My Buyer hasn't received the package! What can I do ?

[misaonline]

I sold an item and shipped the package out the next day but it's been 2 weeks and I don't know what happened to my package. Buyer hasn't received it! The tracking status says "Tracking Provided" ---NOT "in transit" or "out for delivery"! Could it be my package is lost?? What can I do? I tried to claim thru Post Office but bc the item wasn't insured, I couldn't do anything about it!! (it was just a $40 worth item).  I lost my item and now my customer isn't happy! I just wanted to know where my package is. I dropped it off and now it's not showing in the system! Do you have any suggestion what i could do ? I told my customer I'll do a full refund but I just wanted to know where my **bleep** package is!!

[mtgraves7984]

It could be that your package is lost. It could be that your package is late.

I'd not issue a refund too quickly.

The buyer can open an Item Not Received case one day past your estimated delivery date.

[dhbookds]

Have you talked to the Postmaster at your PO?..........if it's not showing it was received by the PO that's where the problem is..........Need to tell him exactly how you "left it".......in a box/at the counter? Was it scanned by the clerk?  if not scanned in..........no hope of finding it at the PO probably. 

[defendress]

I understand your frustration, then again, who couldn't. Many usps employees are horrible when it comes to updating the tracking status as I have and we all have learned through the years, and it has only gotten worse. Continue the contact to usps, that is their error, not yours. That is your right to demand an explanation.

I had a package that was supposed to have been delivered to my house. It said delivered, but I did not have it. Contacted the seller just to let them know, very cool seller, he and I exchanged a few messages back and forth, and he told me that if it was not in in a few days, to let him know immediately. Awesome. This was Friday right after Thanksgiving. I waited the next day and still nothing. There was a red flag that had come up, I forget what it was now, it's been so long, but whatever it was made me think, and on Sunday am, I happened to remember the actual phone number of my post office, and called them and explained the situation. They said it was delivered, i said no honey it wasn't. I don't have it, was it left there by accident or anything maybe..? She went off the line for a moment, and then sheepishly told me "i'm so sorry Dea, it was in a corner of one of the tables on the floor. It will get out to you today because of our foul-up. " And they followed through with that, and received my package not even 1 hour later.

Good luck 7misa...I hope everything is rectified...

[gwzcomps]

One of my local offices has been taking 2 business days just to do a scan of my packages I dropped off the night before. Not sure why, so I called the USPS 1-800 number and filed a complaint. Hopefully that will work on my end, maybe it will help for you.

[midwestflow]

i have mailed 5 items since last week and no one got anything nor has any tracking scanned. Every buyer accused me of not shipping the item. One person got his after I refunded him and I contacted paypal and they credited my account.  I was at my local post office and they had so much mail piled up! It wasn't like this a few months ago. 

Like someone suggested, I wouldn't refund anyone right away. They can always contact paypal if they want a refund.

[winterwriter]

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@misaonline wrote:

 The tracking status says "Tracking Provided" 

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Looks like you have an incorrect tracking number. Do you enter them by hand? Double check that you entered the right one. Just one number off will cause a "tracking has been provided" message but no actual tracking info.

If that's the problem, it didn't cause your package to be late/missing. But at least with the correct number, you'll be able to see where the package went.

[threshold.sales.group]

Sit tight. In some places the USPS system is still in chaos because of covid.  No acceptance scan is pretty common now and two weeks transit while a long time, is not like in the the pre pandemic days. 

[muttlymob]

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@midwestflow wrote:

I was at my local post office and they had so much mail piled up! It wasn't like this a few months ago. 

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Do you have any guesses why?  Any.  ideas.  at.  all.  Why?

What might have changed between a few months ago and now?

[muttlymob]

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@defendress wrote:
I understand your frustration, then again, who couldn't. Many usps employees are horrible when it comes to updating the tracking status as I have and we all have learned through the years, and it has only gotten worse. Continue the contact to usps, that is their error, not yours. That is your right to demand an explanation.

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The "error" is not necessarily with the USPS.  It may be a label is illegible. 

Some examples:  bad printer, barcode lines and partial numbers may be missing.

Bad application:  sticker label in poly bag with wrinkles.  parts of bars and numbers obscured in the wrinkles.

Water damage:  all it takes is a small drop of water to obliterate enough bars and numbers to make it illegible.

Torn labels:  if label is not firmly attached then parts may tear off.

Another bad application:  label applied across the flaps of a box, part of barcode is obscured in the joint between flaps.

Label applied around the corner of a box.  Cannot be scanned.

Labels cut and applied with address and postage on one side of package or envelope, and bar code on the opposite side.

All these things happen.  Some make it hard to read and scan labels, some make it impossible.

[backroomnoir]

File a missing mail claim with the USPS, that doesn't have to be shipped Priority Mail.  They will respond with in a couple of days with an answer for the location of your package.  That usually gets the package moving again.

[moondogblues]

There is a pandemic happening!!! This is what's wrong with shipping anything now. Unless it's Priority it is going to take longer to get anywhere.

Some countries have shut down their postal services completely...we are LUCKY that ours is still active, as many of us, such as my husband and my self, are self sequestering and ordering all our food by mail.

Catalogs, on-line, eBay...thank goodness for the mail deliveries.

[inhawaii]

A similar thing happened to me, but the value of my item was only about $10.

After 2 weeks of being "stuck" in transit, my customer was growing impatient, i just gave my customer a full refund AND (as a added bonus) i sent her another item. I told her if/when the original one shows up, just keep both of them.

2 days later the original one showed up.  2 days after that  the second one showed up.  Of course i attribute the delay on the first item to COVID-19.

I know you can't afford to do that here. Just telling you my story. 

Whatever you decide to do, i wish you good luck!  Stay safe!