Package never scanned in as accepted USPS

[pautrea52]

Hello. New seller here. I was a bit out of the way out of town when I spotted a mail truck doing the rounds on a street I was parked on after doing an errand. I had my package ready and labeled and asked if he wouldn't mind sending mine off. He said sure. That was Tuesday afternoon and here it is early Thursday morning and still no scans. A bit worried as they usually at least do an acceptance scan correct?

[b2nt]

Yes, it should have been scanned in, and it may have been. Unfortunately, the USPS tracking system is notorious for not updating in real-time, so it’s possible that their system just hasn’t properly updated.  I realize different circumstances dictate different actions, but the single biggest concern for me as an eBay seller, has always been initializing the shipping process. In all honesty, I can’t rest until I know my shipments have been shipped, and entered into the tracking process. Early on in my eBay history (well over ten years ago), a buyer tried cheating me out of an item that was about $150, and he filed a dispute that he never received my shipment. Fortunately, I shipped it with tracking (which he didn’t know), back before it was so commonplace. So glad I did, and had the tracking history showing it was actually delivered to his doorstep. The buyer eventually admitted he received the item. Of course, all of this correspondence was through the dispute system, so eBay/PayPal reversed the hold on my payment, I got the money he paid me back, and his account was eventually deleted for other similar incidents, I’m sure. My point is, from this, I never waiver from 100% following the proper shipping procedures. Yes, you should be able to safely assume the carrier took care of your package, but there’s always the possibility, he may have overlooked it, or misplaced it before getting back to the post office. Hope this all works out for you.

[johnrj1226]

That carrier may not  have scanned  your package in when you handed to them unless  you asked them to (they are not required to unless asked and some carriers are reluctant to do scans) and  they simply off  loaded your package at the sort facility at the end of their shift to be processed.  Carrier scans do not show up in "real" time they  have to down load their scans at the end of their shift. 

Sometimes tracking scan "mysteriously" don't show up for a few days.

Just be patient a scan "should" show up

[simba6]

It's become common for packages not to get scanned when dropped off. They don't show up until they get scanned in transit.  I have had some only show delivered.  They were getting lax before Covid-19 went viral and it's only gotten worse.

[kosmosattik]

Mail carriers do not do acceptance scans.

Just a guess, but there might be a problem if the postage is variable by distance and you handed it off in a different zone than your eBay shipping address that is farther from the destination thereby requiring more postage than what you paid.  

[johnrj1226]

Our carrier scans in something like "USPS  carrier pick up" with a date & time stamp that appears on the tracking history .  Then it is accepted at the local sort facility at the end of their shift.

[sodelight]

Did you check for the scan only on ebay or also on the USPS site? Ebay is always slower to update tracking. Things will show scanned on USPS.com but not on ebay, etc. 

[a_c_green]

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@johnrj1226 wrote:

Carrier scans do not show up in "real" time they  have to down load their scans at the end of their shift. 

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That depends on the equipment they're using. The older hand-helds didn't upload their data until they were docked in a charging stand. The current ones upload in real time. I get email notifications of a delivery to my house before the truck has even turned around at the end of our street.

[buyselljack2016]

Some carrier scanners have a "real time update" when an item is scanned.

When my carrier picks up/scans, I can see that info online within minutes. Not real good about putting the flag down after pickup, so I often check "online" to confirm if the carrier has been here before walking out to the road looking for incoming.

The scanner at a nearby "small office" (not my zip) has a different style scanner, and must be cradled to transmit the collected data.   Years back the directive was to cradled as soon as possible to get info sent. Sometimes doing other things such as scanning other things in the office, might take precedence over rapid cradling. Some may not cradle until closing up for lunch/closing up for the day.

Hopefully your item will get a scan someplace, but unfortunately it will most likely result in a late ding.

I'm lucky, as "my" carriers (not just a stray carrier on the street) are great about scanning on pick up. I have had some that did not get another scan until way along the way, so that carrier scan saves my bacon.

I even had one just this week that I took to an office with a "point of sale" (POS) terminal where the scans update periodically during the day.  Took several in. All got their acceptance (in possession) scans. All but one updated with the "depart Post Office" at the end of the day.  Crickets for 2 days until it got a scan at a "regional facility" hundreds of miles/several states away 2 days later. All the rest got their nearby "regional facility" scan.  Start at same office/in the same sack/on the same truck, but no scans.

With yours, as for "left on the vehicle". Well, if it was a USPS delivery vehicle (white/red/blue) the likely hood of "left on the vehicle" is very low.  Vehicles are very "open". No little spots for stuff to hide. End of route/travel when back at the office all equipment (tubs/trays/sacks) is to be removed from the vehicle, so very unlikely that anything would be left.  Now............   if it was a small/very small item it could possibly be tucked away with all the "empty equipment" (pile of supposedly empty sacks), and may not be seen again until that equipment is used.

Also, I like to do my checks at USPS dot com.  eBay is surely not on "real time" updates.  The aforementioned package is delivered, but it does not show that status in eBay.

[buyselljack2016]

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@kosmosattik wrote:

Mail carriers do not do acceptance scans.

Just a guess, but there might be a problem if the postage is variable by distance and you handed it off in a different zone than your eBay shipping address that is farther from the destination thereby requiring more postage than what you paid.  

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Unless there has been some great changes,  the carrier's scanner is not going to have any clue about anything other than the fact there there is a USPS scannable barcode on the item.  Any zone/postage discrepancies would be picked up on by USPS later in the travels.

[njfleamarket]

I had a buyer pull something similar with me years ago on my work account, the item was shipped in tracked envelope with signature required.
Tracking showed it delivered, the signature I got back read, 'Left on porch'. Buyer denies getting it and files with eBay as item never received.  It was shipped to his registered PP address.

ebay sided with him, refunded him the full amount he paid. PO refused to help, they failed to get a real signature and claimed that it was a valid signature telling me they can't control what a customer signs as his name". My guess, and the post master agreed that the 'signature' was most likely a lazy carrier.

Worse yet, four months later he's got it listed for sale on his account for double what it sold for. I was out the item, out the shipping. The buyer never left feedback so no ding on the account but I lost the item and the money, plus shipping. That was  right after they quit letting sellers leave negatives for bad buyers. 

[kh-stanley1]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.