USPS disaster lets post real examples so eBay and maybe media can see

[glasser]

Rather the just complain lets start a thread to show real examples and demonstrate the actual events ocurring.

As a buyer:

11 days and no word: package mailed 12/7 NYC. Scanned 12/9 Jersey City, NJ 12/9 Current status "in transit arriving late" destination DC area. 

As a seller:

Four days to scan a package: Dropped at DC area Post Office 12/15 first origin scan ( this would be at receiving PO) 12/19 Current status processed through a DC facility 12/19

Non eBay package:

10 Days and package headed wrong direction: USPS picked item in IL headed for DC area 12/10. Arrived at Champaign, Il Distribution Center  12/14.  Arrived Omha, NE 12/15 (why it went west not east a mystery). Last update: the dreaded  "YOUR PACKAGE WILL ARRIVE LATER THAN EXPECTED, BUT IS STILL ON ITS WAY. IT IS CURRENTLY IN TRANSIT TO THE NEXT FACILITY."

[action_figure_armory]

I have about sixty packages dropped off early last week that look like this, if I'm lucky. Most haven't gotten acceptance scans at all. Standing in an hour-long line with fifty packages in Chicago, during a pandemic, to demand immediate scans from overworked desk clerks isn't really an option.  I went all year without losing a single package until last week, when about 80% of them dropped off the radar entirely.

I'm already issuing refunds because these are all going to be INR's by the end of the week, and I don't want to spend Christmas replying to angry buyers. So far a lot of them have offered to reimburse me if/when the item arrives, which will be less likely to occur if I let this drag on much longer. Best to just mitigate the damage while I still can.

What a mess.

[wrong66]

New Jersey is basically closed down, with 35 trailers of mail sitting for weeks. I have two items I bought that have been sitting in New Jersey since Dec. 2, with no movement since.

[roofroots]

I'm normally a lurker in the community and have finally decided to make my first post after receiving 3 late delivery defects this week in my "selling" account.   I offer next business day shipping and may get 1 or 2 late shipment/delivery defects per year.   No problem.  This last month has been crazy with USPS. 

I live less than a mile from my local PO and always get an acceptance scan receipt from the clerk.  In the past few weeks there have been several times where the line was very long and I dropped my packages without an acceptance scan reluctantly.  I've found many First Class packages are taking over 24 hours to get an acceptance scan.  It is then taking on average 24+ hours to get scanned at the main city hub which is approx 20 miles away.  This can occur whether I had the package originally scanned while at PO or if it I dropped it off without waiting. 

Here comes the fun part......

• 10+ packages have no further tracking after the city hub scan a week ago.
• 1 package with a destination to RI showed up in Fresno, CA and two days later was processed in Sacramento.  No further tracking available.  I live in FL. 
• One shipment had a MD destination.  Upon leaving FL, 3 days after shipping, it arrived at a postal facility in MD on the 4th day.  It was scanned at a 2nd MD facility and then returned to the 1st MD facility on that same 4th day.  On the 5th day it was scanned in VA.  No further scans until the 9th day when it returned to MD at a 3rd location and then proceeded to a 4th MD location.  Finally on the 10th day, it arrived at the 5th MD facility at which point it was delivered to buyer.
• I've been cringing every time I receive a message through eBay, dreading the buyers starting to complain.  Today I received my first inquiry on a package with no tracking after departing the city hub on 12/10.   It was an older item in my inventory which I started an auction at .99.  Buyer offered me $1.00 and I accepted.  I had a very friendly communication with her prior to shipment as she wanted me to include a holiday message in package to her young nephew.  While it's hard to read tone in a message at times, this is what I received - "Good day.  Package never arrived.  Not tracking.  Can you contact your post office? Thanks. Have a good holiday."  Funny thing is that something compelled me to not just write a message to her nephew, but I found a generic holiday card in my stash and decorated it somewhat.  Then I placed  $20 inside the card.  She in no way asked or implied for me to do this.  It was just a gut feeling which made me do it and I mentioned it to her after the fact so when it was received by her nephew and family there would be no confusion. She was very gracious.   Anyway,  she's probably going to be my toughest customer. 

I'm sure by next week I'll have more late defects and possibly lose my Top Rated Seller status.  I tried to get the first defect removed through the online system and was denied by what appeared to be an automated reply.  It stated while I probably did everything I could to please the customer, the customer still had a bad experience.  Then it stated this decision was final and could not be appealed.  Oh well.....

Thanks for listening.

