eBay

Anonymous · ‎03-17-2018

Got an interesting INR case still open in the resolution center. Thought I'd share an interesting story of how things unfolded.

1. The item shipped via USPS First Class Mail. However, USPS mistakenly scanned the package as "delivered" instead of "accepted" in the origin zip code.

2. The buyer opened an INR case within one day after the item shipped. eBay very likely sent the buyer an automated "Your item has been delivered!" email. The buyer reacted to that email by opening an INR, because he obviously had not received the item yet. He thinks it must have been sent it to the wrong address. Within the case, I sent the buyer an explanation of what happened.

3. Within a week, the item apparently gets delivered to the buyer. He left positive feedback, saying "Satisfied!"

4. Meanwhile, the latest tracking scan shows only "Arrival at Unit" in the buyer's city/state. There's no final delivery scan to the buyer's zip code, only the original erroneous delivery scan in the origin zip code.

5. The buyer neither escalated, closed out, or responded to my messages as of this date. The latest message I sent said "Thank you for your positive feedback. I take it your item has been safely delivered, and I'm happy to hear that all is satisfactory."

6. It was over a week since the buyer left the positive feedback, so I figured I'd try my luck at calling CS to close out the case in my favor.

7. I called CS yesterday, March 16, and the agent I spoke with (a US-based agent) ultimately said she could not close out the case, based on the technicality that there is no final delivery scan to the buyer's zip code. Even though the buyer left positive feedback, and has taken no further action on the case, she said "Well, the buyer could have left the feedback by mistake". Finally, she said the best option at this point is to let the case time out (on March 24). The only other way the case could be closed out in the seller's favor is by either getting written confirmation from the buyer that he received the item, or for the USPS tracking scan to show correct delivery to the buyer's zip code.

8. I'm not going to bother contacting the buyer again just to confirm that he received his item. I think it's pretty obvious since he left positive feedback. I'll let the case time out. On a positive note, if the case times out, the buyer's positive feedback will still remain -- I think. On the other hand, if the case were closed in my favor, the positive feedback would be removed. So perhaps the best thing is to let the came time out.

It would be nice if eBay offered a "motion to quash" the INR case in the first place, considering it was inappropriately opened due to a USPS scanning/tracking error. The automated "Your item has been delivered!" email only served to alarm the buyer. If that email had not been sent, the buyer probably wouldn't have even noticed anything unusual with the tracking, nor would he have opened the INR in the first place.

Funny thing, I had 5 other buyers who were also affected by the mistaken "delivery" scan that same day. Three of the buyers messaged me to ask what was going on. Two of them didn't contact me. And of course, one buyer opened an INR case. Eventually, all of them left positive feedback, even though none of their packages showed a final delivery scan in the destination zip code. For all packages, the last scan that showed up was "Arrival at Unit" (in the destination zip code).

pvcliff · ‎03-17-2018

To me "Arrival at Unit" leaves the seller open to what I call "opportunistic scammers" -- they didn't set out with the idea to get something for nothing, but the opportunity presented itself, so why not? (My favorite OS was in the video of a bus crash where a pedestrian is seen getting on the bus through the back door to then claim personal injury). I would hope the post office has more info in their own system in a case like this to help the seller out; scanning as delivered on pick up of packages is apparently an easy boo boo to make.

______________________________________________

They didn’t say it was your fault. They said they blame you.

Anonymous · ‎03-17-2018

@pvcliffwrote:
To me "Arrival at Unit" leaves the seller open to what I call "opportunistic scammers" -- they didn't set out with the idea to get something for nothing, but the opportunity presented itself, so why not? (My favorite OS was in the video of a bus crash where a pedestrian is seen getting on the bus through the back door to then claim personal injury). I would hope the post office has more info in their own system in a case like this to help the seller out; scanning as delivered on pick up of packages is apparently an easy boo boo to make.

That's a good point. I wonder if USPS has a way to manually make the correction when a package is successfully delivered to the intended destination. Or is there some technical reason preventing the correct "delivered" scan to show up once the erroneous initial "delivered" scan is recorded in the system?

Anyone out there with a similar experience, or do you know if it's possible for USPS to make the correction to the scan history?

lovtaco0 · ‎03-17-2018

I have seen packages incorrectly scanned as Delivered instead of Accepted. Just like yours, they got tracking updates along the way but never a final delivery scan. It would be interesting to find out if USPS retains the final delivery info internally and whether or not they have the ability to manually force the final delivery scan to show on the tracking data.

kimberleys_attic · ‎03-17-2018

I think I read somewhere that USPS does not update scans once "delivered" is entered. That could be why no other scans appeared for your packages.

a_c_green · ‎03-17-2018

The times when I've seen this happen, eBay stops displaying tracking info as soon as the first (erroneous) Delivered scan is shown, but the USPS website updates correctly as soon as later scans occur.

Are you saying that of all the packages erroneously scanned as Delivered on the day you dropped them off, not one of the tracking records showed a correct Delivered scan on the USPS website later on?

a_c_green · ‎03-17-2018

@kimberleys_attic wrote:
I think I read somewhere that USPS does not update scans once "delivered" is entered. That could be why no other scans appeared for your packages.

