eBay

sergeant_argent · ‎11-07-2018

I scheduled a USPS pickup last Friday for the next day (Saturday, 11-3-2018) for two items that I sold, one being shipped via First Class package and the other via USPS Ground. My problem is that neither were initially scanned but I did receive a confirmation email saying that the pickup was completed and while one showed up in the tracking as being accepted by the local origin facility on November 4th, the other one still shows no tracking information whatsoever at all and I'm not sure what to do. Today the buyer messaged me asked when I'm going to ship it and I had to explain to them that I already did but that I'm having issues with the post office. This is part of an ongoing trend here, as most of my packages ARE NOT scanned when they are picked up and I've brought it up to my local post office twice now and they said that they would alert my mail person who is assigned to my route but nothing has changed except for the fact that I now have a sold item that cannot be accounted for. I tried to file a missing item report on the USPS website but it says that it falls outside of their parameters so I am at a total loss right now.

So has anyone here ever had a problem like this or do you at least have an idea of what I can do? This is really frustrating.

sam9876 · ‎11-07-2018

I would sit down and enjoy a cool beverage.

thatisrathernice · ‎11-07-2018

@sergeant_argent This has happened to me a few times. Usually the unscanned package will eventually get scanned at buyers local post office days later. I asked my mail man about the unscanned scheduled pick ups and was told that they aren't required to scan the packages individually at pick up just the the barcode saying they completed the pick up which triggers the pick up email you are speaking of. They are supposed to be scanned though that night before leaving your area. If talking to your local post office didn't help sometimes making a complaint through the USPS website can be helpful. Honestly there really isnt much you can do at this point but wait and see if it shows up. If buyer doesn't receive it by the estimated delivery date you will have to refund. Going forward you can bring your packages to the post office and wait in line to be scanned. Its the only fool proof way to get an acceptance scan. Annoying I know but you can't really depend on anybody but yourself.

Hope this helps!

sergeant_argent · ‎11-07-2018

I would rather try to correct the issue, seeing as how this is might compromise me earning my Top Rated seller status back, which is something that I've worked pretty hard for.

sergeant_argent · ‎11-07-2018

I just went back to look at my scheduled pickup and when I entered the confirmation number and pulled it up it says that it was cancelled. Now I'm really confused. I never cancelled it and I already received a pickup confirmation. This is really strange.

sergeant_argent · ‎11-07-2018

Did your packages show up as being late in eBay's system? I've been working towards getting my Top Rated selling status back and I'm just worried that this is going to compromise it. If I had the time during the day I would take them all to the post office and have them scanned in but that's just not possible right now.

sergeant_argent · ‎11-07-2018

Here's the confirmation email

thatisrathernice · ‎11-07-2018

@sergeant_argent With the cancelled message I have no idea what that is but one of those packages has shown up in tracking so you know they have them. My most recent issues with unscanned packages were a few weeks after hurricane florence and I am located in NC. I am also in the guarunteed delivery program. I am not sure which one of the two saved my behind but the late packages (a few) did not show up on ebays system. I am at 85% right now and if they did show up i think I would have been above the threshold. One thing I have found that will help bring those numbers down is to just try to sell some unwanted things off cheap and fast. The more packages you successfully ship out that get scanned the lower those numbers will get.

sergeant_argent · ‎11-07-2018

@thatisrathernice wrote:
One thing I have found that will help bring those numbers down is to just try to sell some unwanted things off cheap and fast. The more packages you successfully ship out that get scanned the lower those numbers will get.

Thank you. That's pretty much what I've been doing. I was Top Rated for a while but took some time off and didn't sell anything for several months so my yearly sales figure dropped below the required 100 items, which made me lose the Top Rated status. I recently started selling again and have been cleaning out my closets and also have been procuring items from friends, Goodwill stores, etc.

mr_lincoln · ‎11-07-2018

@sergeant_argent I read your post and a few replies ... the risk of not making sure you get the Acceptence scan is that eBay will ding your account and your late shipping defect will go up to where you risk getting kicked in to the addtional 4% Fee barrel ...

I think this is one deficiency in eBay's system because not everyone lives close enough to a Post Office to take packages and get them scanned. You should probably bring this whole subject up at the next Weekly Chat (Wednesdays) so the eBay Team can address this. My understanding is that the carrier on a scheduled pick up is supposed to scan eBay packages per the agreement with eBay. If THAT is not happening then eBay needs to take action ... I mean they ARE holding Sellers accountable so they may as well hold USPS accountable too.

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor

stanleysoverstock · ‎11-08-2018

It may have changed but I thought that at least one package had to be priority for a scheduled pick up.

fern*wood · ‎11-08-2018

I've pretty much given up trying to get my carriers to scan upon pickup. I have several different ones and only one does on a regular basis. One thing I believe has helped more than anything for me is I extended my handling to 2 days from one. This gives the post office more time to get them scanned.

The good news, though, only a few times have they gone a long distance before someone decided to scan them and never has one missed a scan entirely...yet. Some solve this using scan sheets but I highly doubt my carriers would scan them either.

thatisrathernice · ‎11-08-2018

@stanleysoverstock wrote:
It may have changed but I thought that at least one package had to be priority for a scheduled pick up.

You can now schedule pick ups for first class packages as well 🙂

mr_lincoln · ‎11-08-2018

@fern*wood When packages leave a local post office they are "supposed" to be scanned on to the bulk mail truck ... next stop is a bulk mail center and scanning is automated ... packages are placed on conveyors and go over a checkweigher and through a scanning chamber that will find the tracking number bar code and scan it. (If the package winds up with the label on the bottom that box may get rejected and require a postal worker to inspect it and then place it back on the system, going over the checkweigher and scanning chamber a 2nd time ...but that I think is rare). Once the box is on the conveyor its all automated and they are sorted to zip codes or zones for the next step in the process.

So every package "should" be scanned either the same day it is shipped or no later then the next day it is shipped.

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor