USPS Losing Packages at ALARMING RATE.. What is Happening??

[jas31l]

I've been selling on eBay since 2002 and have done decent volume since 2014..  on average I open 2-3 lost item cases per year with USPS.  I've NEVER had to open a case with UPS or Fedex.  So far in 2025 alone (we're barely over a month in), I literally have opened 13 USPS lost package cases!  I've been forced to refund 5 different buyers and none of those items were ever delivered..  looking at my sales for 2025, I'm opening a lost item case for about 25% of my sales and of the 75% that get delivered, nearly ALL arrive late! 

The tracking just says "In Transit to Next Facility, Arriving Late" every day until it just stops.  It's actually RARE that an item makes it on time.. and I get angry e-mails every day and item not received cases almost every day.  WHAT IS GOING ON WITH USPS???  I send most sales ground advantage because I sell a lot of polo shirts and clothing.  

[jas31l]

I can't really switch to another service because I'm shipping light items less than a pound, selling for like $12-20.. so I can't pay more than $6-7 in shipping.. FedEx and UPS are great but they charge $15+ for even light packages if I'm not mistaken..  also I live in a rural area, and don't even have a Fedex or UPS within 45 minutes, so it's kind of tough but I would actually do it if they charged the same as USPS Ground Advantage because this is unacceptable and unsustainable.

[banana*shoe*boutique]

Yes! Worst year ever!  USPS has done me so dirty these last few months.  I have had to do so many refunds and haven't gotten a single item back or the insurance paid.  So many hoops to jump through.

I also lost top-rated status over them not scanning packages.  It wasn't a problem in 20 years and now, 1 month of their incompetence, and I lost TRS.  Some priority packages took a month to get delivered, some are lost forever.  I have never had so many INR cases in 20 years that I've had just this month.

So unbelievably frustrated. And the messages from buyers like, "Where is my stuff, when am I getting it" as if I am still holding the box and in charge of USPS

[selsa84]

Guess him doing such a great job is why there are Senators and reps raising heck about his lack of getting the job done. Guess that's why there are news stories EVERY day about lost mail and slow mail.  Guess that's why there are more posts on the community pages about lost and slow mail than there have been about slow sales. On average 4 a day are posting about issues with the USPS. Yeah , he is doing a bang up job..... running the USPS into the ground.

[ltldpr]

Maybe OKC is having the same types of issues that Houston had late 2023/early 2024. I put my account on a 30 day time away because I learned from my small town postal clerk (40 miles from Houston) that one of the two facilities were having to sort everything by hand because some genius at USPS ordered a sorting machine that was too big to fit in the North Houston facility.

It was so bad that congressional reps started asking questions. It made the Houston news for a couple of weeks. Mail was delayed for weeks. One channel placed Apple AirTags in 2 packages. Those 2 packages spent the first night traveling back and forth between the two Houston sorting facilities but, of course, not being scanned.

Whatever I send now, I expect it to sit at one, if not both, of the two Houston facilities for at least a day or two; and, I expect the same thing in Indianapolis, if I send anything to Indiana. But, they have, so far, all eventually arrived. They're always boxes, not poly mailers, though.

Have you seen anything on the local news about the OKC facility? Or have you asked any of the clerks what they think is going on? 

[boppie354]

Same has happened.  A couple scenarios one being carrier didn't scan when removed from mailbox...I HAVE WATCHED HIM removing and not scanning. .apparently thinks envelopes with bar codes can wait. So what happened, item never arrived, I had to refund and post office did their thing and ultimately said " too bad so sad, it was never scanned so you're SOL".  Jerks.

Others taking forever to arrive, stuck in facilties for days, weeks etc. One is still saying stuck in transit after 2 months but the buyer received it.

Another guy moved ( didn't provide new address on ebay) says people at old place said they never saw it. Rrrright. Another refund.

Now all my items for the carrier have a sticky note attached asking him to scan upon removal from box so the post office can't say HE didn't scan it. 

[12345jamesstamps]

Can you mail one package at your post office paying the postage at the counter with a clerk?

Not using any pre-labels of course.

Try a change.

