USPS is having problems and sellers get blamed!

[gear-house]

I've noticed that USPS is having major issues, caused not least by Coronavirus but also intentional policies that are designed to hurt the Post Office (thank you, government).

Some first-class packages have been taking 5-10 days for delivery, and even Priority Mail is no longer reliable.

I have been getting cases, complaints, and now bad feedbacks, as if the buyer can't look at the tracking and see it was shipped the same day they ordered.

This is frustrating, does anyone know if eBay will help with these feedbacks if they were shipped on time?

[roshniki]

As a buyer it is extremely frustrating that USPS takes so long.  However sellers should also be aware that this is an issue and offer to send packages via UPS or Fedex.  Remember it is clear that USPS has issues but it was the sellers' choice to use USPS to send the package in the first place.  

[lawnmowerpartsstore2]

If you need your item right away then go to the store and buy it. Do you want to pay for the massive extra charge to ship it with UPS or Fedx instead of the post office to get it quicker. If so then let the seller know that your willing to spend more on shipping to get it to you quicker before you pay for it so they can fix the listing.

[stickergearguy]

Ebay needs to take some responsibility here for Sellers!!  I have experienced Unprecedented LOST, UNDELIVERED and Extreme Late Delivery times via USPS yet EBAY is not making buyers aware of these delays and ISSUES!  and enabling the Buyers to get fully refunded when its NOT OUR FAULT!  STEP IN EBAY!

EBAY you need to inform Users of these REAL ISSUES with delivery! 

Our seller statuses are being impacted as if we have failed or not followed through!

Very disgusted with Ebay right now,  no phone call service available for over  2 weeks now.. and now Im "BELOW STANDARD"... this is **bleep**.

[stickergearguy]

USPS is full of **bleep**, they must be putting mail in containers and leaving them for weeks! And EVEN putting "Undeliverable"  "Return to Sender" on them... when Ive verified the mailing address is deliverable and customers verify they regularly get mail.  Some of my customers are receiving their items 4 WEEKS after my postmarked date.

Proof attached!  MONTHS of DELAY!!  Postmarked Sept 1st 2020..

[storm52-11]

Ebay just put a hold on my payouts because of delay. I shipped same day. Tracking shows it's on it's way but delayed!So much for protecting sellers.

[chris-s-g]

I offer the choice to buyers for 4 different shipping methods: UPS, FedEx, USPS Parcel, USPS Priority.  Buyers are always selecting USPS because it's the cheapest, then demanding refunds when it doesn't arrive on time, then receiving and keeping the package when it shows up late.  What's to lose for the buyer?  Nothing.  They either get their item on time, shipped nice and cheap as they selected, or they get their item late AND FREE.  

Ebay needs to do something to protect us.  I understand it's frustrating for the buyers, but it is the USPS not doing its job, not the eBay sellers.  I am really sick and tired of paying---literally---for the failure of government to do anything efficient or constructive.  OK, bigger picture argument there.  But, why are we responsible for USPS failures?  

[donsdetour]

"But, why are we responsible for USPS failures? "

Due to you using them, you are the one to pay:

I bet if you don't get your item (No mater who is at fault) you would do every thing you could due to get YOUR money back.

[tswea-87]

With USPS performing as badly as they have for Months SELLERS should ship ELSEWHERE!

[tswea-87]

Fedex UPS nuff said.

[tswea-87]

USPS is a slow overpriced service. I hate them more everyday. I have a package that was mailed to Upstate NY. It made it to the Rochester NY hub but was put on a truck bound for California. It has spent the last three Weeks floating around California. It is also next to impossible to actually talk to someone.

[tswea-87]

DO NOT USE USPS!

[tswea-87]

The prices of UPS and Fedex are much closer to USPS than You think. And a guaranteed delivery of 5 Days Coast to Coast. I always pay more for a MUCH better service. I hope USPS closes it's doors for good.

[bestproductstore-21]

If your item reaches the buyer on estimated time politely request buyer to remove the negative feed back. eBay can help on this situation

[nightowlgallery]

