Advice or recourse for taking a hit for "late shipment" when USPS didn't scan package for a week?

[chris-s-g]

Hi there, hoping you experienced sellers can offer some advice.  

I have 1-day handling time and TRS status but I'm a small time seller.  I put an item in my curbside mailbox with the flag up for pickup (I know, I know, first mistake right there).  I placed it there within an hour of the buyer paying, a couple of hours later my mail was delivered and the package was gone.  That was on a Friday.  On Wednesday, I heard from the seller asking when I was going to send the item and so I looked saw no tracking activity after printing the label.  Finally, on Thursday night the item was scanned in Georgia, then delivered on Saturday to the buyer.  Clearly, the USPS misplaced the package for a few days and managed to get it all the way from my Philadelphia suburb to Georgia without any scans.  The buyer was great about the situation and he left me positive feedback, but the delivery was late and I have no proof that I had it in the hands of the USPS in time.  

I almost ALWAYS go the the post office and stand in line to get a paper receipt.  It takes hours out of our lives to do this to satisfy ebay's rediculous requirements.  Yes, the lesson has been learned that I have to do that if I want to keep my TRS status.  I am a small-time seller so just a few of these snafus is significanly weighted and could cost me that rating through no action or error of my own.  This is total **bleep**, making us responsible for the actions of government workers who clearly do not have to answer to the level of accountability that eBay's Top Rated Sellers do!  I don't like behing held accountable for things over which I have no authority, but that's a rant for another day.

This is now in my seller dashboard as a late shipment.  Does anyone have any advice for if or how I can get that removed?  If I'm going to take a "late" hit I want it to be because I was actually late!

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Chris in Philly

[dhbookds]

I find with parcel select, scans aren't made or don't show before delivery........was this one of those.?..  If the item was delivered on time, which I'm assuming it wasn't, or the buyer marks it on time......  it shouldn't show as late.  What was the estimated delivery time? 

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@chris-s-g wrote:

I have 1-day handling time and TRS status but I'm a small time seller.  I put an item in my curbside mailbox with the flag up for pickup (I know, I know, first mistake right there).  

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I have one day handling, TRS status and am a small seller. I, too, put my packages out in the mailbox with the flag up. If they don't fit, I schedule a pickup and leave in my alternate pickup place. If I have more than two packages I print a SCAN form.  All of my packages get acceptance scans.

YOU need to have a talk with your Postmaster. Your carrier is not doing their job.

[a_c_green]

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southern*sweet*tea wrote: 

YOU need to have a talk with your Postmaster. Your carrier is not doing their job.

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That's the key, right there. A lot of the sorting and shipping process along the way is automated, when stuff is normally most likely to get scanned, but sometimes things break down or just don't work right, and they're not going to stop the conveyors just because the automated scanner is showing some sort of error message.

Thus you want to focus on getting your postmaster involved: he needs to get the carriers to scan labels properly at the outset, and make it clear to them that people do notice when they scan the package (or don't scan it).

[chris-s-g]

Hi and thanks for your quick reply.  This was a First Class Package.  It was not delivered on time.  It was predicted to arrive by the 27th but was delivered on the 29th.  It should have taken only a few days to get there but it took 8 days for some reason.  It's just weird that it had BOTH a delay AND no tracking until it was almost at its destination.  Like, if the carrier left it in his truck for a few days, wouldn't it at least have been scanned once it got underway?  I once had a package that was delayed because it went to Hawaii before reaching its destination that was only a couple hundred miles from my home in Pennsyvlania, but at least the journey was tracked!

The reason for the "late shipment" on the seller dashboard says, "Tracking indicates late delivery".  I cannot argue with that because it's true.  I just wish I had some evidence that it was in USPS' hands all that time, not mine.    

I will talk to my postmaster, but we've been having lots of temporary people on the route for the last year.  I feel like I can't take any risks with not standing in line at the post office to get those receipts.  Has any post office every given a seller a note or something that we can send to customer service to get the defect removed?  Am I dreaming?

Thanks!

[chris-s-g]

How do you print a scan form for multiple packages?  I always do each label individually, somtimes to change the shipping method (most often to upgrade to Priority), and often as each item is paid just to get it out of the way and ready to go to the P.O. the next time someone is headed out the door.  Is there a way to print a scan sheet for multiple packages if the labels were not purchased together through the bulk shipping option?  Thanks so much for the advice.

[a_c_green]

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@chris-s-g wrote:

How do you print a scan form for multiple packages?

