How to get a USPS tracking # once Fed Ex hands it over to USPS

[brads_ann]

I purchased an item on Dec. 6, on Dec 10 Federal Express handed it over to USPS. When I input the FEDX tracking #, it does not provide a USPS tracking #.

Package was handed over to USPS on Dec. 10 and I find it odd that it hasn't been delivered yet.

Thanks.

[stuff4divas]

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@brads_ann wrote:

I purchased an item on Dec. 6, on Dec 10 Federal Express handed it over to USPS. When I input the FEDX tracking #, it does not provide a USPS tracking #.

Package was handed over to USPS on Dec. 10 and I find it odd that it hasn't been delivered yet.

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did u input the tracking number into both the fedex and usps websites?

[chrysylys]

SmartPost tracking numbers have always worked on both sites for me.

[brads_ann]

Since the seller doesn't respond to my messages, I had to call both FEDX and USPS. It's a bit frustrating going thru all the prompts to speak to a person and quite time consuming.

Come to find out FedX has no idea where it is and are putting a trace on it.

I do have a USPS tracking number which is different that the FEDX tracking. FedX gave me the USPS tracking #.

I'm not very happy with the seller right now for not helping me with this. This should be their job to locate this and not mine.

Now I have to wait another 24 hours to wait for FEDX to call me back with more info.

Thanks everyone.

[brads_ann]

Can I somehow cancel this transaction and purchase it elsewhere? I have 10% Ebay Bucks and would rather order from someone that can better get it to me by Christmas.

Thanks.

[jason_incognito]

Not sure how this is the sellers fault? Ifyou are so high maintenance that you need to know right now where your package is, why should they jusmp through hoops?

And no, you cannot cancel the item and buy it elsewhere to use the coupon.

[thallidguy]

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@brads_ann wrote:

I do have a USPS tracking number which is different that the FEDX tracking. FedX gave me the USPS tracking #.

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That is correct. That's how FedEx SmartPost works. FedEx gets the package from pickup but hands it over to USPS for last-mile delivery. It saves FedEx money because they don't have to make special trips to delivery to one residential customer, which is why SmartPost is their least expensive service. Because USPS handles last-mile delivery, after the hand-off the package receives a USPS tracking number.

The problem is that USPS gives SmartPost packages a fairly low priority, which can be an issue at this time of year. I would bet that the package is not lost; it's just waiting its turn to get onto an outbound USPS truck.

[brads_ann]

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@jason_incognito wrote:

Not sure how this is the sellers fault? Ifyou are so high maintenance that you need to know right now where your package is, why should they jusmp through hoops?

And no, you cannot cancel the item and buy it elsewhere to use the coupon.

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Ohhhhhhh my goodness. lol  Federal Express is unable to locate the package. I signed up for notifications on the 10th and hadn't recieved one notification. In 5 days, there has been nothing going on.  For a package to just sit in limbo for 5 days with no movement and for FEDX to have to put a trace on it, I think there is a problem. And Yes, when I order something on the 6th, I would hope it get to me prior to Christmas. Call me high maintenance if you like, I'll take it. For crying out loud. lol

And yes, I expect the seller to do the footwork and to communicate with me....not ignore my messages.

[brads_ann]

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@thallidguy wrote:

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@brads_ann wrote:

I do have a USPS tracking number which is different that the FEDX tracking. FedX gave me the USPS tracking #.

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That is correct. That's how FedEx SmartPost works. FedEx gets the package from pickup but hands it over to USPS for last-mile delivery. It saves FedEx money because they don't have to make special trips to delivery to one residential customer, which is why SmartPost is their least expensive service. Because USPS handles last-mile delivery, after the hand-off the package receives a USPS tracking number.

The problem is that USPS gives SmartPost packages a fairly low priority, which can be an issue at this time of year. I would bet that the package is not lost; it's just waiting its turn to get onto an outbound USPS truck.

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Thank you so much. I hadn't had much experience at all the FedX Smart Post. It must be awfully cheap because it's terribly slow. I would never use them to ship out personally. I'd pay a little more and have happier buyers. Almost all my feedback mentions fast shipping if it took my items weeks to get to them I could only imagine the complaints and unhappy buyers.

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

Since you now have the USPS tracking number, I suggest you ask USPS where the package is.  You can request e-mailed status updates or simply visit your local PO and ask for more information.  Is it possible the package is on a shelf waiting for you to pick it up?

