Frustrated with USPS tracking?

[Snapolit1]

I mailed a small box NJ to Texas on December 7. Still not in tracking system. Maddening.

Lesson learned. Don't mail any cards to anyone for any reason in December.

[BruceinGa]

I bought an item on eBay in November. The seller was located in Ky and for 3 weeks tracking showed accepted.
I opened a case two days ago.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by BruceinGa

I bought an item on eBay in November. The seller was located in Ky and for 3 weeks tracking showed accepted.
I opened a case two days ago.

Your item should still show up. 3 weeks is not unusual now.

[Snapolit1]

I have had very few problems with first class mail, while priority has been snail mail. Literally. Pay for better service and it’s been far less reliable. I can hardly imagine what certified must look like these days.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I have had very few with first class mail, while priority has been snail mail. Literally. Pay for better service and it’s been far less reliable. I can hardly imagine what certified must look like these days.

Agreed. I shipped 2 Priority packages last week for $16 something total and now they are both delayed and not updating. Total waste of money.

[Exhibitman]

I am more or less hibernating my eBay store until after the new year. I've let all my auctions run out w/o relisting. After the first there should be less pressure on the mail and eBay is doing that $1 USPS w/tracking shipping for cheap cards, which will be perfect for much of my stuff. No need to take the ratings hits from the current USPS struggles.

Mail theft is becoming a real problem. I guess crooks are wising up to the fact that lots of valuables are being shipped and that most mailboxes are easily opened, if they are even locked at all. I lost a 1967 Topps Bobby Orr to a mail theft (most of the boxes on our block were hit, repeatedly) and installed a security box that cannot be jimmied short of using a power tool or wrecking bar. I'd suggest anyone who wants better security do the same. These thefts are opportunistic, quick crimes by people who do not spend a lot of time and don't want to draw attention. If that doesn't work my next step is a scorpion in the box--that oughta be a nice surprise for a thief who sticks his slimy mitts in there. Or just rent a PO box at the shipping center I use for work. Perhaps combined with the scorpion.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Mail theft is becoming a real problem.

Yep. I had a '84 Fleer Update Puckett I think in a PSA 8 slab get marked "Delivered" at my office last year, and when I went to pick it up 5 minutes later they had nothing. So either the carrier pulled off a disappearing act, or my company's mailroom employees did. eBay paid for the card under their policy, but made me file a police report. Not how I was expecting that particular transaction to end...

Needless to say, I no longer have cards sent to my office.

[carlsonjok]

Here is a surprise. I've been waiting on a couple of card deliveries for about two weeks. One includes my 1960 Topps Rival All Stars, which is the first of the three Mantle cards I've gotten for the set. They both had a couple of days of dwell time at the OKC sort facility (which under normal circumstances turns packages around in a matter of hours.) They left there yesterday afternoon, so I figured that I'd get them Monday.

I checked today to see if they had been recieved at my local post office and they are showing as out for delivery. On a Sunday!

I wonder if it has anything to do with the Christmas card and gift certificate I left for my mail carrier the other day.

[carlsonjok]

Originally Posted by carlsonjok

Here is a surprise. I've been waiting on a couple of card deliveries for about two weeks. One includes my 1960 Topps Rival All Stars, which is the first of the three Mantle cards I've gotten for the set. They both had a couple of days of dwell time at the OKC sort facility (which under normal circumstances turns packages around in a matter of hours.) They left there yesterday afternoon, so I figured that I'd get them Monday.

I checked today to see if they had been recieved at my local post office and they are showing as out for delivery. On a Sunday!

I wonder if it has anything to do with the Christmas card and gift certificate I left for my mail carrier the other day.

Well, it was fun while it lasted. I was out clearing ice storm debris out of my east pasture when I saw the mail carrier stop at my box. I finished the tree I was working on and went to box about a half hour later and it was empty. Since they are probably delivering packages today, I have to assume someone is following the carrier around and stealing packages.

And the cherry on the sundae? The report mail theft link on the USPIS website doesn't work.

[Johnny630]

Originally Posted by carlsonjok

Well, it was fun while it lasted. I was out clearing ice storm debris out of my east pasture when I saw the mail carrier stop at my box. I finished the tree I was working on and went to box about a half hour later and it was empty. Since they are probably delivering packages today, I have to assume someone is following the carrier around and stealing packages.

And the cherry on the sundae? The report mail theft link on the USPIS website doesn't work.

That’s Terrible ! I pray for you and the seller to be taken care of.

Do yourself the service and get a Post Office Box if you’re getting expensive items. It’s worth the piece of mind.

