USPS Tracking - what are your current experiences?

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by George P, Dec 20, 2017.

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  1. Atmospheric

    Atmospheric Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eugene
    Just the opposite. Recently I’ve had several problems. They used to be rock solid.
     
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  2. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    I'm not expecting anything until early next month. Whenever these periods of inactivity come up, I see them as taking a rest.
    A rest from spending.
    A rest from watching tracking.
    A rest from the stress of possibly receiving a damaged item, and having to go through making a return.

    Ah rest.
     
  3. tmtomh

    tmtomh Forum Resident

    Late last year, USPS began closing some regional hubs, consolidating and reorganizing their hub system, and also changing the terminology and protocols for some of their online tracking. My experience is that reliability of shipping - specifically, their ability to meet their stated shipping times for First Class and Media Mail packages - took a major nosedive during the transition period, from late 2017 until the early spring of this year. For me, the tracking itself was accurate - but unfortunately, that meant it accurately documented problems with shipping. The most typical sign of problems would be that an item coming to me (or being sent by me) would either sit at a regional network hub for several days, or move back and forth between the local hub and the regional hub, or get sent to the wrong hub, or at least a seemingly way out of the way hub, and then go to another, closer hub before finally getting to my local hub and then the post office.

    Since about the spring, though, I've found that tracking and delivery have returned to their prior level of dependability. In fact, tracking updates are more detailed, more frequent, and far more consistent from shipment to shipment now than they ever were, even before the transition. Transit times also are generally more consistent than they were before.

    The one minus I'm seeing compared to before the transition began, is that First Class and Priority packages used to reach me in 2-3 days from anywhere in the U.S., usually 2 days. Now it seems to be 3-4 days, usually 3. So the average seems to have slipped by a day. I don't really mind that, though.
     
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  4. googlymoogly

    googlymoogly Forum Resident

    That reflects my experience also, and is, as you say, probably as much a regional issue as a local one. Some hubs that were closer to given geographic areas are no longer sorting and processing mail and packages, and delay is one of the inevitable results. Truly, though, it represents a sea change in the mail and delivery system, a transition away from letters and small packages to the full-blown assortment of packages in the Amazon era.
     
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  5. tmtomh

    tmtomh Forum Resident

    You nailed it.
     
    googlymoogly likes this.
  6. slop101

    slop101 Guitar Geek

    Location:
    So. Cal.
    Status
    Pre-Shipment
    August 23, 2018 at 8:00 pm
    Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item


    So that's 3 WEEKS stuck in "pre-shipment", with zero scans or movement.

    The store swears USPS picked it up, and that my item, along with their entire bundle for that day, had gone missing with none of the tracking numbers showing to have ever gotten scanned since then.

    Thankfully, the store shipped me out a new copy with "priority" service (previous item was media mail) and reimbursed me $10.

    I wonder if that bundle is lost, in limbo or stolen.
     
    George P likes this.
  7. Spitfire

    Spitfire Senior Member

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    USPS lost my first package. Filled out a lost mail form. We'll see what happens
     
  8. Muzyck

    Muzyck Pardon my scruffy hospitality

    Location:
    Long Island
    Don't get your hopes up. I predict you will get an email every six weeks or so that says"we are still looking" until the search period expires. I typically have anywhere from five to ten items in transit (tracked) at any one time. If a first class item gets stuck in one location for a week I will open a search request. I have opened three this year. Two of the items were eventually delivered, but the "search efforts" on both of them are still "open". The "search" does not even pick up that the items were scanned and delivered. They will eventually be closed with a notification that "unfortunately we were unable to locate your item". I have one item that was "lost" once it passed into possession of the Customs and Border Patrol at J.F.K. airport. A loss of hundreds of dollars. And the item was sent "Registered" mail.
     
  9. Spitfire

    Spitfire Senior Member

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    That's kind of what I figured.
     
  10. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    99+% of mail and packages come through for me with no problems. But.

    A few months ago, the USPS totally destroyed a piece of audio equipment I bought on ebay. After some hassle I did get full reimbursement from USPS since it was sent Priority Mail and insured.

    Currently I am waiting for this, 10 different LPs from one ebay seller. PA to DC. :(

    September 9, 2018
    In Transit to Next Facility
    Your package will arrive later than expected, but is still on its way. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

    September 5, 2018, 5:30 pm
    Departed Post Office
    MOUNTAIN TOP, PA 18707

    September 5, 2018, 12:30 pm
    USPS in possession of item
    MOUNTAIN TOP, PA 18707

    September 4, 2018, 2:13 pm
    Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
    MOUNTAIN TOP, PA 18707

    September 4, 2018
    Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS, USPS Awaiting Item
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2018
  11. Spitfire

    Spitfire Senior Member

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    They sent me back the shipping label. Package lost.
     
  12. SJP

    SJP Forum Resident

    Location:
    Anaheim
    Hurricane-related delay?
     
  13. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    From DC to PA we had rain, even very heavy rain for a few days, but that should not have delayed this for this long.
     
