Item stuck in usps covid restrictions

Summary: infinito2627 is concerned about a package sent from Canada to the US, which has been delayed in customs. They fear the seller may be upset as USPS stated post-October 25 restrictions on packages, but others in the discussion clarify that these restrictions do not apply to incoming mail. reallynicestamps, flipistics, and recped advise infinito2627 not to contact the seller preemptively and suggest verifying tracking updates via USPS. pjcdn2005 and msau4301 further explain that shipping issues could be due to missed scans and recommend checking USPS updates and possibly switching to more affordable shipping options.

Hello , I am in need of some advice. I sent my package to a seller in the US since the 17 of October, a day after the purchase date . Since then the package has been in customs and I've recently read on the usps website that they are no longer allowing packages in since the 25 of October . I did not know that before hand and I was not advised either went I paid the shipping at my canada post office . The seller has not mentioned anything , but all the same I don't feel comfortable with him not receiving his product . I am reaching out for advice before the seller gets angry and decides to proceed with a claim. Not sure of what I could do as I have even tried to open a lost international claim dispute with the usps but even then the system does not let me due to the covid 19 restriction.

infinito2627

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Posted 2 years ago·Last reply 2 years ago

6 comments

msau4301

·2 years ago

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You have already received great advice here, the only thing I want to add is you may be worrying for nothing if the buyer has not even reached out to you. Sometimes the items are just not scanned but have in fact been delivered. I've seen several times a package that I thought was lost/not delivered and then the buyer left me feedback. I've seen items showing they were still in customs, then magically show "delivered". Not sure if you are checking tracking on USPS site (always more up to date as others have said) but you can click on the "send me updates" then at least you'll get messages if it is scanned/moving again.

I know it's hard to not keep looking at the tracking (I'm guilty of it myself) but until you actually hear otherwise, assume it could already be received and somehow the delivery scan was missed, it does happen.

ypdc_dennis

·2 years ago

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https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome

No restrictions regarding Canada for 2023.

pjcdn2005

·2 years ago

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I think that you may have misread something. The USPS site does have a list of countries that is has restrictions on for sending mail from the US to another country. ex Russia, Israel, Ukraine etc.

I don't see any restrictions on incoming mail.

When looking at your listings I noticed that your shipping to the US is really high. You are using expedited parcel USA for inexpensive items under 2 kgs when you could use tracked packet USA. I suspect that some buyers might be scared away at $40 shipping for a comic book Tracked packets is usually less expensive than expedited but until Christmas there is a special ebay price for Tracked Packet so the shipping is MUCH less expensive. For example, a package under 100 gram is less than $8.

If you use eBay labels and want to pass the ebay discounted prices on to your customers, go to account / shipping preferences/ shipping discount settings / edit / and check off eBay shipping discounts. Tracket packet between 1 and 250 grams is under $10. If you do check off ebay discounts, I think it will show the discount on all CP services but I have't checked that.

recped

·2 years ago

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@infinito2627 wrote:
Hello , I am in need of some advice. I sent my package to a seller in the US since the 17 of October, a day after the purchase date . Since then the package has been in customs and I've recently read on the usps website that they are no longer allowing packages in since the 25 of October . I did not know that before hand and I was not advised either went I paid the shipping at my canada post office . The seller has not mentioned anything , but all the same I don't feel comfortable with him not receiving his product . I am reaching out for advice before the seller gets angry and decides to proceed with a claim. Not sure of what I could do as I have even tried to open a lost international claim dispute with the usps but even then the system does not let me due to the covid 19 restriction.

There are ZERO restrictions on incoming mail in the US related to Covid, there never was ANY that applied to incoming mail. There hasn't been a Covid related Domestic service disruption in the US in the past 2 years.

Technically anything with a declared value value under US$800 never spends more than a virtual microsecond in US customs.

An International shipment from Canada to the US would not even be considered delayed after only two weeks (Priority excepted).

You cannot open a missing mail inquiry with USPS for a shipment sent using Canada Post, any inquiries have to be made directly with Canada Post.

What specific service did you use to ship? Is it one that comes with a REAL tracking number? (Tracked Packet, Expedited, Xpresspost). If you used Small Packet there is no tracking (there is a reference number that will sometimes track).

If it has tracking, have you tried looking it up on USPS.com?

If you have not heard from your buyer DO NOT contact them!

You have 3 Sales from October and you have received feedback on all of them, that is an extremely high rate, even 60% would be considered high, the overall average is way below 50%. Especially as it appears you are not giving your buyers feedback (you left for only one of your 3). You have one sale in November so probably not delivered yet no matter where it was shipped to.

FYI - YOU are the "seller" your customer is a "buyer".

flipistics

·2 years ago

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Are you sure that's not for outbound mail to certain countries?

I just looked at a few of my sales, and one sent out on October 30th was delivered yesterday. One sent out on November 3rd just cleared customs and is in the USPS system as of yesterday.

As reallynicestamps mentioned, don't contact them. The package probably just missed a scan somewhere.

reallynicestamps

·2 years ago

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Don't contact the buyer!

If they have a problem let them contact you.

What is the last estimated date for delivery you were given when you shipped?

Has that date passed?

The tracking tells you only the last place that the shipment was, not where it is.

If the customer contacts you, first provide the tracking number (even if he already should have it) and where you see the tracking indicating it might be.

Then if that last delivery date has passed, and they are still unhappy (since we're going on a month not unlikely) refund immediately.

Also -- what Covid restriction? What did USPS say?
Did you use ship through Canada Post which transferred the shipment to USPS? You should only be dealing with Canada Post in that situation.