eBay

sonicthecollector1074 · ‎05-04-2022

Hello, ebay community. Recently I sold some Sonic The Hedgehog toys on ebay to a buyer in Baytown TX while I live in Hollister CA. So i shipped the item on Monday and now the tracking is looking like this! How could it now be back in my town??? It should be processed. I don't know how it's like this now I didn't do anything wrong!

wastingtime101 · ‎05-04-2022

@a_c_green wrote:
In addition to the other possibilities above, it may be that the package has not been directly scanned since it was last seen going into a container to travel from one sorting facility to the next. Tracking will continue to follow the container (in which the package is assumed to be) unless or until the package itself is directly scanned somewhere else. Usually it's right after the container has been unloaded, but if it's missed, tracking will continue to follow the container, even if it's just circling back to wherever it came from.

I think your package will reappear (for real) sometime soon. If several days go by with no progress (either the continuing ping-pong loop or no further updates at all), take your tracking number to your post office and ask them to check the tracking on their in-house intranet system. That will be able to show, among other things, which of those log entries was a direct scan and which was a container scan. That should give you a better idea of where things stand.

This is in line with what I was going to say.

Give the package a few days and see what happens. Don't contact the buyer as it's only been 2 days since you shipped and there's no need to draw attention to something that could be nothing.

If it's still looping by the ETD then you may want to give the buyer a heads up that you're filing an inquiry with USPS to address the issue. Or just go ahead and file the inquiry online at that point which will appear in the tracking on eBay (but not on USPS.com for some reason) - so if the buyer checks the tracking on eBay they will see that you've taken action.

GLORIOUS!

spreadlovelikefire · ‎05-04-2022

The package is not being returned to the original address, it technically hasn't left your area. Happens all the time. It gets tossed into a bin that is still being processed so it gets a departure scan and then the next scan is an arrival scan at the same processing center. Then it gets another departure scan. I've had them do this 2-3 times before it actually goes to the next facility. Even is the buyer opens an item not received claim it's all good, it's getting scanned which is the important part.

fuzzface50 · ‎05-04-2022

Hey Sierra, I have a package that is in Pa. right now. it was shipped from Arizona and went straight to Pa. I live in Wi. where I am expecting it.

Seems packages the last year or so do not go a straight line to me anymore but zigzag pass me before it gets here. Even if I am shipping to Fl. from Wi. it doesn't go straight down anymore like it use to but zigzags its way down. Always thought the fastest way was a straight line but with the shipping companies short on help and some places not open anymore it takes the roundabout course now but like someone mentioned it is rarely late though.

wastingtime101 · ‎05-04-2022

@fuzzface50 wrote:
Seems packages the last year or so do not go a straight line to me anymore but zigzag pass me before it gets here. Even if I am shipping to Fl. from Wi. it doesn't go straight down anymore like it use to but zigzags its way down.

Yes, indeed. USPS routes have become more odd the past year or so. Ex: A package that I ship to an address within my own state used to go to a sorting center in my state then to the buyer's area. Now it will go to a sorting center in my state, then another sorting center out of state, before coming back to a different sorting center in my state, then finally to the buyer's area. It takes an extra day or two most of the time.

I had one buyer contact me and curse me out for shipping their package to the wrong state because tracking showed it went to a sorting facility past their area in the next state and demanding to know what I planned to do about it. Having sent many packages to their area and seeing this odd route many times before, I let them know the package was on track and if they waited a day or two it would be routed to their local facility. Sure enough, it was scanned at a sorting center in a major city near them the next day, then at their local PO and delivered the day after that. Never heard back from the buyer.

GLORIOUS!

gwens*4saleitems* · ‎05-04-2022

I have a package doing this zig-zag thing right now.

Priority mail shipped 4/29 to South Carolina, processed and left Detroit 4/30 & 5/1, arrived at Warrendale, PA center, left PA and arrived at Mid-Carolina, NC. Left NC and arrived at Southern ME, left ME and arrived at Mid-Carolina, NC on 5/4. I'm waiting to see if it will actually make it to SC.

This package should have been (ETD) delivered (according to eBay) May 3.

rugerskick · ‎05-04-2022

I dont know if you re-use packages, but, if you do...

I see this happen when not all the previous labels are removed and the scanner hits the old labels and then routes them back. If you use amazon boxes again, get every single one of their labels off the box.

The other times I have seen this occur is when something is damaged on the label with the senders info gone or partially missing, or if for some reason a different label covers up the shipping info part of the label. I had canada put a customs sticker over my buyers address (different site purchase, i dont do intl anymore), and it took months to get that package back.

Call your local post office up and ask them to check the package, they can see photos of it as it travels through the system, they will be able to see if the label has an issue or if there is another leftover label that is potentially causing an issue.

mochasassy · ‎05-04-2022

Tip for monitoring Tracking at USPS.

Go to the USPS web site, enter your tracking number, then select Text & Email Updates.

You can request that USPS send you a text or email when the tracking status changes.

wastingtime101 · ‎05-05-2022

@gwens*4saleitems* wrote:
I have a package doing this zig-zag thing right now.
Priority mail shipped 4/29 to South Carolina, processed and left Detroit 4/30 & 5/1, arrived at Warrendale, PA center, left PA and arrived at Mid-Carolina, NC. Left NC and arrived at Southern ME, left ME and arrived at Mid-Carolina, NC on 5/4. I'm waiting to see if it will actually make it to SC.
This package should have been (ETD) delivered (according to eBay) May 3.

That sounds less like one of the intentional odd new routes and more like your package getting dropped into the wrong container or getting stuck to another package and going along with that package for an extended sight-seeing trip up to ME before USPS discovered the hitchhiker and correctly routed it.

GLORIOUS!