USPS Tracking - what are your current experiences?

well on the flip side, some of my media mail shipments coming from the east coast have been tossed in the wrong bin or something because they've come overnight.

 

True,and that comment gets this thread shut down. Apart from Trump,I needed to mention that DeJoy has lots of money in UPS & J.B.Hunt(source:Wiki),competitors of USPS. Add to that he was a CEO of a logistics company and later worked for the company that sucked them up(Wiki). Personally,putting a logistics guy is wrong for USPS. Logistics companies are concerned with the shipper as the customer,not the recipient of freight. The USPS should be beholden to both sides,with an emphasis of getting things delivered safely in a timely manner. Promises made,promises kept. DeJoy has none of that in his mind. In jest,I also suspect he still licks stamps,as that seems out of the loop he is with USPS. Add to that,envelopes,many containing bills and checks,are important to USPS. Logistics are involved with pallets and pushing drivers to the maximum hours allowed,often putting drivers in harm's way. These companies are heavily insured for accidents but rarely see to try and prevent accidents.

 

I can understand when this happens occasionally but it is happening to much. I get that they are dealing with a incredible amount a packages but they need to slow down and focus and be present. Attention to detail is critical. This is what happened to the last couple packages of mine that were lost. They got lost a hundred yards from my house. That's on the carrier but it could happen anywhere throughout the line.

 

For the third time, last week, my local post office sat on Media Mail shipments for a week. That is: I dropped them off on Th/F/Sa and they did not get scanned into the system until the FOLLOWING (a week+) Sun/Mon. It's pathetic. My buyers think I'm messing with them because I create the labels/tracking numbers and they see nothing for a week+.

I know staff is short with COVID, but, sorry, you don't get an "I understand" pass for sitting on stuff for more than a week before you even bother to scan it in.

And this is a significant post office in a well-to-do town, not a one person outpost in a dustbowl.

 

My local PO is outstanding but even so, because I cannot trust that initial scan to be timely, I always check in packages at the counter. It rarely takes more than a few minutes and it is worth the peace of mind to know the journey is starting on the right foot, this being the only point of the process we have any control. Gosh knows what happens downstream!

 

I’ve been having Media Mail packages take more than two weeks to arrive, but now even First Class can take 5-7 days.

 

I was told by someone who knows what will work in the USPS is the ONLY thing that is guaranteed to arrive by a certain time is Express Mail. Unfortunately you have to pay up for that. And if there is some reason you don't get the express mail when promised you can ask for a refund so even then there's no guarantee.

 

Running into a lot of problems with media mail again in Jersey City. Usually it departs there and arrives at my door the net morning (or same time if it departs by 6 AM).

 

This probably has something to do with the s*** show that is the USPS these days:

USPS’ solvency plans eliminate overtime, may delay mail delivery -- FederalSoup.com

Specifically:

“The USPS will no longer use excessive cost to get the basic job done,” according to a PowerPoint presentation of DeJoy’s talking points at a meeting in Ohio posted by the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers. “If the plants run late they will keep the mail for the next day. If you get mail late and your carriers are gone and you cannot get the mail out without OT, it will remain for the next day.”

When it comes to overtime generally, DeJoy’s plan is to eventually eliminate it. “Again, we are paying too much in OT and it is not cost effective and soon will be taken off the table.”
​

Talking to friends who have worked for the USPS, they say that it's impossible to reprimand or motivate bad employees, of whom there is a non-negligible number. Cutting out overtime might work if there were also a way to improve productivity. But if there isn't, then I don't see how this works.

 

It should be interesting to see how that strategy works out around Christmas time. Though I think we all know that the ultimate intention here is to destroy the Postal Service. I’ll bite my tongue now to avoid making this political.

 

I havn't had any problems with my media mail shipments to fellow SH members but I havn't shipped much lately. Out of literally a hundred plus CD shipments I had one media mail ship late because it was incorrectly routed, but it got there. Other than that, no problems knock on wood.

What I have a problem with today is not media mail but any mail in general, including UPS and FedEx. For example I have a regular package stuck in San Francisco USPS facility now for the last two weeks. It hasn't moved. I just had a UPS shipment lost. FedEx is all over the place. Sometimes next day sometimes next week.

 

I've been increasingly having problems with UPS and FedEx as well. A record being shipped to me via FedEx has spent the last few days bouncing around North Carolina, when it was scheduled to be delivered here today. No chance of that happening. FedEx and UPS packages are also taking unusual routes to get here.

 

I've got an ebay package stuck in LA now for 3 weeks, and that's after it took a week to get it scanned into the system, so it's now been over a month. I think the package has moved 12 miles according to their tracking, but honestly, it could be anywhere. Overall, I haven't had issues, but deliveries are slowing and lost packages are a big fail.

 

My media mail package of Christmas in July CDs from Real Gone Music,is now expected to be in my hands by early PM 8/8. It has moved 45 feet since 7/27. Basically from USPS distro center to Post Office virtually next door. 45 feet from 7/27 to 8/7. Hoping that email to Real Gone to be sent after pack is here helps them gain ammo for upcoming hearing by the House Oversight Committee 9/17. I will be surprised if PG DeJoy shows up,but,if he does,the Jackie Gleason impersonation of:"Hummmna,hummmma,hummma" explanations as a drinking game should have me passed out in minutes.

 

I'm experiencing delays as well, about 3 day delays on average for Media Mail, and 1-2 day delays for First Class parcels.

USPS's difficulties, recently exacerbated by the new Postmaster General's orders, are well-documented, and it's no surprise that Media Mail is bearing the brunt of the delays since it's a low-cost option that's always been low-priority for the USPS. That's why the official Media Mail delivery time, prior to the current situation, has not only been long but also a huge range: 2-9 days.

