Reminder: FedEx Ground Economy packages can NOT be dropped off at the post office
Sellers should not drop FedEx Ground Economy (SmartPost) packages with USPS. It doesn't matter that FedEx transfers to USPS for second leg of delivery some of the time or that there may be USPS info on the label. Always bring those packages to FedEx.
This was announced by the carriers last year, effective July 14, 2024 - eBay posted an alert on this forum (link).
USPS can and does seize those packages.
Reports have been increasing of USPS enforcing this rule. Tracking will say something like unpaid postage or counterfeit postage (because postage was paid to FedEx, not USPS).
When packages are seized because they were left with the wrong carrier, the seller is responsible for refunding the buyer.
USPS sign: no UPS, no FedEx
37 comments
babyers88
·10 months agoThe real issue with all of this mess is that Fedex is no longer going to pick up packages left at the post office, so IF you accidentally leave it at the post office it "might" sit there for a couple days and you could "maybe" retrieve it, but eventually it just goes to wherever usps puts or sends there lost or undeliverable mail and it gets either destroyed or sent to a government auction service like govdeals.
the post office worker is not going to go take it to fedex for you either.
In the past if fedex/ups packages were left at the post office they would call them to come them pick them up. but that's not a thing anymore.
deltasmom
·10 months agoYour answer has nothing to do with my question!
robbie31415
·1 year agoI point the finger at sellers.
Drop your packages at the correct carrier.
Its simple.
No whining necessary.
10-bubblegum
·1 year agoI see you have no compassion for sellers!
seizings packages by USPS can cause significant financial loss and wasted time for sellers.
I did take my package to Walgreens and was instructed by the clerk to take it to USPS as she could not scan it! USPS scanned it with no questions asked.
robbie31415
·1 year agoThat's your fault.
If you buy a FedEx label then you give it to FedEx
If you buy a UPS label you give it to the UPS.
If you buy a USPS label then you give it to the UPS.
Just because SurePost and Smart Post ( Ground Saver / Ground Economy ) had USPS tracking on the label, that was only for when either FedEx or UPS gave it to the USPS for final delivery.
This didn't mean drop it off at the USPS.
You are not meanr to get that USPS tracking scanned on FedEx UPS That's only final delivery.
I don't get what the struggle is.
These are simple concepts.
deltasmom
·10 months agoYour reply has NOTHING to do with my question!
wastingtime101
OP10 months agoI don't see that you posted a question in this discussion @deltasmom , but I looked through your profile to find your question.
The USPS message is because there are issues with USPS labels right now. Some sellers aren't having problems and others are, meaning not all labels are affected. You can go ahead an purchase an eBay label or you can buy a label direct from USPS.com.
The message about FedEx has nothing to do with USPS labels. That's for FedEx Ground Economy service and it's telling you to not drop off your FedEx packages at the post office or USPS will confiscate them, as outlined in the first post on this discussion. If you buy a FedEx Ground Economy you must drop it off with FedEx even if there is a dual-USPS barcode on the label.
lesegouts
·1 year agoAny Walgreen's too.
moonbound50
·1 year agoWhat about a package that was dropped off to FedEx and is seized for non-payment by USPS? So, I did what I was supposed to do, and still have to refund the buyer without reimbursement. ???
comics-scifi-collectibles
·1 year agoDid you drop off at an actual Fed Ex location or a package and ship type place that accepts Fed Ex packages? Only drop off at actual Fed Ex stores.
Sorry that your package was confiscated. Unfortunately you're going to have to refund the buyer. If you don't the buyer will file a refund request. eBay will force a refund from your account and you will receive a Defect and will not get your sellers fees back.
You can write the loss off on your taxes next year.
moonbound50
·1 year agoI dropped it off at a FedEx store that is only FedEx. The tracking number is:
61299998825428856239
I went to the post office to get a printout of the tracking history since FedEx told me that once they hand it off to USPS for the final leg of the delivery, it falls on USPS. I have a 2 page tracking history and the very first entry says RSS POS Prepaid. But the front of the page says the package has been seized by USPS for unpaid postage.
