Massive USPS delays and not scanning of packages in Atlanta ...ebay not mentioning

[jasoheat_0]

Request EBAY post a message which is available to all Buyers and Sellers who may have shipments go through the ATLANTA Metro area of processing.  The message should advise everyone as to potential service delays and what EBAY will do to handle this unique and terrible condition.

The USPS opened a new regional processing center in Palmetto, GA about 3 weeks ago.  The facility is on the south side of the metro area.   While marginal, USPS service has gone into the gutter.  Mail is lost, not being processed to any standard and is a flat mess.  A Buyer and Seller who has packages going through this site should be fully aware that service delays will most likely be encountered.  The topic has made the local news networks in ATL daily for the last several days.  It may not YET be a national news story but should.  Be aware!

To make matters worse, the USPS closed or suspended operations at 2 older facilities in the ATL Metro area and reportedly moved / let go over 300 personnel involved in mail processing.  A terrible condition affecting everyone on a national level.   For those living in the ATL Metro area, they are also encountering issues with mail for bills, other personnel issues, etc. being delayed or unknown.  Of course, the USPS indicates everything is great!

If you want more information, please goggle WSB-TV in Atlanta and read the stories.  WSB-TV is one of several local TV stations to ATL. Or just google USPS delayes in Atlanta Ga ( please make sure you filter by time ( the last week ) and there are reports by several stations and a senator is getting involved already .

I personally have 4 packages this week that have yet to be scannned , and i have scases , bvut nothing is happening , i spoke with a over seas rep Jubilee ( she was the supervisor i asked for ) and explained the issue , she stated i ws covered under the ebay protection as i reported the issue ( not sure if this is real or another lie by these 3rd oarty rep . Does anyone have any suggestions , trying to keep my business in good standing . Anyone else having this issue as its all over the news here . 

[12345jamesstamps]

I have been lucky.

I am not doing tracking for most of my items and they are still getting cross-country in 4-5 days.

Anything without tracking or "metered mail" is still moving good if you use real stamps.

[matmil-us]

You've got all the details correct, but noone seems to know about the problem, not even the people at the local P.O.......

I'm in the ATL Area. Kennesaw. I've been having issues with the mail as well. My first was when I generated a label for a small Ground packge, Generated label Feb 27., dropped package in box on the same day. Today is March 15. The package was never scanned at the sort facility as it usually is. The customer, a buyer, clearly never a seller was hot under the collar as the item didn't scan within a week. I get a message. "Do you think you could get that patch in the mail this week? Thanks" I explained that it was on it's way. Never the less, it still hasn't scanned the buyer got his money back three days ago, and to add I received a NEGATIVE FEEDBACK because the mail is not working correctly. Ebay IS NOT MAKING buyers or sellers aware of any problems, the lack of customer service and dwindling sales is pointing me in a different direction. 

[stefoun_89]

Sadly I had to refund my sales because there is no update in tracking and i cant provide any because USPS hasnt updated since receiving it,It is in there posession the trucks from February 26th still havnt been unloaded or sorted.I was advised to ship through UPS or Fedex until this problem is resolved.There is a delay of 3-4 weeks  in sorting and processing.Ebay has got to step in and help us resolve this problem.

[isatwin74]

Just had this problem with the  Palmetto, GA Hub. My buyer is in Ga and their package sat in that hub for 8 days and my buyer opened a INR case. The day they would have been able to have eBay step in the package finally got delivered. 

[oaktoncardinal]

USPS is changing the way they process the mail maybe you've noticed the new TV adverts... what you are describing happened first in Richmond VA in Nov/Dec 2023.  Same nightmare you're describing.  Richmond and surrounding mail is still having issues.   Almost 100% of VA mail goes thru the Richmond processing center (NOVA and far Southwestern goes elsewhere) 1st Class, GA and Priority are all affected.  eBay MUST know this as they see mail tracking data and have said in one of their recent chats they have AI/Algorithm that track delivery info.  We hear reports on these Community posts that Houston and other areas have the same issues but it appears eBay does NOTHING, specifically eBay can give Sellers some grace on shipping delays, give longer delivery estimates to Buyers and warn about delays throughout the process for which they will protect Sellers.  I had packages stuck for over 3 weeks that were mailed in November and these packages were my largest sales of the year.  I was lucky as I kept my Buyers informed they trusted me.

