USPS Delays June 2020

[peach1800]

Hi,

Is there something going on with USPS again. I have multiple first class pages just stuck for 2 weeks with no movement. It says it is still at the post office in which I dropped the packages off at.  I dropped two first class packages at the same time.  I went to post office to ask and they said to first class can take a little bit longer than normal. He said should be delivered by end of the week (which is now) . It still hasn't moved.

Luckily one is insured.

I have other packages that I dropped at a different post office and are sitting at the next facility.

Not exactly sure what to do except wait... I hate USPS.

[jonathankirkland]

Sorry to hear that.

As a buyer, I've been buying steadily for the last few months, many packages from around the country, and only a few seemed to get held up. I had to open a few INR cases but the 2 I opened, both packages mysteriously were dislodged from wherever they were and arrived to me before the INR cases ended. Thankfully for both me and the seller!

Currently there is one package stuck some place from a seller. He says he dropped it off at the PO but it still says "USPS awaiting package." It's been over a week and many days past estimated delivery. Seller told me he opened a missing package case with USPS and they would get back to him soon. I said I wouldn't open a case until I hear back from him about it hopefully by Wednesday of next week.

Anyway, this seems to be about 1% of the time only. In other words, literally 99 out of 100 packages I've ordered recently (not exaggerating those numbers, it's been a lot), have arrived on time or maybe just a a few days late.

If I see the package is moving I don't fret about it being late but if I see no movement and it's stuck somewhere for a week or more then that's when I begin to wonder if I'm going to receive it or not...

Anyway, I hope you don't have to do many refunds, if any, and that they all get going on their way soon!

[divwido]

Wait another week and file a claim.  I did that on Monday and the item is now moving.

[lepke1979]

If it shows they have it, do a where's my package. Anecdotal, but it will usually move or update a day or two later. Also set it to email and text for everything. Hasn't worked for me, but some people say it will usually update later that day.

[a_c_green]

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@jonathankirkland wrote:

Anyway, this seems to be about 1% of the time only. In other words, literally 99 out of 100 packages I've ordered recently (not exaggerating those numbers, it's been a lot), have arrived on time or maybe just a a few days late.

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Yes, it's that last 1% that can be a real nightmare. 

Beginning around the start of June, First Class Package shipments through the Elk Grove Village (IL) sort facility became staggeringly backed up. Those of us shipping different rates soon saw that Elk Grove  was passing through the Priority Mail properly, but leaving all the FCP sitting in trailers in the parking lot. 

Finally I compiled a list of seven shipments from June 2, 3 & 4 that had not shown up anywhere beyond our local PO for 10 days or more, printed it out and handed it to our local postmaster (who in the past has been very helpful at making noise when noise was required).

A day or two later, the delayed packages started turning up at other Chicago-area facilities, every other location except Elk Grove Village (which is the normal intake spot for mail from our town), and finally they have reached their destinations. EGV continues to take in Priority Mail, but FCP goes everywhere else instead. I can't credit our postmaster for all that, but I'm sure he added his share of complaining.

On a semi-related note, the USPS finally kicked out the Chicago postmaster and transferred her to Milwaukee, where she can be Wisconsin's problem now. The replacement Chicago PM is coming in from Kansas City, MO.

[sin-n-dex]

I'm finding sloppy scanning going on everywhere. I had an INR for $80 in silver a couple of weeks ago because the mail carrier didn't delivery scan the package. (After the INR was filed, I called the buyer's PO and explained the need to refund because they didn't scan the package and they updated that for me right away). The buyer lost the INR.

Right now I have something that was in Miami like three weeks ago with no tracking since. I think it was going to a freight forwarder.

My packages to Japan normally scan, but the last one scanned in New York and never again. It should be delivered by now and the buyer hasn't complained. He's a repeat customer so if he files an INR I will just refund him since I have no way of knowing if is $5 coin got there or got lost since no one scanned it.

Not really related to delays, on June 9 one of my packages was "scheduled to be redelivered" to a buyer (a $30 item), for some reason they couldn't deliver it or it didn't get picked up at the PO. I really don't want stuff coming back because I use a freight forwarder in Canada (who is 100 miles from my house), so getting my stuff back is a nuisance. I just want things that are mailed out to get delivered, no fuss no muss.

C.

[lepke1979]

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@sin-n-dex wrote:

Not really related to delays, on June 9 one of my packages was "scheduled to be redelivered" to a buyer (a $30 item), for some reason they couldn't deliver it or it didn't get picked up at the PO. I really don't want stuff coming back because I use a freight forwarder in Canada (who is 100 miles from my house), so getting my stuff back is a nuisance. I just want things that are mailed out to get delivered, no fuss no muss.

C.

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Is there someone you trust in the US where you can have the return address be to them? Can have them hold a handful of the packages until they get a certain number to go back to you. One package of 5 or 10 items instead of 5 or 10 individual packages.

Or, if you really trust them, they just mail it out for you if it sells after relisting it.

[vintagecraze50]

USPS is absolutely not as reliable as they were before Dejoy took office and with their financial woes and now still messing up the system with slow delivery on first class mail as per the Dejoy plan. I completely stopped using them pre Christmas and use Fed Ex Express with Ebay’s Discounted rates for small items. It saves me the terror of the INR here and the possibly of free merch to all when they are late. I have ZERO tolerance for this stuff with my items here and all my Fed Ex stuff get’s there faster than a lightening strike.

[jonathankirkland]

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@vintagecraze50 wrote:

USPS is absolutely not as reliable as they were before Dejoy took office and with their financial woes and now still messing up the system with slow delivery on first class mail as per the Dejoy plan. I completely stopped using them pre Christmas and use Fed Ex Express with Ebay’s Discounted rates for small items. It saves me the terror of the INR here and the possibly of free merch to all when they are late. I have ZERO tolerance for this stuff with my items here and all my Fed Ex stuff get’s there faster than a lightening strike.

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Have you had any issues with the prices being wrong with FedEx inside ebay? I heard that was a big issue, getting charged a lot more later for postage. 😐

[hurryagain]

I have noticed that there are some serious problems in California, both in getting my packages and in sending them.  I do not live in Cali but as a seller I have recently had items fall off the planet in Cali with no help from USPS "find missing mail."  They say that they cannot locate my buyer's package and has asked our PO here for help in locating it.  Our PO is small and has an excellent track record and I know all of the employees here so I do not believe it is on our end here or most of my other outgoing packages would then be lost, not just the ones addressed to California buyers.

Consequently, I have had bought some items from Cali sellers who...guess what...has not arrived here either.  One was supposed to be here on June 14th and again, no where to be seen or heard from.  Only my buyers and sellers from Cali are having this level of a problem where the mail actually goes missing.  Some east coast states are slow but my packages do eventually arrive to their destinations.

As of this week, I have intentionally avoided buying from anyone in California until this issue shows some improvement.  I feel for anyone in Cali experiencing these problems so I decided not to be part of that problem by not buying from there.

If USPS continues to get my packages lost in Cali, I will also stop selling to anyone in that state as well until this clears up.  It is a bummer for both buyers and sellers.

[friskya]

At least your packages show at the post office. I've got one that was picked up 2 days ago and was not scanned as picked up, so the status still shows "awaiting package". Usually I don't worry about the lack of a pick up scan, since my local PO scans them when the carrier returns and I I can use that to put the buyers concerns to rest. At the very least, it will get scanned at the NDC, but not this time.

Some things just never seem to change, it seems.

Some things never change