eBay

password9019 · ‎03-16-2017

So yesterday I did some checking on a recently shipped 14 ounce package (buyer paid $9.09 - free shipping) sent First Class, and discovered that it was located in a so-called Recovery Center and is labeled as "dead mail". The only other thing of mention is that it has "visible damage", and cannot be delivered nor returned.

What is this? I mean, it's the first time I've heard of such nonsense. In my own experience as a postal customer, if a package appears damaged, than the P.O. STILL DELIVERS IT!! The carrier will white card the package and, if possible, try to speak to the sendee.

Now I may be mistaken, but isn't that process that should be followed for all packages, Priority Mail or not? Who ever heard of mailing a package with USPS and then the sender being told, via the tracking data, that basically, 'uh, we screwed up, and it's now ours to keep'?

Any input would be helpful. thanks.

ted_200 · ‎03-16-2017

@password9019 wrote:
Gimme one good reason why I should be on the hook for this ($9.09)? Especially with free shipping?

You and I both know that that is what it is gonna come to, if there's a peep outta the buyer. Oddly as well, I messaged the buyer a couple days ago about this situation, and have not heard back (a whopping 3 whole feedback, so go figure).

I am thinking the item was stolen, deliberatley removed from the box by a worker and stolen. As far as being run over, I do know that that can happen, and it does from time to time happen. My point to that is, DELIVER IT ANYWAY - IT IS NOT YOURS TO KEEP! ...let the buyer hav it and make the next move.

This is the first time I believe I've ever been lied to by the P.O., as best I can recall.

Whatever condition it's in, whatever actually happened to it (and I suspect it is not the victim of intentional theft), you'll be able to get it back, so you're not entirely out.

It seems odd there's enough tracking label left on it that they have a scan for it, but it was not deliverable. You might have to file a Missing / Stolen mail report to get it back, although they're supposed to deliver or return FC mail. I would think if the two addresses are missing they can recover that info. from the barcode/tracking #, and either deliver or return it to someone.

And delivering it to the addressee may not be so good either. They delivered a Sm. Priority box to a buyer of mine that was totally empty and shredded. Obviously buyer claimed "not as described", claimed empty box, I figured he was a scammer. I call his local post office, and some one there actually remembers seeing it (buyer had a very long and unusual name), remembers it was empty and damaged, remembers thinking someone was going to be unhappy... yet they delivered it to my buyer, with nothing more than a "delivered" scan.

It was a bag of 50 common $1 coins. They tore the box open somehow in a sort center, the coins went everywhere. Despite no info. about the box at all at the lost mail center, I filed a Lost/Stolen mail trace describing the contents - about 3 months later they arrive in my mail reboxed and addressed to me, with no further explanation.

It's doubtful anyone stole your item, but they may well have damaged or lost it, and you're going to eat that - that's the way it goes with mail order. At least you know where it - or whatever's left of it - is at.

The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves.

usmc*usnmom · ‎03-16-2017

@password9019 wrote:
I corrected my information....somehow, I thought I remember seeing the increase was made just recently. I guess I was incorrect there also. That said, I really cannot see what weather has got to do with this.

My research of "dead mail" showed that they are mainly the packages that are declared lost. So, in theory, if the label came off, it would be relegated to a 'lost and found', which is the P.O.'s own language, in describing what a "recovery center" is.

But like I said, the label could not have come off (from lack of adhesion). It's just not possible the way I attach them.

The box could have been damaged in a way that the labeling was unreadable. If there was a packing slip, it could have gotten separated. No matter how well you package, it can happen.

Why did the package go to Memphis? It IS a major sort hub. Also, I'm sure many Post Offices in the Midwestern fire areas were affected (1000+ sq. miles just in Kansas), not to mention all the snow storms.

I highly doubt that someone would risk a good paying job to swipe your train tracks.

I love you forever, Christie! Fly high, precious daughter 1/14/1987-12/20/2016

password9019 · ‎03-16-2017

I can tell you for a fact that fed-ex was having their packages stolen in my neighborhood over the holdidays late last year.......thing is, Fed-Ex was not very forthcoming about how this was happening....becuase the packages were marked delivered. Rumor was that someone was also follwing my USPS delivery guy (not the delivery guy where my items are located, though) - he told me himself he saw the guy taking boxes off porches.

Fed-ex was less transaparent about what they knew or could have seen, other than to say that one driving those packages to our neighborhood was extra help, a "hired hand" subcontractor helping to augment the delivery staffing shortages occurring in relation to the unusually large parcel volume for that time of year.

A police investigation suspected the Fed-Ex person was also being followed by a thief. MY own personal investigation concluded the delivery guy AND the one trailing were conspiring with each other.

Not saying there is a parallel here, with my current situation, but I am saying that I don't care what anyone says, the label could not have come off the box- even if ran over by a machine. It would have still been on the box.

buyselljack2016 · ‎03-16-2017

A retail package that gets a tracking sticker does not have the # located right under the buyers address the way an online label does. Very plausable that the to/from could get wiped out, and the tracking # stay clear.

That package has to go to the mail recovery unit to attempt to determine where it came from, or where it is to be delivered by looking at the packing slip that is taped to the item inside.

The package can not just be opened someplace along the way to check.

They will be able to use the tracking #, and USPS postage label to see where it was posted, but that must be done at "mail recovery unit"

password9019 · ‎03-16-2017

DEAD MAIL / SENT TO RECOVERY CENTER

Mar-12-17, 00:03 AM, MEMPHIS, TN 38136

-------

The above is the latest info, verbatim, in the tracking data. It was four days ago (all weekdays, too). I really do not see any evidence that the post office is doing anything but playing me.