[chances14]

Here is an example of a package I sent using priority mail back in the summer. I actually mailed it out on May 16 but it took so long that by the time I took a pdf of the tracking number, it only showed the tracking back to July 25. Fortunately USPS actually paid me the claim of a lost package so I didn't lose any money but absolutely inexcusable that it would take 2 f'ing months for a package to be delivered

[tiny-machine]

No one wants to hear this, but even before COVID, if you are mailing packages in December you must stand in line and get your USPS packages scanned and get an acceptance receipt. If the line is long and you can go to a different location that has more staff or a dedicated prepaid acceptance person with a mobile receipt printer, do so, or try not to go during peak times like lunch hours and weekends or near closing time.

That receipt can sometimes be the only evidence that will protect you from having multiple items unscanned within your handling time, or lost with no evidence you mailed them. (There have been times I had packages scanned and they did not appear on the website for a couple days afterwards, depending on when the info was uploaded, leading to customers thinking the items had not yet been shipped.)

If you have more than a few, print a SCAN form that includes every item being sent out that day so that the clerk only has to scan one barcode to get all the associated packages into the system.  One holiday season three years ago I dropped off 40 items on the prepaid counter because my local USPS was refusing to scan due to being understaffed and overworked. Enough of the items did not get scanned in transit that it torpedoed my metrics and seller rating for an entire year, but I was fortunate that I only had to refund three customers out of the 40. That was all the lesson I needed never to do that again!

[magicjohnsonsvariety]

Yea, my package goes back to Nov., however the tracking finally updated after 23 days of nothing.

Took over 3 weeks to go from NY to Ohio.

[itscalledapostingid]

I had this defect removed from my account today...
Defect: Tracking indicates late delivery
In this case it was shipped on time but USPS did not scan it when they picked it up.

Here is what I did...

Late shipment defect removal:

For a late delvery of an item that did not receive an initial USPS scan when it was picked up...
I used "Seller Help Tool" located at: https://www.ebay.com/sellerhelp
I clicked the "Request to remove defects" option and here's what I entered in the required fields:

Removal request reason:
Disruption outside my control (examples: illness or hospitalization, fire or flood, etc.)

Additional info:
USPS picked the package up on Tuesday december 8th 2020 in [MY CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE.] (The next day after sale.) USPS neglected to actually scan until it went through a regional facility in Texas several days later.
This is clearly indicated by the tracking in Texas being the first scan shown online: (Dec 12, 2020 10:01pm PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY NORTH HOUSTON, TX 77315)
USPS not scanning when picking up is outside of my control. This is happening to many sellers and is being discussed everywhere online including many posts on Ebay Community Forum. Ebay management should be very well aware of this USPS issue!

---I received a confirmation email from Ebay the next morning saying the defect will be removed within 72 hours.---

[netwizz760]

Here is mine...  user refunded on my dime already...

[dandylion42]

Gave my package to the mail carrier at work, like we always do for business shipments. That was 12/11. No scan since. Buyer was patient but is starting to stress, and it's hard to blame them.

[glasser]

Wow, sorry to hear. Very gracious of you toward the nephew. I too have a package headed west that' supposed to be east mailed 12/10. I basically stopped selling. Did send one 12/15 took 4 days to scan at local PO nothing since. Here's the note I sent the buyer, He was thankful.

As you are probably aware, USPS shipping is a nightmare right now. I dropped your item at the PO on 12/15 and it took 4 days just to leave that facility.

It is on the way and you can track via tracking number I provided. I can't give you an estimate on when it might arrive. So you know, I have some packages headed my way are delayed over 3 weeks.

I will continue to keep on eye on the package but wanted to let you know that the delays are happening everywhere.

[glasser]

This is helpful and a good result

[glasser]

MY PO had like 20-25 people in it for 2 clerks.  Scary give Covid to hang out for 30-30 minutes even with masks. Feel sorry for PO staff.

[glasser]

So, NPR had a piece on the PO tonight. The USPS did not provide a person to speak or provide a comment.  A couple of interesting things. Someone, maybe a former PO employee said something to the effect of, the whole system is based on mail staying in motion if it stops moving it's having a clogged pipe and the water (mail) just keeps backing up and overflowing. He said as long as your package is in motion, even going the wrong direction, that's god news. I have one of those. someone else said they are routing packages around choke points. The PO claims 75% of mail arriving on time. I have understood that to mean First Class letters not packages. The interviewed a women who ordered things in November for Christmas and would be happy at this point f they arrived by New Year.

[longam]

Was your pkg ever delivered? I’m facing a similar scenario.  

[glasser]

Update:

1 package sitting NJ since 12/7 is out for delivery today. First notification update in more than 10 days! Another package shipped 12/23 is actually moving through the system. Late but not stuck (yet 🙂 ). 

Maybe the logjam is breaking.  Oh, and I got a notification--from eBay--on a purchase that the package coming from Canada was arriving earlier then expected. Kind of insult to injury on the stuff stuck out there.

What are others now seeing?