  14. slop101

    slop101 Guitar Geek

    Location:
    So. Cal.
    Just had another package sent by an amazon seller through USPS that's still stuck in "pre-shipment" 3 weeks after supposedly going out. Their sending a replacement, but still - it could've very well been something limited without another available copy.
    That's THREE (out of five) packages just this month alone that USPS has lost - they don't even have that initial scan, and they all show that they're in pre-shipment. What's going on?
     
  15. mavisgold

    mavisgold Senior Member

    Location:
    bellingham wa
    [​IMG]
     
  16. rob68

    rob68 Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan
    The last 3 packages I've mailed USPS first class have all arrived late. They go all over the place, then back to the wrong hub and repeat again. And none of them were going anywhere near flooding or hurricane damage. Got another out now that'll be 2 days late tomorrow. Keeps going to Memphis then leaving Memphis then going back to Memphis. Unreal.
     
  17. MikeInFla

    MikeInFla Glad to be out of Florida

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    Sometimes it's good, sometimes it isn't. My latest order was last scanned in Seattle (I am in Florida). That was on Tuesday and there hasn't been a scan since but it says expected delivery is tomorrow.

    I had one item that completely passed me by! Jacksonville is 4 or 5 hours east of here. Had a record from California I ordered off ebay. Scanned in Pensacola, FL (our hub) and didn't arrive on time. The next day it was scanned in Jacksonville! So it left Pensacola, went by Panama City and on to Jacksonville and back to Panama City.

    Many of my items end up on a neighbor's porch and many of their items end up on mine. spotty service.
     
  18. Mr. H

    Mr. H Forum Resident

    No complaints whatsoever here. Fast and accurate shipping, the only thing inaccurate about my tracking is that items often arrive EARLIER than promised. I think it is often luck of the draw, as certain areas in the states use specified large shipping centers. I must be in a good spot.

    I love my local post offices, too.
     
  19. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Excellent.
     
  20. rob68

    rob68 Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan
    Mailed a package first-class last Monday to California. Was supposed to get there Friday. Has said nothing but 'in transit' for many days now and no mail delivery Monday so looks like Tuesday the earliest. Ridiculous. This is starting to happen almost every time lately.
     
  21. mavisgold

    mavisgold Senior Member

    Location:
    bellingham wa
    maybe it's here
    [​IMG]
    If your looking for your mail it maybe on river road by 36st station...share this post ppl information is out on the street

    A Postal Worker Quit in the Middle of His Shift and Left a Bunch of Mail on the Side of the Road
    Lori S | October 5, 2018 |

    I’d really love to know what was going through this guy’s head when he decided to quit his job in such an EPIC way. A U.S. postal worker was on his route in Pennsauken, New Jersey last month when, apparently, he decided to QUIT right in the middle of his shift.



    So, he dumped a bunch of mail by the side of the road and headed off. Someone took a picture of all the mail sitting on the road and posted it on Facebook, and now it’s going viral.



    The Postal Service says they have tracked him down but they, “do not anticipate any further action” against him. They didn’t say what motivated him to quit so suddenly, or what happened to all the mail he dumped.
     
    rob68 likes this.
  22. Muzyck

    Muzyck Pardon my scruffy hospitality

    Location:
    Long Island
    If it only indicates "pre-shipment" it could mean that the seller never did anything other than print a shipping label.
     
  23. Time Is On My Side

    Time Is On My Side Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison, WI
    I'm going through this now with USPS and an order I made with MusicDirect on 10/8. Shows as shipped on morning of 10/8. No movement since then, still shows as "Pre Shipment." I have asked MusicDirect to follow up with USPS as I am within a 2-hr driving distance of Chicago, IL. It should not take 3+ business days to ship something to me. Getting tired of this. It's ALWAYS USPS or DHL. Whenever I do faster shipping through FedEx or UPS, I never have a problem.
     
  24. slop101

    slop101 Guitar Geek

    Location:
    So. Cal.
    No, in both cases I followed up with each store THREE WEEKS after their "pre-shipment" date, and they swear it went out on that date, and since it's been three weeks and still in stuck in pre-shipment, they had no choice but to capitulate to it being lost in the mail and sent me out another one.

    One store (Rough Trade in Brooklyn) did right by not just refunding me $10 (on a $30 record), but sent out the replacement using Priority instead of Media Mail, and I got it in 4 days (even though Priority should be 1 to 2 days).
    The other store just sent the replacement the same way, and I got it in about 10 days.

    My only concern is what if I had pre-ordered something that was limited and sold up, where they would be unable to send a replacement?
     
  25. Time Is On My Side

    Time Is On My Side Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison, WI
    OK this is getting ridiculous. USPS says the item was in pre-shipment on the morning of 10/8. MusicDirect gave me every assurance the item shipped. There is ZERO reason why it should take this long for this item to get to me. And there has been no movement according to tracking. MusicDirect refuses to follow up with USPS. I asked them to follow up or cancel my order and resend the items priority via FedEx or UPS. I am expecting to never receive this and MusicDirect simply to tell me to wait. If I had known it would be this much of a hassle I would have paid the extra $20 for priority shipping.
     
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