USPS IS THE WORST
I sale on EBay and Poshmark. USPS loses 1 or more packages per week. Sometimes they find them, other times they don’t. eBay, Poshmark don’t seem to give a rats ass what we go through as sellers. Buyers get totally **bleep** like it’s our fault that USPS is a failed system & everone knows this including the executive branch of USPS & the government but does nothing to fix the system. USPS needs a total overhaul but I guess the monster has gotten so big it can’t be fixed. I’m so irritated that I feel like quitting, but I won’t but God knows I get sick of this crap with them. Rant Over. I also know it’s part of the business but it really gets old!!!
49 comments
tobaccocardyahoo
·5 months agoI, like many other sellers, use USPS for all of my shipments. I do not use the low cost/low quality ESE service.
I do not have more than one or two lost shipments per year.
I associate that with what I sell and how I package.
Since many sellers would find it offensive to have others speculate on what packaging might contribute to an excess of lost shipments, I will not suggest what you may be doing to contribute to your results.
You should probably reflect on whether you could improve your packaging.
stainlessenginecovers
·5 months ago1800 packages shipped annually since 2011, so over 27000 packages and NOT 1 was ever lost using USPS.
You don't seem to be looking at the tracking- it will say 'arriving late, moving through' etc.
That is NOT lost.
I doubt you had ANY package that did not show any type of tracking update for more than 5 days, much less the 10 required to file (it's actually 21 days to file 'lost' for an insurance claim).
Buyers will understand if you tell them that USPS and ALL carriers are having issues, especially with Weather for the past 3 months. Says that right across the top in a red banner at the usps website. UPS and Fedex are not better as they use the same roads and airports, so when workers can't get to work (at airport) or to their plows for a day or 2, everything backs up 3 fold.
kibble-net
·5 months agoCounterpoint:
I've been selling since 1999. USPS has not lost a single package of mine. That's out of 20,000+ parcels.
I've only had one parcel go missing, and it was an international shipment that was lost by an international carrier once it reached the Netherlands.
Your mileage may vary, but if you have consistent bad experiences with USPS, maybe you ought to use a different carrier. Just my 5 cents.
lakefor94
·5 months agoI agree with @kibble-net. USPS can/does get the job consistently though if there is a carrier that can hiccup occasionally with misroutes and delays, it is USPS. There are shipments where USPS is the only cost effective choice, especially for my inexpensive sales under weight of 12oz.
My business buyers prefer UPS because, “they know”. When a customer buys multi-quantities of an item and I upgrade them to UPS Ground on occasion, I just let them know, your order was upgraded to UPS Ground.
If you are wondering about an estimated delivery date on an important order, jump over to PirateShip and Import your eBay orders to PirateShip. They give a specific estimated delivery date, and it is easy to compare dates for USPS GA, UPS GS and UPS Ground and the rest of their offerings.
You don’t have to buy the label from PirateShip but you can obtain a clearer view of the actual delivery date.
Best to all, time to get to work……
soh.maryl
·5 months agoUSPS loses one or more of your packages per week? Have you complained to your local postmaster?
Have you gone further up the food chain to his/her boss?
Why would you quit selling because of bad experiences with the USPS? Wouldn't it make more sense to go with a different carrier?
jdbelt1960
·5 months agoI like my USPS postal service. If they lost 1 or more packages out of the millions they deliver that is not unreasonable. My question is what do you call "or more". That could be 2 packages or a trillion. My service is great. I just had Amazon deliver a package to a neighbor's house not even on my street. We have all depended on USPS forever and once they are gone will miss them.
simply-the-best-for-you
·5 months ago@shirla2005 Half of that is always the case LOL. I did hear about this from my carrier yesterday b/c he picked up 2 pkgs & 1 didn't have the scan 3 hours later & he did mention they are having system wide scanning issues with THEIR scanners, not the optical scanners, the handheld scanners, which work on cell service still I think. Anyway, the scan showed up hours later. I knew he didn't scan one & not the other. Unless they've changed, the handheld scanners work on cell & are subject to the numerous limitations of that.
simply-the-best-for-you
·5 months ago@melindad5346 Your printer set up is fine, that's what I use. No need for a thermal printer. I know people love them, but I've used a Laserjet for over a decade & before that an inkjet lol & I have had 1 lost pkg in 29 years on eBay & I exclusively use USPS. But about the tape...do NOT tape over the barcode. That may be what is causing your problems.
