Shipping using eBay Standard Envelope

[bparker1]

Has anyone had any issues with shipping using eBay Standard Envelopes not being scanned at the origin distribution center.  Last year we were running about 2% of items not receiving the origin scan... for the past two months this number has risen to between 8%-10% of items.  We are getting "Item Not Received" claims filed around 7-8 days after an order is placed.

[1786davycrockett]

@bparker1 

If your post office has a "Metered Mail" slot in the post office lobby, you should drop your ESEs into that slot -- at the end of the day, all of that mail is bundled off to the next USPS Distribution Center, where it should be immediately processed for shipping, including receiving its initial "scanning" number.

In the absence of the "Metered Mail" slot, mailing in the "blue boxes" is the next best option.

NEVER hand any ESEs to a USPS counter clerk -- many of them are confused by the appearance of the ESEs, and some USPS clerks and supervisors often reject the ESEs as "phony," "counterfeit" or "illegal."  Not so -- the ESEs are legally contracted business metered mail.  

But previous Community Boards threads have stated that some post office employees have refused to accept the ESEs, or have set them aside for inspection by a supervisor, or have simply "mislaid" the ESEs.

Solution:  NEVER hand any ESEs to USPS counter employees.

It is also possible that some of your ESEs can not pass the rigidity test:  if your ESEs do not easily bend, nearly in two, your ESEs will be kicked out at the USPS Distribution Centers before receiving the initial scan.  Some of these ESEs may be returned to the seller marked "Insufficient Postage," while others may be delivered to a buyer marked "Postage Due" (not such a great idea).

And I'm beginning to suspect that some overly-rigid ESEs are simply consigned to the local "dead letter" department, where they may never be seen again.

Just a few possible theories -- apply as needed.

[wastingtime101]

I'm not running into those problems with my eSE. 90% of eSE receive delivery scans, and the vast majority that don't receive scans come down to how the item is packed. Often with trading cards it's because the seller is using thicker/stiffer top loaders that are too rigid as opposed to more flexible top loaders, or it's because they're using a rigid mailer.

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eBay Standard Envelope (ESE) is a machinable metered letter mail shipment so it does not receive traditional tracking scans. The clerk at the PO counter cannot scan it and you can't track it on the USPS website. The envelopes are scanned by sorting machinery at distribution centers along the way and tracking will appear on eBay.

Common reasons ESE labels don't get scanned include:
- Overpacking. Envelopes are too stiff. It's not recommended to use trading card top loaders or cardboard mailers. Envelope should be flexible enough to wrap around a water bottle.
- Using ineligible packing material such as a bubble envelope.
- Placement of label. Label should be placed in the upper right corner with approx 1/8"-1/4" clearance from edges, just like you'd position a postage stamp. If it's placed too far from the corner (like in the middle of a long envelope) the machinery may not scan it.
- Securing items like coins in the center of the envelope. The center of the envelope needs to be the most flexible part. It's better to secure single items off to the right (opposite side of label barcode).
- Printer ink is not dark enough, or label color is too bright (stick to white labels if you can).
- Regional issues with sorting machines, volume processing, picky USPS employees, etc.

With ESE, a 'delivered' scan generally occurs at the last sort facility before it gets to the buyer; sometimes the buyer will receive their order a few days after the delivered scan.

If a buyer files a not received claim, you do have insurance coverage and the claims process is outlined on this page: https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-standard-envelope?id=...

[purchase1212]

I had several ESE with coins that had a small cardboard frame around them be returned. 

gave up on them.

more trouble than they were worth.  

I just use a flat rate shipping amount now

[kibble-net]

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@purchase1212 wrote:

I had several ESE with coins that had a small cardboard frame around them be returned. 

As they should be, coins make an envelope non-machinable.

Coins literally can't make it through the wheels of the machine. Ditto for trading card top-loaders.

ESE has to, by definition, be machine readable. Under 1/4" in thickness and nothing rigid inside.

[purchase1212]

but, ebay states: 

You can use eBay standard envelope to ship trading cards, currency and coins, postcards, stamps, patches, stickers, decals, greeting cards, and seeds. Some of these categories have shipping requirements in addition to the envelope requirements above:

[tobaccocardyahoo]

How you package is highly related to your success with ESE, @wastingtime101 has provided an excellent but probably incomplete list of packaging issues.

Last year's experience is often not relevant to the situation today, the routing has changed from many POs and the first distribution center where the origin scan would occur has changed as well. Many of the sorting machines doing the scans are not calibrated to the same levels.

ESE relies upon an application of an existing technology in a manner that tech people call a KLUDGE. 

kludge

[klʌdʒ, kluːdʒ]

kludge (noun)

kludges (plural noun)

kluge (noun)

kluges (plural noun)

cludge (noun)

cludges (plural noun)

1. an ill-assorted collection of parts assembled to fulfil a particular purpose.
   • computing
     a machine, system, or program that has been badly put together, especially a clumsy but temporarily effective solution to a particular fault or problem.

It repurposes a routing bar code to pseudo-tracking. It is an attempt to get more First Class Mail through already installed and paid for equipment. The service will never get any further investment or improve.

I reached a 20% late, missing or damaged rate before I ceased using ESE. I stopped but I do not sell extremely inexpensive items so I do not feel it cost me any business. If I sold under $5 items, I might care but I will never accept an under $5 item as worth listing on Ebay. My minimum price or auction opening bid is always higher.

[wastingtime101]

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@purchase1212 wrote:

I had several ESE with coins that had a small cardboard frame around them be returned. 