EBay is in the process of answering a class action. eBay decided to violate the user agreement and re-interpret what “beyond control”  of the seller means. So lawyers will duke it out once this suit hits the fan. EBay uses ship metric tracking which clearly has shown that the USPS has underperformed and many packages have been not days,  but weeks,  even months late.  These details will be exposed by subpoena  to show  that eBay has access to this information through the multiple tracking numbers placed on their system. eBay is  aware of these USPS issues but instead eBay has  placed the blame on the seller. This way they can still charge sellers a higher percentage and also refuse to compensate sellers when cases are filed and goods arrive late.  EBay instead refunds the buyers and tells the sellers that it is their fault and Seller appeals are denied. EBay also has demoted hundreds of top rated sellers using the late shipping of the post office as a black mark against sellers. These defects have caused top rated sellers to lose discounts and rights. All this is against the user agreement under selling which says eBay will protect sellers when something is “beyond seller control”. In the selling section it even mentions things like snowstorms, although a pandemic is not mentioned,  Lawyers seem to feel that a Pandemic is beyond seller control and sellers should not be punished for USPS negligence due to a Pandemic. So I am involved with a class action and agreed to give the legal team information and concrete evidence of eBay refusing to support sellers as they claim . I have heard that this when filed will be a billion dollar class action lawsuit. eBay seller businesses have been bankrupted by eBay’s unfair actions and many who spent decades building their business have been destroyed by eBay refusing to own up to their seller protection. EBay has also told the seller that they should have insured their packages. The packages in question have been insured for the most part however if delivered late no insurance will ever be paid out. Insurance is for damage and loss not late delivery, for that matter I find no insurance available for late delivery.  I believe once filed eBay will attempt to settle this suit. But there are many other suits on the Horizon. I am following the tax Nexus suit and I believe as eBay also is charging sellers 3 % for the collection of sales tax, when sellers in no way would meet the Nexus  to be required to collect sales tax will be the end of eBay. The damages to charge for a service that one does not perform, eBay collects sales tax because they do business in all 50 States and are required by law to collect tax not for sellers but for doing enough business in the States that collect sales tax. It  will be deemed illegal to charge for a service not performed for the seller and eBay will be faced with providing the burden of proof to show that a seller would be required to collect sales tax. When he has not met the Nexus in any given State,  and I believe the US government will criminally charge eBay and this will cost eBay so much money that they will lose considerable ground. I would avoid eBay stock as these suits that are in discussion and clearly on the Horizon will cost eBay plenty . In the meantime as eBay has a Monopoly on this type of selling one has little choice other than Facebook Marketplace ,  Amazon, or a few other outlets to build a business none of which are good alternatives . I think small businesses will move to their own sites and use eBay only to market their goods and obtain customers.  That is the smart move. EBay has stabbed sellers in the back since they decided to take a huge portion of shipping and since removing seller’s ability to rate buyers. There are many advantages of feedback but Feedback should be a two way street. It was clear eBay did not wish to support sellers once eBay removed seller ability to provide feedback for buyers other than positive. So why leave buyer feedback?  EBay has been going down a destructive road for some time now and management is greedy and unfair towards sellers. The rules are always changing in favor of buyers and against sellers. The percentages charged in some categories have doubled!  It can cost as much as 25% of all funds collected on low dollar items. If you do the math with the lowest first class shipping eBay receives 50% when a $3.00 is sold. If you sell an item for $1 eBay gets 1.09 so you are paying eBay 9 cents and giving away your item. They have gotten that greedy!! They have a 30 cent transaction fee and now a 3% charge for collecting tax It is becoming less cost effective to sell on eBay and the rotating charge every 30 days became mandatory so they can steal more money from sellers. EBay is not a fair place for sellers but it is the only game in town so all one can do is grit your teeth and smile until a better situation comes along. I am forming a group to pass laws to protect online sellers who sell through Corporations like eBay. I started getting petitions signed and contacting Congressmen but eBay is “in bed” with politicians and has already decided rather than to be honest and treat sellers fairly they would rather dig in and fight. It will take time but laws will be passed and eBay will have it’s hands tied in the future. Write to your Congressman Study State tax Nexus. Study eBay user agreement and most important make copies of everything including any SR numbers from contacting eBay. EBay hires people at very low wages to give you support. Telephone support is limited to a minimum unless you are one of the “preferred” or corporate sellers who have a different set of rules. This will change as online selling platforms must have level playing fields and my intention is to fight for equal rights for all internet sellers selling through Companies like eBay. At this juncture some sellers get “special rights” that others do not have access to. That is simply a violation of Fair Trade laws and user agreements will not protect EBay from these laws. They may think they are above Fair Trade laws but having a family member that was an expert financial witness in this area throughout the 1960’s thru the 1990’s   I have seen large Corporations try and fight Fair Trade laws and they rarely win. With the Internet still being young, these Corporations have not been tested. They surely will be attacked by our government in the future especially when funding will be needed for all that was given away during this ongoing pandemic. I believe the Fair Trade Commission will be enacting laws to protect small business and these laws will not be favorable for large Corporations. 

[matthias_reimann415y]

In 8 years, I had one misdirected/delayed package and 0 lost. Since December 2020, more than 80% of my packages are significantly delayed (about 30+). 1 was damages and required a refund, 2 never arrived, and 1 took so long that I had to refund (and it showed delivered two weeks later...a total 2.5 months!). I inquired at the post office several times and was only given excuses (Covid, media mail may take 'longer', ...). I finally pulled all my listings and only add very few, no longer offering free shipping so I can bump all mail to First Class.

Not sure what the new postmaster does but when he claims in interviews, things have not worsened much, it's a big fat lie.