USPS Not Picking Up Packages

[plasticmemories]

I realize, of course, that USPS is having some recent problems. Twice in the last week, I scheduled a Priority Mail Pickup and in the evening found the packages were still at my door.

I had selected pickup during regular mail delivery. One time it seems the mail carrier delivered mail and didn't retrieve my packages; another time it appears there was no mail delivery at all on that day for my street. On the first occasion, I simply scheduled another pickup for the next day and that was fulfilled.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue?

USPS has always been reliable with this service until now. Hopefully buyers will understand. I normally ship the day after an auction ends and buyers appreciate the quick shipping. Maybe this won't even be noticed unless multiple days go by without a mail pickup.

[guangxi_hone]

It is mail carrier sensitive. 

They work hard and not always things go smoothly for them like printer at the office malfunction or package not in plain sight.

My mail carrier picks the package if not scheduled or there are more than scheduled. But I greet him nice box of candy time to time  and (before COVID ) exchange few words.

Happened to me twice,  may be, over many years.

Good idea to check in the evening if they were picked or for any delivered packages as well (they do not always knock on the door). 

[uwannabid$webtv.net]

I've had issues with scheduled pickups for months after my regular carrier went on medical leave - then it was a rash of alternate carriers - I literally had to get in my car after I heard them ride by, looked out and the item was still there...Carriers reply: "I didn't see it" or the carrier was never given a pickup slip - one girl lied to my face...so many variables...

Call your local post office and try to find out the problem - could be a # of issues - my local post office does not have the friendliest or energized person to problem solve - so I had to go thru the central location in my town...only to find out she was the problem solver falsifying "problem solved"...it was crazy...

Have your confirmation # available - also - let eBay know or make notes for your sales record and let your buyer know as well...I've also had to call the Main Post Office - my problem was an ongoing issue at this particular post office - I would have to drive to the next town over to get packages mailed before the 24 hr deadline, only to find out I was not the only one on this route. 

I also found out that some of the mail trucks have GPS so they can see if the carrier was at or near your location....hope you get your problem solved faster than I did!

[plasticmemories]

My regular carrier, who is very reliable (and who I do remember during the holidays), somehow missed the first pickup. I called the post office and they said that often a contracted person will pick up packages at a different time, up until 8 p.m. That didn't happen, but afterward the email claiming they had picked up the package weaseled its way into my inbox! I just requested a new pickup the next day and the regular carrier fulfilled it as normal.

This time, today, I was home all day and did not hear the mail carrier at all. No regular mail, either.

[needitlikea0inthehead]

fill out the complaint from on their web site and have your local office call you.  Then you can find out just how they go about that.  Does your carrier check online before starting their route or does the supervisor check and print out the requests and put them in the carriers box?  Does this take place in the evening or the morning of?  There are not on average many requests for the carriers  but knowing how they go about it is the key to always getting them picked up.  I had the same problem for a long long time until I found out what they were doing and made suggestions that they now have implemented that works for them.  Good luck

[soh.maryl]

Wouldn't this be an issue that you would address directly with the postmaster at your local post office?

[plasticmemories]

I called my local post office each time but have received different answers depending on the employee that answered the phone.

The first time, I was told that USPS is contracting separate individuals for scheduled pickups and it wasn't always the carrier. However, they made a note for the carrier to pick up the packages the next day and he did. (In the past, it has always been the regular carrier who took my Priority packages during regular mail delivery.) 

Today, I spoke with a different person and they said the regular carrier should be picking up Priority packages scheduled through the USPS website. Again, they made a note for the carrier to pick them up. (Hopefully, that will happen this morning or afternoon.)

What bothers me is that in both cases, I received a late-night email claiming the packages had been picked up. I don't know if that's automated or if someone is manually listing pickups as completed when they haven't been.

[soh.maryl]

Suggestion:  I certainly hope that this does not happen again.  However, if it does, you need to call your local PO and ask to speak with the Postmaster, not random employees.  

[plasticmemories]

Agreed, and thank you. I will have to elevate it if this keeps happening.

[donsdetour]

With the no scans, on pick up and USPS saying never picked up or delivered for shipping, I would drive and get em scan at the PO.

[craigsdieselrepair]

Happened to me yesterday. I scheduled the pick up the night before (as I always do) yet no one picked up my packages yesterday. I scheduled a pick up last night, for today- and they did pick up everything today. 

[mindmyownbusiness]

I have had an ongoing problem with mail pick up. I feel strongly about getting good service. So, excuse the long post. Take what you can use, leave the rest.

My problems are 1) Skipped pick up, 2) failing to scan for acceptance when they are picked up, and 3)  packages go missing in my local post office usually because 4) the carrier puts them down in the wrong place or forgets to take them into the post office at all.