If you want fewer delays, sellers need to offer First Class/Priority shipping as an option, and buyers need to be willing to pay for it.

One thing I don't quite understand in this regard is that when it comes to CDs, it often costs $2-2.50 extra to ship them First Class vs Media Mail at the post office counter. But using a discounted online service like PayPal shipping, First Class costs less than a dollar extra than Media Mail when shipping 1 or 2 CDs. I often wonder why so many sellers, across different platforms, seem unaware of, or unwilling to use, like PayPal shipping - and on that basis insist on Media Mail because First Class is too expensive.

I know as a buyer I would happily pay $1 extra in these times to get a more reliable shipping method.

 

Big shakeup at the Postal Service today. Expect things to get even worse.

 

So early in the pandemic it was evident that mail issues were likely COVID-19 related. Now it is clear that the new guy at the top of USPS has managed to screw things up beyond belief which has led to even bigger problems. But I still have to wonder. I get it if my outgoing media mail sits on a dock an extra day or two but when a package goes on a wild joyride? This is insane. Case in point.

CD below sold on eBay. Not a huge sale. Buyer is about 8 miles from me, a 10-12 minute drive with no traffic. The weight was solidly in the 5 ounce category so because the item was so inexpensive and wasn't traveling far, I elected to use media mail. What could possibly go wrong?

The journey it has been on is almost comical. It should have went from Anaheim to Santa Ana without all the garbage in between. At least it is moving quickly through the system...so far.

• DEPART USPS FACILITY
• SANTA ANA, CA 92799

• Aug 7, 2020
• 12:19pm

• Departed USPS Regional Facility
• SANTA ANA CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

• Aug 7, 2020
• 8:42am

• DEPART USPS FACILITY
• SANTA ANA, CA 92799

• Aug 7, 2020
• 8:28am

• ARRIVE USPS FACILITY
• SANTA ANA, CA 92799

• Aug 7, 2020
• 8:28am

• Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
• SANTA ANA CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

• Aug 7, 2020
• 7:40am

• DEPART USPS FACILITY
• ANAHEIM, CA 92899

• Aug 7, 2020
• 7:40am

• Departed USPS Regional Facility
• ANAHEIM CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

• Aug 7, 2020
• 7:39am

• DEPART USPS FACILITY
• ANAHEIM, CA 92899

• Aug 7, 2020
• 3:49am

• PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
• ANAHEIM, CA 92899

• Aug 7, 2020
• 3:49am

• Departed USPS Regional Facility
• ANAHEIM CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

• Aug 6, 2020
• 10:01pm

• ARRIVE USPS FACILITY
• ANAHEIM, CA 92899

• Aug 6, 2020
• 9:45pm

• ARRIVE USPS FACILITY
• ANAHEIM, CA 92899

• Aug 6, 2020
• 9:45pm

• Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
• ANAHEIM CA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

• Aug 6, 2020
• 6:19pm

• DEPART USPS FACILITY
• BELL GARDENS, CA 90201

• Aug 6, 2020
• 6:19pm

• Departed USPS Regional Facility
• LOS ANGELES CA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER

• Aug 6, 2020
• 6:15pm

• DEPART USPS FACILITY
• BELL GARDENS, CA 90201

• Aug 6, 2020
• 4:13pm

• Departed USPS Regional Facility
• LOS ANGELES CA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER

• Aug 6, 2020
• 4:13pm

• PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
• BELL GARDENS, CA 90201

• Aug 6, 2020
• 2:26pm

• Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
• LOS ANGELES CA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER

• Aug 6, 2020
• 2:26pm

• PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
• BELL GARDENS, CA 90201

• Aug 6, 2020
• 12:00am

• In Transit to Next Facility

• Aug 5, 2020
• 4:17pm

• USPS IN POSSESSION OF ITEM
• ANAHEIM, CA 92817

• Aug 5, 2020

• 7:13am

• Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
• ANAHEIM, CA 92807

• Aug 5, 2020
• 7:13am

• Tracking number provided

 

If you're dropping them off to a post office, how are they not being scanned when you hand them off to an employee? Even if they're missing that step (which would be highly unusual), nothing wrong with asking them to scan it.

 

I come in after hours and use the box inside the post office.

 

Maybe you oughta try going down there when employees are around?

Even if that's not an option, when mail gets delivered to your house, you can hand parcels to your carrier, and they can scan them for acceptance as well.

 

I work during the day. So I drop stuff off in the evening. That shouldn't be a problem and it never has been before.

I'm not dropping the ball, they are.

 

Okay then, so tell the postmaster. They've got one, I can assure you.

 

17 days and counting for a couple CD's from another Chicago suburb about 40 miles away. No tracking update for the past 11 days.

 

I have about 10 things coming/going and they’re all massively delayed. Every now and then a random one gets from Point A to Point B in normal fashion but it’s becoming a rare occurrence. I said it earlier in this thread but these packaging that are taking the joyride around the US seem to be a really inefficient way or operating. There has to be no doubt that’s slowing things down even more as you have workers unnecessarily spending time handling items which they shouldn’t. What a mess of an operation.

 

I have had my mail held at the post office since they occasionally misdeliver my mail.

My Spanish experiment was successful. From Palma Spain to my house in 5 weeks including going through customs. The guy just sent the CD booklet backyard and back part of the case for three and a half Euro. Missing out on most of the case is worth it to get the CD in a timely manner.

I just got another CD from Iowa to my house in 3 days first class mail. So these days the luck has been with me.