Careless mailman scanning picked up packages as delivered…

[slpentico]

Anyone else have issues with the local mailman frequently scanning picked up packages as delivered? I don’t even understand how a delivery scan can be the first scan a package receives… it happens once is a while with my mailman but i don’t sell much so one messed up package I can manage but today the mailman picked up four packages and scanned them all as delivered meaning the buyers got notification their packages were delivered… Ive gotten messages for three buyers so far asking what is going on and I explained the situation and they were understanding except for one. The third buyer is accusing me of scamming them…. They haven’t opened a case but I’ve got a few rather blunt and insulting messages… I messaged all four and told them to reach out to me if their packages don’t arrive by Saturday. It’s really frustrating it’s even possible for USPS to mess up this bad. I’m afraid someone is going to open an item not received case and eBay will see the delivery scan for the wrong city and state and refund the buyer.

[mybigsale]

I have had that happen a few times over the years. As I recall, after the initial delivery scan the tracking started looking normal as other scans appeared. If the eBay tracking doesn't "kick in" with further scans, you should use USPS tracking and advise your buyer to do likewise.

I would respond to any buyer inquiries as you have - other than that it should be business as usual.

Delivery scans have happened by carriers as well as desk scans (very rarely).  Besides the incorrect first scan, all packages were delivered without issue. Should not be the cause of packages running past the estimated delivery date.

[soh.maryl]

When you discussed this with your local Postmaster, who is, by definition, the carrier's supervisor, what did he/she say?  

[house*of*paws]

Hi @slpentico 

 As a buyer, I’ve had one of my orders show ‘Delivered’ at the 2nd stop (still near the seller, who was cross-country from me.)

I contacted the seller, who told me that ALL of the packages she shipped that morning mistakenly showed ‘delivered’ at that depot.

My package did continue on … and eventually reached me … but what I found potentially troubling for sellers is that it never was scanned as delivered to ME.  The original ‘delivered’ remained … and my stop looked like an just another intermediate stop along the way (that didn’t continue).

I wondered what an eBay ‘bot’ would have concluded had an INR been filed … whether the original (mistaken) delivery scan would have been sufficient to protect the seller.

[slpentico]

I think USPS needs to fire whoever designed their system. most tracking systems I have used at previous employers would give a workflow violation error if you tried to progress to an unexpected step. How is it that USPS's tracking system will even allow a delivery scan as the first scan a package has ever received? looks like they overlooked building in some frankly obvious safeguards into their system to mitigate human error.