eBay

rock*kitten · ‎12-16-2017

I've read a number of times on this board about signing up for text message tracking and how that sometimes gets packages moving that are otherwise stuck. Is it possible to do this with international packages as well, more specifically, from China? All of my tracking numbers begin with GXA and thus far, the USPS tracking site isn't recognizing them. Maybe there's a different website or form I'm just not seeing?

Thanks!

kattinsanity · ‎12-16-2017

I've ordered some things from China for a friend but I don't buy from China for myself. Once the package hits the USA tracking should start. My experience has been that UNTIL it hits the USA it won't show anything.

beautybylynn · ‎12-16-2017

Some Chinese sellers use a ecommerce shipping site who hands it over to China Post. You can google it to ind out the shipping service. As the other responder said it is not tracked till it hits the US You package has to go by boat from China and they wait till the container ship is full so if yours is the first on its a long wait o if ts the last on.... well you know

a_c_green · ‎12-16-2017

@rock*kitten wrote:
I've read a number of times on this board about signing up for text message tracking and how that sometimes gets packages moving that are otherwise stuck.

It does not. I have no idea how that particular urban legend got started, but all it actually does is to put a notification flag on the tracking record in the USPS database, so that when a new scan does get logged, the system fires off a notification to you as you requested.

Basically, it tells you promptly about an event that was going to happen anyway, so it is tempting to think that the first action triggered the second, when there was actually no connection. ("Post hoc ergo propter hoc" is the Latin name for this mental mind trick. Wikipedia has a nice explanation of it here if you want to read more about it.)

Anyway, aside from that, I hate to say that as of a month or two ago, the USPS no longer sends out in-transit notifications on request; you can only sign up to receive the delivery-related messages issued when it reaches your town. As of right now, there is one way remaining that you can continue to receive the in-transit updates, and that's to sign up for their free MyUSPS program (which I recommend doing anyway).

@rock*kitten wrote:
All of my tracking numbers begin with GXA and thus far, the USPS tracking site isn't recognizing them. Maybe there's a different website or form I'm just not seeing?

As others have said, I think you should begin to see tracking updates on your package once it reaches the USPS network, so just plug in your tracking number at usps.com every now and then and see what comes up. (The in-transit scans will get reported there, if there are any; you just can't request to have them emailed to you, so you'll have to check in manually.) Good luck.

miraculousnoir · ‎12-16-2017

I second what a_c_green said. It's a common belief but I really don't think it to be true either. If it gives you peace of mind to sign up for them though it doesn't hurt. I know I do it too, but it definitely hasn't worked every time for delayed or stuck packages.

It's especially not as true now, ever since the USPS has seemed to revamp their online tracking system. Before the changes, they would send you notification emails at every scan. Now, I only get emails for official "expected delivery date" or acceptance-type scans, and then an email for when it actually arrives at my PO. No in-betweens. So there can be a huge gap in notifications. I've never tried it with texting though, only email alerts.

a_c_green · ‎12-16-2017

@miraculousnoir wrote:
I second what a_c_green said. It's a common belief but I really don't think it to be true either. If it gives you peace of mind to sign up for them though it doesn't hurt. I know I do it too, but it definitely hasn't worked every time for delayed or stuck packages.

Can you imagine if signing up for notifications did actually "shake loose" a "stuck" package?

Picture the scene: a sorting office with a large pile of thousands of brown cardboard boxes, all sitting there waiting to get "un-stuck," scanned and sent on their way. At that moment, many miles away, a disgruntled buyer types in their tracking number, hits the notification option, and clicks the "Submit" button.

Somewhere deep within the pile, a package begins stirring. Slowly at first, it begins to get itself unstuck, pushing itself this way and that, with more and more urgency, until finally it gets itself completely unstuck, and begins pushing its way upward and out of the pack.

Elsewhere in the sorting office, USPS workers are sitting around, drinking coffee, reading comics and not scanning packages. Suddenly a worker notices movement coming from the pile. Packages are stirring. Something is moving down there. There is a disturbance in The Force. (Wait, sorry, wrong story...)

The worker leaps out of his chair. "INCOMING!!!" he shrieks, as at that same moment, the unstuck package bursts straight up out of the pile, spins around briefly in mid-air, looking for the nearest scanner, and goes rocketing straight towards it.

There is a shower of comic books and crosswords as USPS employees dive for cover under empty conveyor belts and stationary packages, any safe, non-moving item for which no one has requested tracking notifications, as the package goes streaking past overhead, landing with a bang on the conveyor belt leading to the scanner.

A quick beep from the scanner, and the package bounces back up into the air again, rocketing towards the loading dock. Slumbering workers there awaken just long enough to see a brown cardboard blur go streaking past them, bouncing off the overhead door and ricocheting into a USPS truck, which rocks slightly from the impact. "Huh," someone says. "Maybe we should send that package on its way."

@miraculousnoir wrote:
Before the changes, they would send you notification emails at every scan. Now, I only get emails for official "expected delivery date" or acceptance-type scans, and then an email for when it actually arrives at my PO. No in-betweens.