Another person in this thread mentioned that the post office should train their employees to not accept these packages, which I agree with, but I also understand that this would be a difficult (and probably impossible) solution, I believe that the better fix would be that the Ebay labels are changed. The layout when labels are printed has the FedEx barcode in the middle of the label and the USPS barcode at the bottom. I'm assuming that both are necessary since USPS is the final leg of the delivery process, but this layout creates the issue in my opinion. If the FedEx code were at the bottom, or the USPS code was either smaller, or even better, at the top, this could help cure this virus so to speak.
I know that the chance of this happening is slim to none, but there has got to be a way to fix this. The manager at the post office has told me that I can drop off dual labels such as this to them and assured me that the package will be delivered. She did not believe that the information from this thread nor the warning posted when the labels are created was true. Seeing how many people go into the post office with their packages not even close to ready to ship, and they walk them through the process, you'd think they would be a little more knowledgeable about a problem that has been going on for over a year. Or that Ebay/ FedEx/ USPS would have come up with a solution by now.
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoThe tracking shows your package was dropped with USPS - it was never in FedEx's possession. The only tracking scans on FedEx are "on the way" scans from USPS sort centers, data pulled from USPS.
The clerk at your post office is wrong. The only dual carrier labeled packages they can accept are "return service" labels. Trust me when I say the clerks at your PO are not more knowledgable on this topic if they're telling you they can accept your outbound FedEx Ground Economy packages.
The problem stems with FedEx for not fixing the stupid labels and removing USPS like they were supposed to in January, and the problem is exacerbated by uninformed USPS clerks that accept these packages when it goes against USPS rules. eBay is doing everything they can to warn sellers, but they can't force sellers to heed the warnings.
Sorry you're in this situation, but the package was dropped with USPS from the start and now they've seized it there's nothing you can do. They destroy seized packages and you can't recover them.
Edit to add: FedEx typically delivers end-to-end. They only transfer PO Box and military address Ground Economy packages to USPS for final delivery, so for the vast majority of packages they are never handed off to USPS.
moonbound50
·1 year agoThis is where I see another problem within the problem.
I actually went to the post office with several packages. It was the main distribution center since my usual office had closed for the day. The person who scanned my packages was the supervisor. When she scanned them, as soon as she scanned the dual label, she told me that she had a customer earlier that day who has gone through this, and was there to inform her of everything this thread is about. She told me that if I wanted it to get there safely to take it to the FedEx store right down the road. She then did something on her screen to remove it because it wasn't on my receipt. I then took it to that FedEx office to send it.
My guess is that the system flagged that tracking number on the first scan. Even though she removed it, when FedEx handed it of for the last leg, it already had that unpaid tied to the number, even though I did listen to her and take it to FedEx. Then I read allllll about it here. So ever since, I have taken to FedEx only.
I have been thinking about a possible fix all day. As a single person who wants to make a difference, just posting on these threads or getting upset with the system will only be fodder. I'm going to try to help other sellers in my area by creating a sign with a warning and give it to the managers of each post office. I'll drop off each day to a different one until I hit them all. Hopefully they will be allowed to post it. If not, then maybe just the act itself will create some awareness. It may be a waste of time but so is thinking about it and doing nothing.
305greengal
·1 year agoAgree 100% with everything you said! I think Ebay/FedEx/USP/USPS need to get this issue resolved. I just checked with my local USPS and they are still saying they accept these packages. I told them about the problem and they didn't have a clue. Hopeful they will not accept them any longer and save other sellers from alot of grief. I did not drop off the package as I am now aware of this mess and was curious if USPS finally had been educated on not accepting FedEx/UPS Economy Ground shipments. The dual barcode is the issue and that should have been addressed & corrected alot sooner. Even if sellers are aware at this point you now have issues when packages are dropped off at multi carrier businesses, sellers have to inform the staff and put sticky notes on packages in bright color all bold FEDEX or UPS, which is ridiculous, only to still have packages picked up by the wrong carrier in error. Hope Ebay is reading this thread and can work with the carriers to resolve.
