I found the problem with the Ebay Shipping Labels.

[deborasatticstore]

Previously I posted ( 08/21/2017) a concern with the Ebay shipping labels.

Here is my story. I hope this will help any other seller who is having problems.

Item sold. You click shipping. . You verify address, weight and dims. Then you “Ok” to purchase shipping label.   Once you ok’d the purchase of the shipping label. The printing label will derail to a previous tracking number. Because of this, the tracking number will have two different shipments.

Now stay with me and hear me.  A different tracking number is ALSO generated. Ebay attaches this tracking number to the item you just solD. ( like it should be and has always been).   You check this tracking number for days/weeks and never see any activity. You think the package is lost since you don’t see any activity trail. In actuality the package was mailed. It was mailed with the derailed post office tracking number previously used. The seller is not aware of this.

For weeks I knew something was wrong. Spent more than 28 hours searching for why was this was happening. What am I missing? I talked dear lord to so many people. Then it downed on me. What if I was chasing the wrong tracking number? The tracking number that Ebay has generated and it’s attached to the item sold?

So I started sending messages to my customers to see if for some reason they received another item from me. Three of them replied. Said “YES”.   After speaking with them, I noticed the tracking number was the same for both packages. THE DERAILED SHIPPING LABEL GENERATED BY EBAY WAS ATTACHED TO THE SAME OLD PREVIOUSLY USED TRACKING NUMBER. The new order was shipping to a previous customer.

The outcome. 1 ) The good: Thank goodness I solved the puzzle and found the items. 2) The bad: It took 28 hours out of my time to do this.   IF Ebay was aware of this happening then they should have told the sellers that they are working on the problem. By doing so my 28 hours of search was in vain. 3) The bad: I am out shipping money from those packages back to me. Meaning I am paying for the packages to be returned back to me. Then I will send them to customer. By the end I had paid shipping THREE 3 times shipping cost.

Can eBay refund me the shipping cost ?

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

It helps to read the label information (name, address, class of mail, weight, etc.) and match up the details with the actual contents of a box or envelope.

Duplicated or obsolete tracking numbers -- USPS was having a problem with those, not eBay -- may be an issue. But attaching the right label to the right box is the SENDER's responsibility. Neither eBay nor USPS fills, seals and labels the box!

~~C~~

[deborasatticstore]

Name, add and zip code were and always are checked.  3x's.  As mentioned  previously when you click to print shipping label the tracking number was derailing to a previous tracking number.  Nothing to do with name add and zip code which should be checked anyway.  But tracking number was not the same.  Not Post office fault but ebay glitch on derailment.  I did a in deep examination of this.

Kind regards,

Deb

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

As I understood your post, you were having to pay for mis-delivered packages to be returned to you and then sent on to the correct customer. An obsolete tracking number would not cause people to receive the wrong package unless you created 2 labels with the identical address. That would be very noticeable . . . 2 labels but only a single box?

Personally, I hand-write mailing labels (no printer) but, even then, I always prepare one order at a time and make sure the paperwork and package contents match before I move on to the next.

Earlier this month, USPS was issuing obsolete tracking numbers that belonged to packages already delivered months ago. There were several reports here, pertaining to international FCP as I recall and connected to eBay and/or Paypal shipping.

~~C~~

[deborasatticstore]

Hello,

1. No, I don’t hand write my labels. 2) In all my years in ebay I have always printed them. 3) Always prepare one order at a time. Pick the item from my shelf. Then open the page on ebay of the item I just sold. Verify name, mailing address and zip code. I verify this 3 times. First from paypal address. Second from shipping label. Third one from view order detail with shipping cost.   Once all three address match, I will go ahead and click to purchase shipping and print labels.   So yes I do one order at a time.
2. So far ( thank goodness) I have not had any problems with International shipments.
3. I know it sounds weird but that is exactly what was happening. The Ebay Shipping Label was derailing the tracking number to previous ones.

I know it’s bit complicated but is the best way I can describe it.  

[missjen831 · Accepted solution]

@deborasatticstore There are known glitches with ebay's USPS labels. You aren't the only seller to experience this, I know it wasn't an error on your part 🙂

I'm not sure if its related to the issues USPS has been having but ebay's labels have had duplicate tracking numbers issues. In some cases, the tracking numbers were previously used back in March which is really a non-issue as usps does recycle the numbers and the tracking information did update itself to the new label. . But in the last few days, it seems the tracking numbers issued were previously used only a few weeks earlier.

This is just one of many threads on the issues--http://community.ebay.com/t5/Technical-Issues/issue-with-usps-first-class-labels-printed-from-ebay/m...

[deborasatticstore]

Ok let me help explain this way. I know it’s bit complicated. This is one example of the 3 occurrences that happened to me. No single box here.

I shipped an order to the customer. All went good.   Then two days later I sold another item. After checking add, zip and name then I ok’d to purchase shipping and print label. Now that item that I sold two days later while printed that label, the tracking number derail it to the first customer. Meaning the first customer received the actual package and two days later he received another package that belonged to my second customer. Both boxes had the same tracking number. No single box here.

Two labels were created the second was attaching the tracking label to a previous one. Kind like a layer one on top of the other. Best way I can explain. 

Hope this helps.

Kind regards,

Deb

[hafoster]

If the first box had the tracking number "12345" delivered to buyer #1 --

the second box 2 days later with the wrong tracking number "12345" --

wouldn't also be delivered to buyer #1 as well --

just because it has the same tracking number "12345" as the first box.

[zahara616]

Simular thing happen in my case. Ebay and U.S.P.S generated the wrong shipping label. They blamed me. I was told I created the shipping label outside ebay that is why the tracking number did not upload. When the wrong shipping label is created the tracking number will not upload. How do you make an Ebay shipping label outside Ebay???  You can't !!! The ebay logo is on the shipping label.  I have a pic of the shipping label because the shipping part of Ebay was glithy.  I told them I will upload the shipping label. But of course they already have a picture because they upload to the system. They are definately hiding something. This is a multiply item listing with different sizes.  I go a defect for it.  As a courtesy they will remove it. **bleep** is was not my fault in the first place and also got terrible advice from customer service. They won't admit it of course.  ***If the wrong label is generated you may as well refund the buyer and move on because it will be your fault*** THE DERAILED SHIPPING LABEL GENERATED BY EBAY WAS ATTACHED TO THE SAME OLD PREVIOUSLY USED TRACKING NUMBER...  STILL A BIG PROBLEM!!!!  I told her to check into this matter, she brushed me off. I see why now Ebay already knows about this issue and refuse to take the blame. Thanks for the post.