How long should a package be 'in transit' before getting concerned.

[jeremkante_0]

I'm presently awaiting a package (originally expected on the 12th via priority mail) that is now entering its fifth day of being "in transit". Its last scanned location placed it in a state adjacent to mine. My first question is: where is it exactly? Is it on a truck somewhere? A plane? Sitting somewhere in a facility awaiting to be scanned? My next question is whether five days is a reasonable amount of time for a package to be in this state a relatively short distance away,  and what I can do. I did my best to submit an inquiry with USPS online and was flatly ignored. How long do I have to wait before some kind of action becomes accessible to me, and what form would that action take.  

[mtgraves7984]

"How long do I have to wait before some kind of action becomes accessible to me, and what form would that action take."

@jeremkante_0 

That does seem like a long transit time for Priority. You can open an Item Not Received case after the Expected Delivery date has passed. Good luck!

[guangxi_hone]

My first class package travelled to adjacent state (Michigan to Pennsylvania) 2 weeks. I noticed that they tend to be sitting in sorting centers, even transferred to another center which takes 4 days or so. Patience, patience.... 

[jeremkante_0]

Are you suggesting opening a case against the seller, or the USPS (and if the USPS, how is that done.) It's not the seller's fault, but I would obviouly open a case if the package was declared 'lost". Does Ebay conduct their own investigation of the package handling by the USPS if it's a case through Ebay you're suggesting I open?

[horror8855]

I have a package stuck in transit for the past 17 days with no movement, Postal service are little or no help and it went through The Jersey City Postal hub. That hub is one of the worst in the country packages can sit there for weeks or get lost all together. I'm getting tired of this **bleep** with packages going through there, it's a **bleep** shoot if you get it or not.

[retiredpedsnurse]

In the exact same situation. I did the resolution, but really did not have to. Promised the 5th. Received note from ebay it was 'delivered' on the 16th. My package took 14 days to get to me. It also sat in an adjoining state with no updates for  several days until after it was delivered. Arizona is really slow at updating movement much of the time, but almost always the entire route is displayed post-delivery. My situation may also be your situation. My management office where I live is refusing to take in any packages/incorrect addresses/stacks of mail while resident is away during the Corona scare. Apparently, the PO has decided, not to deliver packages to the individual apartments. My final text read, "Unable to deliver." That is it. No card that they tried at my door or in my actual mailbox. I did go on-line to request a redelivery, but there was no place to put deliver to my porch...ugh. I did stay home for the redelivery, but it never arrived. I had to go pick it up at the PO, 10 miles away one way.

[tamaralea]

Priority packages aren't taking that long.  I bet the seller shipped by First Class.  I would open an Item Not Received case.

[ed8108]

 Buyers are surprised that some sellers do downgrade shipping which puts some extra cash into their seller pockets, downgrading shipping unfortunately still does appear OK with ebay & not a policy violation.

[blankauctions]

Ive had 5 packages shipped Priority Not show movement for A week, but they finally made it to their destination, 2 weeks late. 

[flp]

I sent out a box of books on April 24th going to Grand Rapids. (Coming from NY.) Spent 4 days in Pittsburgh and is on the loose ever since.  It's still not there but is "in transit." I've contacted the seller twice to keep her updated and she's been so nice to stay patient--at least so far.  A month for media is awful even for media.  

[tamaralea]

So has eBay changed policies due to these delays?  Can a buy still file INR after 30 days?  It sounds like any complaints might have to go through PayPal.

[ifyouloveit]

I sell on multiple platforms and the bulk of my buyer messages are, "Where is my package, tracking shows it isn't moving", (or something similar).

USPS is very slow right now in some areas due to Covid. Social distancing has made crews smaller, less planes are flying (and passenger planes do carry mail too), shipping is a mess right now.

I've had priority packages take a week, first class 10-14 days. Media mail I rarely use, but I understand it is taking up to a month in some areas.

It is not the seller's faults, nor USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc., it is the lockdown we have been in and the resulting slow down of the system. Mailing your seller won't help, they have access to the same shipping tracking you do. USPS is unlikely to do much yet, they are getting hammered with "Where is my package" requests.

eBay announced it would not be dinging sellers metrics for these delays, it's just the way it is right now. Some international countries cannot be shipped to. Cargo ships from overseas are in a hot mess.

Your package will come. All of my late ones came in, including something my sister in law sent me from 60 miles away, it took 10 days. She was upset because she sent everyone hand made hand sanitizer and no one was calling her to thank her because they didn't know it was coming and they hadn't arrived after nearly 2 weeks. From 1 hour away.

It's a problem right now, but no packages have been lost by anyone I know. They are all getting to their destinations, albeit, some quite late. Hang in there!