Shipping Delays in USPS/UPS/FedEx

[sailorjakku]

Hi everyone!

I'm still fairly new to eBay (less than 2 years) and I am starting to wonder if shipping is better with UPS or FedEx than USPS during the pandemic. Sometime in February, someone bought an item from me but about a week or two later, they requested a refund because they have yet to receive the item. I sent the buyer the tracking info and reminded them that USPS is very backed up due to the pandemic. However, at the end of the month the buyer got their refund and a few days later I got a notification that the package was delivered 😑. Thankfully, the buyer returned the package but I was still upset about the whole situation.

After this situation and hearing all kinds of horror stories about people still waiting for packages for months and administration screw ups in general, I am considering shipping through UPS or FedEx instead. Honestly, I feel terrible because USPS is cheaper and they are much easier to reach for rural residents.

[postingid7659 · Accepted solution]

FedEx, buy label through eBay, discount the difference back to the buyer if you like.

Items are tracked and there's nothing like what I am currently going through - the item went into a postal center on the 26th and has had no real tracking update since.  It's only about 200 miles away and normally should take 1-2 days to reach me from there.  

[sailorjakku]

Thanks for the advice! I personally felt like the buyer could’ve waited a little longer, but I understood their frustration. It’s so upsetting to hear about people who still have yet to get their Christmas presents.

[postingid7659]

FedEx is not without it's share of issues, if you have the ability to drop at a FedEx Office or other pickup where they weigh and give you a receipt you want that.  Sometimes they come back and charge you more than the label amount for no real reason.  

[writingblog341]

I never ship USPS after two times packages containing APPLE PRODUCTS were delayed over a month...even with priority. I occasionally use DHL to get to rural international locations (like places in Ireland without a ZIP Code or the middle of the Russian Far East, or even in the nearly improbable and not-yet-encountered case  I need to ship to North Korea), but for lightweight packages, you can get UPS Ground for somewhere around $8-$10 USD domestic, or in some cases FedEx 2Day Guaranteed for $13 or less (sometimes $11). If I need to charge extra for UPS or FedEx shipping on low cost items (like coins), I add a small surcharge to shipping prices to cover eBay's final value shipping fee.

UPS and FedEx are private companies, so they can't just keep burying themselves in debt or stack up delays without risk of lawsuit without settling. The premium you will pay is absolutely worth it; eBay sellers can even get UPS Overnight Shipping on a large percentage of ≤3lb packages for less than $40; in contrast, ordinary consumers have to spend triple figures to overnight a package.