon's use of last mile delivery. It has upended their contract renewal talks and could lead to a loss of some or all of Amazon's business.
It could benefit some of the small Chinese carriers who are servicing some of the fulfillment centers servicing some of Ebay's China based sellers who have inventory in the US.
rugerskick
·9 months agoThey are going to lose more of amazons business anyway. Amazon is increasingly moving to being able to deliver more and more of their own packages with their fleets of vans and vehicles.
tobaccocardyahoo
·9 months agoThe continue to be a key part of Amazon deliveries to low density rural areas, and extremely high density, high crime areas.
The current contract rates with USPS are below the cost of what Amazon's own delivery contractors can meet, so USPS was not at risk of being frozen out. Amazon will probably find a way to lower costs, perhaps by incentivizing its delivery contractors to sell their used EV's to new contractors in these areas.
12345jamesstamps
·9 months agoIf they can keep the employees who they have.
Amazon is like a revolving door of hiring people and employees quitting every day.
I see Amazon delivery people using their own cars to delivery packages in my neighborhood as well as Amazon trucks and just plain white trucks with no logo.
I have even seen Amazon trucks with no license plates on them...LOL
Not a good business plan all in all.
tobaccocardyahoo
·9 months agoIt has been the case in many parts of the US for years.
It has been more obvious since September when the number of trips from the PO to the distribution center for 60% of the POs was limited to one per day.
Some sellers, like myself, avoid issues with Ebay by increasing our handling time on our listings.
Today my orders shipped on Dec 24 were scanned.