10-bubblegum
·1 year agoEbay should refund the sellers and take responsibility for this mess. No matter where you drop off a FedX package that has 2 tracking numbers, the result is the same!
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoYou want to point a finger? Point it at FedEx. Per USPS regs they were supposed to eliminate dual-carrier labels as of January 1st this year (link). That's 7 months ago. If FedEx updated the labels like they were supposed to, sellers wouldn't be confused over where to drop off their packages.
Sellers are facing this confusion no matter where they buy the label - eBay, Amazon, or any other platform offering Ground Economy service.
Unlike other marketplaces, eBay is doing everything they can to educate sellers. eBay has no control over sellers ignoring the warnings, not learning about the service they chose, or what the carrier does when given a package they weren't paid to deliver.
Drop it off at FedEx like you're supposed to, or don't use the service.
Edit: Yeah, I'm pretty angry with FedEx because I'm tired of telling sellers they're at a loss when the problem stems with FedEx labels. I'm also pretty annoyed with USPS for accepting the packages to begin with.
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoSo far I've never seen that happen @moonbound50 . If you want to share the tracking number we can take a look to see what's going on.
As comics-scifi mentioned above - if you used a multi-carrier drop off point they may have made the mistake and given the package to the wrong carrier. That error still falls to your responsibility, unfortunately. It's fine to use those multi-carrier drop off points, but you need to make sure they know to only give the package to FedEx - put a large note next to the label, speak with the employee - whatever you have to do.
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoTip for sellers: when you leave your package with a consolidated mail center, whether it's a mailroom or a multi-carrier drop off point, take extra care to ensure your packages will be handed off to FedEx.
I've seen a few sellers drop off at these locations only to have the location screw up and hand the package to USPS in error. If you need to use a multi-carrier drop off point, consider adding a large/noticeable note to the package saying it can only be dropped off with FedEx, not USPS.
I thought it would be helpful to show the difference in tracking scans for packages dropped off with FedEx vs USPS. Tracking always confirms what happened in these cases.
Note to sellers: enter a '92' prefix to the FedEx tracking number to track the package direct on USPS.com to see if your package is in USPS possession.
This screenshot is from a package that was correctly dropped off with FedEx. Notice the following:
- Acceptance scan in possession at FedEx location
- USPS scans do not begin until FedEx hands off the package
- Once FedEx hands off the package, scans on FedEx end
This screenshot is from a package that was incorrectly dropped off with USPS. Notice the following:
- No acceptance scans at FedEx, just generic "on the way" scans as it picks up data from USPS
- Acceptance scan with USPS
- USPS tracking updates from the start, not after a string of FedEx-exclusive tracking updates
comics-scifi-collectibles
·1 year ago@wastingtime101. Thank you for this excellent post.
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoThere's also a warning on the bulk label flow. Sellers can dismiss that one with the X if they don't want to see it again.
Yes, I am using any excuse to bump this thread to try and get the word out. 😠Don't want to keep seeing uninformed sellers at a loss because they dropped their package with the wrong carrier.
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoThank you to Ina for reporting on this topic when sellers contacted her about it last week, and helping remind sellers they need to drop off packages with the correct carrier.
Ecommercebytes - eBay Sellers Stung by USPS-FedEx Policy Change
In response to this part of the article:
"In July of 2024, an eBay moderator posted an announcement on the Shipping forum (how often do sellers visit that section of the eBay discussion boards rather than the Seller Announcement board?)"
To that I will remind sellers eBay had a large banner posted at the top of the shipping label page last July when the policy changed. You couldn't buy a FedEx Ground Economy label when this change happened without seeing that huge warning in your face. I don't remember how long that banner was up there, but it was at least a month. This screenshot was taken last July:
Ina also reported on this last July when eBay announced the carrier's change of policy.
Ecommercebytes - eBay Warns USPS No Longer Supports FedEx Dropoffs
Liz reported on it last July, too.