Yes, it shouldn't but it DOES make them harder to scan! I experienced that myself yesterday when I was scanning at the kiosk myself & just got a little tape over part of the barcode & it took 4 attempts for it to scan. I had to keep re-positioning it & it finally DID scan, but no one is going to be repositioning on a conveyor. They don't want you taping over it & there's a reason.
I have an HP laserjet, I print on the sticky labels & I don't normally tape anything, I simply peel the label & stick it onto the poly mailer. I only use tape on boxes & only around the edges. The only time I've even had much delayed pkgs were during COVID or the Holidays.
melindad5346
OP5 months agoThank you so much. I truly appreciate everyone that took the time out to help me.
ryry-jj
·5 months agoUSPS is my go to and I'd use them for everything if I could. In my day job I use FedEx with very few issues, but on ebay, I'm never using ebay's accounts for FedEx of UPS if I have options.
What is funny, as we ship all over the US, we each encounter the different USPS locations. So as far as locality of Post offices goes we should all see the same results in the different regions whether we drop off there or not. I suppose initial scanning can be an issue. My USPS packages are all picked up at a business so maybe handled more like a business, never a scanning or loss issue. But I do know for a fact that B2B plays a huge roll in all of this
But I will say New Jersey and Indy substations do move at a slower pace, and that could be because of volume, but no real knowledge of why.
shirla2005
·5 months agoMost “Missing Mail” cases only get resolved when: The package finally gets scanned; It reaches the destination city; or It’s delivered without ever updating. This is frustrating, but it’s consistent with current USPS performance.
melindad5346
OP5 months agoI have this every week and it drives me crazy. They are really the worst in my opinion. I just ordered a thermal printer and I’m going to see if that helps. Some resellers are stating that tape is fine but others are saying don’t do that over the barcode.
itsjustasprain
·5 months agoIn my selling account I tape over the bottom half of the barcode which includes the tracking number in readable form across the bottom. That way if the label gets wet (I use an inkjet printer) then at least half the barcode will remain scannable AND in a worst-case scenario the carrier can key in the tracking number manually on his scanner at delivery time.
Separately I run a strip of tape over the printed street address for the same reason. The usual 3M Scotch 2" Packaging Tape (actually 1 7/8" wide 😉) very neatly covers a standard 4-line address and the Return address with one strip.
I did read the USPS warning about not covering any of the barcode with tape and I do get their point that reflections off the tape could confuse the scanner but the reality is that I see them scanning right through the tape on a routine basis. Nevertheless I will meet them halfway on that by leaving the upper half of the barcode uncovered and they can scan however they like.
roccotacodad54
·5 months agoI have to wonder...I buy online often and have only one USPS package go missing in years.
melindad5346
OP5 months agoYes, I’ve spoke to them. It must be something with the labeling. I go to 3 different post offices to drop off and it happens with each one of them. Thank you so much but I am just printing the label that EBay sends and attaching it to the poly mailer or box.
participatrophy
·5 months ago@melindad5346
Labels: explain your process a little more. Standard home printer or thermal printer? Stickers or tape?
Packaging: if you're reusing packaging, make sure to fully black out any and all barcodes.
melindad5346
OP5 months agoGod bless you for helping me. I’m using a HP Laserjet printer. I just purchased it 4 months ago when my other one died. I also use a Brothers printer laser jet printer. I have 2 because I also own a realtor company and a mobile notary company. I use packing tape to take the entire label down. I was told by some people not to do this but 2 postmasters (Bear Creek post office and Park Row post office) stated this was okay. I’ve been researching this last night and early this morning. Do you think this is the problem. I’m see some resellers saying don’t do this and others saying it’s okay.
wpt05
·5 months agoThe tape should not cover the bar code as it makes them more difficult to scan.
lakefor94
·5 months agoThat is one of the most archaic notions in shipping today and one of the reasons for "lost" packages that find their way to the dumpster due to the labels getting damp and the ink running.
wpt05
·5 months agoShould I Use Tape or Write On Envelopes and Boxes?
