Has anyone else had problems with USPS in Austin, Texas; Lost or missing packages and no tracking

[didiandshirley]

I recently moved to the Austin Texas area and restarted my ebay store. I just sent my first packages to buyers and there has been no tracking and delayed shipping on all of my packages. This is no way to re-start my reselling. I did not have this problem in Seattle at all!!! Has anyone else had this problem? What can I do about it so I don't get dinged from ebay?

[weeresell]

Yes. I’ve only been selling on eBay for about 6 months. However, it seems like it takes forever for orders to arrive. I’ve also noticed that unless I actually drop something at the post office it doesn’t start tracking for a few days. Not sure what if anything can be done.

[hardrhymer76]

All I know for sure is that no two USPS branches do things exactly the same way. Some will put packages on the outbound truck the same day; others will sit on them until they get around to it. 

Austin is a pretty big place -- if you continually have issues with one location, is there another within a reasonable distance you could try?

I've had far better success with tracking by actually waiting in line at the PO and requesting a receipt for my dropoff. This forces an acceptance scan right then and there, and makes it harder for them to make any excuses for delays.

As far as the en-route phase of the shipment, there's absolutely nothing we can do except hope they improve things soon.

[sassykzt]

Do you use a SCAN form (Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notices)  sheet that USPS will scan when you drop off? It's a shipping manifest and USPS has scan one barcode instead of each indiv. package.  Some PO can get a little apoplectic if they have to scan more than 3 packages. 

Have you considered scheduling pick up ( your carrier will scan the SCAN sheet upon pick up and this first scan satisfies eBay).   Lastly, go into your local PO and make nice with the postmaster and manager of outgoing package services.  And if you do schedule pickups ( still free! at USPS unless you specify an exact time) make nice with your carrier.

[babyers88]

if you use the machine to scan the packages in at the post office, OR wait in line and get a receipt then you are good to go

[nanc_66]

I live in the Southeast corner of the Texas panhandle. I shipped a package this past Monday to Tennessee. It was tracked on Amarillo on Tuesday evening (sounds normal), then 3 days later was in Lubbock (less than 2 hrs away). Now today it's back in Amarillo! My niece works at a smaller PO in Oklahoma. I called her today to get her to see if she could tell what's up with it, since it had been saying all week that it was on time for a delivery of 11/7 by 7pm (in Amarillo at 10pm on 11/7). She said that it was put in a wrong container sending it into the USPS black hole. She's going to check on it Monday for me. Yay for USPS

[richard1rst]

You will get more concise and varied information if you do a Google search for "usps problems austin texas"

BUNCH of articles detailing numerous and varied problems. And some wishful thinking of when it will clear up.

[richard1rst]

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@hardrhymer76 wrote:

Austin is a pretty big place -- if you continually have issues with one location, is there another within a reasonable distance you could try?

While we may have a choice as to where we drop off a package I do not believe we have any say in which sorting facility it goes to. You pays your money, you take your chance.