USPS delivery problem

[dougscats]

I always get great advice from this forum, so here goes:

I used the PayPal shipping service for the first time last Monday, April 6, in order to ship from home. I printed out labels for first class mail with tracking for two small packages and put them in my mailbox to be picked up, which they were.
Unfortunately, they have not been delivered.

When I check the tracking, the Status says Pre-Delivery, as if I had never mailed them.

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, I filed a missing mail claim. USPS replied that they’d get back to me within one business day.
Today, I left a written message to my mailman and asked him to ring my bell so that I could ask him about it, but I haven’t heard from him yet.

I should mention that postal service has been messed up for the past couple of weeks due to the covid-19 emergency. I received a couple of packages a week or so late. Breezy Point, where I live, is part of NYC but is not the inner city. I highly doubt that the packages were stolen by a pedestrian as that’s never happened in my 35 years here, though of course it is a possibility.

Both I and the recipient are naturally anxious about this. As I’m responsible, I’ve promised him a refund if he doesn’t get the card delivered. But I’ve asked him to be patient and wait. I haven’t spoken to the other recipient, but the same would apply to him.

I’d appreciate any advice in this matter and would also like to know what you think would be a reasonable length of time to ask them to wait.

Thanks.

Doug

[Directly]

Sometimes the Ebay tracking update is late posting versus checking the USPS actual tracking website---your buyer has the tracking number too, so I would be patient--

[buymycards]

Your carrier should have scanned them at your mailbox when he/she picked them up. They should have been scanned again that evening when they arrived at the distribution center.

Your best bet is to go the the Post Office and talk with the Postmaster. Tell him/her what happened, and have the PM talk to the carrier about scanning packages when they accept them. Make sure you have the tracking #, date of mailing, etc. when you go in. Don't call the PO. Don't use the USPS website. Don't talk to a clerk. Insist on talking to the Postmaster. Do it as soon as possible.

[Buythatcard]

I have a similar issue. To avoid any crowds due to the Covid-19 virus, I dropped off a package on Sunday evening 4/5. I placed it in the chute as I have done hundreds of times.

As of today, 4/13 the package has not arrived. The tracking still says Pre-Delivery.

I called Post Office and they said that they are not scanning in any of the packages that are dropped off at night. They also said that there were delays all over the place.

This has never happened to me in 15 years of shipping packages. I understand that thee are going to be delays due to what is going on and am just going to be a little more patient.

If you just mailed your package last week, I think it's way too soon to file any type of complaint. They will just tell you to give it some more time.

Don't expect your postman to ring your bell. They don't want to make any contact with anyone at this time.

[Buythatcard]

So, not even 5 minutes after I posted on the board, I checked the tracking for my package.

They actually updated the status.

It ended up in Tennessee and is currently on the way to its destination.

It originally left NJ and was suppose to end up in Brooklyn.

So, don't give up hope about your package. Just give it a little extra time.

[Rascal1010]

I talked with my small post office when this all started, and they recommended I do everything from home, drop my packages at their back door, they would scan and give me a received into system receipt at the window. I have been doing this, and so far thankfully no problems, but have noticed a 1-2 day delay on some of the First Class packages.

[ahumes13]

I've used PP and mailed from home recently as well and haven't had any issues, but there are ample news articles about delays with the PO, sickness with PO delivery-persons, lack of stimulus funding to the PO, etc. In light of the above and the fact that you're in NYC, I would think delivery delays are not only likely, but inevitable.

[chalupacollects]

Funny about the USPS.. had two ebay packages come to me one from California and one from Michigan. Mailed by senders both on Saturday and both received on following Thursday two days early..

[bnorth]

I see no reason not to at least let a month go by especially now. It is mainly up to the buyer though. I personally would easily wait a month and probably a little longer.

I recently had one take a couple days shy of a month. Then lucky for the the recipient emailed me that it arrived. Tracking showed out for delivery for 3 days before confirming it was delivered 2 days earlier.

[dougscats]

Great news!
The first of my packages has been registered and has a delivery date.

On the downside, the same problem has occurred with a third package that I sent from a public mailbox on 4/9/20. It too has not been registered in the system, status “pre-shipment,” and the same goes for my second package.

But I am encouraged and more hopeful.

Thanks for the input from all above.
It was comforting to know that it had happened to someone else and had resolved with a happy ending.

My main worry now is for my regular mailman, whom I haven’t seen for more than a week. These people are some of the unsung heroes of the pandemic; my gratitude and prayers are with them.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I have three eBay orders coming that have been in the mail system for over two weeks. I'm sure some staffing issues have arisen in the postal system over the past six weeks. Strange times.