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The cardboard frame is the problem @purchase1212 . You can ship coins raw, secured in place. You can use a flimsy plastic flip, again, secured in place. But a cardboard frame is way too rigid.

[rickrottman]

eBay standard envelope shipments that are not getting scanned are almost always related to the envelope not being flexible enough to go through the automated sorters. The reason for that is that the eBay standard envelope labels have a special barcode. It's called the Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb). The only scanners that read IMb are located inside the automated sorting machines. 

Postal workers are supposed to return any eBay standard envelope that an automated sorter cannot process. Sometimes they mark it for handsorting (with no tracking) and then make the recipient pay the difference. I've personally had that happen before. I've had my mailman ring the bell and ask for an extra $1.45. One time, I didn't have any cash or coins, so he gave me a special envelope to put the money in and leave it in my mailbox. 

eBay did clean up the guide on using eBay standard envelope. The problem is, they have conflicting information about it on another page. For example, this:

Trading cards

• No more than 24 raw cards per package per envelope
• No more than two trading cards with top loaders
• No graded trading cards

If they're going to say you can ship up to 24 raw cards per envelope, they need to demonstrate in a video how to do that. The same thing applies to shipping two cards in top loaders. Not only does the envelope need to be flexible, but it also cannot be thicker than 1/4 inch. 

[goodnu9]

eBay Shipping Supplies have 3 slots in a 4" x 9" envelope to mail up to 24 raw cards. I have used them and never a problem.
USPS had discontinued picking up evening outgoing mail at your local post offices. If you're lucky, a scan will show up 2 days later. I mail from NH. Sometimes the first scan shows TX a week later and eBay will give me a defect in my Seller Dashboard. I will file a claim to remove a defect and tell eBay, "What I do? Drive to TX from NH to deliver a 74 cents envelope?" They always remove the defect.

Employees running the machines are clueless with it comes to ESE. There's no measurement/weight devices they use. It's all judgement calls. So if an employee comes to work on drugs, hungover, mad at his wife, mad at the word, hates his job, etc. can decide to run the ESE thru the machine if he wants to.? Yeah, right! I have ESE's come back occasionally stating, "Need more postage". Wrong! Under 1 oz, under 1/4" thickness, etc. I reprint the same exact shipping label and send it back out. It goes thru the system with no problem.
Lastly, ESE envelopes don't have to wrap around bottle or bend it in half to go thru the machines! Few have stated that in this post. That's Not true. Those envelopes I mentioned earlier with 24 raw cards don't bend in half or wrap around a bottle! It's how you position the card with thin cardboard inside the envelope that matters.
Until next time, "Out and about"

[1786davycrockett]

@goodnu9 

"USPS had discontinued picking up evening outgoing mail at your local post offices. "

Perhaps that is true in your neck of the woods; but not where I live, which is quite close to several USPS Distribution Centers.  My outgoing mail is always shipped out each evening to a USPS Distribution Center.

"Lastly, ESE envelopes don't have to wrap around bottle or bend it in half to go thru the machines! Few have stated that in this post."

A simple viewing from Youtube of the USPS high-speed sorting machines readily discloses that First Class Envelopes (including ESEs) actually fly through multiple roller systems, and are nearly bended in half multiple times during the process.

"Employees running the machines are clueless with it comes to ESE. There's no measurement/weight devices they use. It's all judgement calls. So if an employee comes to work on drugs, hungover, mad at his wife, mad at the word, hates his job, etc. can decide to run the ESE thru the machine if he wants to.? "  

Perhaps things are run differently where you live; but the high-speed sorting machines used at my USPS Distribution Center are designed to measure and weigh each item passing through the system; and the majority of time, the only human interaction is involved in the initial feeding of mail before the sorting commences, plus removing any "jams" from the system. 

In addition, the human sorters don't have time to examine each piece of mail in their "dump" -- it seems improbable that any USPS employees would be deliberately "on the lookout" for ESEs.

But perhaps the USPS system is different in New Hampshire.

[goodnu9]

My info came from a clerk supervisor located at a distribution center. I agree things may run different thru out the country. This is how it is in NH. My tracking doesn't show until 2 days after it's picked up or I mail it directly from a post office. I offer one business day handling. There's the problem.
I never said an employee examines each ESE but there are occasions they do. If I ever get an ESE back, it's nice and clean. No evidence even going near a machine. I even had one ESE come back after showing tracking thru a machine and somewhere along the way, returned to me stating needing more postage! Yeah, right!
Once again, I CAN'T wrap my envelope around a bottle 😂 but they are flexible enough to go thru a machine. I'll continue doing what I've been doing. It works. I learned a lot how to ship ESE in this group but some answers I laugh at. No offense.
You do you. I'll do me.

[1786davycrockett]

@goodnu9 

Here's a recent Youtube video, recorded from one of the USPS Distribution Centers near me -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rors_iHxIGA

At about the 1 minute mark, you'll note the level of flexibility needed for First Class Envelopes.

[goodnu9]

You are funny! 🤣
Nothing I didn't know about the mail. I'm a retired letter carrier! My comments were about ESE only.
Enjoy!

[pizazz714]

Where do any of you purchase the first class mailers for mailing antique post cards?  I just bought on Amazon and finding they are not getting scanned and showing delivered.  I was told by postal worker it depends on the post office they go to if it will get scanned or not.  Thanks for your help, I just started selling off my mother's post card collection and it concerns me if they will be delivered using first class mailing with ebay using the thin cardboard mailers I purchased.