USPS is only shipping every other day now...

[jsn411]

  When checking tracking last Thurs. I notice my packages dropped off for the day weren't scanned in.  They were finally accepted and started moving Friday.  Today dropping off packages I asked about it.  The clerks said they are only getting trucks to pick up mail every other day now to take them to the regional distribution center.  The mail from Saturday was sitting until today's truck.   "This is the only time I've ever been ashamed of working for the USPS" one of them said. 

   Does anyone know when they are going to raise rates again?

[12345jamesstamps]

July 13th for stamps as far as I know.

Dropping off items in the post office and getting a scan would rid the problem.

I just can't imagine having a package being picked up and not getting a scan for it.

I think the USPS does a great job and I don't expect them to pick up anything to mail.

[titipeo]

Just because they raise rates does not mean service will improve. There’s more to this. 

[christworks]

I don't doubt what you were told. That is mostly accurate. Post offices that are 50 miles away from the regional facility up until a few months back had two trucks coming every day (except Sundays) to pick up mail. This was changed to one truck back in March for my area. There should be at least one truck coming per day, but I know that when they first changed over here, we were getting a couple of trucks a week. I literally had packages staying at my post office for days after I dropped them off. I even had one that stayed for two weeks. It was a mess. It has improved, but still it is at least one to sometimes two days before packages leave my post office to go to the first regional facility. They are still getting one truck per day, but the mail backs up very quickly. I overheard them telling customers that paying for Priority Mail does not make it move any faster, and PME is essentially non-existent. I complained because the rule is that the post office has to be 50 miles away and mine is 43 miles away. I was essential told if the post office isn't located in the metro area of the regional facility, there is only one truck per day. 

@12345jamesstamps , you are right, getting each package scanned accepted by the clerk will at least prevent you from getting a ding on your account when the package inevitably arrives late (assuming you gave it to the clerk within your handling window). However, some post offices will not scan in more than a certain number of pre-paid labels. For instance, mine will not scan in at the counter more than 10 packages. If you have more than ten, you can pick the ten you want them to scan, then leave the rest or you have to get back in line to do the rest. If you looked up the reviews for my post office, you'll see the long list of complaints from resellers. This rule was implemented about a year ago. 

[12345jamesstamps]

I only use the machine to weigh my items or buy stamps but can people use this machine at the post office to get a scan when dropping off a package.

[christworks]

I have no idea. My post office does not have an SSK. We have three (on a good day) clerks and a lobby manager who takes pre-paid packages and tosses them in the back to be scanned at a later time. I only do that when I'm forced to do so. My strategy lately has been to get back in line or have the clerk scan the ten most expensive packages. It is really only an issue on Mondays due to weekend orders, but I am growing my business and I expect Q4 to be busy. It will be good money, but I dread dealing with the post office. I actually adjusted my listings back in March so that I offer free economy shipping on some items so I can shift some things to UPS or FedEx. The bad thing is here my UPS drop off is CVS and FedEx is Dollar General. I have to get there EARLY to ensure packages are picked up. 

IMHO, if USPS would get away from doing passports, money orders, and selling greeting cards, and simply focus on the mail, front end service would improve across the board. 

[jsn411]

I was being cynical about the rate raise, 25+ years of using USPS...  One clerk was fairly certain it was government funding cuts.

[wastingtime101]

Since your PO does not have a kiosk @christworks , you could always use a SCAN form. Just one sheet for the PO to scan all of your packages.

[wastingtime101]

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@jsn411 wrote:

Today dropping off packages I asked about it.  The clerks said they are only getting trucks to pick up mail every other day now to take them to the regional distribution center. 

   Does anyone know when they are going to raise rates again?

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Rates change July 13th, then you'll probably see the holiday surcharge go into effect around Sept/Oct, then you'll see another rate change in January (usually 3rd week in).

As another poster mentioned above @jsn411 , if you're not within 50 miles of a RP&DC (Regional Processing & Distribution Center) then your PO should be getting one pickup every day. USPS cut off evening pickups for rural areas.

I've heard from some sellers that their Saturday pickups were also cut off.

You're the first person I've seen say their PO is getting a pickup only once every other day! I hope it's just temporary as @christworks mentioned - that was only happening while their PO was transitioning to the one pickup per day change.

[jsn411]

The office I use is only 40 miles away from the regional center as well.  This every other day thing was just implemented last Thurs. here.  I didn't realize that it had been going on for a time now elsewhere.  That's ridiculous they sit there that long for you.  There had always been one pick up after 5 pm going out for decades.  I guess the new logo for the usps should be "neither snow, nor rain, nor heat... but just every other day."

[cardsforauction]

Not a surprise.  This has happened to me many times, especially on a Saturday, right before a holiday or not a holiday. You drop off the package on Saturday, it may not move.   Not a big deal, the USPS wants to save money and it's still a good service for the money in my opinion.  I'm sure many will not agree, but I guess you can try other carriers. 

[christworks]

Yes, you can do that, and initially that is what USPS told me to do. However, that does not get you an acceptance scan. It gets you a "Shipment Received, Package Acceptance Pending" scan. In other words USPS acknowledges that received a shipment from you, but the individual packages that make up that shipment still need to be scanned to show what packages they actually have.

What I found out from the clerks it that though you get a receipt, that receipt does not count for insurance purposes. My understanding is that it also does not count for eBay purposes. The receipt has a generic tracking number on it, but it does not tell you what packages were dropped off.  It really serves no purpose from what I can tell. You can prove you dropped off a package or packages, but you can't prove which ones it was.  If I have 11 packages in my trunk, 10 are for eBay and attached to the scan sheet, and one is to my aunt Betty, then in theory I could leave one of the eBay packages behind in my trunk and hand over aunt Betty's package instead. Since the clerk's don't scan each package, there is no way to prove that didn't happen should there be a lost mail claim or eBay says you didn't meet your handling time. 

[jsn411]

I hope as well it's temporary but the clerks didn't seem to think so and weren't happy about it.  Again, being cynical about the rate increases.  Funny how they're able to legally literally price gouge around the holidays.  The definition of price gouging, raises rates during high demand.  The regional center is less than 50 miles.

[wastingtime101]

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@christworks wrote:

What I found out from the clerks it that though you get a receipt, that receipt does not count for insurance purposes. My understanding is that it also does not count for eBay purposes. 

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The provisional scan you get with a SCAN form does count for eBay.

You're correct it may not count for USPS insurance if the package drops off the face of the earth and never gets another USPS scan and you need to file a lost package claim. I've actually seen mixed results on that. But if the package gets any other scan along the way, that'll count.

Regardless, it's better than only scanning 10 packages and leaving the rest unscanned, no?

[christworks]

March was a mess. I had several angry customers and I didn't know initially what was going on. The really sad part is, the clerks shrugged their shoulders. I happen to know a guy who has some higher up position for USPS. He's in an office, not a post office. He can't help for most issues because it isn't his department, but he is the one who told me exactly what was happening. I was then able to reach out to my customers to let them know their package would be late and explain to them why. Not to mention let them know they could return it for free if they no longer wanted it when it did arrive. Thankfully, I skated through with no negative feedback. I think there was only one INR filed. I get why it was. Their order stayed here for 5 days, then got stuck in Indianapolis for over a week because that facility was being reworked. I provided documentation what was going on and a few days later their package got delivered, so the INR went away.