02-18-2018 05:40 PM - edited 02-18-2018 05:41 PM
Not sure if this has been discussed here before, but does anyone have any insights into the subtle details of what happened here?
A "USPS Parcel Return Service" return shipping label for Amazon printed Fri 2/9/18, dumped in blue box Mon 2/12/18, picked up Mon 2/12/18 around 5pm (usual pickup), and presumably went on to local sort center.
Tracking History
February 13, 2018, 11:59 pm
Picked Up by Shipping Agent
SACRAMENTO, CA 95813
Your item was picked up by the shipping agent at 11:59pm
on February 13, 2018 in SACRAMENTO, CA 95813.
February 13, 2018, 3:09 pm
Available for Returns Agent
SACRAMENTO, CA 95813
February 13, 2018, 3:03 pm
USPS in possession of item
SACRAMENTO, CA 95813
A normal beginning sequence for a Priority Mail or First Class mail shipment mailed in the blue box here (95815) looks like:
February 8, 2018, 8:48 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility
SACRAMENTO CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER
February 8, 2018, 7:33 pm
Accepted at USPS Origin Facility
SACRAMENTO, CA 95815
February 8, 2018, 3:15 pm
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
SACRAMENTO, CA 95815
Two questions arise:
(1) Who or what is the "Shipping Agent"? (Does Amazon pick up their own returns in some sort of negotiated deal with USPS - ie: they get great negotiated rates for doing the bulk legwork?)
Zip 95813 (the PO zip code) has only come into play in the past when I drop pkgs in the PO blue boxes or at the PO counter. Normal blue box pickups here show:
February 15, 2018, 6:39 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
SACRAMENTO CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER
February 14, 2018, 5:34 pm
USPS picked up item
95800
February 14, 2018, 6:12 am
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
SACRAMENTO, CA 95815
(2) Do return service or parcels in general (Parcel Select) routinely get routed off to slow-boat-to-China paths from the get go or is this a local oddity?
(I've never mailed a Parcel Select package in a blue box because anything I mail using PS is too big to fit in a blue box, so have no data on PS tracking from the blue box, and this is the first Return Service label tracking I've scrutinized)
Just curious. Haven't seen tracking like that before.
02-19-2018 08:36 PM - last edited on 02-20-2018 10:39 AM by kh-vince
I have the same problem with you! Do you know what happened now? If so, please email me. Thank you!
02-21-2018 04:12 AM
02-21-2018 04:46 AM
I do remember once when I returned one of my DirecTV genies when they sent me a new one that it was going back to them by FedEx but I was told to take it to the local post office. Seemed strange at the time but the PO clerk said no problem as it is sort of a reverse of that shipping that starts with FedEx and ends up at the PO.
So could this be something like that? Picked up by Shipping Agent might mean FedEx or UPS picked it up from the Post Office? That's all I got on this subject! LOL
02-21-2018 05:16 AM
02-21-2018 07:36 AM
In my experiences with "USPS Parcel Return Service", the referred to "shipping agent" has always been UPS. UPS delivers and picks up from the USPS every business day.
I don't know if any other carriers work with USPS on returns.
02-21-2018 10:40 AM
Shipping agent=the river. This was a return using their return label right? The river is the shipping agent.
03-26-2018 01:43 PM
This comment might be too late, but I found your link because the same thing happened to me.
I returned a package to Under Armour using their return label for USPS. It has been 14 days since I brought it to USPS. The racking says that it was "Delivered to Agent" and that "Picked up by Shipping Agent". Could not get USPS to answer their phone unless I wanted to wait 50 minutes on hold. So I called Under Armour and they explained to me that what it all meant was that the package was picked up by FEDEX and that the best way to track packages is not to go to the USPS website, but to google.com and type in the tracking number. Once that's done it will display different tracking options such as USPS, DHL, Fedex. Click on any of them to see who has the best information on your package. It worked and I was so happy to learn this inforamtion that I wanted to share it with you.
06-04-2018 07:53 AM
OMG!! I love you.. I have been using USPS tracking and was SOOOOOOOOOOOO frustrated. I too called the post office and was told it would take at least 1.5 hours. I put in my tracking number in google like you said and used Fedex. Now I know my package has made it to Lego.... THANKS SO MUCH!!!!
06-04-2018 07:23 PM
12-19-2019 08:26 AM - edited 12-19-2019 08:30 AM
For tracking Smartlabel returns, try this site:
http://tracking.smartlabel.com/
Put in the USPS tracking number. It should work for any agent. It may not show the agent’s name (it didn’t for me) but it will show you the current status. Unfortunately there are no delivery alert options so you’ll need to keep checking the site to see if your package was successfully delivered.
05-13-2020 03:04 PM - edited 05-13-2020 03:06 PM
Thanks so much johnnysnakes! The link worked like a charm and showed all the tracking info.
05-13-2020 09:48 PM