Postmaster says I must provide a 'Manifest' for carrier scan of over 5 items

[nan.zs.candle.creations]

23 yr eBayer here - Have a problem I've never encountered before...

Just moved to new rural postal area a week ago, Postmaster & carrier seem great, I spoke in person to both of them, they both know I run a small business, I assured them I would drive any large or heavy shipments into the PO myself (30 mile round trip) - I usually have between 4 and 5 little packages a day, however, I put 8 small packages out in mailbox today, and carrier only scanned five.

I called PO, asked Postmaster if she could scan the missed packages as accepted when carrier came in - she refused.

Now I will get three "no carrier acceptance scan" dings.

PM told me carrier is not required to scan more than 5 packages on the route, and if I have more than five I have to use a 'Manifest'.

I asked her if she meant a Scan sheet...and Postmaster told me she has NEVER HEARD of a Scan sheet.

Yes, that is exactly what she said, and she was VERY adamant in insisting that I had to use a 'Manifest'.

She said she would have Commercial Services contact me...?

PM also told me that the 'new contract' says the route carrier only has to scan 5 packages and that PM cannot force carrier to scan more (unless I use a 'Manifest').

That new contract is not even in force yet - they are still taking ballots until Jan 13, 2025.

I tried researching this 'Manifest' on the USPS website - looks complicated and applies to shipments of 50 or more packages.

Frustrating, because a Scan sheet needs the correct number and kind of packages listed on it, a Package Pickup must be scheduled by 4:59 am for pickup that day, and customers can order from me until 3 am my time (midnight on west coast).

This is a totally new situation for me, I have NEVER had a carrier not scan every package in my mailbox...

Comments?

Suggestions?

Do I toss away my TRS+ and stop doing Next Business Day shipping, or stay up until 3 am, make sure all orders are in and if I have more than five = print a scan sheet, (and hope the PM didn't know what she was talking about)?

Thanks!

[robbie31415]

Sorry, their post master isn't' wrong.

5 item limit without a scan form is an actual USPS green lit rule.

eBay has even talked about it.

Manifest and SCAN form are the exact same thing, and used interchangeably.

You can provide manifests on eBay by using the bulk shipping tool.

You don't have to do labels in bulk either, just use the tool 1 by 1 and they will all add to the manifest that you can print at the end of the day before it needs to be scanned.

@wastingtime101 I would like to see ALL USPS labels get added to the manifest regardless of using bulk shipping tool. 

I think it's ridiculous that eBay limits it to that, but a non-issue for me since I don't buy labels on eBay anyways. But I do feel this hurts some smaller sellers who don't use it. I don't get why it can't be like PS where they all just get added.

[chapeau-noir]

If you haven't, I would bring the scan sheet in and show her what you mean. As above, the scan sheet IS a manifest, they mean the same thing and she may be just confused as to terms. All your carrier has to do is scan in once, and done. Explain that it's a huge time saver for your postmaster's carriers. If you haven't, I would do this before going over her head.

[nan-zs-jewelry-2020]

Yes, I use PS for all my labels, they have a great End Of Day bulk scan sheet printout, it's just weird that the Postmaster insists she's never heard of a Scan sheet. 

[dbfolks166mt]

@nan-zs-jewelry-2020

Yes, I use PS for all my labels, they have a great End Of Day bulk scan sheet printout, it's just weird that the Postmaster insists she's never heard of a Scan sheet.      

     OP is in small township in Michigan possibly a new or young postmaster. Maybe a limited staff and Post office is open split hours during the day.  

Tuesday	8:30–11 AM, 12–3:30 PM
Wednesday	8:30–11 AM, 12–3:30 PM
Thursday	8:30–11 AM, 12–3:30 PM
Friday	8:30–11 AM, 12–3:30 PM
Saturday	8–11:30 AM
Sunday	Closed
Monday	8:30–11 AM, 12–3:30 PM

[nan-zs-jewelry-2020]

FINAL UPDATE - Problem resolved.

Had a long talk with my nice carrier again today, who says from now on she will pick up ALL of my packages, no matter if I use a scan sheet or not, no matter how many I have.

Problem happened because carrier was formerly told she could not EVER scan more than 5 packages -even with a scan sheet.

(apparently the local PO made up that rule because one of the other carriers was scanning up to 50 packages at one stop - one at a time). Carrier had no idea what PM was talking about for a 'Manifest' - but did say it's the 3rd new PM here recently.

So I'm pleased I did not have to escalate it further.

