eBay

paul01607 · ‎07-07-2020

Hello Everyone, I have been selling on eBay for many years and have a stellar record. Did hundreds of USPS mail carriers join forces and decide to stop scanning at delivery? For the past few months, there are far too many packages that report out for delivery then vanish off the radar. More commonly, there are status reports with Awaiting Delivery Scan following the day after attempted delivery. I have researched this, and it appears the problem is occurring to other sellers as far back as 2018. Is this scanning problem ever going to end? Many sellers claim it is only the mail carrier failing to scan the item the day he or she places the parcel into the mailbox. Sheer nonsense! The more it happens, the more I doubt this problem is with isolated cases of carriers not scanning at delivery time. I do not believe this to be the case. What in God’s name is happening to their data system? Has anyone been successful at finding the real cause of these abysmal tracking results?

oldwestgold · ‎07-07-2020

There are a lot of processing facilities working with less than 10% of their staff. Detroit for one. This is the major cause. File online a where's my package case. This opens a ticket that gets routed to your local PO where the Manager or Postmaster has to investigate and respond. Do not allow him or her to close the case prematurely. If that happens call them and ask for the number of their MPOO or Manager. Go up the food chain documenting dates, times, and names. Write your Congressperson asap. You can also do that online. Be specific with tracking numbers and status. Open a case online on every package delayed. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Good luck.

fredoniacoinandtreasure · ‎07-07-2020

In the rare case where this occurs I just open a tracking case directly with the USPS. Amazing how quickly the item is delivered once that happens.

lja440 · ‎07-08-2020

I am not only a eBay buyer and seller but also a rural mail carrier with USPS (since 2000).

This is an ongoing problem. It's not that they are not being scanned but litterally the system and scanners are worn out. My scanner refuses to download at least a couple times a week. Often times my postmaster texts me because when he checks up on us it often looks like I am sitting still instead of moving along the route.

We (USPS) were in early roll out of the new scanners which was halted with the onset of the virus problems. Also with the virus the number of packages has more than doubled. Not only are there more USPS packages but the influx of Amazon packages and more FedEx and UPS package hand offs.

My recomendations. Make sure those labels are on point. Good ink and printing quality, Make sure no information is over the juction of the box flaps which can cause buckling or rubbing. Fewer workers to deal with packages that are unreadable by the automated scanners.

I have also opted into text updates for my packages I ship as this tends to poke the bear a bit.

a_c_green · ‎07-08-2020

@lja440 wrote:
I have also opted into text updates for my packages I ship as this tends to poke the bear a bit.

Sorry, but it does not do anything to the speed of the package movement. What this does do is set an indicator in the USPS tracking database that will trigger either a text or an email to your specified address (up to three) whenever there is an update to the tracking record for that package. While this might give the illusion that you have somehow got your package "un-stuck," all you are really doing is speeding up the notification of an event that was going to happen anyway.

In the case of my own incoming packages, I get the Delivery notification so fast that the mail truck hasn't even turned around at the end of our street yet.

buzzapparel · ‎07-08-2020

It gives you more time in cases where “item not received” has been opened. It has helped me on a few occasions in the last month alone. It causes USPS to update the shipping status to the day they were made aware of the case and it will typically change the verbiage on the tracking page to “in transit to next facility”. In the case where “in transit to the next facility” was already the last scan it will simply update the scan date to the current one. The time will always indicate “12:00 pm”. However each time you get an update it buys you another week with eBay.

lja440 · ‎07-09-2020

@a_c_green wrote:
@lja440 wrote:
I have also opted into text updates for my packages I ship as this tends to poke the bear a bit.
Sorry, but it does not do anything to the speed of the package movement. What this does do is set an indicator in the USPS tracking database that will trigger either a text or an email to your specified address (up to three) whenever there is an update to the tracking record for that package. While this might give the illusion that you have somehow got your package "un-stuck," all you are really doing is speeding up the notification of an event that was going to happen anyway.

In the case of my own incoming packages, I get the Delivery notification so fast that the mail truck hasn't even turned around at the end of our street yet.

Of corse it doesn't increase speed, it does often trigger movement in those cases of stuck tracking.

I am guessing you live either in a urban or suburban area. My theory on a lot of these stuck scans in part is the location. Like cell phones there are areas of good reception and areas that suck. I am on the edge of Appalachia half of my mail route has little to no reception.