Never seen this happen with a scan form before

[gurlcat]

TLDR: If you don't use scan forms for package pickups, none of this will make sense to you.  

I bought 2 Ground Advantage labels for 2 nearly identical packages (small jewelry pieces in eBay polyvinyl envelopes).  I paid for them together via Bulk Shipping, then generated and printed the scan form for my mailman, as usual.   Yes I'm aware that the scan form scan is not the same as an acceptance scan as far as the USPS is concerned, but eBay does consider "Item received, acceptance pending" as the day you shipped, even if the acceptance scan doesn't happen until after midnight (or ever).  I've been using these for years.  

But I can't figure out what weirdness happened today.  One of the packages shows the scan this afternoon, but the other one does not.  These are screenshots from eBay, but yes I also checked on the USPS website.  



Here is the scan form.  It shows that it's for 2 GA labels, but of course it doesn't show their tracking numbers.  And I couldn't find any way on eBay or the USPS to see whether it the correct tracking numbers were affiliated with it.  I tried scanning the 'master' bar code at the bottom of the form, but USPS just said it's for a pickup transaction, not a real tracking number.  Duh, but I was hoping it could say what tracking numbers it IS for.  BTW scan forms aren't only for pickups; my p.o. also scans them when I dump a pile on the counter. 



But just now I found something on the Bulk Shipping page that obviously has something to do with this bizarre situation, and I have never seen it before.  "Manifest"?  -Yeah a scan form is a type of manifest, I get that, but it doesn't explain why only one of the packages IN the manifest reflects the pickup.   I wonder if this is some new thing eBay is doing .... or USPS is doing.  Now that I think about it, I don't even know if the scan form is a "product" of eBay or the USPS, as in, who makes decisions on how it functions. 

[robbie31415]

You overthinking.

Some tracking update faster than others.

Check it again now.

Manifest = Scan form.

Since I don't generate manifests on eBay, I don't get that status. I have a feeling it's an in-between after you generate a scan form.

[gurlcat]

Like I said in the very top line, if you don't use scan forms you won't understand (and would have to rely on having a "feeling" I guess).   How can you even assess that someone is overthinking something you aren't familiar with?   

[robbie31415]

You are making a weird assumption.

I think you missed the part "on ebay". As I don't buy labels on eBay becsuse they are more expensive.

All I use are scan forms.

I'd say the evidence shows you were overthinking. 🙂

 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Been having some bizarre tracking result timing this week.

USPS has been modifying both tracking and Informed Delivery for some new features.

There have been outages and delays but eventually the data appears and is accurate/

I haven't seen what you have but I do not use a scan form any more. My carrier is uncooperative.

[gurlcat]

It's not "overthinking" when it is literally the first time something happens after hundreds of times that it didn't happen before.  Every single time, it has been a simultaneous scan for all items on the manifest a.k.a. scan form. And I had plenty of reason to be concerned because my mailman already skipped my scheduled pickup yesterday and now it's the weekend, so I was looking at serious lateness issues.  I waited several hours before making this post for the very reason of avoiding seeming worried over nothing.  So I get why you're amused by the dumb luck that the scan finally showed, so soon after I made the post.  It's pretty hilarious, honestly.   But in the future, don't be a d!ck my darling.  We need to be good role models for the children.  

[robbie31415]

It's very normal it's not simultaneous.

Maybe you do smaller scan forms where you don't see it.

But if you did larger manifests you'd see it quite a lot.

Some tracking don't update for hours and in worst cases days.

Even if it took a till the next day and it dinged your late metrics for not providing validated tracking on time once it syncs the system should automatically remove it as long as the tracking was provided on time.

I'm going to remain my belief it was overthinking when you gave very little time for the system to update.

I'm sorry you haven't experienced this before but it's very normal.

[gurlcat]

My guy (who is usually pretty awesome) skipped my scheduled pickup yesterday, in fact I suspect there was a substitute instead of him.  Then last night when I tried to schedule again for today, the feature was "Not available right now" so I kept trying every half-hour or so, right up to the 2 AM cutoff, no dice.  Luckily I received a bill today so whoever was working HAD to stop at my mailbox, and they did this pickup despite it not being scheduled.  

That was far from the first time I've seen features unavailable on the USPS website, in fact it's a pretty common thing there.  But what do you mean when you say they are "modifying both tracking and Informed Delivery for some new features" ?  

[gurlcat]

Okay ... you are probably right that I haven't seen it before because I usually ship only 1-2 items a day, and a 6-item day is 'big' for me.  That would explain my inexperience with it, but that's only half of why it struck me as odd.  The other half is that it simply doesn't make sense for multiple tracking numbers manifested into one master code to not have that scan visible simultaneously.  In fact, I would have been far less puzzled by them both lagging by the same amount of time.  

Admit it's freaky, Robbie.  ADMIT IT!!!!   😆

[robbie31415]

It is freaky, and it annoys me. I'll admit it.

It's just not weird.

And to scare you a bit more sometimes the scan never makes it in.

Nothing you really can do.

A little secret. Ebay gives you more time to validate tracking then they let on.

I bet your package will get a scan from the distro before you'd even end up penalized.

[gurlcat]

As long as neither of them get DELIVERED late, I'll be absolutely fine.  But they definitely did start one day late because of yesterday's skipped pickup.  

[robbie31415]

Almost Every package I send is delivered late according to eBays estimated date range.

Ebay underestimates every shipment by at least 1 day.

There is no ding for late delivery if handled on time.

[gurlcat]

Right, but what I'm saying is that according to eBay's records I DID exceed my handling time.  These items were bought on Thursday and I have 1-day handling, so in accordance with that I'd need to have at least 'Received' scan by the end of Friday.  But I didn't; I got the scans today.  So if they're delivered late, eBay will consider it my fault.  

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

@gurlcat 

I think you're way over-thinking this.

I have had scans (whatever they may be, SCAN form, kiosk, direct acceptance) not always upload right away. Sometimes they upload unevenly where some upload sooner than others.

I very often have it with KIOSK scans where I'll scan a bunch of packages and its all submitted at once when I finish and print the receipt but the tracking updates come in sometimes hours apart. I have had this occasionally with SCAN forms where one tracking updates and the other doesnt for a while.

The "Manifest" vs "In Transit" is simply explained by the fact that those statuses rely on the tracking updates so one says different than the other because one tracking shows an update and other doesnt.

Lastly, your late "ding"  won't happen because your SCAN form scan will likely eventually show up. I may be wrong but I don't believe it matters WHEN the tracking update occurs as long as the tracking shows you shipped on time. If that were the case then thats stupid. I did have a handful of Kiosk scans not show up today until 4-5 hours later btw.

[gurlcat]

You're missing a lot of information that are in replies after my OP.