[chevymontecarlo88]

Excellent!

[redlinear]

@nan.zs.candle.creations 
  Find out if you mail carrier person is USPS employed or Contract.  
If Contract, explain your situation and beg them to scan all packages.
If USPS employed?  I'm not sure how you can explain this to them, but, the more packages they scan has a DIRECT effect on vacation days and other benefits. 

Our latest mail carrier is USPS employed and did exactly what yours is doing.  Refused to scan more than the required 5 packages.
I remembered the carrier that she replaced always wanting more packages to scan.  So, I called her and told her what was going on (only five???).
She laughed and said the "new girl" will figure it out Pretty quick.
Something came up about a month later with her vacation days and salary.  And that was somehow related to her picking up 20 packages a day and only scanning the required 5.
She was FURIOUS!! 
She now begs us to ship more, more, more, more.  SO that she can scan more packages when picking up.

[a_c_green]

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@nan-zs-jewelry-2020 wrote:

Problem happened because carrier was formerly told she could not EVER scan more than 5 packages -even with a scan sheet.

---

Well, the whole point of the SCAN sheet (Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice) is that it represents the whole batch being picked up, and thus she is not required to scan anything other than the SCAN sheet. The 5-or-less rule is for times when no SCAN sheet has been prepared.

Ref: https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Click-N-Ship-SCAN-Form 

That said, the SCAN sheet is so infrequently used that a lot of USPS employees may have never encountered one. I remember one day in our local PO when I watched one clerk trying to explain the purpose of the SCAN sheet to another clerk who had never heard of it. It doesn't surprise me in the least to hear that a local postmaster didn't know what it was either.

[kraftique]

My husband who is a Rural Carrier said  do the Parcel Pick Up online.   That he never heard of the Manifest.

He is pretty sure the 5 piece limit the carrier is talking about is not  linked to that pick up.

[robbie31415]

Lucky my PO has banned manifests all together lol. So I go to a different PO.

And they refuse to scan bulk packages sometimes like 50.

They expect me to leave them on the counter like all the other sellers.

But it's like bruh I'm TRS+ with same day handling. I can't afford to just leave them on the counter.

I need my tracking validated. 😬

Check this PO response.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/My-post-office-banned-scan-forms-Lol-Fail/td-p/34357469

[yuzuha]

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@robbie31415 wrote:

Sorry, their post master isn't' wrong.

5 item limit without a scan form is an actual USPS green lit rule.

---

Yep, my local post office has been enforcing it for a few years now. Any more than five packages and they'll send you over to one of the kiosks to do your scans there.

[goodnu9]

I have learned over the years, postmasters are nincompoops! As a retired letter carrier, I've come across many who don't know their arses from their elbows! I also live in the country and have a rural carrier. My regular rural carrier will pick up ALL my packages and scan them. That's their job - customer service. (I give him a card and $$$ for Christmas)  I have had dealings with sub rural carriers to lazy to pick up outgoing mail in my box. They would put the incoming mail on top of the outgoing mail. I even have  sign on my box "Outgoing Mail In Box" and that doesn't help. I complained on line at USPS.com and my postmaster responded back and stated a supervisor delivered that day when the outgoing mail wasn't picked up. I stated, "Can't your supervisor read?!!!!!" 😆 You don't want to know how poorly USPS is run by useless management. If USPS was ever privatized, 99.99% of management would be fired!

[broto_64]

Regardless you should always provide a SCAN sheet, I speak only to my carrier in person when they come by and so we have an understanding between ourselves... Make them feel human, relate to them somehow (easy for me because I work for a living too). 
A lot of people don't really understand how much work ebay is, don't harp on it but I do let it slip that nobody's getting rich quick, that often I take home a few dollars per package outgoing and it can take up to an hour to pack and process something like 5 shipments so all in all it's just another job for $10-$15 an hour my only advantage is I can work from home so there's no getting dressed and having to drive back and forth etc.
I almost always ignore higher ups and post office employees (unless I'm there in person and then only if it relates to what I am doing there presently), I don't bring my mailbox conversations into the post office and vice versa because there are too many policies and misunderstandings, so most of the time I keep things between just my carrier and I.
Now if there are any problems I file an online report, keep in mind that while it tells you the reports are completely anonymous apparently they have a way of knowing whodunit (but I usually don't really care at that stage).

EDIT: I see you've gained that understanding between yourself and your local carrier.
That to me will resolve 99% of your USPS related issues, have and keep a happy relationship with the carrier and you should be gold.