Problem looming: Dealing with dozens of "Item not Received" small dollar Ebay Standard Envelope

[27teamswords]

I have gotten dozens of "Item not received"  that I had to refund amounting to around $79- and most of them are small transactions $1.27, $1.37 etc. Maybe 40 total? This is all because of the Ebay Standard Envelope being SO SLOW and with only about a 50% scan rate. It's really bad people! I advise against it now. I had to take my auctions down and edit them to hopefully slow down the item not received. I feel like I'm getting screwed pretty bad here. And here I was just trying to sell seeds at a low cost to help people out and make a very tiny profit- and lost a substantial portion to refund requests.

And I know the letters are making it there eventually, or already did because not one has come back! and no one is contacting me about the post office asking for postage- Out of around 400!! So the letters are getting delivered. Are some people just ripping me off?? Or lots of them? It doesn't make sense to screw the small guy over $1.27 but maybe that's the game now? Does anyone have real data on how many people knowingly abuse the poor scan quality of Ebay standard Envelope playing the lottery and getting half of their orders for free? I guess I'm not helping by saying it here either maybe so because something can be done about the Ebay standard envelope program to make buyers aware? Or better yet, actually making the post office scan it, every time. It doesn't make sense this letter roulette has been going on for so long.

So the looming problem is: Do I really have to wait 30 days before filing an insurance request, and include screenshots of the conversation and the invoice? It's like Ebay is punishing the little guys here.

Do you know how LONG it will take for me to pull all that together, searching through thousands of messages and invoices!@ One by one? and then screenshot and uploading it! WOW- they make it really hard .

There has GOT to be a better way than just writing off all my tiny profits from hard work or spending half a day filing 40+ insurance claims? Am I missing something here?

Please guide me with how to deal with this situation as to if there is a better solution than having to do what I said.  Thank you!

[buyselljack2016]

And I know the letters are making it there eventually, or already did because not one has come back! and no one is contacting me about the post office asking for postage- Out of around 400!! So the letters are getting delivered. Are some people just ripping me off?? 

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If you know that they are getting there......................  then there is no other possible conclusion.

[a_c_green]

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@gamersbaystore wrote:

An employee at my local post office stated that ESE packages are not being processed properly due to a lack of proper training, which also doesn't help your situation.

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It's true that eSE packages are not handled in the same way as those with tracking barcodes (e.g. Media Mail, Ground Advantage, Priority, etc.), because they don't have tracking barcodes in the first place. What they have are routing codes, those little wide bands of markings usually printed adjacent to the ZIP+4 code on the label. 

Routing codes are read only by the high-speed routing machines at the sort facilities, and tracking updates for eSE mailings come from there. They cannot be read by hand scanners or POS terminals at the front counter, so there will be no actual Acceptance or Delivery scan by the carrier. If a buyer files an Item Not Received dispute with eBay for a missing eSE envelope, you're expected to refund the buyer, then file for restitution (up to $20, if I remember right) from eBay.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

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@27teamswords wrote:

One of your points wouldn't make sense because hundreds of people are getting my seeds just fine and I send them well within the ESE rules. And I make them ALL the same. So explain that how two identical envelopes one disappears and one doesn't. over and over. Makes ZERO sense.

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Your envelopes may all be the same but the tolerances on all of the sorting machines are probably not identical.

They must be identical and all compliant to be reliable.

I have on various similar threads pointed out that my best results with ESE have been with envelopes which are probably not compliant. More likely to be pure dumb luck than any brilliance on my part.

[movieman630]

Well it's a tax write off as a loss.  I don't even bother with USPS insurance claims.  Just write it off and forget about it.  Cost of doing business. 

The main problem with the standard envelope tracking that I've noticed is that in certain zones the USPS tracking marks them "delivered" when they reach the last HUB, not when they are in the customers mailbox.  This needs to be rephrased not as "delivered" but something like "Reached local destination hub, next out for delivery" or something better.  I can't even begin to tell you how many customers complain because it says "delivered" and they didn't get it. 

It's becoming tiresome having to constantly explain the situation to buyers.  Might have to put something in the description about this type of shipping.  I know it's new but the kinks have to get worked out soon. 

Aside from this, I love the service.  Been able to lower prices to be competitive and also save money.

