USPS Ground Advantage slowdown causing multiple late shipment defects.

[householdrecycle]

I've noticed that USPS Ground Advantage over the past 45 days or so is sometimes taking 8-9 days in some cases to be delivered causing my late shipment rate to vault above 3%.  It would be my hope that eBay starts taking notice of this. I've always felt 3% is a brutal number as it is for top rated but it's kinda unfair if I'm not the problem.

[robbie31415]

My late shipment rate is at 0% regardless if it arrives late.

I've had multiple USPS packages arrive late.

Because I meet my handling time and use the advertised service eBay has never penalized me for carrier being late.

 "If you ship on time and upload validated tracking or your buyers tell us the shipment was on time when they leave feedback, you're all set."

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

Get it scanned w/in your handling time. Do you have the carrier pick up? Do you drop off at the counter? Do you have a self service kiosk at your local post office? Have you used SCAN forms?

I use a kiosk to get scans or go to the PO Counter. They'll either scan my pkgs or if I have higher volumes I use a SCAN form. All my pkgs get tracking updates w/in my handling time so no matter when it shows up I'm protected.

While it's USPS's fault, you are still responsible for taking the steps of protecting yourself from the late shipment defect as that ball is in your court

[anjofak]

It's more like basic ground, shipping from alaska first-class use to fly for the most part so it was usable but ground advantage pretty much 100% gets put on the slow boat adding 2-4 weeks to shipping time just going from here to Seattle..

[richard1rst]

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@anjofak wrote:

It's more like basic ground, shipping from alaska first-class use to fly for the most part so it was usable but ground advantage pretty much 100% gets put on the slow boat adding 2-4 weeks to shipping time just going from here to Seattle..

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Old joke:

Guys walks into a doctor's office, raises his arm over his head and says "Doc, it hurts when I do this"

The doctor says "Then don't do that"

I took a quick look at your offerings. Doesn't seem to be a whole lot that would have qualified for First Class in the first place. But if Ground Advantage is the problem then start using Priority Mail. You are billing your buyers for the shipping so it won't cost you anything extra and, to smart buyers, who know the delays in GA from Alaska you might actually pick up some buyers who were shying away from you because they knew in advance there would be delays.

You just have to accept that living in Alaska carries certain issues not born by the lower 48.

[toysaver]

When you go to buy a shipping label make sure to open the menu that says compare all services.  Sometimes Priority is cheaper than GA.  If not weight the options of spending an extra buck or two.   I think it's worth it, insurance is included and it's faster.  

[nobody*s_perfect]

Insurance is included in Ground Advantage, too.

[kensgiftshop]

Have you thought about extending your handling time to give you a little more cushion?

[slippinjimmy]

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@householdrecycle wrote:

I've noticed that USPS Ground Advantage over the past 45 days or so is sometimes taking 8-9 days in some cases to be delivered causing my late shipment rate to vault above 3%.  It would be my hope that eBay starts taking notice of this. I've always felt 3% is a brutal number as it is for top rated but it's kinda unfair if I'm not the problem.

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Are you talking about package UNDER 1lb or over 1lb?

My Ground Advantage under 1lb are being delivered almost exactly the same as the old First Class Package. If you are shipping over 1lb then GA is replacing Parcel Select an all ground service that was always going to be slower than Priority.

There seems to be some people who thing GA over 1lb is a new alternative to Priority, it is not new and while cheaper than Priority it has never claimed to be as fast as Priority.

[gamersbaystore]

As others have noted and I agree with, you just need to get your items scanned within your handling time. I have never received a single defect for a lat shipment, the scan is what matters.

What you can do to keep this from happening again is to change your handling times to 2 or 3 days instead of 1. I don't offer 1 day handling on anything for this very reason.

Don't feed into ebay's lies of "Get a boost in visibility" for being top rated plus. There is no boost in visibility, its a bold faced lie.

[toomuchstuffagain35]

Maybe I was lucky then. Shipped my first over a pound GA parcel recently and it only took 3 days to get from WA to MO.

[heckofagame]

The late shipment rate metric is in regard to the speed at which you ship. If you ship within your stated handling time, you will be ok. 

The length of time that it takes USPS to deliver has no effect on that metric.

[gurlcat]

This thread highlights yet another failure on eBay's part to make policy clear.  The Seller Performance page (and detailed report, where you see which items counted as defects) do not mention handling time, it only shows whether an item's "tracking says late" or "buyer says late" ...... DELIVERY. 
So of course there will be sellers like the OP, thinking it's about ....um..... DELIVERY.  

[gurlcat]

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

Have you thought about extending your handling time to give you a little more cushion?

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OP said they are TRS, and a listing will not qualify for the 'TRS+' benefit (10% fee discount) if it has a handling time greater than 1-day, and/or doesn't accept returns. 

[yuzuha]

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@heckofagame wrote:

The late shipment rate metric is in regard to the speed at which you ship. If you ship within your stated handling time, you will be ok. 

The length of time that it takes USPS to deliver has no effect on that metric.

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Yep. See: the Christmas 2020 fiasco where I had multiple packages that were nearly a month late. Didn't get a single late shipment ding because I shipped all of them within my stated handling time.