USPS Tracking Still Awaiting Item That Has Shipped

[Anonymous]

I'm a seller who sold an expensive item to a buyer that seems to concerning him and now me. I shipped the item on Dec 27 with a store close to my home that handles shipping and receiving packages.  I've never had any issues at that spot and it's much easier for me especially in my neighborhood. The post office never feels useful or safe, lots of trouble and sketchy people.

The buyer messaged me with concerns yesterday, I checked the tracking and it claims USPS awaiting item. It's confusing because I dropped off another item that day, an hour after, and the tracking on it claims it made it to a facility the next day.

The buyer messaged me a lot and I assured him the next day, I would go around and investigate. I called USPS, repeating the same, no help. The drop off shipment place says both packages were given to a USPS truck. I went to a post office and they told me there's delays with holidays, and/or perhaps it's still on the way to a facility and wasn't scanned.

I looked up this issue online and on this site and that's exactly what I found. It took time to update because of shipment or scans and usually 6 to 8 days sometimes more to deliver or even update tracking. The USPS employee told me to just wait, the guy has to wait till Jan 4 when the tracking says it is supposed to make it.

I messaged the buyer, apologized and reassured him I shipped it, he wasn't scammed, gave my number to talk things through, and told him to be patient. However he says if it doesn't update by Jan 1st he says he'll be more concerned. I'll said I'll refund and everything if it doesn't make it but I am positive it's out there on it's way. Worse now my family and I have covid now, it feels like everything is going horribly when I did nothing wrong. What do I do?

[buyselljack2016]

Hope your buyer locates some patience.

Buyer should not be able to open any dispute before the last estimated delivery day.

I sometimes have packages get way along in their trip before they get a scan.

My local offices, and carriers are great about scanning acceptance, but for some reason the next processing facility is sometimes lacking in their scanning.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

I definitely agree that disputes shouldn't be able to be open on situations like this.

Fortunately things worked out, today at about 9:22 pm the tracking updated and reached the facility finally, as the USPS people, and I figured. The buyer is relieved but really I was scared for a bit, he went a bit on the extreme but granted I wasn't responding always because the ebay app doesn't send me notifications correctly.

USPS Awaiting item was concerning but USPS usually is a bit strange with deliveries in my area, I figured a step was missed or holiday delays were occurring.

  Everything is fine now luckily, a New Years miracle I suppose.