Buckle up - these delays are based on USPS revamping the business in an attempt to be more efficient and keep postal rates from exploding further. These changes will be rolling out over the next year (or longer) throughout the entire USPS system and you must know that (IMO) some postal employees are fighting the changes with everything they can to make the process improvements fail.  eBay MUST know this.  I IMPLORE eBay to protect Sellers from USPS processing delays.

[janet9988]

Switch to using UPS and then you will not have to worry.

[dogofwar777]

Sure is strange Atlanta USPS is having problems during an election year...

[carlmarxx]

It is very clear that any attempt  done under that worm  Dejoy's  to revamping  USPS  business to be more efficient    making it into a cheap copy of  FedEx  or  UPS  doesn't work  !   

[lakefor94]

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@toysaver wrote:

I've had to apologize and tell my inquiring buyers that it's a time of flux and nearly every USPS facility has a help wanted sign hanging on the door.   The only way I can ship faster is if I use telepathy.  It may also have something to do with it being an election year.  Usually such cataclysmic failures have multiple causes.  

---

I dropped a USPS GA at the post office on Saturday that was too wide for my oversized mailbox.

Saw a sign on their front door for Help Wanted.

That was my 1st trip to the USPS counter this year and probably in the last 4 or 5 months.

I remember in the 80's and 90's, the post office jobs were hard to come by and a very desirable job for many.

[buttercup1358]

Thank you so much for your detailed answer. Your explanation is pretty much what my local post office told me yesterday and what I tried to convey in a different message. Maybe because I am a buyer, and not a seller they did not understand I was trying to help.  Couple of sellers pretty much think it is only a GA issue and whether intentionally or not, came across like an accusation that I should not be suggesting they use FEDEX or UPS just because I was the only one with issues. I wished them both well and hoped their packages all continue to arrive in time. Things really are going to get worse. 

[buttercup1358]

Read the detailed answer that oaktoncardinal gave. I got the same type of answer from my local post office yesterday in Braselton. Not just a Georgia issue.

[yellowgameboycolor]

Hi fellow Georgian here, I have 22 packages with claims of INR which I will most likely have to pay out since eBay only allows a 10 day extension from when the claim is supposed to be resolved. Now I will be out the money and most likely the product unless they somehow magically appear, and even then I have to hope they actually get redirected to me and not those customers requesting refunds. Absolute mess and has made me lose faith in the system and even caused me to pause all sales indefinitely. It sucks because this was a massive income for me in order to live comfortably and pay bills but it's not like eBay would even want to help or care.

[yellowgameboycolor]

Did your packages end up being delivered after those 3 weeks?

[gator08041971]

Actually had a package go through Atlanta this week.  No issues.  But it was a laptop, maybe being bigger and being marked for Li-Ion helped?

[mikepa_15]

I have been dealing with this issue for several months and it is not confined to just Atlanta. Wanted to share a response I got today from the USPS for a package inquiry : 

Unfortunately with the staffing shortage across the country within USPS it is not uncommon for a package to not receive a scan as it travels through the system.  It is very likely that your package will not receive a live scan, meaning it was scanned by a person, not computer generated, until it reaches Wisconsin.  We have no way of knowing where the package is at during it's travel until that time comes.  It is scheduled to arrive in Sturgeon Bay WI tomorrow, which is still likely if it's arrived at one of distribution centers today.

All we can ask is to have some patience and to please contact our office if you do not receive it by the end of the week.  A package is not considered lost until it has exceeded 30 days.