USPS shipping times recently

[celtinner_2]

Any else having shipping delays/ long shipping deliveries as of recently with USPS? 

Pre Christmas, and most of 2019, it seemed USPS was on point. Everything was delivered early or right on time.  ( I am sure they provided tons of overtime etc knowing the rush for holidays). Most of 2019 was excellent. However, now mid January my packages which are all first class for the most part and few priority, on multiple selling sites are very delayed.  I am talking 5-10 day delivery times for first class. Not the site estimated dates. Actual delivery dates.  Last year I was doing 2-4 day delivery times even from coast to coast. (Not including handling. Usually I do same/next day shipping - set for 1 day shipping). 

Just curious if it's just my location (NJ) or this is normal for this time of year? (Starting selling online in early 2019 , but not January)  or is this just random. 

[celtinner_2]

EDIT: My eBay sales hit a brick wall right after Christmas. However selling a ton on other sites at the moment.  Still use USPS and same location with an occasional sale on eBay. I am actually glad I am not selling like normal on eBay with these shipping delays I am getting.  (Other sites it's not the same rules when it's not your fault). .. point trying to ask is what if all these delays happen if all  these sales were on eBay instead and I shipped same day with handling of 1 day but item gets delivered 7 days later? 

[lja440]

How has your weather been? I am a mail carrier in central Ohio, with the exception of yesterday where we had snow, rain, freezing rain and sleet all day our winter so far has been mild. We have not noticed any delays, now-a-days people do panic and call when packages aren't delivered when they think they should be. 

We had some lag time occurring before Christmas with FedEx SmartPost but delays in Smart Post, Sure Post and Media Mail are to be expected in high volume times.

[celtinner_2]

The weather has actually been warm really. Quite windy lately, snowed today but last few weeks just a mild winter for the north east. 

I never ship FedEx or UPS.  Just USPS. 

I have a theory as in: since all the overtime and crazy hours I'm sure during the holidays, everyone is more relaxed right now and less hours given being just January.  However I can be totally wrong on that.  

Just trying to get a feel if this is normal for shipping in January right after the holidays and what repercussions I will get if this was happening to me on eBay. 

[lja440]

I have been with USPS since 2000 and eBay since 2004. 

Yes we are back to no overtime. Typically only subs can get overtime and then only if there is no way around it.  Like currently we have 7 mail routes (2 city and 5 rural), we have 1 sub and the clerk was delivering packages during the Holidays. We just got a city sub that transferred in from out of state when her husband got a job in the area. It is a temporary fix  as she is 3 months pregnant with her first child. So who knows how long she will be able to walk 7 miles a day. 

As for eBay repercussions, as long as you get an acceptance scan you should be OK. If you are seeing your packages not getting a prompt scan then schedule pick-ups on line the paper will include a barcode that the carrier must scan. Alternatively you can print out a scan form which has the information on all packages included in one scan.

[celtinner_2]

Yeah kinda figured less packages overall means less routes/workers etc. Makes sense.  . However, first class shouldn't be taking 5-10 days. 2-5 is more reasonable.  5-10 is more like media mail. (Crazy weather, etc understandable). Example: my last shipment I made to Florida. No storms that I know of on east coast. Estimated delivery date was 14th. Just arrived to the buyer Sat. the 18th. 

As for dropping off my items to ship I wait in line each and every time to get it scanned and usually it is almost instant it gets updated where it says USPS location is in possession of the item in tracking information on eBay etc. 

[lja440]

Do you see a extended period anywhere in the tracking? 

I know I'm not having any issues. Due to my schedule I don't really shop much during our busy times. My girls have always known that I will ask what they need after the holidays.  It's always a busy time for my oldest and her husband (chef and bartender). And my youngest's boyfriends family goes bonkers so I just wait and see.

I have been ordering better pots and pans, cutlery and such for the youngest so she can donate the hodge podge that she took with her when she set up her apartment. The oldest has taken over management of a restaurant and bar at a local marina . We are doing a bit of reno there so new items are being delivered to my house and stored in the garage. And of course my records got wiped out so new lots of vinyl for the B&M are coming in to be cleaned and priced.  Frankly even with them being Media Mail, delivery times have been great. 

[johnrj1226]

Guess we  have to bring  back these  guys   -  a little rain, sleet or snow  should not be an issue -  lived in Massilon during the blizzard of '78 - now   there was a real reason for slow or no mail delivery.

[lja440]

LOL I was 60 miles south of Chicago.

Everything was on lock down for 4 days. If you didn't have a real emergency and were caught they took you to jail. No newspaper, no mail, nothing. 

[johnrj1226]

In January, 1982 was  living in Frankfort, IL (40+ miles south of Shy Town), unemployed and  found another blizzard and temps were -26 F wind chill -80 to -100.  and it lasted a week.  Burned a cord of wood in the fireplace, the furnace never stopped , when  the storm let up it was 56 F in the house, had ice form on the inside  wall of our master bedroom, strangely enough our water pipes never froze but our electric and gas bills was around $650 for the month.  Was  collecting $80 a week of unemployment family of 4.  Financially we were just fine.

Oh yeah we didn't get mail delivery for several days then either.

[agun2355]

I am from Long Island, NY and in the past week there have been long delays and even missing packages. I had an item shipped from PA turn up in SF, CA yesterday. Another priority shipment is late and bouncing around Nebraska. Everything coming to me is late or possibly lost. I'm taking the rest of the month off from selling so I can track down my missing inventory. The USPS is perpetually cash strapped due to an awful 2006 law requiring them to pre-fund pensions 70 years in advance. I think they are cutting corners everywhere, even with the quality of their personnel.

[muttlymob]

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@lja440 wrote:

How has your weather been?

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The weather at the OP's location would only be a small factor in transport delays.

It is the weather for the entire trip between the OP and the buyers that matters.

Last week (Jan 11) there was a weather pattern that resulted in about 1000 flights being cancelled at Chicago's O'Hare airport.

And the storm was not just local to Chicago, it affect a big part of the country.

No doubt there were significant mail delays related to that storm.

[Anonymous]

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@johnrj1226 wrote:

In January, 1982 was  living in Frankfort, IL (40+ miles south of Shy Town)

I remember that old trucker talk, back then you needed an FCC callsign to use the CB radio coming into Shy-Town or really Chi-Town. Kinda like Shakeytown which was Los Angles and named that because of the earthquakes.

I still have my CW McCall 23 channel CB radio in the original box.

[lja440]

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@agun2355 wrote:

I am from Long Island, NY and in the past week there have been long delays and even missing packages. I had an item shipped from PA turn up in SF, CA yesterday. Another priority shipment is late and bouncing around Nebraska. Everything coming to me is late or possibly lost. I'm taking the rest of the month off from selling so I can track down my missing inventory. The USPS is perpetually cash strapped due to an awful 2006 law requiring them to pre-fund pensions 70 years in advance. I think they are cutting corners everywhere, even with the quality of their personnel.

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That hit the sorting centers the hardest. Shutting down about 1/3 . Big wigs without enough time in commandeered jobs in the remaining booting out some good people. Those close to retirement were offered buy outs. New hires got way less pay. I think the new carrier subs make less now than what I did when starting out in 2000. And of course it has delayed the upgrading of the worn out LLV fleet.