"Tape on shipping label barcodes – is it okay?
christworks
·5 months ago@melindad5346 You've sold 141 items on eBay in the past 90 days. With one package being lost a week, that's about 13 packages, or roughly 9% of your sales. On average, USPS loses or misdelivers less than 2% of total package volume per year. You are saying the rate of packages you lose is 4.5 times the USPS average. That is incredible. If you stand by those numbers, then I would point to your local USPS as the issue, and something is amiss there. I assume you've talked to the Postmaster?
yuzuha
·5 months agoIt doesn't sound like a local USPS issue given that they gave two examples of packages bouncing around all over the place-- that's why I said there's most likely an issue with their packaging or labeling that's making the automated scanners have trouble reading the labels properly.
christworks
·5 months agoI did not read the other posts. I responded to what they posted originally, which is that USPS is losing their packages. Packages "bouncing around all over the place" isn't the same as losing a package. That also would not line with an issue with the label or packaging.
@melindad5346 If there are scans within the past 72 hours and your buyer opens an INR, you can upload the tracking number and note that there have been recent scans. If there have not been any scans within 72 hours, you can file a trace or missing mail search. I do the latter because that has proven to work for me time and time again, with packages getting delivered to buyers within 24-48 hours.
If you meet certain criteria, eBay will refund you if you refund an INR and the packages is later delivered.
melindad5346
OP5 months agoYes, I spoke to the post master multiple times. I started dropping at different 3 post offices and it’s the same at all of them. It’s something to do with the distribution center not the post office from what I’m being told by the postmaster at the Bear Creek post office (which is the post office closest to me). USPS will not allow me to file a claim until after 10 business days since its Ground Advantage. I called them on 2 of the packages on 3/13/26 at 2:03 pm. I’m really at my wits end going through this issue weekly …example: I drop at my local post office. It packages get scanned. It goes to the North Houston Distribution Center (mist gets scanned some don’t). OR the packages get routed and then they bounce around from state to state or are never seen again. I’ve been told by different postal workers there is nothing they can do to help me, the postmaster has a major attitude but normally will help me. Since it stresses me out so bad, I usually take a break and I probably just need to quit this all together. I find it to be totally disheartening that I seem to lose more time than making money dealing with USPS.
yuzuha
·5 months agoIf you're having that many issues with lost packages, it's almost guaranteed to be due to either your packaging, your labeling, or both. I use USPS exclusively and I have not had a single lost package out of 2.4k+ shipped on eBay and 1k+ shipped elsewhere. I've had some take scenic sightseeing tours, but all of them eventually arrived where they were supposed to.
simply-the-best-for-you
·5 months agoSelling for 29 years, 2 different states. 100% USPS. 1 lost pkg in all that time (and I'm not convinced about that one as the PO told me it was a weird compound in ID or MT). Maybe 3 that looked to be lost, but eventually showed up late, mainly around the Holidays. I'm not doubting you OP, but I just wonder if it's something specific to your PO & their routing or something? I have so few issues that years go by without a query. I think my last one was during the pandemic when a lovely buyer could see where her pkg was, stuck in a truck on USPS property that was like 30th in line to get emptied & she didn't know what to do. There was nothing to do, so we both waited & eventually it was delivered. But I know some regions are much better than others. Maybe switching to another carrier may be worth it for you even if you foot the bill, for the peace of mind? I know everyone talks about contacting the PM in your area. In my area, it's literally impossible. They don't take calls, they don't return calls & unless he's been replaced (doubtful), he's in jail for SA. Best you'll get is an admin who says they'll pass along the info.
funfactorychannel
·5 months agoAre your items go missing during its trip, or was never scanned?
melindad5346
OP5 months agoBoth. I’m dealing with 1 now. I’m in Houston TX. It went to Illinois, then Ohio, Then West Virginia now in North Carolina. The buyer is in Michigan. I’m like Jesus Christ. Going the wrong way USPS. The 2nd one is going to Illinois but never left the North Houston Distribution Center. The 3rd one went to Miami Fl but did the rounds to every post office in Florida but it finally got delivered today. 3 in the last 3 days.
bgt_masters_of_tiki_d
·5 months agoI ship around 2000 packages with the post office and I don't think they lose one package a year. Almost all of those are ground advantage.