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I don't know as I've never used one, but I suspect in your case that the carrier is no more likely to scan the SCAN form than he is to scan the (one?) package that you had waiting for him in the mailbox.

I think you should focus with your postmaster on the basic point of carriers using the equipment that they're given, which does not seem to be happening consistently enough at your post office.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@chris-s-g wrote:

How do you print a scan form for multiple packages?  I always do each label individually, somtimes to change the shipping method (most often to upgrade to Priority), and often as each item is paid just to get it out of the way and ready to go to the P.O. the next time someone is headed out the door.  Is there a way to print a scan sheet for multiple packages if the labels were not purchased together through the bulk shipping option?  Thanks so much for the advice.

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I use stamps.com. I print my labels throughout the day, then at the end of the day (or first thing in the morning) I'll print a SCAN form listing all the packages to go out that morning. It's one scan for the carrier.

I don't use Ebay labels, but I believe using bulk shipping you can print a SCAN form, but all the labels have to be printed at one time.

[chris-s-g]

Thank you, the stamps.com things sounds great.  I really like the idea of printing a scan sheet for labels printed at differernt times. So great, in fact, that I just contacted them and signed up for the free ebay account (Promo code "EBAYFREE1").  But, it looks like they only offer "Commercial Base" discount whereas eBay TRS's get the "Commercial Plus" discount.  I realize I'm getting a little off the original topic here, but am I right that the postage would cost more on stamps.com?   It seems like individuals must have the high volume required for that discount level, whereas eBay has negotiated for that discount on the behalf of Top Rated Sellers as if we were  a group?  

[vintage_sterling_spoon_rings]

I have (and use) curbside pickup too and found a solution that has worked for 6 years.

1) Get to know your carrier (mine scans when picking up)... A cold bottle of water on occasion in the summer and $20 'thank you' over the holidays helps a lot.

2) Print a label that reads:

PLEASE

SCAN

and tape it to the inside flap ofyour mailbox.

3) Replace label regularly so your carrier knows you're watching.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@chris-s-g wrote:

Thank you, the stamps.com things sounds great.  I really like the idea of printing a scan sheet for labels printed at differernt times. So great, in fact, that I just contacted them and signed up for the free ebay account (Promo code "EBAYFREE1").  But, it looks like they only offer "Commercial Base" discount whereas eBay TRS's get the "Commercial Plus" discount.  I realize I'm getting a little off the original topic here, but am I right that the postage would cost more on stamps.com?   It seems like individuals must have the high volume required for that discount level, whereas eBay has negotiated for that discount on the behalf of Top Rated Sellers as if we were  a group?  

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There is a discount, but to be honest I couldn't tell you how much it is.   I really don't care that much about the discount. I use stamps.com across all venues that I sell on, just makes it easier that way for me.

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

First Class Package Service does not offer ComPlus rates.

USPS is phasing out ComPlus rates anyway so there won't be anything to negotiate; everyone will pay single-tier rates.

One trick to help timely scanning is to add a "SCAN ME" tag to your package, preferably ringed by lime green highlighter. (The old Delivery Confirmation paper tags were white with lime green borders.) Just print up a sheet of 5160/5260 labels, 30 per page, and keep it handy with a highlighter.

~~C~~

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:
First Class Package Service does not offer ComPlus rates.

USPS is phasing out ComPlus rates anyway so there won't be anything to negotiate; everyone will pay single-tier rates.

One trick to help timely scanning is to add a "SCAN ME" tag to your package, preferably ringed by lime green highlighter. (The old Delivery Confirmation paper tags were white with lime green borders.) Just print up a sheet of 5160/5260 labels, 30 per page, and keep it handy with a highlighter.

~~C~~

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https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xscan+me+stick... 

[so-much-out-there]

Print your shipping labels either on ebay or PayPal sites... You will automaticaly and free of charge have a USPS tracking number for any kind of shipping options, even first class mail...

[so-much-out-there]

I do know what you are going through... I have a red pen handy to write "PLEASE SCAN" on all my USPS labels with tracking numbers, and many times they just ignore it... The USPS have an awful service nowadays... Very frustrating... I placed many complaints with the Post Master countless times, but their service have not improved...

I've set up a pick up for three packages today stating they would be by the front door, but as two of them were very small, I put them in the mailbox, and the carrier failed to pick up the one by the front door and leaving me the USPS pick-up form... When my mail was delivered and the package by the front door was not picked, I called the local USPS facility in Spring, TX 77379, and when I finally reached someone, after several unsusscefull attemps, I was told that I shouldn't have left the two small boxes in the mailbox???