USPS Ground Advantage routing!

[whitewaterford]

I  am hoping this is just an exception.  But, just had to share!  I live in a medium size city.  Received an order last week to mail a small parcel to an address in our city.   Not only to the same city but to the same zip code, so all mail come from the same local post office.  The post office is midway between me and the buyer.

I thought about just delivering it the buyer myself, but didn't because it would never show delivered to eBay.  So, since the buyer already paid for postage, I went ahead and mailed it the 6 miles.

Wow...Just had to share on this one how strange the USPS routing was for this package.

It took a week to get from 61615 to 61615!  It travelled about 600 miles instead of the direct route of 6 miles!

• Mon, Apr 21 12:15pmDelivered, Front Desk/Reception/Mail RoomPEORIA, IL 61615
• Mon, Apr 21 6:10amOut for Delivery, Expected Delivery Between 9:30am and 1:30pmPEORIA, IL 61615
• Sun, Apr 20 4:53pm Arrived at HubPEORIA, IL 61614
• Sun, Apr 20 11:16amDeparted USPS Regional FacilityPEORIA IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 61601
• Sun, Apr 20 8:45amArrived at USPS Regional FacilityPEORIA IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 61601
• Sun, Apr 20 5:13amDeparted USPS Regional FacilitySAINT LOUIS MO DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 63042
• Sat, Apr 19 11:25pmArrived at USPS Regional FacilitySAINT LOUIS MO DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 63042
• Fri, Apr 18 2:18amPROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITYCHICAGO IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 60130
• Wed, Apr 16 3:50pmArrived at USPS Regional FacilityCHICAGO IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, 60130
• Wed, Apr 16 6:55amDeparted Post OfficePEORIA, IL 61615
• Tue, Apr 15 12:43pmUSPS picked up itemPEORIA, IL 61615

I want to believe this wasn't the intended routing.   But, in my book, the package should have never left the city!

Oh well .... you win some, you lose some.

[pikabo-icu]

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@whitewaterford 

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I've seen this kid of weirdness myself.

Item was about 12 miles away, in a big city hub, went 200 miles PASSED me and bounced around a bit before it came back & landed at my local PO.

I think sometimes they get on trucks that have a set route and go to the furthest destination & then unload at stops on the way back to the hub.

That's the only theory I have. 

[sassykzt]

Even when shipping to the same zip code your local PO  must ship it to their designated distribution center.  Why it went from Peoria to St. Louis is mind numbing!  Possibly missent?  You would think USPS would have processed it and shipped it right back to 61615.  The fact that it took 6 days to ship something across town is just 😱  😡 🙄.   Did your buyer have any comments?

[pastimpressions]

I must confess that posed with the same scenario myself, 

I might have messaged the seller re: local pick-up/delivery.

Now whether this took the form of a hand-delivery & marking manually as delivered,

or the process of cancelling the entire order & formally relisting as local pick-up as an option

I cannot say.

I just would not have been able resist the urge.

Especially given all the risks/variables inherent in shipping.

If I was the buyer, I would have asked you.

It is just too much that it was the same zip code.

Haven't had that one happen yet.