eBay Standard Envelope, the Current State of USPS, & the Current State of AI

[pnwtco]

I'd like to start a conversation surrounding a very easy implementation that would save small business owners / solopreneurs invaluable time and money, that I would think eBay would be in support of, as an enablement tool.

It's great that they worked out the deal with USPS to implement eBay standard envelopes as it really allows my business to sell many more low value trading cards / lots.  With that said, the current state of USPS as a whole is an absolute nightmare, and the ball rolls down hill toward eBay standard envelopes.  They are getting lost / delayed / missing scans and I've had to process a huge amount of refunds in Q1 and Q2.  As a solopreneur with severe ADHD and dyslexia, it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to get my money back for all of the refunds (and if I'm being honest, I haven't had time or the focus to even go through the process of filing the claims).

As a technology company / platform living in the age of AI tooling, I'd like to ask the following question:

Why do we even need to file a claim? 

The claim consists of screenshots of information that is on the platform / in our messages.  It should be a piece of cake for an AI tool to cross reference the tracking number / order / messages with the client and the timeline that they requested a refund.  If the envelope shows / showed movement but is now lost, and we've processed a refund due to a client requesting one after an appropriate amount of time, the shipping insurance / refund should also automatically be sent to us.  If the envelope never showed movement, then a refund via insurance would be denied.

Let me know your thoughts!

[slyders_finds]

It's was a great idea that fails on the USPS side. I don't think they even told employees about it. I stopped using it. It was always the most important "delivered" scan that they usually didn't do. Left you open to dishonest buyers. Wasn't worth the stress. 

As far as the USPS, yes they have definitely gone hill since around the time of implementing the merging of first class/parcel ground. It took 4 days to leave a USPS location 20 minutes from my house. Priority Mail was taking twice as long as media mail to NYC. Media Mail takes 2 or 3 days. Priority was 5 days. 

[wastingtime101]

I do agree in theory that would be great, but the problem is eBay does not handle the insurance claims. They contracted a third party insurance company to handle those claims and that third party is the one reviewing everything and approving/declining payouts. That third party does not have visibility to the eBay transaction info, hence the need for screenshots. Same as filing a claim with any shipping carrier or insurance company for any type of service coverage.

Perhaps it would help to come up with a schedule to deal with the claims - take screenshots in an assembly line one day. Submit claims the next day. Break up the work. Do it twice a month. Set up calendar reminders.

[1786davycrockett]

@pnwtco 

As you pointed out, USPS mail deliveries are currently in crisis mode -- amongst their many problems is accurate "scanning" not only upon delivery, but along the delivery route as well, particularly of ESEs

Which is not to say that at least some of these "unscanned" ESEs have actually been received by the buyer; and, in many cases, the buyer has acknowledged delivery with feedback.

Unfortunately, there is no way for either eBay or USPS to determine if  "unscanned" ESEs have been delivered, or possibly lost, since it has been reported on previous ESE threads that several local USPS branches are neglecting to "scan" the ESEs, perhaps as a method of  "cost-saving" or "time-saving." 

Since USPS does not seem to be accurately accounting for these "unscanned" ESEs, it is therefore highly improbable that eBay could solve the problem on their own, considering that eBay depends upon USPS for this information.

And keep in mind that the insurance claims are handled through eBay -- and not USPS.

While ideally it would be wonderful if ESE insurance claims would be automatically reimbursed to the seller, based upon data collected from USPS, we are stuck with reality.

And, keep in mind, this is the same eBay that always expects the seller to re-enter the tracking information on INR complaints, even though that tracking number has PREVIOUSLY been provided to eBay, and is ALSO readily available as a reference item for eBay to examine -- more duplication of effort.

If eBay has been incapable of accurately setting up computer programs for the last 25+ years for dozens of other problems, why would anyone expect that eBay would make ESE insurance claims any easier for sellers?