The above info is ambiguous as well, as it makes no distinction between Memphis being the area of arrival for recovery, or whether Memphis is where it is being sent out from for recovery. The data immediately before this does not say "arrived at ____________" (as it should normally) , either, since it left Springfield, MA (in where it states Arrived/Departed Springfield. It says only "visible damage", and it has the same location and time stamp as the above data.

Hinky. Plain and Simple.

duchess-at-speakeasy · ‎03-16-2017

I recommend that you open a "lost in the mail" inquiry at your local PO. Describe the packaging and contents -- size, color, stuffing, type of label and tape, etc. Provide photos, of course, along with the relevant names, addresses and tracking number. The information will be sent to the recovery center for match-up and whatever disposition you request. ~~C~~

My Glass Duchess
Quoting Mom: In polite society, "hey" is for horses.

lja440 · ‎03-17-2017

A retail tracking number will have only the PO as it's point of origin.

An on-line tracking number will have a virtual paper trail back to your account.

If both addresses are unreadable it will go to dead letter but the on-line tracking has a much better chance of getting the item back to you. A retail tracking can be posted but it is up to you to put in a claim for it.

yuzuha · ‎03-17-2017

@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:
I recommend that you open a "lost in the mail" inquiry at your local PO. Describe the packaging and contents -- size, color, stuffing, type of label and tape, etc. Provide photos, of course, along with the relevant names, addresses and tracking number. The information will be sent to the recovery center for match-up and whatever disposition you request. ~~C~~

Seconding this; the PO was actually able to find and deliver something to me based on information that the eBay seller gave the PO about the contents of the package that had been damaged. It had been in an envelope that was ripped open and the item inside (a shirt) had fallen out, but thanks to the seller filing a lost mail report, the PO was able to find it and send it along to me.

password9019 · ‎03-20-2017

For those of you that followed this thread the other day, the main point here is the fact that the online tracking went straight from "Departed Springfield" to "Visible Damage, Memphis" to "Dead Mail, sent to Recovery Center".

You see where the heart of the issue is here? Newsflash: THERE WAS NEVER ANY *ARRIVED AT* between the departure at the sorting center and this supposed visible damage stated to be a thousand miles away! That folks, is why it's a LIE.

No tracking information, if it is legitimate, will ever say "departed from" and the next thing above NOT say "arrived at". Period. Arrived at must follow departed from, if the information is honest and accurate. That didn't happen here. Hmmmmm.?

...and so yuh all know, I explained this to the P.O., the worker at the place I mailed the package from. And while she refused to refund me my cash (I pay cash), she told me to report it to the P.I.'s office, online. Waste of time, I said.

After she checked the tracking herself, she came back and said - quoting here, "Yeah, that makes no sense".

A postal woker may not have been the one who stole or tampered with the package. However, if indeed it WAS a postal worker, than far as I care, the P.O. is steling from me twice. Once with the package, and the other with refusing me my postage refund (at the point of origin).

password9019 · ‎03-20-2017

this is what a false/fabricated tracking data looks like.

yuzuha · ‎03-20-2017

@password9019 wrote:
For those of you that followed this thread the other day, the main point here is the fact that the online tracking went straight from "Departed Springfield" to "Visible Damage, Memphis" to "Dead Mail, sent to Recovery Center".

You see where the heart of the issue is here? Newsflash: THERE WAS NEVER ANY *ARRIVED AT* between the departure at the sorting center and this supposed visible damage stated to be a thousand miles away! That folks, is why it's a LIE.

No tracking information, if it is legitimate, will ever say "departed from" and the next thing above NOT say "arrived at". Period. Arrived at must follow departed from, if the information is honest and accurate. That didn't happen here. Hmmmmm.?

Wrong. I've had plenty of packages get "Departed" scans from sorting facilities (or not get any scans at all) without ever getting an arrival scan there. It's not at all uncommon.

9405509699938061290262, 9400109699939631076559, 9400109699939667986976 -- here are three that never got ANY scans at my local sorting facility, yet all of them went on to be delivered just fine.

ms.rodriguez* · ‎03-21-2017

First, email your buyer and keep them calm and tell them you are trying to locate their package. I didn't read all of the posts so forgive me if I repeat what someone else wrote. My thought was that the package got damaged and perhaps oozed a liquid and that's why it was sent to the dead letter. I would go to your post office with the tracking # and see if they can track it down at that facility and RECALL the package. If it has some liquid oozing or sounds like broken glass, I can understand why they won't return it. Then you are so out of luck and for sure will have to reimburse the buyer. Do it and email them and ask if they will agree to a cancellation and at least, you can recover your ebay fees. Give them the refund by telling the buyer to open a case. Don't refund from paypal or that can result in a defect. Ebay will think that you backed out of the deal.

partial*eclipse · ‎03-21-2017

ms.rodriguez* wrote: ... . If it has some liquid oozing or sounds like broken glass, I can understand why they won't return it.....

See the image in post #5: It's a long piece of model railroad track in a box that measured 3x3x37 inches..

password9019 · ‎03-21-2017

You misunderstood my comment, and took it out of context.

Once again: The online tracking data shows "departed", from a sort facility (Springfield). Following that, it never says it arrived anywhere. It never said "in transit", either, which is typical of the information between "departed" and "arrived".

I can tell you for a fact that I have never seen online tracking data that does not state either "in transit", or "Arrived at", immediately following a scan that stated "departed from".

The point is this: There's no standard proof it ended up in Memphis, no information demonstrating it was damaged, and there's EVERY reason to find the data suspect - at least the last two entries. Or, as in the words of the postal worker herself: "Yeah, that makes no sense".

...Because it doesn't make any sense. If you think the post office's workers and others who can access their fascilities/destination points are not stealing and tampering with packages on the regular, than you're sorely mistaken. You really are.