I'm seller. Five 1st class packages from the same mail date missing. No tracking. What can I do?

[rizzobryant2016]

I find the blue box mailboxes convenient and always drop off my small 1st class packages in them. I dropped off 5 packages Monday before pick up time inside the mailbox. Now there is no tracking for any of the 5. They all say "Pre-Shipment Info sent to USPS AWAITS ITEM" I have used the same mailbox since then and those following packages have tracking updated.

Are my 5 packages just gone? Did the mail carrier pick them up and forget to scan them? Are they in a truck somewhere? Is there anything I can even do to try and track these down since there is absolutely no trace of them?

Thanks!

[dbfolks166mt]

     A couple of things could have happened. The mail person could have missed a pickup at the box, as you stated they were never scanned but may eventually show up, the eBay tracking may be out of sync with the USPS system (try checking one of the tracking numbers directly in USPS tracking) or they are lost although loosing all 5 at once would be out of the norm. 

     While it takes a little more time I always drop packages at the PO and either have the postal worker scan each package and hand me a receipt or use one of the drop boxes where you can scan your own packages and print out your own receipt. 

     Since USPS never took possession of the packages, according to the tracking information available, there is not much they can do to assist with a missing mail claim. They may be able to tell you if a box was possibly broken into and the contents removed. 

[katzrul15]

Too early to file missing parcel reports - you might go inside at your PO armed with the info on the 5 parcels.  Sometimes they will research on their end and call you back, etc.

So many temp USPS workers right now.  Probably not scanned from blue drop box but should be soon.  Good luck! 

[jayjaspersgarage]

In ten years of selling on ebay I almost never use the USPS snorkel boxes except for non-essential mail.  They are susceptible to all types of delays or worse.  Many times the news has reported that fires have been set to snorkel boxes. 

The pick up times are arbitrary.  I have witnessed postal employees empty a blue box up a thirty minutes early.  I don't use the boxes for ebay outgoing packages or mail but I know the times from mailing regular letters etc...  

Many ex-postal employees keep their keys or report them stolen when they are about to leave the postal world.  Who knows what happens to them but the boxes are not safe.

Convenience could cost you your TRS status and that will cost you serious money in lost discounts.  

[rizzobryant2016]

Thank you. When can I file missing parcel reports? Am I correct that it's 7 business days after filing a help request? When can I file a help request? lol

[rizzobryant2016]

Thank you for your assistance!

[max-list]

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@rizzobryant2016 wrote:

They all say "Pre-Shipment Info sent to USPS AWAITS ITEM"

Are my 5 packages just gone?

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Don't sweat it. Happens all the time. No, they aren't gone. They probably just haven't been scanned yet like dbfolks166mt said. Always go to USPS.com and check the tracking there. (They'll only show there if they've been scanned).  Ebay is notorious for showing the tracking late, or wrong. I've had packages that don't show tracking for a week, then show up later. No worries.

[rizzobryant2016]

Okay thanks. But I would think with 1st class mail one of them would be delivered by now at least.

[katzrul15]

I do not remember - it is so many days past the anticipated delivery date.  Thought it was 14, but might be remembering wrong.

Print off the tracking for each one.   Go inside, ask for postmaster.  They usually cannot assist right then, but if you leave the data, tracking, your name/phone - they will.  Give them the addy of the blue box.  They will know who collected that day.

[femmefan1946]

FWIW - I use the red Canada Post mailboxes for almost all of my shipments. And because tracking here starts around $12, I track perhaps one shipment out of twenty.

I get questions about once a month, always from Americans asking for tracking numbers. After I explain, nothing.

The postal system is very good at its job, which is getting stuff delivered.

Tracking and confirmed delivery is just the cherry on top.

Less than one percent of my shipments, tracked or not, attract disputes.

If your customer isn't complaining, don't worry about it.

[lepke1979]

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@rizzobryant2016 wrote:

Thank you. When can I file missing parcel reports? Am I correct that it's 7 business days after filing a help request? When can I file a help request? lol

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They won't help you until it gets the initial scan. They'll just say they don't have it yet.

Just wait a few more days. It'll probably show up on Monday or Tuesday when it hits the last leg or two.

[rizzobryant2016]

Okay thanks. But it's been 6 days and 5 packages. I would have thought 1 would have hit the last leg or two by now.

[rizzobryant2016]

Customer is complaining, lol

[rizzobryant2016]

This appears to be the most solid answer. Hopefully it wokrs.

[femmefan1946]

Do give the customer the tracking number (even if it is not tracking). Show willing.

And by the time he learns it is not tracking, it may be delivered.