You bet. I cannot understand why they actually took a big step back in tracking options, compared to their competition. I mean, people sign up for notifications because their package seems to have gone missing en route; it doesn't get lost when arriving at the post office. (I mean usually! Don't write in... )

I had a round of email with the USPS over why the in-transit notifications had been taken off their menu (except for MyUSPS members tracking inbound packages), and their response was totally clueless; I don't think they even understood the question. I decided I had better things to do than try another round of pointless arguing, so I'm just going to wait until I find myself in contact with someone else in the IT area of USPS, and try again at that time.

postingid2017 · ‎12-16-2017

Works for me - I select all updates and that is what I get. For international tracking, it will not work until the pkg(s) are in the hands of USPS. No urban legend for me 'cause it works.

miraculousnoir · ‎12-16-2017

Yeah, I think it would be too good to be true. Not every package has a happy ending unfortunately.

But to those that do think it can make a difference, it does make me feel better simply signing up for the alerts, like "here's to hoping..." But I'd really like to call it more of a false cause fallacy: event x is related to (or is followed by) event y. Therefore, event x must have caused y. (And it's easy to fill in x and y in this situation).

It makes sense. People suggest they do it when they have a stuck package. Then in less than a day or so a magical scan appears, so signing up for alerts must've done something right?...

Nah. I've unfortunately had this happen a few times only to be disappointed that the delayed package stays delayed, usually for up to 3-4 days (maybe I'm lucky though? idk...)

And with the new tracking/alert system, this idea can't/doesn't make sense anymore. We no longer get updated scans at every sorting facility. Only when it's at your PO. It certainly is a terrible downgrade to the tracking, I preferred the older system WAY more. In fact, I sometimes get DUPLICATES of the same emails with the little postal truck on them, that aren't helpful at all...Not to mention, "IN TRANSIT TO DESTINATION" automated/timed scans. Don't even get me started on those lol...

And yeah, I'm not sure why they chose to make their tracking worse LOL. It's the USPS though, so go figure. X_X

In the end, the only tracking scan I most enjoy seeing in my inbox is the "DELIVERED" one.

ijazzu · ‎12-16-2017

It used to worked every time for me as well, had a priority stuck for a week, text HELP and with in 24hours it started scanning. Meanwhile a post office supervisor called me and told me it was lost and to file a claim, I had to tell her it had just started tracking. Thought it was just a coincidence so I text help every time I had a problem not getting scans, it worked every time. I don't care if it's a head game as long as it worked that is all that matters. Now they changed it and I had to learn all the new keywords to text to get the info I need other then just the delivery info.

Works everytime

veracity99 · ‎12-17-2017

I dont know about international, but I can vouge for them getting packages moving faster or unstuck in the US. I had a package take a detour to Puerto Rico which was bound for VA from Ga. Got it headed in the right direction within hours. I cant tell you how many times signing up for alerts gets something moving or found. I tell my buyer to sign up as well and to do it again in email form. Im religious about this now and even use a standard email to some buyers. No joke thus works, be crazy not to do it.

veracity99 · ‎12-17-2017

Those are two pics of a package that was stuck. I sent a text to my friend who was the seller saying to sign up, next day it became unstuck.

Im trying to get the text from her, unfortunately I deleted it. But it shows it def. works. So hopefullyshe has it.

miraculousnoir · ‎12-17-2017

Yeah, those "IN TRANSIT TO DESTINATION" scans are the kicker. I heard they clock out after about 3 times, then the tracking just goes silent. I even once had that sort of automated scan come in on a priority package...get this, 2 HOURS AHEAD IN THE FUTURE (like 9-10 am or something), when the last scan said it was supposed to be on its way to my PO and could still have made it (since it was around 7-8 am). SMH.

Eh, I guess the reason I don't really believe it anymore (and I used to, because I did the same thing that everyone else did here, and poof would packages just move like they had become "unstuck") was that I sign up for alerts immediately when I get the option to now instead of only when I get delays. So usually when it says "SHIPPING LABEL CREATED," but not yet officially shipped. It still lets me sign up and I check mark everything. So far I haven't seen any sort of difference. I'll get delayed packages and packages that come on time regardless.

But I'll always sign up for the alerts or whatever for packages, I love receiving notifications. So to really answer OP's question with a final "should you or should you not" sign up for email or text alerts, I find it so much more convenient to do so knowing where my package is than being in the dark about it!

So yeah, go for it. If it somehow gets your package "unstuck," then it's an extra (awesome) bonus in my eyes.

muttlymob · ‎12-17-2017

Those are two pics of a package that was stuck. I sent a text to my friend who was the seller saying to sign up, next day it became unstuck.

Im trying to get the text from her, unfortunately I deleted it. But it shows it def. works. So hopefullyshe has it.

I don't see anything in your screenshots that says "request for updates received" or any other indication that signing up for emails got the package moving. You have not proven anything.

The package moved because it was going to move whether you or the recipient signed up for email notifications or not. The timing was purely coincidental.

The email notification reacts to the scanning event. It does not trigger a scanning event.

muttlymob · ‎12-17-2017

Somewhere deep within the pile, a package begins stirring. Slowly at first, it begins to get itself unstuck, pushing itself this way and that, with more and more urgency, until finally it gets itself completely unstuck, and begins pushing its way upward and out of the pack.

bwaahahahahaa!

Just imagine what would happen if all the packages in the pile were "unstuck" at the same time!