Is USPS on its way to being totally broken?

[aldente28]

I am fearful that USPS is falling apart.

I just checked tracking on a buyer's package.

See image below, and make note of the dates. Today's date and time (in black) is from a screenshot of my desktop, taken just now.

All in all it's just another ding in my seller metrics?

[oldwestgold]

UPS has the same problems if not more. Life isn't perfect.

[aldente28]

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@oldwestgold wrote:

UPS has the same problems if not more. Life isn't perfect.

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Well, in the interest of full transparency, my boss isn't trying to slow me down so the company performs poorly.

[mudshark61369]

@aldente28,

First did the tracking actually come from the USPS site or from the tracking information given by clicking on the tracking number on the listing page?  The info given on your sold listings or purchases for that matter, comes from Pitney Bowes, not the USPS. 

Depending on your buyer's location, if it is in one of the hot spots for the Covid virus your post office may have a high number of carriers who are not working. That would mean that the remaining carriers are covering more than one route, and they may not be able to complete the expanded routes in one day, therefore you see the out for delivery on the 31st, but it may not b able to be delivered until the 1st.

Note the 9:03 pm time also.  During normal traffic periods carriers are normally expected to complete their routes by 6pm. Postmasters have to work within a budget and paying overtime is something they try to avoid. However, if a particular P.O. has many carriers out because of the virus they are giving them more time to complete the expanded routes, before they have to return to the P.O. even if they haven't delivered everything on their truck.

The delivery time will not affect your metrics. What will affect your shipping metrics is if you do not get an Acceptance scan within your given handling time. eBay is aware of the various problems shipping companies are facing and know that a seller cannot control them. 

[lja440]

Yes INDEED, USPS is in trouble. The pandemic hit all the carriers hard. Between those that were in high risk groups being furloughed  and those that got the virus or have family members that got it being out, we are all very short handed. 

Compound that with people doing more and more on-line shopping (does anyone out there buy dog food and cat litter at the store anymore?). 

Another blow is that tRump just appointed a new Postmaster General.  Fun fact about the new guy. He has NO experiance with the Post Office, he and his wife hold nearly $75 million dollars of investments IN USPS's COMPETITORS, and he handed tRump over 2.5 million dollars to his campaign.

First order coming from the new PG. You can no longer return to the Post Office for additional mail and packages. If it can't be delivered in the alloted route time it is to be left for the next day.  Now mind you we never got paid overtime for coming back for more  we didn't even get additional gas money when the route doesn't have a LLV for this. 

At our office I occasionally need to leave packages and give a notice to come pick them upbut it is usually because the item just does not fit. Example box is so long that it teeters on the back seat and pokes my shoulder and the item is either heavy or way at the end of the route. A forced quick stop could have it hitting me or smashing the windshield.  YEAH this is not all that uncommon with Amazon.

I'm a registered Republican but I do not see this administration as having any Republican values whatever. tRump seams to only care about his bottom line and surrounds himself with the like minded. We simply must vote blue to save our democracy. Yes I know that some will bulk at this but Republican, Democrat, or Independant  we must set aside party and save our nation.

[dirk12955]

Covid has hit all industries and businesses very hard.   Sports teams not playing.   Hotels and casinos empty.  Bars and food establishment falling into bankruptcy,    Schools closed and might remain closed.   Hospitals over flowing at 125%  capacity.    10s of Millions unemployed.   

And on,  and on,  and on.     But.    The USPS should not be affected?     How dare they? 

[inhawaii]

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@dirk12955 wrote:

Covid has hit all industries and businesses very hard.   Sports teams not playing.   Hotels and casinos empty.  Bars and food establishment falling into bankruptcy,    Schools closed and might remain closed.   Hospitals over flowing at 125%  capacity.    10s of Millions unemployed.   

And on,  and on,  and on.     But.    The USPS should not be affected?     How dare they? 

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But they have a creed!

[ctmss4284]

Oh yes everything is the presidents fault.  This is getting so old.  I am good friends with two local postmasters and a registered independent, everyone at these offices got overtime pay and some were working 12+ hour shifts. They also have gas cards tied to the vehicle, one card per vehicle, no limit. They now have hiring signs at both offices, why? Because the point is to have no overtime pay and hire more help with those funds.

I am undecided, but people need to stop acting like these things don't normally occur and that everything will be rainbows and unicorns if Biden was president. There isn't a politician out there that really cares for you and I.

Congress has been robbing the post office for years and years. 2006 retirement funding bill was voted on almost unanimously and only gave them an easier path to steal more. With the money being hijacked they might as well privatize it, the profit is already there.

I've said this on these boards multiple times and I'll say it again,

My entire life, year after year it's been "the post office is going under" and they're still here.

[ctmss4284]

Rain, sleet and snow is comparable to a virus that caused a worldwide pandemic?

[lja440]

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@dirk12955 wrote:

Covid has hit all industries and businesses very hard.   Sports teams not playing.   Hotels and casinos empty.  Bars and food establishment falling into bankruptcy,    Schools closed and might remain closed.   Hospitals over flowing at 125%  capacity.    10s of Millions unemployed.   

And on,  and on,  and on.     But.    The USPS should not be affected?     How dare they? 

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How do you get that I ment that USPS souldn't be affected? I was just stating HOW USPS was and is affected.  

Sure I know all about the other jobs and industry's. My oldest daughter is the chef and her husband the bartender at a small seasonal restarant on a lake here locally. They just reopened the week of the shut down. All foods and liquor ordered and stocked, the staff of 12 brought back.  and BOOM! SHUT DOWN !! They stayed open for carry out but all the staff had to be laid off. They split up the foods that could not be maintained frozen, went to a limited menu with a few specials a day and toughed it out some weeks only selling $300-$500 which the owner (stuck in Florida in rehab after a fall) told them to keep half the profits after expences. 

My younger daughter works in the paint department a Lowe's. She made and donned a mask with a few others before it was manditory.  She had grown men get in her face about it caling her stupid and a libtard and a bunch of other things that eBay would *beep* me for posting.  FYI Jess is 5' nothing and weighs a whopping 105 pounds (after a hearty meal and being soaking wet). Needless to say with more and more stress at work more and more people called off. One week she put in 68 hours and almost fell asleep on the way home. She took to calling someone on the phone to talk to as she drove just to stay awake. Thankfully Lowe's did step up wth a raise and even with that they are still having a call off problem but not quite as bad.

[mr_lincoln]

@aldente28   The only "ding" on your account you will get for shipping is if you do NOT get the Acceptance scan by the carrier within your Handling time. 

As to USPS being on its way to being totally broken?  Doubtful, it will eventually become a profitable organization but that will take a little time. 

[oldwestgold]

I would suggest you use a different carrier. No one is forcing you to patronize one company over another are they?

[oldwestgold]

I am not disagreeing with you or agreeing with you but it is immature to use the name as you do. It does nothing for your message.

[oldwestgold]

Here's something for everyone to chew on. The USPS handles the volume of mail in ONE day what UPS and FedEx handle combined in ONE year. So the bottom line is who would pick up the pieces if the USPS fails? No one could. We are all doing the best we can in 2020. I suspect the USPS employees are doing the same.

[lja440]

Indeed, and don't forget UPS, FedEx and Amazon all hand off packages to USPS for last mile delivery. While the Postmasters can somewhat look ahead and see what is coming their way from USPS sorting we have no clue what will be dropped off daily on our doorsteps by other carriers.   It is not unheard of for Amazon to drop 4- 6' tall pallets of packages at my office. My office has 7 routes.