UPS in my experience is a nightmare to make insurance claims.
Fed Ex damages more items but almost always pay out without much effort for damaged items. Both of they like to tack on hidden fees and charges after the fact. IMO USPS is by far the superior or the three.
short_circuit.lineman61
·5 months agoif you buy shipping on ebay and the buyer files a INR all you have to do is refund and then when it eventually gets delivered ebay will reimburse you, the buyer gets the item free but can not leave any FB or return the item. When I get a INR I refund on the spot.
melindad5346
OP5 months agoI try to get the package delivered and deal with USPS. I know in Houston TX they are terrible & could care less attitude. Just arrested a USPS worker “man” yesterday for stealing packages, envelopes m, etc for the last 6 months. I guess I soend to much time trying to get a package delivered. I need to change my way of thinking and just issue a refund, move on and write it off as a loss. Thank you.
zgnisaer
·5 months agoLess attitude is good.
You don't need to: USPS will deliver the package for you.
It's not a loss: If you buy an eBay label to ship, then refund immediately if the buyer files a case because the package is lost ... eBay refunds you when the package is eventually delivered.
lakefor94
·5 months ago@melindad5346 we have members here that swear by USPS, never an issue. (I am not one of them)
USPS gets about 30% of my ebay orders. UPS gets the rest, even though, USPS carries the last mile on ~half of those.
All my expensive sales are shipped UPS Ground.
If I ever have any issues whatsoever with a shipment, it is a USPS Ground Advantage shipment. Few and far in-between, but it happens nonetheless......
0 problems with UPS over the last 9 years and they always provide a delivered scan.
melindad5346
OP5 months agoThank you so much. I need to look into the different in cost on UPS. I’m in Houston TX and the USPS workers are absolutely pitiful. My 10 year old could do a better job. I think it’s their I don’t care attitude that wears me out.
lakefor94
·5 months agoFor UPS, @melindad5346 , make sure to compare pricing on PirateShip. You can Import your eBay orders to PirateShip. I save mucho $ there.
tsme35
·5 months agoI finally signed up on pirateship last month for my UPS rods, ebay won't dispute overage, I hope they will.
bonanza125
·5 months agoI personally really haven’t had many issues with USPS. When a package is missing contact the USPS and have an investigation going. EBay isn’t the carrier so no they won’t help. They go by the tracking.
melindad5346
OP5 months agoUSPS don’t let you file a claim until after 10 business days on Ground Advantage. I need to move to shipping with UPS or FedEx but I don’t think buyers would pay the extra cost in shipping.
tsme35
·5 months agoI know your pain, they broke a fishing rod, buyer sent pictures and it took USPS 14 days to request inspection. Without the request buyer can't take it in and threw everything away. I"m out $50 because the buyer didn't feel like waiting it out. It was 3 times as much shipping with UPS. USPS is a scam because they know ebay only gives sellers 3 days to refund. Claims are done online, USPS needs to get out of the dark ages and email the claim, they should know best how bad their service is.
lakefor94
·5 months ago@tsme35
Shipping rods these days must be a tough go. I did have one delivered to me broken about 15 years ago by UPS.
It was a Powell rod. 7 foot rod in a strong tube. It got caught and broke the tube somewhere. Busted the rod near the top.
Powell had me cut it up into 3 pieces and send them a pic and then they sent another......
USPS is much better at handling the smaller packages.
tsme35
·5 months agoI just started shipping with them a couple months ago again after taking a break. Problem is UPS jumps over $45 when its longer then 48". Most buyers will take take it to be inspected but you get the 1 or 2 get their money back and screw the seller.