Scan forms not accurate for tracking!!!!

[grasscarp]

I noticed the other day that I was given several "late shipments" defects - shipping after my 1 day handling time. This is not true!! I always use eBay shipping labels and always USPS by the way.

I checked the packages in question. They were shipped, along with others, using the scan form in bulk shipping. I mailed the packages in person on a Monday at my local USPS office. I saw the USPS clerk scan the bar code as they always do. Several packages (not all of them for some reason) included in the scan form took until Wednesday to show "accepted". Of course this looks like I mailed them late. But on the tracking it states this for Monday: "Shipment Received, Package Acceptance Pending". What in the world does that mean??? They have received the package but it is pending? Pending on what??

Anyway, I checked tracking for the next several days and continued to use the scan form. Same thing on other packages. It is taking 2-3 days to show that some packages as "accepted" even though they have been "received" a day or two earlier.

Several discussions with the USPS employees lead no where. So now I have each and every package scanned one at a time, in order not to be late due to someone's malfunctioning software. So much for time saving with the scan form for bulk shipping!

 My discussion with an eBay customer service person blamed it on USPS. It has been going on for years I understand, after checking into it. 

Anyone else having this issue??

[hartungcards]

This is due to an annual increase in system activity experienced during this period, which has caused processing delays.

[c1641]

This happened to me about 6 months ago.   After going to the PO website, I found a statement (in tiny tiny print) when researching scan sheets, saying that they only accept 5 items from the sheet.   So I did multiple sheets with only 5 items. 

[mrminibike1]

do not use scan forms.  your package is NOT accepted until they scan the label on the package.

[fern*wood]

I would up my handling if I were you.  

[bashort]

scan sheets have never made any sense to me, all they prove is that the sheet was scanned. We no longer use them, several years ago a package went missing and it had actually fell out of the tote it was in and was still in our vehicle because of the scan sheet it was not apparent right away that there was a problem, Also they  do not work well if you do not do all of your shipping at the same time which we hardly ever do.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

I don't use scan forms BUT I wonder if this could be the same problem I had, which is that USPS is having a ton of problems with their scanners.  I started a thread here:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/New-USPS-scanners-are-really-bad-I-m-told-by-2-diff-employees...

I didn't add to the thread, but when I was there the other day & talked to the sprvsr to explain that my situation had been resolved, she told me they were having tons of problems even there at the station, with the scanners not registering the scan.  

ETA:  Actually I don't think it's the same problem, just re-read your question now that I've had more coffee.  It seems like the Scan sheet is a provisional scan & not considered a scan until an actual Acceptance scan on the individual package.  I'm not sure if that's a change b/c I've never used scan sheets (never saw the point), but if that's the case, it sort of makes a SCAN sheet irrelevant. 

[out2seafishing]

I agree with most replies to your question.

Don't use scan forms.

Off topic addition to your post, I love foul hooking Giant Carp in the tail and fight them for hours.

Then I let them go.

[dy60609]

@grasscarp 

"package acceptance pending" is because the "scan" does not prove which packages were actually accepted.

Example:     Scan sheet says "5 packages", but scanning the "barcode" on that sheet does not prove what packages were actually tendered for acceptance so "pending" until such time as the package tracking #'s on that sheet get an actual individual scan someplace.

[gurlcat]

Normally scan forms are not only fine, they're AWESOME. And I have even won insurance claims on 2 different lost packages that had only the 'Item receieved, acceptance pending' scan from a scan form.  Anybody want proof, just ask.  

But right now there is something going on at USPS tracking as a whole, including goofy stuff with scans in the wrong order, not showing at all, etc.