Lost package through LA USPS sort facility

[zljones]

I recently sold a card to a buyer in Canada last month with insurance (thank god!) and it made it to a sort facility in Los Angeles, CA but then fell off the face of the Earth. When I filed for claim through Ebay ship cover I got reimbursed in no time. I don't know if that means the USPS truely lost it or if refund is just made in advance. Also from my understanding the USPS sort facilities in Los Angeles have had problems with losing packages and reports of an internal theft ring.

[D. Bergin]

......and sometimes packages to Canada get stuck in Customs for a couple months at a time. There's still a possibility that it shows up, I think.

[vintagetoppsguy]

I'm convinced that some postal workers aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. On October 29th, I received PayPal payment for an eBay item, and it was mailed out later that same day. It was going from Houston, TX to Norwalk, CT. Somehow the package got misrouted and ended up in Chicago. Now, I understand that mistakes happen so I’m not faulting the post office for that. Here’s where the stupidity comes in. Once the package got to Chicago and it was discovered that it was misrouted, they sent it back to Houston. Huh? Why not just send it on to its destination from Chicago? Wouldn’t that make a lot more sense than sending it back to Houston? What should have been a 2 or 3 day trip took 15 days. Fortunately, the eBay buyer was very understanding. And we as taxpayers wonder why the USPS has lost $15.9 billion this year alone. It’s real simple: inefficiency.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x137/vintagetoppsguy/Tracking.jpg

[D. Bergin]

I'm convinced that some postal workers aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. On October 29th, I received PayPal payment for an eBay item, and it was mailed out later that same day. It was going from Houston, TX to Norwalk, CT. Somehow the package got misrouted and ended up in Chicago. Now, I understand that mistakes happen so I’m not faulting the post office for that. Here’s where the stupidity comes in. Once the package got to Chicago and it was discovered that it was misrouted, they sent it back to Houston. Huh? Why not just send it on to its destination from Chicago? Wouldn’t that make a lot more sense than sending it back to Houston? What should have been a 2 or 3 day trip took 15 days. Fortunately, the eBay buyer was very understanding. And we as taxpayers wonder why the USPS has lost $15.9 billion this year alone. It’s real simple: inefficiency.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x137/vintagetoppsguy/Tracking.jpg


Well, it's mostly because of pension promises that they are 15.9 Billion in the red.

They have become more and more inefficient and erratic over the past year or two because they've laid off thousands and closed hundreds of sort facilities to try and close that gap...........and the service has suffered.

[zljones]

......and sometimes packages to Canada get stuck in Customs for a couple months at a time. There's still a possibility that it shows up, I think.

I hope that doesn't mean I have to give the money back to ship cover, because I already refunded the buyer in full.

[christopher.herman]

And we as taxpayers wonder why the USPS has lost $15.9 billion this year alone. It’s real inefficiency.


I agree with inefficiency part, however the USPS stopped receiving tax subsidies in 1971, fyi.

http://www.nalc.org/postal/perform/selfsufficient.html#subsidize

[glchen]

I have to say in fairness to the Post Office, most all of my shipments are delivered lightning fast. As an ebay seller, I often drop off many packages with cards in regular bubble envelopes via First Class Mail. The 3oz ones (1 PSA card) have a shipping cost of $1.64, and the 4oz ones (SGC or BVG) are $1.81. I live near the San Francisco Bay area, and in many cases, these are delivered across the country within 2 days. Most all of them are delivered within 3 days. Just this past week, I dropped off a package via First Class at the Post Office Tuesday afternoon PST, and it was delivered two days later in Maryland to the eager buyer who needed it quickly for a gift. If that is not efficiency, I don't know what is. (And I don't have any relatives working for the Post Office either. ;)) I do have the rare package that ends up like what happened to vintagetopps guy also. This one was sent from the San Francisco area to the buyer in New Jersey, for some reason got sent back from New Jersey to Ohio, where it camped out for a couple of days. Finally, it was sent back from Ohio back to New Jersey where it was finally delivered. This is the rare exception, however, rather than the rule.

