USPS Delivery Status Not Updated?

And usually, you are able to see quite a lot more tracking info than the day it goes out for delivery - for Media Mail and anything else.

 

So having tracking on an item sent First Class used to protect the seller, for obvious reasons.
Now if that package is lost, the only thing tracking will show is when a label was printed, which of course is...completely useless. But the post office can say " yep, that's all we promised."
How is this not ridiculous ?

 

If the USPS shows in its records a package was delivered to a buyer and the buyer does not actually receive it, the risk of loss falls on the buyer under EBay rules. That happened recently to me, and I opened a case to find out who bears the risk. EBay held the buyer does.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

I have mixed feelings about this but at least I now know the policy at EBay.

 

The only thing that the seller could possibly do is add signature required, or registered mail. No US buyer would want this added to their bill when purchasing a $20 LP or a $15 CD.

 

Signature confirmation is $2.90 - I haven't used it in a long time, but my recollection is that it used to cost less. There's also something called Adult Signature Restricted Delivery, which appears to only be available when you're shipping online via the USPS website and using Priority Mail. It's $5.90, but it would seem to be fairly bulletproof when it comes to proving or disproving delivery:

Might be worthwhile for more expensive items.

 

Here`s my current situation,I bought a rare record from ebay in the middle of December wich never arrived.The USPS tracking has not been updated since the 16th.Monday I notified the seller whom opened a case with the post office.USPS shows the package"In Transit"of course.That only tells us the obvious that the package has not been scanned in over three weeks.I can have ebay step in and make a decision at the end of the week.I`d really hate for the seller to lose his money if honestly niether of us is at fault but I can`t just let it go either because of the amount.I don`t know how he could have sent this media mail,the listing said expedited.I have no idea how well he packaged it.I`ve received a record before in flimsy cardboard taped together so I know the unimaginable can really happen.Who knows,he mentioned he was getting offers sent to him.Maybe somebody sent him a higher offer after the auction ended or something completely crazy.

 

You are throwing a lot of ideas around. Yes, he could have sold it out from under you. But, just say that it's not for him to worry about the refund to you, because if the record arrives and it is fine you will send him back the money - right.

 

I think most likely it was simply damaged or lost not the seller`s fault.

 

It may not be the seller's fault, but as far as eBay is concerned, the seller is responsible for the item until it is delivered to the buyer. Sellers that are not comfortable with this should either refrain from selling on eBay, or insist that all shipments (especially for expensive items) have tracking and insurance. If your seller really did send the item media mail but charged you for expedited shipping, that is a violation of eBay rules, but that doesn't stop unethical sellers from trying to get away with it in hopes of pocketing the difference.

That said, customer service at the USPS really seems to be taking a hit recently. I've had one eBay purchase apparently sitting at the local USPS distribution center (where incoming mail for the area is processed before going out to the neighborhood post offices for delivery) since December 10, with no tracking updates, and no one's been able to tell me exactly where it is. I finally gave up earlier this week and contacted the seller to inform him that it was lost. I had another item delivered yesterday, but the tracking number never showed any information available at all, either in transit or after it was delivered.

Better get used to a continual decline in service - the USPS is closing a lot of local post offices and distribution centers and consolidating operations into fewer and fewer locations. They've already announced that First Class Mail should be expected to take a day longer to arrive than it previously did, effective January 1.

 

Turns out the tracking number was not valid.

 

So....can you now track it?

 

No

 

EBay's rule assumes that the USPS is reliable with its tracking. Apparently, that is not as true as it used to be. That risk of loss with tracking is on the buyer and it strikes randomly.

The risk of loss fell on me with a $12 CD, so not so great a loss. But in John Harris's case - a rare record - that's a very different. EBay needs to come up with a better system of allocation of risk if this is happening with greater frequency.

 

The plot thickens,My package was scanned the 15th down in TN.Of course I`m going to pay the seller when it gets here.If it`s smashed I`ll send it back.

 

In December I sent a record box set Priority Mail to Japan, the tracking didn't update at all. When entered online it just says "delivery status not available". Fortunately the buyer was honest and left feedback when he got it.

It was $71 for just the shipping cost, I don't think it is too much to ask for working tracking when the postage is that high.

 

International Priority Mail (even at $71.00) does not come with tracking afaik. It comes with free insurance I think?

 

https://www.usps.com/international/priority-mail-international.htm

"Includes USPS Tracking"

Insurance is included for something like $50-70, I paid for additional insurance on top of the $71.

The tracking is usually pretty good, a few times it stayed stuck on "processed through New York sort facility"

 

I gave up completely.It took over a month but my record arrived in perfect shape.I sent the poor guy his money back.I sent over ten packages to Italy last year and they arrived faster than this!

 

Seems strange but I've had better luck with Media Mail shipments vs. First Class. Perhaps it's down to the "hubs" but apparently the more you pay doesn't necessarily mean it's going to get to it's destination quicker!

 

I think Post offices get overwhelmed in the holiday crush around Christmas. The only two packages that I've ever had serious delivery problems with were shipped out the first weeks of December.

Tracking is hit or miss. I've noticed that my local post office is now scanning Amazon shipments as delivered long before they actually arrive at my home.

 

There's been a lot of angry people at my PO this week including myself. Many packages have apparently been lost. My tracking info has said "notice left [no secure location available]" from Saturday 1/24 until earlier this evening when it was updated with the same info again for tonight. No notice was left either time. I've been to the PO four times already and been told one story after another. I've been looking for this RtR cover for 8 years I really hope it shows up.

 

I left my PO box rental because I caught them sitting on my mail and not getting it into my box promptly. Friday mail not getting into my box until tues. And when I mentioned it they said it was because so many checks come into people's mail and checks take priority. I can sort of understand folks waiting for checks and really needing the money, but I'm not paying for that shoddy working system.

Well over the last year I have had two items of mail that were not junk come in to be forwarded to me at the PO box post office I previously used. Both of these items took that post office 5 weeks to get to my forwarded home address.

I guess it was good that I got out. But I'm still pissed about horrible service that I paid for. I was a 20 year renter of that box. The first 15 years were fine and good. It only got bad the last five. And as the box rental rates went up. It just to be too much.

So yes, the service is not at all what it used to be.