How well do UR numbers work for US tracking?

[byto253]

I have here read about putting in the UR number from untracked small packet shipments as a tracking number.  How reliable is it?  

Thanks.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@byto253 wrote:

How is the delivery time for Small Packet untracked air service compared to Tracked Packet?   

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@byto253 

From Calgary:

7 to 11 regular days  Small Packet Air USA

6 to 8 days Tracked USA

Much of it depends on final destination and what is happening weatherwise getting to Vancouver(Richmond) for forwarding to USA. Recent small packet to Oregon was 11 days after it went to LAX and back to Oregon. Tracked shaves 2 days off transit to LAX to get a package into customs. If you base estimate on what eBay uses for ETA majority of USA shipped from anywhere it Canada varies little (same numbers for basically everywhere) even though CP does display a transit time for Small Packet Air USA/Intl. (Sadly eBay refuses to address this "issue" no matter how many times it is brought up.

-Lotz

Note: In just now re-checking the CP rate tool, it no longer shows transit for US services and lower intl. services. Service guarantees for specific applicable services still not have been reinstated for the USA but are in affect for Canadian shipments.

Most recent update:

We suspended on-time delivery guarantees on March 18, 2020 due to the unique circumstances we are operating in. The suspensions remain in effect for XpresspostTM -USA and PriorityTM Worldwide.

[byto253]

Thanks.   From the feedback here, I think on .com I could be pretty safe selecting "Economy Shipping from Canada 5 - 12 business days if using "untracked" small air packet and putting in the UR number. 

Thoughts if that should usually be ok, or asking for to much trouble?

I normally use Economy Shipping from outside US 11 - 23 business days but that is longer than required.  I do use that for lettermail though.  Standard from outside US is 5-10 days which is a bit to tight for untracked. 

[38e_avenue]

It's about the same. I did not notice any difference, except of the price and the way the tracking number works. As you can see, it's very fast, too. 

And here is the Tracked Packet: 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@byto253 wrote:

Thanks.   From the feedback here, I think on .com I could be pretty safe selecting "Economy Shipping from Canada 5 - 12 business days if using "untracked" small air packet and putting in the UR number. 

Thoughts if that should usually be ok, or asking for to much trouble?

I normally use Economy Shipping from outside US 11 - 23 business days but that is longer than required.  I do use that for lettermail though.  Standard from outside US is 5-10 days which is a bit to tight for untracked. 

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I would think you should be okay using that option. Because eBay seems to have gotten away from most sellers using more than 1 option I've noticed the majority of sellers (Canada & USA) using generic shipping options(especially bad if/when a Canadian lists on dot com or wants to use someone else besides CP. The only other thing you can do is use one these 2 options.  Hope and pray. Mostly due to the fact that suggested transit times are best case scenarios (or they've been dinged for too many lates), rarely factor in all weather situations and customs is not included as a possible delay while the bots rule the roost. I've spoken to many buyers asking where their items were when they were delayed. They were unaware that customs could cause delays. (Registering as 2 seconds late, equals free). 

-Lotz

[pjcdn2005]

@byto253    Thanks.   From the feedback here, I think on .com I could be pretty safe selecting "Economy Shipping from Canada 5 - 12 business days if using "untracked" small air packet and putting in the UR number

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The  'shipping from Canada' options are a bit wonky. I normally use standard shipping from outside US and that seems to work fairly well.  I just revised a listing so I could see if they had been fixed. The results with 2 day handling:

US $5.50	United States	Standard Shipping from outside US	Estimated between Fri, Jan 20 and Mon, Jan 30 to 92210
US $5.50	United States	Standard Shipping from Canada	Estimated between Fri, Jan 20 and Fri, Jan 27 to 92210
US $5.50	United States	Economy Shipping from Canada	Estimated on or before Thu, Jan 19 to 92210
US $20.00	United States	Expedited Shipping from Canada	Estimated between Fri, Jan 20 and Fri, Jan 27 to 92210

As you can see economy shipping  from Canada is really out to lunch and that standard and expedited are the same??  I want to post a separate thread about this and about the generic shipping to Canada time on .com and will page Devon so that someone can look at this again.