[carlsonjok]

Originally Posted by Johnny630

That’s Terrible ! I pray for you and the seller to be taken care of.

Do yourself the service and get a Post Office Box if you’re getting expensive items. It’s worth the piece of mind.

One package was from Greg Morris and the other was from a group break at Burl's Sports. I've got about $100 into the combination. They both held up their end of the transactions, so I'll eat the loss.

I live in a semi-rural area and this is the first time I've had mail stolen in 18 years. I have had good fortune and will get over my pique eventually.

[jchcollins]

The USPS has had underlying issues for decades, but unfortunately we have seen things get noticeably worse this year with changes in policies, a political crony postmaster who was appointed only because of his donor status, and of course the pandemic, snowstorms, and usual holiday bottlenecks.

What makes it worse is individual regions and PO's have their own coping mechanisms. I've seen more than a few PO's simply quit scanning anything outgoing, ostensibly in an effort to save time. The result is some packages go dark and look like they were not even processed past printing the shipping label. Then 2 weeks later, they re-appear and are marked Out For Delivery. Frustrating would be an understatement.

[buymycards]

I think it is time to privatize the USPS. Then, it will be able to be as efficient and cost effective as private companies, such as PSA, COMC, Beckett, and SGC.

[tonyo]

I've been selling a lot of my collection lately and can totally identify with almost everything mentioned in this thread.

USPS is annoying, And I personally can be very very patient with them , especially lately.

It's eBay that really chaps me because:

I now (last two months) have a "below standard" seller rating, which increases my final value fees by 50%.

the criteria that drops me?: 3 out of 947 sales in the last 12 months are "cases closed without seller resolution" eBay's max in that category is 0.3% .

their definition : "A case closed without seller resolution is any case the seller is unable to resolve with the buyer prior to the buyer asking us to step in and help with a request"

I've sold a lot of cards at $2/free shipping, and send them in PWE. I've had probably 12 or 15 buyers write telling me "the card hasn't arrived". When that note comes to me, if it's inside 4 weeks from my ship date, I always respond with "first, you can rest assured you will receive the card or a full refund, then I explain the troubles USPS has been having, and ask for a little more patience, please allow at least 4 weeks for the card to surface."

I ultimately refunded almost all of those when the buyer wrote back saying, I think we've given it long enough, but 3 of those buyers opened cases with eBay without contacting me again, and eBay has initiated the refund within about 5 minutes each time.

I didn't even know this was costing me more fees until I went to make my regular FVF payment to eBay and saw that it was more than expected. I've appealed and tried multiple times to converse with a human who would at least acknowledge that I do everything I can possibly do on my end (other than just not sell those low dollar cards). But it always ends up with the CSR sticking with the company motto that the seller is always to blame.

I could continue to b*tch about eBay...... it's all more of the same song and dance that we all know and have read. I know it's a risk I take sending cards without tracking... I get that.


0.3% ??? really?

I'm anal about dropping cards off at the post office within 24 hours of receiving payment, and I've never hesitated to refund any buyer that states they didn't receive a card mailed without tracking and want a refund.

Ultimately I'll probably keep listing on eBay as long as I still want to reduce my collection, just need to continue to adjust my attitude and expectations regarding the faceless eBay monster

To bring this back onto topic, yes when I drop any package or envelope off at USPS, I cross my fingers that it arrives.

[RL]

Originally Posted by carlsonjok

One package was from Greg Morris and the other was from a group break at Burl's Sports. I've got about $100 into the combination. They both held up their end of the transactions, so I'll eat the loss.

I live in a semi-rural area and this is the first time I've had mail stolen in 18 years. I have had good fortune and will get over my pique eventually.

you should reach out to the sellers, they may have had insurance on the packages. not sure if insurance will pay on stolen items.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by RL

you should reach out to the sellers, they may have had insurance on the packages. not sure if insurance will pay on stolen items.

If the transaction was done via PayPal, I'd definitely check. Much like eBay, some of the language there is around what happens "if the item is never received." That I would think could cover a wide range of things.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I mailed a small box to NJ to Texas on December 7. Still not in tracking system. Maddening.

Lesson learned. Don't mail any cards to anyone for any reason in December...

...during a pandemic, after the postmaster tried to dismantle the system

[glynparson]

You could have just stopped at frustrated with USPS. Carriers are mostly still good people but the higher ups are suspect.

[Orioles1954]

I’m getting 1-2 pieces of junk Mail. In other years we average 50-60 Christmas cards a year. In other news, last week I got a Christmas card returned to me I sent back in 2004! How is your Mail inflow?