Is anyone having trouble with USPS posting tracking updates?

[dovey]

I handed my mail carrier 11 packages two days ago and he did not scan them in individually because he was so bogged down with deliveries.  Of the 11 packages only 1 got scanned in when it arrived at the post office.  The others all show "label created, USPS awaits item" after two days.  Some of these were priority mail packages so I am about to have some concerned/angry buyers on my hand.   Has anyone else been experiencing these tracking issues lately?

[discountplace]

Yes, USPS gets extremely backed up after a Monday holiday. It takes them a week to catch up. Think about it everyone else in the world is working besides for them (at least eccomerce wise) how in the world do they expect to catch up a days worth of work? Time for USPS to become private so we can put an end to these silly holidays that noone celebrates other than the government!

[dovey]

Yes, that makes sense and I understand about the holiday backing things up.  But I just went back through all of my orders and as it turns out, my post office has stopped scanning ALL incoming mail that is picked up by my mail carrier!  Usually my mail carrier will scan it in, so that at least it appears as "Picked Up" in the tracking.  But if he doesn't do that--like Tuesday when he was so busy--then the first scan doesn't occur until a package reaches the regional distribution facility, and that can be several days later!  The 1 package of the 11 that had tracking information on it was actually first scanned at the regional facility.  They got it fast because it was Priority.  But my other Priority package is evidently sitting unscanned at my post office two days later.  I don't know if this is the new procedure at all local post offices, but if it is, sellers you need to be aware that handing a package to a mail carrier does not necessarily mean that it will be scanned into the system in a timely manner.

[1tuna · Accepted solution]

I am more of a drop and go customer at the post office

drop my packages in the chute and thats it

I learned a log time ago that tracking does not do anything for me so I juts stopped looking at it

I have noticed many times I drop off a load on monday and it does not get scanned until wednesday

it seems like it sits ther all day tuesday,not sure why but that what happens

[dovey]

Yes, I've dropped packages off that way too.  But my post office used to scan everything that came in that same day, but now they've stopped scanning incoming stuff altogether.   Frankly, I think they are overworked and probably understaffed these days.

[lightlily_arts]

For me it's hit and miss depending on who picking up my mail that day.  There are three individuals that work my route.   They all know that I'm an eBay seller.  Two of them will do the acceptance scan when they pickup my packages.  The third postal carrier doesn't even though when I schedule the pickup I request to be provided an acceptance scan.   When I have larger packages I request that they come to the door for pickup.  When they need to come to the door I don't put any of the smaller ones in the mailbox because the lazy one won't come to the door for my larger packages that don't fit in the mailbox.  Thus, when Xmas came around only two of them received an annual Xmas gift.  Depending on the mail service level some packages don't get scanned until they reach the regional sorting center.  Some FCM don't get scanned until they reach their destination.

[kensgiftshop]

That's why I always go to the PO and stand in line if I have to, to get them scanned and get a receipt.

[dovey]

That is ideal, to be sure.  But during the week I typically don't have transportation to the post office, so I hand the packages personally to my mail carrier.  Henceforth, though, I'm going to make sure he scans each and every one!

[dovey]

I usually wait to give them to the mail carrier in person because he doesn't always receive the "scheduled pick up" form.  It's a bother, but worth it.  And henceforth, I will make sure he scans each and every package so that my buyers can see that their packages have been picked up.

[a_c_green]

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@dovey wrote:

Usually my mail carrier will scan it in, so that at least it appears as "Picked Up" in the tracking.  But if he doesn't do that--like Tuesday when he was so busy--then the first scan doesn't occur until a package reaches the regional distribution facility, and that can be several days later!

---

Yes, that's why the initial Acceptance scan is so important. That not only is the first evidence that the USPS has taken possession of the package but also is the only way to show its later travel to the origin sort facility. When the local container leaves your post office, the container itself is scanned, and all the packages known to be in it will have their tracking records updated with a DEPARTED POST OFFICE entry.

If your packages were not scanned on Acceptance, their records won't get the Departure entry logged either, as the system doesn't know that your packages are in that container. Thus the first entry they will get in that situation is when they pass through an automatic scanner at the sort facility later on, and the system will create an Acceptance record at that time, finally showing that the USPS actually has your packages.

Thus it's important to get an Acceptance scan when you first hand off the packages, and you are entitled to get it. The USPS is not vague about it. They have stated in the past that every package is expected to be scanned when received, not sometime later on, as quoted in this excerpt from a letter to eCommerceBytes in 2014 by Roy Betts, Corporate Communications Officer of USPS, and posted to USPS' own website sometime around then as well:

"Postal Service carriers are required to perform an acceptance scan on all prepaid, barcoded parcels that they pick up from customers."

Ref: https://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/letters/blog.pl?/pl/2014/4/1396456422.html 

[1786davycrockett]

So you think Martin Luther King Day is a "silly" holiday?

I have friends in Mississippi and Alabama that would strongly disagree.

That is, if they were still alive. . ..

[dovey]

I am SO glad you mentioned this because my husband told me that last time he went to drop off packages at the post office they refused to scan them and told him to go use the automated system in the lobby.  I assume that the automated scanner will log in the packages the same way, but yeah, I know for a fact after examining my recent sales records that they are NOT scanning incoming packages.  

[cindefoudre]

My outgoing packages will get picked up say on a Tuesday, and it is usually Thursday before they are scanned.  There have been a few times they were not scanned until they got to the regional distribution center, and there have been a few times they were not scanned until they got to the buyers post office, but most of the time they are scanned a couple of days after they are picked up.

[ritzycaboodle]

What?  There's an automatic scanner??  I definitely going to find that next time I go to the post office because I'm getting a little tired of the PO not scanning my packages that I leave on the counter so it looks like to my customers that I haven't dropped their package off in a week?!?

[ritzycaboodle]

I'm having LOTS of trouble like this.  I hope we don't all loose our top rated seller "privileges" next month because of this mess.