eBay

jetrocket11 · ‎10-27-2018

I went to a post office yesterday. It was empty which was surprising. I took a package to the clerk and asked for acceptance scan + receipt. She started complaining as if I was asking her to perform brain surgery. I am just asking for a simple task that is part of her job, right?

She also tried telling me that the tracking number is my proof of acceptance which obviously is false since there is no proof that USPS is in possession until they scan it.

Anyways, she complained but in the end scanned it and gave the receipt but now it has been over 24 hours and the acceptance scan is the only activity. Maybe I'm being paranoid now but could it be that out if anger and spite the usps employee "lost" the package?

dazzlecity · ‎10-28-2018

Apparently I have the best post office on the planet - that kind of behavior hasn't happened there for years. I'd find a better post office or maybe it is a contract station. Maybe 5 years back we had a couple of PO workers who were simply horrible - they didn't last long - they either retired or transferred out. Now it's like old home week every time I go there. I even make them quiche for Christmas. Hope your situation improves because you don't need to be aggravated every time you need to mail something.

lynns.things · ‎10-28-2018

I am lucky, my mail carrier lives down the road from me and is a friend. I have her in my contacts and just send her a message if I have several packages or large package that won't fit in my mailbox and she comes down my long driveway and picks them up. She always scans everything she gets, I have never asked her to. If I have missed her for the day I do take packages to the PO myself and they always scan without saying anything. I do give goodies at Christmas, I think I may have to do it more often now that I know other peoples problems with the PO.

lintbrush* · ‎10-28-2018

@ms.piercing wrote:
The clerk at the post-office is right.
You are getting a discount on postage printed online simply because you are not using "counter" time.
Your packages are supposed to be dropped off and no receipt is given. Basically you are not supposed to bug the person. Your package will be scanned at the first sorting location.

If you want to have a receipt you need to pay retail rate.

Your post is incorrect. Part of "tracking" is scanning it. It comes with the service. Up to 11 scans is the USPS motto on it... and it includes an acceptance scan. Anyone waiting in line is a customer regardless of where they purchased their label.

If your argument was valid for online postage purchases, then USPS ClickNShip would charge commercial rates, but they don't. They charge retail rates.

It takes a lot less time to do an acceptance scan (about 10-20 seconds from the moment you walk up to the counter) than it takes others to buy a single stamp and put it on a debit card.

Here's a video (with a pre-paid label) that was actually issued by USPS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHpY3Sc5I1k You only have to watch the first 10 seconds.

Here's another post link: https://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/letters/blog.pl?/comments/2014/4/1396456422.html/3/40

which has a response from USPS about scans and how they are handled (actually in response to some POs trying to charge for them)

Also, some of the online "savings" rates are as low as 15 cents. FRE, SFRB, PFRE, Priority Zones 1-3 lb. To run that transaction through the PO at the counter would take much more than 15 cents of the clerks' time.

Now if you have a stack of packages, you should use a 5630 SCAN form. My PO has said more than 3 and they would like one - and that seems to be the current standard for the 4 different POs I use. Apparently there was some internal memo about it in response to the complaints they were getting when some branches would refuse to scan. One clerk even thought that the SCAN form cost money (25 cents) and that's why she was trying to require it for just 1 package and refusing to scan a single package.

remote_controls_and_more · ‎10-28-2018

I have mailed over 1000 packages this year and never had any of them scanned at the counter. I drop all my packages in the mail drop thing on the wall inside the post office. All have been scanned received the same day unless I drop them after hours past 5pm or on Sunday.

Is there a reason people wait in line for a receipt? It would waste at least 30 minutes a day to wait in that long line.

disneyshopper · ‎10-28-2018

I am retired. I no longer have multiple packages to ship, as sales are slow. I am able to use 4 different post offices, depending on what else I am doing that day. All the clerks happily scan my SCAN sheet for 1-3 packages. I understand that if a customer presents a SCAN sheet, they are required to scan it.

disneyshopper
Volunteer Community Member

joesoucie22012 · ‎10-28-2018

No the clerk is not right and neither are you. It is a postal reg that they have to give you a scan.

lilbama911 · ‎10-28-2018

If you really think about it, how much effort does it take to scan a package? By taking your package to the post office, as a consumer you are helping to keep the post office from closing. All postal employees all across America should say thank you.

Anyway, did you know that stamps will cost 55 cents in January 2019? Therefore, make your local postal clerks day and load up on 50 cent forever stamps now.

yuzuha · ‎10-28-2018

@remote_controls_and_more wrote:
I have mailed over 1000 packages this year and never had any of them scanned at the counter. I drop all my packages in the mail drop thing on the wall inside the post office. All have been scanned received the same day unless I drop them after hours past 5pm or on Sunday.