On the other hand, having experienced both UPS and FedEx hand-offs recently, I would allow at least 10 days and maybe 14 days, door to door.

~~C~~

[Anonymous]

No helpful information, but rather an FYI,

For delivery to our US Post Office, FedEx SmartPost packages are sent to a hub about 150 miles away, when enough packages have accumulated to make a truckload (24' trailers) they make a meandering trip hitting all the other post offices in route which takes about 8 hours to get to us.

I also imagine there is time limit on how long packages can wait at the FedEx hub but have never heard what it may be as their deliveries can vary wildly and not just during Xmas. I think a larger population area would move packages faster because of the volume.

The SmartPost truck is subcontracted and is usually a Uhaul driven by carnival workers which don't arrive until long past the mail carries dispatch time for that morning and will not be sorted until the next day. I have never seen mail sit on the dock for more than 1 day as we just don't have that kind of room. Amazon trucks are also subcontracted and must hire the carny rejects as it is pure folly watching them spend 10 minutes trying to back into the docks that take 30 seconds for regular humans. Biased perhaps but I like to embellish my tales.

[lja440]

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@thallidguy wrote:

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@brads_ann wrote:

I do have a USPS tracking number which is different that the FEDX tracking. FedX gave me the USPS tracking #.

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That is correct. That's how FedEx SmartPost works. FedEx gets the package from pickup but hands it over to USPS for last-mile delivery. It saves FedEx money because they don't have to make special trips to delivery to one residential customer, which is why SmartPost is their least expensive service. Because USPS handles last-mile delivery, after the hand-off the package receives a USPS tracking number.

The problem is that USPS gives SmartPost packages a fairly low priority, which can be an issue at this time of year. I would bet that the package is not lost; it's just waiting its turn to get onto an outbound USPS truck.

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Wrong there. 

USPS handles ALL packages the same (with  the exception of registered and express) in the same way once it gets to the delivering PO. 

OP, It is not uncommon for the FedEx pallets to not match what is on the bill of lading. Many times the single barcode that gives us the info to say that packages that are not there are and packages not on the list are on the pallet. Last week we had 4 large pallets of SmartPost arrive and one was mostly for other offices. That is around 20% of the days packages they handed off were miss-delivered to our office. And not even all of them were SmartPost.

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[lja440]

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@Anonymous wrote:
No helpful information, but rather an FYI,

For delivery to our US Post Office, FedEx SmartPost packages are sent to a hub about 150 miles away, when enough packages have accumulated to make a truckload (24' trailers) they make a meandering trip hitting all the other post offices in route which takes about 8 hours to get to us.

I also imagine there is time limit on how long packages can wait at the FedEx hub but have never heard what it may be as their deliveries can vary wildly and not just during Xmas. I think a larger population area would move packages faster because of the volume.

The SmartPost truck is subcontracted and is usually a Uhaul driven by carnival workers which don't arrive until long past the mail carries dispatch time for that morning and will not be sorted until the next day. I have never seen mail sit on the dock for more than 1 day as we just don't have that kind of room. Amazon trucks are also subcontracted and must hire the carny rejects as it is pure folly watching them spend 10 minutes trying to back into the docks that take 30 seconds for regular humans. Biased perhaps but I like to embellish my tales.

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LOL You must have the same Amazon driver. Ours is a little Jamaican woman, sweet as can be but the girl can't back. She had her first ever day driving on snow, she looked frightened but she is very tenacious and I think she will get the hang of it,...eventually.

[a_c_green]

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@chrysylys wrote:

SmartPost tracking numbers have always worked on both sites for me.

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In addition, if you sign up for a free MyUSPS account on usps.com, you can set up inbound alerts for any and all sightings of packages headed to your address, even if you don't know the tracking number (or weren't even expecting a package; I get alerts for other family members' packages as well). 

[buyselljack2016]

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@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:

Since you now have the USPS tracking number, I suggest you ask USPS where the package is.  You can request e-mailed status updates or simply visit your local PO and ask for more information.  Is it possible the package is on a shelf waiting for you to pick it up?

On the other hand, having experienced both UPS and FedEx hand-offs recently, I would allow at least 10 days and maybe 14 days, door to door.

~~C~~

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It has been my experience with smartpost that the USPS tracking #  searching does nothing until the hand-off (bag, or pallet) has been scanned.