Value Added Resource - USPS Ends FedEx Ground Economy Drop Offs
Thanks to Liz and Ina for helping educate sellers. I get really tired of delivering bad news to sellers telling them their packages are not recoverable when they drop off with the wrong carrier. I appreciate anybody that's doing what they can to get the word out - even now, a year later.
valueaddedresource
·1 year agoThanks for the shoutout @wastingtime101 ! Nothing else really to add but happy to help get the word out. 🙂
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoeBay also added a warning on the website label flow.
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoeBay added a warning on the app label flow.
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoWhen sellers pay for a FedEx or UPS label and drop their package with USPS, USPS will consider it a package with no postage (or sometimes counterfeit postage) because USPS was not paid.
Adding some official USPS info.
https://faq.usps.com/articles/Knowledge/Counterfeit-Postage#pay_postage_retrieve_items
Can I Pay for Postage to Retrieve Intercepted or Seized Items?
No. The Postal Service may not deliver — even as postage due or as Collect on Delivery (COD) — items with no postage. That includes items bearing counterfeit postage. This policy is meant to deter the entry of packages without postage and to avoid the expenditures associated with delivering such items.
Why can USPS treat packages with counterfeit postage as abandoned or Postal property when I purchased goods and paid for their delivery?
Postal regulations only allow delivery when postage has been prepaid by the sender. Postal Service regulations allow these packages to be considered abandoned.
Counterfeit Postage and Fraud Enforcement Information
To address unpaid and counterfeit postage, the USPS validates manifest file documentation in real-time. Packages that are unmanifested at the time of the first scan at a USPS facility will be intercepted and subject to disposal. These packages will not reenter the mail stream and shippers will not be reimbursed.
ryry-jj
·1 year agoI have said many times, many times....anyone who sells online is in the shipping business...you better know that part of the business inside and out
pikabo-icu
·1 year agoI'm glad to see this get bumped because I've been reading a lot of cases of this confusion lately.
It's an excellent post and very important information.
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoYou should contact your local postmaster or go online to USPS.com and file a complaint. Your post office was wrong to accept that package.
simply-the-best-for-you
·1 year agoInteresting, my PO doesn't have signs like this, but I never knew they seized the pkgs. I wonder what they do with them?
rossyjr22
·1 year agoMy wife took a FedEx package to our local usps PO and the clerk told her to leave the package and that they can ship it. It is now stuck with unpaid postage and we are out $300!
dmsdanielle
·1 year agoThe only issue with this is that the USPS Carrier that collects our parcels scans the labels and if there is a FEDEX with Home Delivery, so there is a FEDEX Tracking # as well as a USPS Tracking # on the same label mind you, that package is then in the care of USPS for a successful delivery. Am I incorrect? If not, please advise us on how to resolve the issue.
We are fully aware that a FEDEX and UPS should be dropped off at a FEDEX / UPS friendly drop-off location or scheduled for pick up.
We have been proudly selling on eBay for years and fully support the growth of this platform.
We are only asking for support and advisement on how to combat these issues.
Thanks for your time!
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoHi @dmsdanielle . If dropped off at FedEx, they may or may not pass on to USPS for final leg of delivery.
If incorrectly dropped off with USPS (or left with your USPS carrier), even if they transfer to FedEx and FedEx transfers back to USPS, the package can be seized and there's nothing you can do to retrieve it and you will be responsible for refunding the buyer.
Never leave FedEx packages for your USPS carrier to pickup, even if you see a USPS barcode on the label. You are purchasing a FedEx service; packages must be dropped off with FedEx.
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoBumping for visibility as I keep getting questions from sellers about this. Hoping this will help sellers avoid the problem.
toomuchstuffagain35
·1 year agoWe have a big red sign on the counter where we drop off parcels saying NO UPS or FEDEX.
There's also now a HUGE sign in the lobby telling Amazon drivers NOT to drop unattended parcels in the lobby or outside the PO. And that the PO will NOT be responsible for them if they do.
mahagh_12
·1 year agoIs this enforced if you drop usps package in a fedex drop box.
comics-scifi-collectibles
·1 year ago@mahagh_12 I wouldn't test it. It's always best to have a package scanned at drop to the correct shipping carrier.
wastingtime101
OP1 year agoNever drop off your packages with the wrong carrier @mahagh_12 .