USPS Ground Advantage

[timbbuc2]

I was wondering if anyone else are having problems with USPS Ground Advantage.  Recently it seems to be longer delivery time than normal. I ship same day unless it is purchased after normal shipping hours. My margins are tight on some items, and I have to ship the most cost-effective carrier.  So, I had two items that I shipped to "repair shops" and they contacted me saying they had not received their item and their customers were upset.  I tracked the items and saying in transit. I shipped a replacement to both buyers Priority Mail and they got it in 2 days. Now for the original packages still have not been delivered (shipped 3/18). Any ideas or help would be appreciated. BTW , that is 5 shipments since 3/18/24 And yes I did contact USPS with no help. I filed a claim on one of them. 

[stricker49]

Aside from the longer shipping time, the cost is has doubled for me going from first class package to ground advantage (i.e. 3 oz small package is now around $4.70 with GA vs $2.35 with FCP).

[crs619]

Massively under-staffed and from speaking to my local post master today, they all dislike the new Ground Advantage platform. They 'lost' my very expensive item I sold, I did not adequately insure it, and it is a very expensive lesson learned.  I will only be using Priority, moving forward. Ground Advantage has major issues. 

[robbie31415]

My item lost rate is higher with UPS than GA.

Lost items can happen with any service.

But honestly Ground Advantage is one of the best things the USPS has done and has stolen a lot my UPS business.

Before it USPS was only decent for items less than 1 lb. Parcel Select/Retail Ground was a bad joke. Over priced and took ages.

[chuckarelei-studio]

my package is still sitting in los angeles for 5 days. go figure?

[deserdog]

I have been selling a long time. When was a 3 ounce first class package only $2.35? I was looking at some old labels:

First Class Package • Zone 4

Estimated Delivery 03/28/2023 by 9:00 PM if shipped on 03/25/2023

$3.75

[techiegirl.1]

ground advantage is why I stopped buying on Ebay and the sellers that use it.

[joplin33355]

I’m waiting on a package from Denver to Miami. It’s been 12 days!!! Still has not arrived. Last scanned in Miami post office early morning 2 days ago. No scan since that time. I spoke with postman. He said it’s the cheapest way for business to ship. 10 to 12 days isn’t unreasonable, even though USPS claims 2-5 business days. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

Note the word "Ground" in the name of the service. Are you aware that farther north in your state there have been two hurricanes in the past 12 days? The Miami sorting center is probably overwhelmed with arriving packages that were delayed enroute by weather.

[cwh5150]

i call it Ground adventure. even our post employees laugh. they go for a ride with ground adventure

[gloss111-us]

I hate ground advantage! 

We in hawaii get punished.  

Everything goes by barge! 

3 weeks I wait for all my orders! 

[mattcasdorph]

I have highly considered leaving natural feedback for late packages shipped as "Ground Advantage". Every package now that ships USPS is that type of service and every single package is delayed everytime. I'm going to leave neutral from now on if they are late. That is really our only option to teach these sellers to stop using such garbage shipping options. It may be "convenient" for the seller so they can save a buck but its always the buyer that suffers with late/delayed packages.

I honestly can not fathom how USPS even has shipping this consistently awful. It's a "it'll get there when it gets there" type of service and honesty it's pointless to even have a tracking number as it doesn't even update half the time. Then comes to my capital city where it should be sent to my local Post Office for delivery the next day, but it tends to leave the state altogether and bounce around a couple more states before coming back to the same city. It is 💯 horse crap and these sellers are going to learn if I have anything to do with it. I'm well within my rights to leave bad feedback if its delayed because the seller chose the worse economy shipping available 

[707productions]

I agree with you. I will also be leaving neutral feedback for late packages. Ebay needs to remove USPS Ground Advantage from their shipping options. I think I will stop ordering from Ebay and order from Amazon that has 2 day delivery. I have been waiting on a package that has been to more places than a Rolling Stones tour. 

[pastimpressions]

I find on average absolutely no difference in handling time between USPS Ground Advantage & Priority.

I occasionally upgrade to Priority for a long-time or repeat customer as a courtesy or "bonus" if you will.

Used to ship everything Priority years ago when I last sold regularly on eBay (10 or so years ago) & when I returned to selling in July of 2024 I reflexively deferred back to Priority. Free boxes, fast shipping & reasonable cost.

Costs were just too darn high now for Priority & I am in a category where the excess shipping cannot just be passed along without sacrificing sales. On average, it also is not as fast as it used to be either.

I switched to Ground Advantage. Transit times are no different. 

If there are any issues, it's with USPS in general & not a specific service product they provide. I might guess that if there are systemic issues with USPS in general, they are quite specific to certain facilities/regions.

In any event, all of this makes it a PERFECT, FORTUITOUS & WONDERFUL time for eBay to commence with advertising in BIG BAD BOLD LETTERS right on the price point of my listings how all my items will arrive in world record time. Nice!

Customers are already waiting a little longer than before as the "new normal" & you want to gaslight them that it's a rocket ship to the Moon?

Great.

Who do you think the customer will blame if they are disappointed by the gap between normal shipping time & the fantasy eBay forces on your listing without your consent or knowledge?

The eBay wonk that justified their salary with this smooth move or the innocent seller?

One guess.

Is that timing or what? 

[msha3839]

Well, seller shipped package from NH to Florida on December the third with usps ground advantage and it still nowhere in sight…government facilities at work…

[tvconehead]

As a buyer anymore I am staying away from sellers using GA.  This is no better than USPS parcel post.  It seems like the distribution centers throw it aside and only process it if they have time.   One purchase I made from a seller in OK took 4 days to get from the local post office of the seller to the Oklahoma City distibution center.  From there it took over a month to get to arrive.  2 times the seller had to open a request to search for the package.   As they go woke go broke.  Go GA and go broke sellers!