[thecatspajamas]

......and sometimes packages to Canada get stuck in Customs for a couple months at a time. There's still a possibility that it shows up, I think.

Yes, quite possible. Also keep in mind that USPS doesn't truly track 1st Class packages to Canada. The "tracking trail" will always die at the sort facility immediately before crossing the border to be handed off to Canada (or any other country's) postal system. Here in the southeast, all international packages go through Miami, FL, where they get scanned and then "disappear" for a week or more before finally being delivered to the buyer. Even after delivery though, if you check the tracking, it will still show the last scan as being in Miami, FL. For this reason, I quit giving tracking numbers to international buyers because I got tired of them e-mailing me a week after I shipped it and asking why their package had been sitting in Florida for the last few days and could I please call them and check on it. It sounds mean, but it's easier to just let them know when it shipped and not give them any tracking info at all.

I have no idea how eBay would handle an insurance claim for a package that was eventually delivered. Unless the buyer has a strong conscience, most probably won't complain about getting a full refund and the item too, so it's unlikely that eBay would ever know.

[jerseygary]

I ship USPS First Class very often, at least 8 packages a week, and most often the packages get there in 3 days or less. There is the odd exception like 2 weeks ago when I needed to get a time-sensitive document to a county in NJ in order to settle my Mother's estate (estate - now that's and over statement!) and paid the extra money for the priority envelope and deliver confirmation and tracking. The stupid thing sat in Kearney, NJ for more than a week before they decided it was time to move it on. Figures the one time I lay out the extra for the special service and that's when they decide to screw up!

But seriously, for all the times I have used USPS in the past 3 years they come through much, much more than they don't. Now if we could get the workers at the post office service desk to move at a normal speed instead of slow-mo...

[Wite3]

The LA USPS facility is an entryway to Canada (I have a feeling that they gather it all together at the LAX facility and either fly it or truck straight through the border) and have noticed that some of my mail to Canada gets stuck there. Been told by USPS employees that customs slows it down and the tracking trail ends in the US. So no tracking once it hits Canada.

Joshua

[HANKCADDY]

kearny USPS was closed for about a week due to SANDY, lucky anything made it out of there, it was a real mess.

[D. Bergin]

Yes, quite possible. Also keep in mind that USPS doesn't truly track 1st Class packages to Canada. The "tracking trail" will always die at the sort facility immediately before crossing the border to be handed off to Canada (or any other country's) postal system. Here in the southeast, all international packages go through Miami, FL, where they get scanned and then "disappear" for a week or more before finally being delivered to the buyer. Even after delivery though, if you check the tracking, it will still show the last scan as being in Miami, FL. For this reason, I quit giving tracking numbers to international buyers because I got tired of them e-mailing me a week after I shipped it and asking why their package had been sitting in Florida for the last few days and could I please call them and check on it. It sounds mean, but it's easier to just let them know when it shipped and not give them any tracking info at all.


I wait for them to ask for the tracking number and then give them the customs# and let them know it can't be tracked on-line once it leaves the U.S., but that their local Post Office could probably let them know where it is, once it has entered their country.

[HasselhoffsCheeseburger]

I live in Los Angeles and have had hundreds of card-related packages sent to me ni the past few years. The service is a joke. They literally DO NOT deliver anything that requires a signature to me. I've met my carrier dozens of times and he just handed me a filled out "Sorry we missed you slip." When I said, hey, I'm here, where's my package? He just shrugged his shoulders. And that's when I'm lucky enough to actually receive a slip notifying me that I have a package. Most occasions I don't even get that. What usually happens is I never receive a slip and then eventually get a message from whomever was mailing something to me that it was returned to sender, even though no attempts were made or notifications left.

I've had probably 7 or 8 packages "lost" at the PO. I go down there and they look it up, shows it should be there, they can't find it. There's usually a line of 5 or 6 people waiting to chew someone out. I will gladly pay 2-3x S/H to have whatever I'm buying sent UPS.

