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 . 

[yuzuha]

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@gurlcat wrote:

I've not had the slightest bit of trouble with GA, nor seen problems with it reported here.  The problems routinely reported appear to be hub-relataed, regardless of whether packages are GA or Priority. 

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I haven't either and I ship 100% via GA. In the past several months I've had exactly one package get miss-sorted and take a cross-country trip before being delivered, which isn't any higher than my previous incidence rate of such things happening. 

[lakefor94]

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@yuzuha wrote:

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@gurlcat wrote:

I've not had the slightest bit of trouble with GA, nor seen problems with it reported here.  The problems routinely reported appear to be hub-relataed, regardless of whether packages are GA or Priority. 

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I haven't either and I ship 100% via GA. In the past several months I've had exactly one package get miss-sorted and take a cross-country trip before being delivered, which isn't any higher than my previous incidence rate of such things happening. 

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I am watching for delivery addresses in effected areas. Those orders go UPS along with the expensive orders.

[yuzuha]

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@lakefor94 wrote:

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I am watching for delivery addresses in effected areas. Those orders go UPS along with the expensive orders.

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I've had several go through some of the supposedly "bad" areas in the past few months and none of them had any issues-- the one I had that went through Palmetto last month was in and out in under 24 hours and delivered in Atlanta the next day. I've heard bad things about Phoenix and St. Louis too but I've had packages go through both of those in the past two weeks and they too were in and out very quickly.

[robbie31415]

Palmetto was very rocky for me when it rolled out, but it's popping off and Georgia has been MUCH improved.

I hope they get more of these rolled out, the new RPDC.

[gurlcat]

To be clear when I was talking about "GA" I didn't mean Georgia; I meant Ground Advantage.  Sorry, that is definitely confusing.  

I know that Palmetto, GA hub was in shambles for a few weeks after it opened -if you'll notice that video with the trucks lined up is not very recent.  All my packages zip through there now.  I'm in Mobile and buy almost as much as I sell, so I have a lot of packages going in both directions, often through that part of Georgia.  

[dixiebirdbooks]

I hope you are right.  I had many orders stalled in Palmetto recently.  That's good news if things are better.  

[gurlcat]

Sooo .... ha ..... it's actually quite possible that I have just been extremely lucky.  I've indeed had no snags there in at least a month (but the few weeks or so before that were horrendous, with each package staying at least a couple days there) ... and, I DID see a report at least a month ago, saying that efforts to smooth out problems were succeeding.  

However ...... just earlier today I got the random idea to google about the facility, and apparently it is back in the news.  Seems like not everyone is as lucky as I, especially people who live right by there, and in some of those cases it's really REALLY bad, like people not getting their medications, tax refunds, all kinds of stuff.  Oh and they're using some kind of machine that has packages tumbling a long way to the ground -hard to tell but it looks like at least 12 feet.  Man.  What a mess.  I wish something would, um, happen to Louis DeJoy.  

[dixiebirdbooks]

I have stopped listing, that's how discouraged I feel at the moment about this situation.  Regarding fast and slow (or totally lost) mail in the black hole of Palmetto, I heard a report that the system is one where newest mail to reach the facility can be processed first.  That may explain the speedy ones going through and some simply lost in a pile for over a month.  I've got 'item not received' requests out right now. Some items never have been found after a refund given, that's been my experience the last few months.  I'm in S. GA and even things going to FL for some reason go up first to Palmetto. 

My items (postcards) are low in price, but if you are a seller with higher priced items, I'd recommend using any other carrier. Maybe that's the goal, to privatize this after demand from all this chaos. 

[gurlcat]

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@dixiebirdbooks wrote:

  Regarding fast and slow (or totally lost) mail in the black hole of Palmetto, I heard a report that the system is one where newest mail to reach the facility can be processed first. 

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Now that is something that has been true for all facilities for as long as I'm aware of.  Here's why (or at least how I've seen it explained by facility workers): Management gets bonuses/promtions/etc. based partially on their late package rate.  The problem is, the tally has no system for measuring HOW LATE a package is, only a late/on-time binary.  A package that is 5 days late is no worse than one that's only 1 day late, according to their punishment/reward system.  Late is late.  So once a package (or rather a whole huge bin of packages) are deemed 'late', the managers have no incentive to get them moving; they would rather focus on incoming traffic that is still 'on-time' and therefore can be spared from adding to their 'late' count.  So they set the already-late ones aside until they are caught up with on-time's.  

Incidentally, when your tracking has said "in transit" for way longer than it would really take to fly or even drive from one facility to the next .... what is happening is, the package is very likely already at the next facility, but they haven't scanned it "in" yet, because the minute they do that, the clock starts ticking on how long it's THERE, in their hands.  It's like a game of hot potato, they don't want to be the one responsible for holding it a long time.  If they "don't have it yet" then they can't be the ones who made it late (even if they really are).    

[ltldpr]

"I have stopped listing, that's how discouraged I feel at the moment about this situation."

I stopped listing in January, and even went on a 30 day vacation, because of the situation in Houston. That's where all my mail goes first and comes through last. It was the same as Palmetto. 

I'd like to begin listing again, but I can't predict where my buyers will be from and I know that all major hubs are going to be going through the same bleep as they're being "improved" and given the "Delivering for America" treatment. 

Some people say, "just use FedEx or UPS" or "you must be doing something wrong, because I haven't had an issue with USPS in the 20 years I've been on eBay". 

To the first, I say, lightweight items won't sell if you use expensive FedEx/UPS, and I'm 40 miles round trip from anywhere that will give me an acceptance scan. Pick ups can take days as well, so I'm not rolling the dice. Not to mention the notorious, monstrous charges that can, and do, come after the fact using either of those 2 carriers, and then you have to fight to get the overcharge back.

To the second, I say, just you wait! It'll happen eventually. It's just a matter of time. 

I miss my trusty old USPS. I hope it comes back soon, but I'm not holding my breath.

[gurlcat]

Everything you said about the other carriers is true, and I still trust the USPS.  I have indeed had some recent stalls in tracking movement on some packages, but to date I have never had an INR.  I'm certain I would have by now if it weren't for the fact that I write to buyers when their tracking goes bad, to let them know I'm watching and will file a search if necessary.  You might be surprised how long they'll wait if they know you care and are just as invested in their satisfaction as they are.