Extremely slow shipping on the eastern seaboard

[slpentico]

anyone else see packages going to the New York area take weeks without delivery? i shipped a package on the 4th. the only tracking update it showed until the 16th was a depart scan from my local post office. on the 16th it popped up in Pittsburgh, PA and since then has dropped off the planet again. package is 2 day priority mail with special handling service added due to the item being high dollar and fragile. i opened a package research case and USPS closed it once it showed up in PA. i called USPS back today (20th) and no new info at to where the package is. Person at the destination post office speculates its on a trailer at a backed up sorting center waiting around to get sorted. Buyer is fortunately being patient but that will only last so long before they ask for a refund and eBay sides with them, because all sellers know eBay wont help us with anything and we are always wrong...lol

[nayanasandeepana]

Shipping may be late because of this pandemic situation. Keep the customer inform about it. 

[rebell45]

Open a Missing Mail search if it's been 7 days since they closed the help request.  Hopefully it was insured.

[goldguy22k · Accepted solution]

Yes, I have seen some terrible tracking in the last month!  Bought something from seller in CT, item was scanned at  USPS PO the next day, but tracking showed no movement for 3-days.  THEN the package shows up in a distribution center in MA NORTH of CT, when I am SOUTH of CT!  Now the tracking shows 'enroute' with no further updates.  Seller was suppose to start the missing mail process.

Also, FexEx is no better.  Seller Delivered package to FedEx in GA.  Package drove past me and went to Harrisburg, PA.  Then it took a tour to WV going west instead of east!  Then it went south to Baltimore.  10-days to travel up East Coast when mail usually takes 3-day!  Oh and the box the item was shipped in was heavily taped on one end where apparently it had ripped open.

So yeah, buying online is great.  I could have walked 10 miles to the store & back for the 10-days I waited on shipping and then item wouldn't have been damaged.

So yeah, shipping appears to be overwhelmed these days.  If memory serves, there is a distribution center in the NYC area (NNJ?)  which is generally a black hole for packages.

Keep after the USPS to do its job.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease.  Also do not be afraid to escalate the issue up the USPS food chain.  Finally, my local US House Rep has a staff member that specifically handles constituent issues with the uSPS, so that might be a tool too.

[southern*sweet*tea]

Even before the pandemic, I always had issues with slow shipping going eastward.

I'm in Mississippi. Pre-Covid, First Class and Priority packages to CA, OR and WA would be delivered in two or three days. To the East Coast, namely NY, CT, PA and NJ it would take five to seven days.

Now packages going west average three or four days and going east takes seven to ten days if not longer. Of course not every package takes that long, but the majority do.

Seriously, I have had packages go to Hawaii faster than going to NY.

[postingid7659]

For the most part I see good delivery times from east coast to east coast and midwest.  

Monday 11/16 I shipped eight packages from upstate NY to various destinations.  Four had printed labels, four it wasn't worth the few cents savings so I paid at the counter.

Three were delivered the 18th, one to MA, one to VA, one to PA. 
Three were delivered the 19th, one to VA. one to MI and one to IN that was first class parcel

The last two show arrived Greenville SC USPS facility the morning of the 18th and no update since. One for SC, one for NC.  

Sometimes things move without a scan until they hit the delivering post office, but nothing, no sign of them.  Both did have printed labels taped on.  

[matchandlighters]

It is an epidemic. About 1/2 my items sit in the St Louis Mo distribution center 5 days or more before moving. Going to Fla is guaranteed 2 weeks or more. A little better going to NY or CA but not much. It's just USPS going from a good shipper to one that sucks.

[slpentico]

the package did end up showing up a day after I refunded the transaction 😒. Buyer fortunately was honest and paid me again via PayPal invoice minus a discount I gave him for the trouble and his honesty 🤑. have started using UPS as much as I can (shipping costs allowing). even through December they got all but one of my packages to its new home on time. UPS is a little more expensive but unhappy customers ultimately cost me more due to bad feedback and lost sales. I've never had neutral or bad feedback and I'm not going to let USPS change that for me.