Yes, I understand you are probably not near a post office...can anyone do it for you?

Sounds like your post office made some changes lately as to scanning or something.

I would try this and track the package. Just a thought.

[carlmarxx]

I  talked with  a  USPS  rep. from  the 6th district  consumer  services   for  my neck  woods here  Southern Ca.    over   a odd  lack of tracking  on  a Priority  package shipped from Ct.  there was lack of update info on the enteral  tracking scan  .  the rep filed a report  at hub of the last scan  .   I did get on time  on .   I asked  what  was going  on with number  of their  sorting  centers  in both mid south west  and south  with unexplained delays   ,answer  was they  over loaded  at the sorting   centers  they were all not do to bad weather issue's . only   .   The rep did say  there some mergers  of  some sorting centers  down sizing .   

[carlmarxx]

The  in transit scans  are auto computer  generated  that doesn't mean  a thing  ,since the containers will sit  in sorting center  for 2 to 3 days . I have also seen un explained same  time stamp on  some parcels    when I checked the tracking.  

[kensgiftshop]

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@lakefor94 wrote:

Certain distribution centers are having major issues, Indy is the main one we here about here lately while trying to consolidate into a new facility. 

Last year it was Atlanta for a long period. Some just have continual issues.

I would also guess that there are a lot of employees out sick. Heard on the news tonight this is the worst flu season in 15 years.

All of my son's families have been sick within the last 3 weeks, flu, strep, you name it. 9 kids between the 3 families and 6 have been sick. One couple, both teach school and my son missed 3 days last week and his wife missed 2 days staying home all week with a child sick with fever and strep. All are healthy once again.

Wife had 2 clients out of 5 cancel today with flu. Stuff is going around. I took my vitamins 3 times today, lol.....

Best to all, stay healthy. 

---

Strep has been going around here along with some stomach bug.

Businesses and schools around here have been closing down because of it.

When the stomach bug hit, 7 people and 1 bathroom, fun times.

[selsa84]

I'm in Ga and if I buy from Ca, Wa or Oregon they leave those states within 24 hours and then when they get to Atlanta they'll sit for up to a week. If I order from Ohio or Indiana it takes 2 to 3 weeks to get it as they sit in Indy for up to 10 days.  Even if I buy from in state Georgia it still takes 10 or more days. I bought a map from a seller an hour away and it took 2 weeks. My problems lie east of the Mississippi river, Indy, Ky, Tn, Ohio, Ga, Ny and Florida. I've been selling for about 14 years and it has NEVER been this bad. More lost packages this year and last year than the previous 13 years together. 

[hcascade]

Yup, I've been selling for 10+ years now and only recently have been facing major and consistent issues with USPS, at least with Ground Advantage, the past 2-3 weeks. Not only has the scanning been unreliable at my local office in WA state, but packages going both directions (HI vs FL) have been facing major delays, prompting me to proactively message buyers and process refunds when the wait has neared 2 weeks of no progress. Some go through the network just fine, but at this point about 1/4th of my orders are facing these unusual delays

I'm not blaming the postal workers here. There's something clearly wrong happening within the network lately.

[fbusoni]

Clearly we do not share the same taste in music.  🤣

[fbusoni]

Value subtracted.

[redlinear]

I refunded 3 around the holidays because I've always thought it best to refund before eBay does it for you.
That was to the tune of around $250
Like the O/P said...Since January, it's only gotten worse (for me).
Due to the amount$ involved, I now wait until the last minute to respond to INR cases.  I think that gives the package a couple more days.
After I respond to the INR case, I no longer refund myself. I let them go as long as I can. And let eBay refund for me.
SO far, eBay has not refunded.  My last one closed earlier today with a Good News, Your Item Has Been Delivered!

[colridge]

I'm experiencing the exact same thing.  That's why I did a google search and found this thread.  For 25 years my eBay lost package rate was something like 1 in 500.  In 2025 so far it's like 1 in 10.  I'm using the cheaper "eBay Standard envelope" option more this year but I've used it before without problems, and this year I've also lost a package using the "Ground Advantage" option.  It seems highly likely to me that this isn't just coincidence.