[byto253]

I posted about that glitch last year, it comes and goes and you really have to watch it.  I have been using economy from outside the US on pretty well all lettermail and untracked since then.  I would like to use a better estimate though,

[byto253]

I sent 2 with untracked to the US and put the UR numbers in eBay for tracking and it is tracking perfectly.  

[reallynicestamps]

The only reason to pay for tracking is that you would lose too much money (or emotional ease) if there is a Not Delivered claim.

If your cost for shipping untracked is $5 and for tracked is $10, but your cost (including fees , etc) for the item is $1, then whatever you sell it at, shipping untracked loses you $6 .  Shipping tracked costs you $11.

Would the higher cost of tracking reduce the number of sales?

If you rarely have INR claims, or if you are losing sales because of high shipping,  perhaps tracking is unnecessary.

Which makes the discussion of how well Small Packet is tracked  moot.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

The only reason to pay for tracking is that you would lose too much money (or emotional ease) if there is a Not Delivered claim.

If your cost for shipping untracked is $5 and for tracked is $10, but your cost (including fees , etc) for the item is $1, then whatever you sell it at, shipping untracked loses you $6 .  Shipping tracked costs you $11.

Would the higher cost of tracking reduce the number of sales?

If you rarely have INR claims, or if you are losing sales because of high shipping,  perhaps tracking is unnecessary.

Which makes the discussion of how well Small Packet is tracked  moot.

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I'm not sure when they changed the payment email but this little disclaimer shows up now. I lost track with all of the changes like that that have been made recently.

Ship your item with a tracked service within 1 day, the handling time you promised in your listing, so you’re protected in the event of a claim or dispute—and don't forget to update the tracking information. Most transactions are covered by seller protections, but this only applies if you use a tracked service.

To my mind you only ship with a tracked service if the items worth it and if the customer paid for it. Making the 1st part moot and the 2nd part the sellers responsibility.

-Lotz

[fergua3]

that little disclaimer is interesting.  It implies that using UR numbers for tracking won't win you INR claims.  Having won 2 INR claims in the past, with UR tracking numbers, i wonder if things will change going forward.  I'll find out i guess (or with luck i won't 🙂 ).

I'm not going to change my behavioiur.  UR tracking for sales under $100 and normal tracked packet for sales over $100.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@fergua3 wrote:

that little disclaimer is interesting.  It implies that using UR numbers for tracking won't win you INR claims.  Having won 2 INR claims in the past, with UR tracking numbers, i wonder if things will change going forward.  I'll find out i guess (or with luck i won't 🙂 ).

I'm not going to change my behavioiur.  UR tracking for sales under $100 and normal tracked packet for sales over $100.

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@fergua3 

Similar to the fact that UR tracking numbers ONLY work with eBay (USA) and eBay CS has direct access to those details.

-Lotz

[sylviebee]

Geez.... that was fun to listen to again.  

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@brettjet38 wrote:

For me about 98%

A few packages never get updated in the last leg, but it is rare.

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@brettjet38 

Delivery updates not showing up for end of journey appears to be a thing with USPS. See posts 150 and 152. Causing delays for sellers to get paid due to no fault of their own.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/eBay-not-recognizing-quot-Delivered-to-Agent-for-Final-Delive...

-Lotz

[pjcdn2005]

@lotzofuniquegoodies 
That is an eBay problem, not usps.   Those 'delivered to agent' packages have been delivered and show as such on the usps site. When usps chooses that particular delivery statement eBay is not updating their site to show delivery even though it always showed as delivered in the past.  Something changed in the programming and needs to be fixed.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@pjcdn2005 

I've (as have many others) had parcels on multiple occasions (CP/USPS/eBay) show as out for delivery with no final (ever) delivery scan. For any seller (Canadian/US) if the eBay scans are not updating this could definitely cause sellers to extend waiting time to get paid if that is a criteria eBay is using. The feedback one boggles the mind considering how obsolete it is as a concept for the majority of eBay transactions. 

-Lotz

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Re: UR tracking numbers and tracking to foreign countries

Had a shipment recently to Greece. In checking the tracking at the Greek Postal Service item shows in customs as of today and processed. Item has been handed off for final delivery.  Identical tracking information displays parcelsapp dot com. The UR tracking numbers do not work with all foreign postal services but is very nice when they do. Total transit time...9 days to customs scan. (Note. No tracking details display  for this item in eBay other than tracking number provided.)

-Lotz