USPS new rule, only have to scan part of pick up

[tsme35]

Mail lady just stop by, they had a meeting(rural couriers) and were told their only require to scan a few packages when they do a pick up. She was told she only had to scan 5 packages when she picks up, even if you have 20, and let the sorting center to scan the rest. You have to tell the courier, to their face to scan them all. You also can print off a bulk shipping when you put in the pick up(online), they'll scan the sheet but won't include anything you sold over night and pack the next morning.

 Really bad because our sorting center in St. Louis only scans half the packages as it is. I have a feeling I'll be getting alot of "where's my package" emails, well more then I'm getting now.  I'm am lucky because I have a great mail lady, but her subs, won't be scanning them all.

[tsme35]

You should have seen the dance she didn't when the river finally started delivering their own packages out here lol, plus ink cartridges running $40, I'd go thru one a month.

[tsme35]

Accounting to my mail lady, when I put in a next day pick up, she gets a nickel. She's joked about the big bucks I'm making her lol

[tsme35]

Oh she knows it's **bleep**, she's great. I'm not huge but still spend $25-30K in postage per year, they don't have to kiss my rear end but I expect a little respect

[farmalljr]

I figured out how to eliminate all my issues with my post office. My carriers are generally good, unless there is a sub. After a few times of them not picking up packages despite me putting in a pick up order the night before, I stopped and talked to the postmaster. She was dismissive to me and basically wanted to make excuses and be done with me. 

Not being very happy, because of the amount of money I spend with USPS, I decided I would take a different route next time. And the next time it happened, I filed a complaint online. 

My, light and day difference how the postmaster dealt with the issue. And you know what? If for some reason the carrier isn't going to pick up packages, the postmaster herself is driving out to pick them up. I would not overlook the power of the official filed complaint. 

Certainly not the route I prefer, but sometimes the necessary one. They have a JOB to do, all I expect them to do is the job they are supposed to. Pick up and scanning is part of that job. If they aren't doing it, and the postmaster blows you off, file a complaint. Bet that changes their "local policy" real quick. I have a business to run. USPS isn't going to cover the lost cases with eBay because the scans weren't done, nor are they going to fix your seller metrics. 

Dig at my livelihood, and I'll dig at yours. 

[tsme35]

You would think they'd put more effect in making us happy, small sellers are the only reason the USPS is still in business since not many letters go out anymore.

[714ricki]

At the beginning of the year, my local center recommended that I try the scan sheet so that the local pickup mail carrier or the clerk at the post office didn't have to scan an excessive amount of packages. Two months later, I haven't had any issues with the scan sheet process. All of my parcels are receiving the same day scans & everything has been recorded on time with ebay. 

Please keep in mind that you can print off multiple scan sheets for your daily pick up or when you drop off the parcels at the USPS. That way if you want to print labels & pack in the evening & then again the following morning or afternoon, you can create multiple scan sheets. 

If this helps the USPS be more efficient & guarantees me a first acceptance scan, then I'm all for the scan sheet process. Give it a try......it's quite easy once you get used to the process. 

Stay safe everyone!

[axiombody]

They only have PO Boxes in my city so I drop items off and they scan it before it goes out on a truck.  Your post about scanning items for you makes sense unless you factor the idea that if I was to have the post man pick up my packages on his route he would be at my house for 20 minutes scanning 100 or so packages.  I believe all packages are scanned before they leave the post office and the rule may have been made so deliverers can finish their route timely.  What I know about the mail audit is they give them a certain amount of time per package.  Under 2 pounds is like 6 seconds and over 2 pounds is 3 minutes.  I can't be sure anymore about exact amount but this is what my neighbor and mailman told me.  He would have me order all my supplies during that time.

[tsme35]

It's gone back and forth, some years they only could scan when they get back to PO, then when on route, We've had 5 post masters in the last 2 years. I've done my mail lady a solid when I have alot of long or big packages and drop off for her(that's why I'm her favorite lol) esp. after a 3 day weekend. But when I do half the time the PO doesn't even scan them. As far as St. Louis Hub, they only scan half the package I send thru them, very bad center to say the least. And like others have mention, ebay holds seller responsible for the shipping service used. Ever since Dejoy took over, PO and their moral has drop severely

[dbfolks166mt]

     You would think they'd put more effect in making us happy, small sellers are the only reason the USPS is still in business since not many letters go out anymore.

     I doubt the eBay sellers are the sole reason USPS is still in business. While the amount of mail they deliver in a year has declined since the peak in 2006 they still managed to deliver 128.9 billion pieces of mail in 2021. Down considerably from the peak in 2006 of around 213 billion pieces of mail. They are also a government entity and I cannot remember the last federal agency that was eliminated. 

[tsme35]

Just curious how pieces are sold thru online sellers, I'm not the only seller on her route,  5 selling on different venues, I know come April 3rd I'll have probably 700-800 less package per year.

[blingfling123]

There was a post a while back that actually had an image from some employee manual thing that actually spoke of this "only have to scan 5 rule".  The rule only applied when there was no pickup scheduled. It did not apply if a pickup was scheduled. 

If a pickup with a count is scheduled, they are required to scan all packages as normal. 

I would be asking the carrier to show you where this no scan if over 5 packages at any time rule is documented.  

[tsme35]

The only time I don't put in a pick up if their site is down.

[a_c_green]

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@blingfling123 wrote:

I would be asking the carrier to show you where this no scan if over 5 packages at any time rule is documented.  

---

That does look very much like what they might have been trying to convey, except that they overlooked the key detail that Rule (b) only applies in this circumstance when the sender failed to arrange a pickup in advance or did not print a SCAN sheet (which is what Paragraph 9 is discussing). 

As worded, it's an either/or condition: either you arranged it in advance or you have a SCAN sheet. If either is true, they should scan all (though of course, if you have a SCAN sheet, they don't need to scan the individual packages as that would defeat the point of printing the SCAN sheet in the first place).

[simply-the-best-for-you]

Unfortunately, this is true & valid, as I am halfway across the country & my mail carrier just texted me the same info.  He also stated that is new to their scanner software, so is already in effect 😞  

I started a thread as well & 'called' Jasmen to ask Nate's team to look into this for us, but I did want to update this thread, as well, to let everyone know that this is new & real or it wouldn't have happened to me in another state, nowhere near STL.  

@tsme35  OP, when you take pkgs to your PO, do you realize that you can now use the APC to scan them yourself?   I've been doing this for months now, whenever I take my pkgs in.   That will ensure that you get your Acceptance Scan, which is so critical for Ebay.  Around here, all my PO's have APC's (usually at least 3 in each PO), but I know not all areas have them, so you may have to check a couple of PO's to see if they have them.  

So frustrating to have to jump through hoops, yet again, to get that Acceptance Scan.  I can't tell you how much I've gone through.  It's why my carrier & I are on a text-basis with each other LOL . 

ETA:  I should add, though much of this thread talked about rural carriers, it is happening to me & I am NOT in a rural area & I am NOT on a rural route, NOT even close.  

[northeastairbrush]

This is why I take a trip to the post office every other day. I have one of my Awesome Postal workers scan in every single one of my packages and then hand me a receipt.