eBay

ct-v · ‎10-07-2022

I'm in Montreal and all my packages to the US are going through New York. Usually they are processed immediatly by the US customs. I shippped 4 packages this Tuesday and they arrived at New York the next day. However, this time all the packages have been marked as "Inbound Into Customs" and they have not moved for two days now. I'm wondering if it means that the US customs are overloaded right now or if it is a new way of processing all the packages. If it is the case, I hope that the customs won't keep the packages for too long.

ricarmic · ‎10-07-2022

This is why there's the golden rule "never watch stuff in transit", however we all break it sometimes!

When I've succumbed to temptation and watched stuff to the US there have been many times stuff looks like it is sitting forever, no scans or nothing then after days, it shows up with a whole host of updates along with "out for delivery".

Like our post office, one can't rely on the updates, I've found the US ones (or Canada Post's interpretation of them) to be very misleading, scary stuff like "returning to sender" doesn't often mean that is what is acutally happening, at least in situations where I've seen it.

Far too often when I've succumbed to watching stuff en route, I end up heart palpatations because usually I've succumbed because its an over $1,000 item and because there's far too often situations like yours, or scary "return to sender" type stuff showing up..... hence the golden rule.....

femmefan1946 · ‎10-07-2022

I agree with @ricarmic that watching is a Bad Idea.

The only time you need it is when your customer complains their item is overdue.

But sometimes we can't help ourselves.

From time to time a member will copy a long list of notifications, usually in a panic, but if we actually look at them, the item is moving normally, but has been scanned three or four times within the same plant.

Other times, the item, still moving normally, is not scanned at all for a day or so.

The only scan that matters is the Delivered scan. That is our Seller Protection-- even if porch pirates got to the shipment before the customer.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎10-07-2022

@femmefan1946 wrote:
I agree with @ricarmic that watching is a Bad Idea.
The only time you need it is when your customer complains their item is overdue.
But sometimes we can't help ourselves.
From time to time a member will copy a long list of notifications, usually in a panic, but if we actually look at them, the item is moving normally, but has been scanned three or four times within the same plant.
Other times, the item, still moving normally, is not scanned at all for a day or so.
The only scan that matters is the Delivered scan. That is our Seller Protection-- even if porch pirates got to the shipment before the customer.

Totally agree regarding the scans. Unfortunately its not a perfect system but all we have as buyers and sellers to go on. So that's what we (some of us) check.

There was a recent annoucement on dot regarding what would be accepted for Authenticity Guaranteed transactions. Basically proof of final street address is required. Full discussion attached. See last few posts for the question (posts 42 to 45) . eBay was questioned on it they had no answers. Only quoted the announcement. With drop and dash(GSP etc) or community mailbox deliveries being the norm for Canada (and then considered as delivered because of the last scan) even if it was delivered at wrong address or was snafu'd before buyer has in hand, sellers/and buyers will have little in the way of actual protections going forward. How long before some sort of this will be a requirement for ALL ebay sales? Would it really make sense to pay for signature service on every order? Probably not from a financial perspective.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Regarding-new-Seller-protection-update-effective-Nov-1-2022/m-...

-Lotz

reallynicestamps · ‎10-08-2022

I've never had an actual reply to a question about zipcodes.

The Canadian postal code is one carrier's postal walk. The carrier may cover several 'walks' in one shift.

The US zipcode covers a much much larger area and more addresses.

But there is an extended zipcode. EG 90210-1234

Does the extended zipcode cover a walk? or a larger area?

I have noticed that most of my US customers use the extended zipcode, and I look up and write in the extension when they don't.

ibccshop · ‎10-08-2022

I usually ship with FedEx. They are much quicker than Canada Post and they actually meet their delivery guarantees of on average 2 days for shipments to the U.S.

I want to support Canada Post, but a lot more headaches + delays in delivery = unahppy customers.

doc_scribe · ‎10-08-2022

@ricarmic wrote:
This is why there's the golden rule "never watch stuff in transit", however we all break it sometimes!
Far too often when I've succumbed to watching stuff en route, I end up heart palpatations because usually I've succumbed because its an over $1,000 item and because there's far too often situations like yours, or scary "return to sender" type stuff showing up..... hence the golden rule.....

Wise advice. For Sellers, 'Delivery Confirmation' is the prize, not the sometimes baffling 'Routing' a package can take within the USPS system. I've had Tracked Packets hit 3 hubs in the southwest before heading east and up the coast to the actual destination in the northeast.

Weirdly, some of the wildest cross-country USPS tours ended up arriving on or before the estimated delivery date. It you dwell on this stuff too much, you'll go mad (or madder).

reallynicestamps · ‎10-08-2022

I suspect the "routing" we see is not where the parcel has ever been , but a fat fingered typo.

And of course, FedEx practically invented spoke and hub delivery systems.

Doesn't help that PostMaster General deJoy has been working to destroy the USPS since his appointment by... let's not get political.

doc_scribe · ‎10-08-2022

@reallynicestamps wrote:
I suspect the "routing" we see is not where the parcel has ever been , but a fat fingered typo.

...or, it might signal a re-evaluation and more realistic repositioning of the notorious Chicago Hub in the flow of national/international mail. (i.e. gradually reducing and eventually minimizing that chronic bottleneck via re-routing).

Beats me, but over the past couple of years, I sure have seen a lot more "anywhere but Chicago" hops in my own eastbound U.S. tracking.