[nuclearomen]

answered your own question: Ebay Standard Envelope - if you wish to deal with endless issues like this it's the perfect thing to ship by. If you wish to have no issues, don't use this method. 

[cardxcraft]

It's not that.  Not to be boastful, but I had EsE down to a science, but the service simply is not practical at this point.  I sent hundreds of ESE orders in the last few months and greater than 75% do not even show a delivery scan; and of those that do show delivery scans, approx. 20% are never delivered.

This was posted on the forums about a year ago by an experienced seller: "do not use Ebay Standard Envelope service, ESE is a fast track to ruining your seller account".

I removed ESE from all of my listings because of too many INR's.  Luckily, I exceed the quarterly order threshold so the INR requests fall off, but, I simply don't want to deal with the service.

[bretz14]

Those eBay Standard Envelopes are garbage for tracking & every post office interprets the rules differently. I've bought about 6 sports cards the last couple months from people using the ESE's. 2 came postage due for $3.98 because there was a thin piece of cardboard inside,& one never showed up even though it said delivered. It said "out for delivery" at the city where they have the main sorting center around me,60 miles away. I waited a week and it never showed up. I contacted the seller who didn't get it back. It just disappeared. The seller said that was my tough luck but when I opened an "item not received" complaint,he lost because the tracking is worthless & proves nothing. I wouldn't use them if the shipping was free.

[cardxcraft]

You nailed it, spot on.  I had ESE orders that had delivery estimate windows that were before I even sent the orders.  I posted it on these forums.  Nervous Nellie buyers then watch the so called "tracking" auto scans like a hawk, filing INR's as soon as the order exceeded the impossible estimated delivery dates.

I loved the ESE concept, had it down to a science, but it's no longer a practical service.

[nuclearomen]

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@cardxcraft wrote:

It's not that.  Not to be boastful, but I had EsE down to a science, but the service simply is not practical at this point.  I sent hundreds of ESE orders in the last few months and greater than 75% do not even show a delivery scan; and of those that do show delivery scans, approx. 20% are never delivered.

This was posted on the forums about a year ago by an experienced seller: "do not use Ebay Standard Envelope service, ESE is a fast track to ruining your seller account".

I removed ESE from all of my listings because of too many INR's.  Luckily, I exceed the quarterly order threshold so the INR requests fall off, but, I simply don't want to deal with the service.

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the issues with this method have been well known since it's inception, further, those issues have not been resolved which makes it even worse. However, not result of USPS as it's not their service, it's ebay's service they conjured up with some 3rd party tracking service. In any case, your 1000% correct and can ruin a sellers rep pretty fast. I know the service is a cheap option and that is what attracts sellers to use it, but the issues it has to the stress and aggravation it will cause no amount I wouldn't consider for other methods of delivery that wouldn't be worth spending or charging customer for. And yes, the scans are horrid with this service, which is suppose to be most inviting feature. 

[cardxcraft]

Yes, and had I not exceeded the quarterly order threshold, my account would be in the doldrums at this moment.  I would've had excess INR's that wouldn't have dropped off for 12 months.

I'll mail by old fashioned stamp and envelope before I would ever think of using ESE again.

[cardsforauction]

You need to send emails to all these impatient buyers with something like this:

Dear buyer,  Your card was sent via eBay Standard Envelope.   Please be aware that it may take up to three to four weeks to receive your card.  I apologize for the delay and inconvenience.   Thank you. 

Let's hope the buyers in your case understand that delivery could take some extra time to get to them.

[noo2me]

Plain and simple.you are wasting your time with very low cost items and with no tracking

supplied,you might as well place the items in front of your home for free.

[reallynicestamps]

From what I read a seller using ESE:

Should change their delivery period to be as long as possible- if necessary using the most generic "economy" rate.

Should put the ESE into the mechanical sort bin /slot at the PO not hand it in at the counter.

Give the buyer the ersatz tracking number, in addition to confirming it is on the order form.

Check their business plan to see if they really are making any money selling cheap goods.

[itsjustasprain]

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@movieman630 wrote:

Well it's a tax write off as a loss.  I don't even bother with USPS insurance claims.  Just write it off and forget about it.  Cost of doing business.

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For a lost ESE shipment you file the claim with Ebay - not USPS. Ebay offers up to $20 restitution for a lost ESE shipment that you had to refund.