I wish you the best of luck in all aspects of this - finding the package, getting any information about it, you name it.

[zljones]

I live in Los Angeles and have had hundreds of card-related packages sent to me ni the past few years. The service is a joke. They literally DO NOT deliver anything that requires a signature to me. I've met my carrier dozens of times and he just handed me a filled out "Sorry we missed you slip." When I said, hey, I'm here, where's my package? He just shrugged his shoulders. And that's when I'm lucky enough to actually receive a slip notifying me that I have a package. Most occasions I don't even get that. What usually happens is I never receive a slip and then eventually get a message from whomever was mailing something to me that it was returned to sender, even though no attempts were made or notifications left.

I've had probably 7 or 8 packages "lost" at the PO. I go down there and they look it up, shows it should be there, they can't find it. There's usually a line of 5 or 6 people waiting to chew someone out. I will gladly pay 2-3x S/H to have whatever I'm buying sent UPS.

I wish you the best of luck in all aspects of this - finding the package, getting any information about it, you name it.

That is horrible, and even worse that the largest city in the U.S (New York). is more efficient than the second largest city.

In my experience, I have only had 2 packages go through USPS Los Angeles facilities and one time the package was delayed and the other was lost, those odds are horrible, 0 out of 2 for horrible service is not good. I have not had any other lost packages either until I dealt with L.A!

[deebro041]

I am from Ontario, Canada and I collect baseball memorabilia. I have acquired most of my collection from a group of great sellers throughout the U.S.A. My normal waiting period is usually 2 weeks from payment to delivery. I have found though that some of my fastest deliveries have come from California. I don't usually follow the tracking numbers, just to make sure when it ships out.

[Ease]

I love the usps. 45 cents to have a letter hand delivered from my mailbox to yours, anywhere in the country, in just a few days. Best bargain out there imo. I know it sucks when there is a delay etc., and I've had a few problems myself, but overall the usps rocks. Thank your local postman over the holidays with a gift card or something, they deserve it. (I don't work for usps btw)

[Donscards]

As for the Post office shipping within the United States, it is great---especially with delivery comfirmation---I have a feedback of over 15,000 and if 1 or 2 have been misdelivered in 10 years or so---it is wonderful service--But out of country, forget it---once it leaves the United States--Good Luck--I will no longer ship out of country---customs delays the item months sometimes and I lose money since the buyer puts in a claim---I could tell u horror stories--but I will no longer ship out of country. I also feel some buyers take advantage of this to reclaim the money after 45 days since the card will not arrive sometimes for 2 months.--I wish Ebay would check on all the claims by the same buyers--but Ebay never watches out for the seller--we always lose the dispute. Just my two cents. Don

[zljones]

This thread was not meant to bash USPS as a whole at all. I actually usually have fantastic lightning fast service. My main point was to bash on L.A. sort facilities because of their reputation and also how they lost a very precious card of mine that is expensive and hard to obtain.

[autograf]

If you get many packages delivered requiring signatures........I have a UPS Store mailbox with a real street address that receives packages from ANY carrier....DHL, UPS, FedEx, USPS and they sign for you. $15(ish) a month. Not as cheap as a normal P.O. Box but none of the for-profit carriers can deliver to a mailbox. You can also call to ensure you have mail or have text/email alerts set up. Shameless plug as I used to own a UPS Store but they do offer good services in that regard. No more orange slips that you have to take down to the Post Office and stand in line to get your pkgs.

Post Office has a WORLD of hurt right now. Pension obligations (like EVERY branch of govt) are killing them. They are being forced to pre-fund pension for future employees. It is costing them probably half of that $15B deficiency. But they have other issues too. They're kind of handcuffed on changing anything as well. Hopefully they get the okay to cut Sat Delivery and a bunch of smaller P.O.'s down the road as well as some reduction on the pension issue. If not, look for $15B losses every year. They are a quasi-governmental agency as they don't have to pay vehicle taxes, property taxes or many of the other taxes that companies like UPS,FedEx and others pay.