Selling Trading Cards - USPS

[paulanthony_21]

Has anyone else had trouble with brutally slow shipping through the postal service? I sell a lot of lower priced items and ship with USPS Ebay standard shipping. It costs about $1.12, which is perfect fow the lower valued cards. Recently I've received a ton of request for refunds due to cards not being received. The cards I ship are immediately and packaged and sent day of or next day always. I usually ask the buyer if they can wait a little longer for the card to arrive. In most cases the card is finally delivered, sometimes taking over 2 weeks. What can I do? Please Help!

[kensgiftshop]

About all you can do is quit using that cheap service.

There's been a lot of complaints about it from buyers and sellers.

[1786davycrockett]

@paulanthony_21 

Your shipments may be faster if you mail your eBay Standard Envelopes (ESEs) directly into the "Metered Mail" slot in your post office lobby, since that mail is considered pre-sorted, and is immediately processed through the automatic high speed metered mail scanning systems at your USPS Distribution Center (located very likely in another town, or even another county).  

These initial scans are NOT done at your local post office, and it may take an additional day or two to arrive at your USPS Distribution Center (particularly if you mail on a Friday -- the ESE may not receive its initial scan until the following Monday or Tuesday -- or longer, if a holiday intervenes).

Just handing your ESEs to the USPS counter clerk, or your USPS delivery driver, will increase the length of time needed to receive that initial "Accepted" scan, since your ESEs will be mixed in with other unsorted mail.  The same situation applies for mailing the ESEs at your home mailbox, or in the USPS "blue boxes," or at a business address.

And the "Delivered" scan on the ESEs only applies to the local post office matching the ZIP Code on the buyer's address -- the actual residential delivery may be several days later:  Again, if the "Delivered" scan is activated on a Friday, the actual delivery may not be until the following Monday or Tuesday -- or later, if a holiday intervenes.

As @kensgiftshop had stated, the ESE is a very cheap service, with multiple unstated hazards.  You can always upgrade to USPS Ground Delivery (which includes tracking), or take your chances with regular USPS First Class, which will probably be delivered faster that the ESE.

Good luck.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Many sellers ignore the rules on rigidity and send ESE packages which jam the sorting machines.

Postal employees hate when that happens and are not careful in how they deal with the envelopes which jam the machines. No telling how long it might take to get them back on track to be delivered.

They should route as fast as First Class Letter, but they do not because of the problems.

[12345jamesstamps]

Without using tracking for cheap items...usually it takes 4-5 days coast to coast to receive my items.

I used to ship trading cards...4 cards in a thin cardboard in standard envelope for one forever stamp.

I didn't lose one item last year plus this year in the USA using a forever stamp....plus my items arrive super quick...thus "repeat buyers"...not happy buyers might not be repeat buyers.

Now I do USPS tracking for expensive items but not cheapie stuff. Anything under $20 is a cheapie.

I usually check feedback of buyers as to use tracking or not. Repeat buyers will normally be honest because they want to keep buying from you...thus don't need tracking.

Like the others here "metered mail" should hopefully in your city have a separate slot for those envelopes.

[12345jamesstamps]

"Take your chance with regular USPS First Class"...."which will probably be delivered faster than the ESE.

I so agree.

I mailed an item Saturday the 10th in the afternoon and buyer left me positive feedback Monday the 12th  in the afternoon.  Of course, I am in California so maybe the mail is faster. Blew me away though.

[krazzykats]

I mailed an item last Friday, the 9th, Ground Advantage, 2lbs, to New York from Oregon.

It is projected to be delivered Saturday, the 17th...👎

[montana-belle]

YES! I think it was almost 12 days for a card on the same side of the country as me. Crazy!