I lost 17 trees in my front yard Sunday night when a storm ripped through, I have not been too worried about my packages. NONE of them hit the house! We finally got power back on yesterday.

[OldSchoolBaseball]

Just so you know I work for the post office.

Every package that has a bar code will get scanned either at the pick up site or at the facility. That said, I recommend not leaving in your mail box long before you know your postman is coming. Too many thieves - and very desperate ones recently looking for valuable items/gift cards, etc. Drop in blue box or local PO slot.

The post office is overrun right now and we are basically a package delivery service for our product, DHL, UPS and Amazon. We throw about 3,000 packages a day just at my location and that’s down in number because of Coronavirus.

I’ve been a collector/seller for decades and please heed my advice - pack and double pack well as we literally throw every package in the morning into route bins. The throws are 3 to 20 feet. Even if you write Fragile or DO NOT BEND - we have no time read messages unless obvious. This is not because we don’t care - its just impossible to get the mail out to carriers.

I see countless 5 pound boxes tossed on top of bubble envelopes - I cringe but we cannot gently organize light on top of heavy. This all said, we are remarkably efficient in getting things from point A to B. I have literally shipped thousands and never had a lost item. Like said above, be patient as they will likely pop up in the system. Usually it has been re-routed to the wrong facility and will eventually get straightened out.

Double pack my friends....peace

[charlietheexterminator]

Throwing fragile package’s 20ft is careless and ridiculous, I don’t care if your short handed or not. Try getting paid on a claim, that’s even more ridiculous.

[cubman1941]

I just had to post this. I placed an order on April 9 from a dealer in MA. He put the order in the mail on April 10 with expected delivery April 16. I waited a couple days just in case the virus situation caused a delay. On Saturday i decided to check to see where it was, It left MA on April 10 and went to Seattle then it went to Memphis (I live in TN) then it went to Atlanta, It was scanned twice in Atlanta and now says in transit (someplace), I fail to understand why this happens, it is the 3rd time for me in the past 2 months. I gather it is just carelessness on the part of a postal person who tossed in in the wrong bin.

[dougscats]

Good news! The last card got delivered yesterday.
It took two weeks before it was even scanned into the system.
Too much anxiety!

And I just learned today that a card I sent without tracking to Canada took more than a month to get there! I'm glad the buyer didn't tell me; I didn't have to worry.

So, in case this happens to you at least you'll know it's not an isolated incident, and that it worked out in the end.

I'm going to mail another tomorrow from a public mailbox and will keep my fingers crossed.

Thanks to all who replied.

Doug

[jchcollins]

The post office is a total mess right now. I had a Marichal rookie go dark for 4 days last week without a scan, then suddenly showed up 20 minutes down the road from me Sunday evening. It was finally delivered Monday, 3 days late. Personally I've decided to wait until the majority of the quarantining is over to resume buying from here on out. USPS frustrates the hell out of me, but staticstically they are remarkably good at what they do and the rate of stuff "getting there eventually" has to be over 99%. Up until last year I had never lost anything. But unfortunately I have been burned twice in the past year. Cost of doing business, and $hit happens. If you've done your job with insurance or going thru eBay / PayPal - you can get your money back. It is extremely frustrating when it does happen though.

[Farm_kid]

Sorry to hear that folks are having so much trouble. I have made 5 purchases on ebay in the last two months and have had no problems at all with any of them. There is one in mail right now, but all the tracking info seems normal so far.

[thecatspajamas]

I have also had a great experience with the USPS since the general lockdown. I ship a lot of packages out (primarily flats), and thankfully have an oversized mailbox that can accommodate now that my trips to the post office which is near my workplace are much less frequent since I'm working from home. My postman hasn't batted an eye at the increase in outgoing packages, and even apologized the other day for having adjusted his route which put him picking up much earlier than I was used to. I told him no problem, that I can adjust my routine, and thanked him for his continued service in these trying times. So far (knock on wood) though some shipments have been delayed, I have not had any reported lost this year. I personally have zero complaints about the level of service the USPS provides, and if anything, it seems their track record has improved for me over the last year or two.

[jchcollins]

My postman hasn't batted an eye at the increase in outgoing packages, and even apologized the other day for having adjusted his route which put him picking up much earlier than I was used to.

Without exception in my experience, the delivery personnel are great. Much like cable installers or onsite repair people for some reason - they also generally seem to be the best informed about what is or is not going on if you have a problem. My problems last year with the post office was more at the regional level. When a package gets lost at a hub, you can pretty much forget it. Here in NC they are not even staffed well enough to answer their phones on a regular basis.