A skipped scan is worst of all because you don't know if the package is stolen. If no tracking or lost later, no basis of a claim. AND you get the ebay metric ding and customer upset doubting you ever mailed it.

Despite all the problems, I depend on the service. So it has to work. To make it work I do ALL of the following:

1. Leave a note in the mailbox telling the carrier to pick up from your porch or where ever.  As someone already said, some carriers don't pick up the pick up request print outs before starting the route  or start too early to pick them up.

2. In the note above and in a note that can't be missed where the packages are to be picked up, say, "Scan all packages NOW. If you cannot or will not scan before leaving the driveway, DO NOT take the packages."

3. Keep the pick up emails, but ignore them (except see below). They prove that you had scheduled pickup. As others have said, the emails are sent whether packages are picked up or not.

(I had a BIG problem a few months ago. In my complaint I included a complaint specifically about the emails being inaccurate and no help at all. Since that time I get emails accurate with regard to package count and emails when I had no packages despite having pick up scheduled.)

4. LATE EVERY NIGHT YOU LEFT PACKAGES FOR PICK UP, CHECK THAT TRACKING ACKNOWLEDGES THE PACKAGES WERE PICKED UP.  Also check the next day that the packages have moved on to the processing center.

5. Every time the PO fails to perform any part of this function, file a customer service request with USPS.com. I would not contact the local  post office. Package pickup with its promises of scheduled reliability and timely scans and delivery is a national program, so complain to the national office. The local office will respond to complaints distributed from the national office more than a complaint you make directly. (The local "post master" have their own views about whether USPs should be providing this service, sometimes despite the accommodation they appear to make when you speak to them.)

CAVEAT: I believe you shouldn't complain to a supervisor before complaining directly to the service provider. So I tell the carrier and ever temp how important their service is to me, how I couldn't sell on line if it were not for the service. I tell them that I will file complaints when services aren't completed. I make sure not to single out any one person when making the complaint. (There are just too many layers in the bureaucracy to presume the carrier alone isn't getting tactic approval or explicit instruction to skip steps.)

Bottom line: As I am newly aware, all sellers are part of guaranteed delivery as a result of  the INR policy. That policy has a high penalty associated with failure -- loose your item.  Sellers cannot afford to assume delivery is being taken care of once an item is mailed.

QED

[simply-the-best-for-you]

It depends on how good your carrier & how often you have subs.  The subs can really make a mess of things.  At my last house a mile away from current house, the pickups only happened about 50% of the time.  At this house I have a great carrier, so it works perfect WHEN HE'S HERE.  If he's off, it all goes to hell.  

I do much of what Mindmyownbusiness states above.  The local PO had me create a large multicolor sign telling them they MUST scan the pkgs IMMEDIATELY & not wait for the sort center to do it.   Of course, that sign gets ignored too.   We used to have a wonderful C/S person at my branch, but they got rid of her :-(.  

So I also set up something w/my carrier (a plastic bag left with sticky note pad & pen), so he can notify me in advance if he's going to be gone.  That has worked super well for me.  If he's gone, I either take them to a PO myself or if I leave them, I am at least alert that I must keep an eye on things.  

The subs can be so bad that I once had one finally show up after 4 phone calls to the local PO C/S person & he kept lying to her that he was almost here, when he wasn't.  He finally shows & I go out to meet him & watch him scan the pkgs b/c I don't trust this guy.  He says "I don't know where my scanner is, do you want me to look for it"?  Ummm, yeah.  They need to be scanned.  He can't find it.  I'm relaying this to the C/S person on the phone & lo & behold she finds his scanner (turns out it's got GPS on it), it's at some other place on his route far from here.  Ugghhh.  My carrier has also had 4 official subs in the last 4 years, it is apparently a VERY high turnover position.  PO told me they don't get benefits & that only 4 out of every 10 hires are still there a year later. 

Bottom line, it's up to you to make sure it happens cuz the system does not always work the way it's s'posed to. 

[soh.maryl]

While I agree with most of your message, I disagree about not complaining to a supervisor before complaining directly to the service provider.  Some of us have gone that route, but nothing changes.  In the case of the USPS, the local Postmaster is responsible for every single part of the operation.  When it's not being handled correctly, he is the one who has the authority to make it right.  

[vintagecraze50]

With the current mess with USPS due to Dejoy Postmaster General it is imperative that you bring these packages in to be scanned. These postal working are literally “going postal” right now with enormous amount of mail and packages they are completely overwhelmed with short staff and cut overtime. Do everything you need to do to insure these packages get scanned.