Is there a reason people wait in line for a receipt? It would waste at least 30 minutes a day to wait in that long line.

The post office I use has no line. Nine times out of ten I can walk in and go straight up to the counter. It's a small post office that mostly serves the office buildings in the area so there's rarely any sort of line as most of the people who use it are either dropping letter mail in the mail slot or picking things up from their PO box. It's just as easy for me to take it to the counter and get a scan and a receipt as it is to drop it in the bin.

buyselljack2016 · ‎10-28-2018

No scan sheets needed for me

The 2 offices that I would generally drop at have the hand held scanner. Less than 2 seconds per package to scan after setting up for the 1st one.

I talked with the new guy at the closest office about a scan sheet when he 1st started, and explained why I do not use them. He said it was no problem, just beep 1, beep 2, beep 3, beep 4, and send He is transferring to a career position soon.

Regular carrier, and Saturday carrier always scan pick ups.

I do not use scan sheets as we are working with 3 different accounts, and often 2 different days. I could have as many scan sheets as packages.

Even when I go to the larger offices (4) with the POS set up and receipts there is never a refusal. I think the higher ups in this district have instructed the employees to do their job.

kds99 · ‎11-04-2018

Yes, post offices are required to perform acceptance scans. I doubt the clerk sabotaged your package, but the sorting center may have failed to scan as well.

lja440 · ‎11-05-2018

@lilbama911 wrote:
If you really think about it, how much effort does it take to scan a package? By taking your package to the post office, as a consumer you are helping to keep the post office from closing. All postal employees all across America should say thank you.

Anyway, did you know that stamps will cost 55 cents in January 2019? Therefore, make your local postal clerks day and load up on 50 cent forever stamps now.

I have to admit sometimes it is very hard to scan a package.

When it is:

printed with so little ink it is not black and white but pale grey and white

wrinkled

bending around a corner

edges cut to close

label placed over the junction of the box flaps making the label buckle

barcode left unprotected on a day when it is raining or snowing

ab_ryut · ‎11-05-2018

USPS is a Government Security Job. Meaning, they have to follow all procedures from law. (They had to do Government background checks) If they refuse to follow laws... It's really bad, they have to go through specific government training as they have access to information and everything in the shipment that is governed. Thats why i's UNITED STATES postal service. It's like working at an an airline. You have access to aircraft and luggage and FAA governs (federal air aviation) rules. By law, they have to follow all procedures. When caught not following proper law- it can be even more than them losing their jobs. No excuse for "having a bad day! I'm going to not follow proper procedures!" Now, if they arent required (i have no idea- never been a postal employee) they may give people favors. But anytime you go there- you should get some proof when handing the package over -but scanning is usually done at pick up times unless purchase is made there. I don't know, but they may only be required to take your package and you have to wait for the scan at pick up time since it was purchased off site?

Pick up times here in California start fom early morning to 7pm that day scanned. It will still get scanned that day and uploaded in tracking.... Your reciept... Is it from Ebay printing or there? My suggestion, ship it there and wait in the long counter or just go to SSK to buy and print it out. Or just hand over and within hours its scanned. Ive worked jobs that if you print it out- just hand it over... Its scanned as it goes out within a few hours anyway. Your reciept is Ebay printing cause you didnt buy it from the direct post office.

jennieaa · ‎11-05-2018

The local contract station I go to is happy to scan your package -- they get paid for each piece they handle.

My favorite PO uses the hand scanner if you don't require a receipt. If you have a lot of packages, they will let you leave them and will scan later. (and they do scan later). Early on, when the previous postmaster arrived, he the facts of life he explained were - the more mail we handle, the more hours will be made available for counter staff. Scanning is proof of handling so scan. Haven't heard the new postmaster has said anything different (or might be met with 'this is the way we have done it for years') Clerks have asked their eBay sellers to bring in the packages after 2pm when there will be two clerks working.

I don't use my mailing address PO. It's too small and always has a line., even when all the clerk stations are in use.

The slot for packages fills up on weekends and holidays. And often scans don't take place until the packages get to the sorting center. For a time after mid-november, my carrier(s) were not scanning pickups, they would just set them in the bins for the sorting center. Which is how a package mailed on Friday was scanned later than a package mailed on Saturday... Saturday got put on top of the pile. Don't know what it is like now. I have a shipping leprechan.