No, that's eBay. USPS.com will report later scans after a Delivered event (such as if the buyer marks it as Refused and sends it back; the return trip will be logged on-line under the same number).

vintagecraze50 · ‎03-17-2018

Call the destination P.O. and get them to see if they can find out what happened to the package and to enter the appropriate delivered info.

moo*cow*corner · ‎03-17-2018

Agree with the 'opportunistic scammer' moniker.

Yes, I've called receiving/destination post offices to inquire about packages. I state my problem and ask for the appropriate carrier supervisor or postmaster.

It's been awhile since I've had to do this, but there's only one instance where tracking was not updated to reflect delivery within 24 hrs of my call. One person got refunded, as the package truly had disappeared into the bowels of the USPS somewhere.

Déjà Moo: The strange feeling that I've heard this bull before...

Anonymous · ‎03-17-2018

@a_c_greenwrote:
The times when I've seen this happen, eBay stops displaying tracking info as soon as the first (erroneous) Delivered scan is shown, but the USPS website updates correctly as soon as later scans occur.

Are you saying that of all the packages erroneously scanned as Delivered on the day you dropped them off, not one of the tracking records showed a correct Delivered scan on the USPS website later on?

Hi AC ~

Yes, every single package that was erroneously scanned as "Delivered" on the day of dropoff did NOT get a correct "Delivered" scan on the USPS website later on.

In fact, what's even more peculiar l with this particular batch of (7) packages is that the USPS website did not show ANY scans in transit, only the "Label created", and erroneous "Delivered" scan at the origin post office.

Surprisingly, the tracking history on eBay was more detailed, showing all scans along the way, including departure from the regional sort facility, arrival at the destination sort facility, etc. up until the final "arrival at unit".

I've now learned through a private message from a long-time poster that USPS will NOT issue a second "delivery" scan. So if the tracking scans are to be corrected, one needs to contact their local post office to correct the initial scan to say "picked up" or "accepted" instead of "delivered".

a_c_green · ‎03-17-2018

@Anonymous wrote:
I've now learned through a private message from a long-time poster that USPS will NOT issue a second "delivery" scan. So if the tracking scans are to be corrected, one needs to contact their local post office to correct the initial scan to say "picked up" or "accepted" instead of "delivered".

Well, certainly the package is getting a scan at delivery time; the carrier isn't going to skip it, so apparently this is some kind of software issue after the fact. I would suggest taking a printout of your problem tracking numbers over to your post office in person, and asking them to check their intranet system to see what the final disposition was for each package.

Assuming that the intranet shows the actual (final) delivery, that's something. I don't know if your post office would have the authority (or the ability) to modify the record, but a complaint to USPS about this might help, long-term.

Unlike talking to eBay, I've actually been able to have a productive exchange of messages with USPS, and they have actually fixed things in the past. I'm hoping that my complaints had at least something to do with that. (Most recently, they stopped reporting transit scans on FCI packages when they revised their website, offering delivery reports only. After more than one complaint from Yrs Truly, they recently revised the FCI reporting, and now list In Transit scans from foreign countries once again.)

kensgiftshop · ‎03-17-2018

@Anonymous

If the case is still open and tracking shows it not being delivered, when Ebay closes the case, will they refund the buyer since its not showing the package being delivered?

I would contact the buyer and see if they would close the case.

Have a great day

oldwestgold · ‎03-17-2018

The Post Office has the GPS location of every scan made attached to each scan. Request the GPS location to confirm the location right down the mailbox, front door, etc and input the data to Google maps for a photo view of the address/location. Send it to eBay, even if you have to mail it if the eBay CS drones can't handle it. It's about time eBay loosens the leash of their drones. I would also contact the violating USPS office to let them know they have an employee that needs retraining or this will continue to happen. The employee ID is also attached to each scan. If all of this doesn't happen call USPS Consumer Affairs in DC and file an online complaint. These complaints directly affect the managers' end of the year performance awards including the District and Area Managers. Hit them where it hurts and they will find out who is not doing their jobs.

bigdeals.etc · ‎03-18-2018

It's no secret that scanning mistakes happen all the time. Btw OP try this... talk to eBay and get THEM to reach out to the buyer asking if they've received the item. Ebay CS offered this to me once and now I ask them to do this every time I need it. It's no point for you to contact the buyer, because ebay needs to hear it from the buyer's mouth. The buyer will have 5 days to respond to eBay. If they don't respond in 5 days, ebay will conclude the buyer has the item and will close the case in your favor.

On another note, any of you guys know why often times the tracking updates within eBay isn't always as complete as it is in Usps.com?

kattinsanity · ‎03-18-2018

Since the buyer got their item and left the positive feedback they most likely are not going to escalate the INR case. If you call ebay they may very well decide YOU want to escalate the case and it will most likely end up with the buyer getting a refund. It's going to time out and disappear on the 24th~~let it time out on its own.

You are worrying over something not worth worrying over. No sense in calling USPS or the buyers post office. Don't contact the buyer. Just let it be~~the case will time out on its own.

Ebay isn't going to remove the buyers positive feedback they left you.

I've only experienced this once on a package sent to TN.. Tracking shows it arrived at the buyers post office~~then it showed as delivered in CA. the same day. The buyer in TN. got it and left positive feedback. I asked my post office about it and they said that what happened was that a clerk in CA. manually entered a tracking number as delivered and messed up his numbers~~matching my tracking number. Once it showed as delivered in CA. tracking would not show as delivered in TN..