any other sellers on ebay Canada having trouble with mail not arriving to their customers in USA?

[craftyhands4-9]

Hi, just wondering if any other Canadian sellers have had troubles with items not arriving to their USA customers?

I sell small inexpensive earrings, and ship small packet USA, which of course, has no tracking number.

 I have at times had an "item not received" around the Holiday Season, but in just over one month, I have now had 5!

One was mailed on Aug 22 has never arrived, one on Sept 4, Sept 21, 22, and now another from Sept 18th.

I am refunding all these customers, because it is not their fault, but it is also not mine.

Canada Post didn't go on strike, but something is not working the way it should, or used to. Maybe Customs?

I don't know but I am getting very frustrated.

Just wondered if anyone else was having trouble too?

[aubreyclay56]

not often do i send things without tracking,i think it is mostly dishonest buyers,just my opinion,that amount of items dont just dissapear.

[ypdc_dennis]

I've had no problems with oversize lettermail / light packet / small packet to the USA this year, but my items are not high theft targets (cds/dvds/books).

Are any particular areas of the USA having this high INR rate? or is it all over?

According to the A-river forums that I also read, the USPS has a few black holes in the delivery web.

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Check the number that you get with Small Packet (tiny print under the bar code) -- while not visible on Canada Post anymore, the numbers sometimes end up showing on the USPS website.

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Also, if you don't already do so, apologize for the delay and ask the buyer to repay the purchase price when the item does arrive. Sometimes a delay, is just a delay, and honest buyers do exist.

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[pocomocomputing]

A year ago a seller reported here in the forums having a lot of INR claims. Several sellers posted offering advice. Another seller said the same think happened to them. Incredibly after a few posts, the two sellers who had so many INR claims determined that they were both using the same Canada Post Red Box outside a Shoppers Drug Mart. It turns out mail was being stolen from that box and and Canada Post investigated. What eventually happened I do not know.

Here is the topic

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/I-feel-sick-Canada-Post-whole-bunch-of-missing-item-not-r...

go to the end posts as that is where they determined that they were both using the same mailbox.

Just in case the same thing is happening (unlikely), where did you mail items? All in the same place? Post office or corner mail box outside? Give an exact location cross street and city in case someone has or had the same thing happen at the same place in the past months.

[craftyhands4-9]

Thanks to everyone that has replied so far.

The areas that I have mailed to and having problems with is: AR,NY,TN,OK, and TX.

I did have one honest customer send money thru paypal once the package did arrive......21 days late. I thanked him very much for his honesty.

We live in a small rural village of 179 people, and have to take our mail to the small post office here, we have one postmistress, a very good friend of mine, so the problem is not there.

It goes from here to Yorkton, SK. then to Regina, SK. then off to larger sorting centres to go to customs.

They go thru a lot of places before they ever leave Canada.

 I hope this is not a trend and just a small occurrence, as I said, hasn't happened so frequently before. maybe one or to a year.

Was thinking of taking my mail across the provincial border to another small village in Manitoba, since we are only 12kms from there, and their mail goes straight to Winnipeg, MB. then to sorting centres, but to drive that everyday is not worth the cost, unless this keeps happening.

Thanks again everyone! 

[triber]

I have had 2 in the last 2 weeks. Before that it has been many months before I had a non-delivery. Both were letter mail, so not insured or tracked of course. One was to a P.O. box, and I am wondering if that is a problem.

[Anonymous]

It is one of many reasons why I have been using Tracked Packet or Expedited to USA since more than 2 years ago.

[platinumsells]

100% of my packages always arrives to my customers in the USA. I never experienced any problems about the shipping and I do sell some items with and without tracking number using Canada Post.

The problem is that you are sending without tracking number and got buyers that probably scams again. Believe it or not, I got 2 cases for non-receiving items but the tracking number showed ''Delivered'' so ebay simply closed the case in my favor.

There is always some buyers that will try to scam you by any possible situation and I think you are experienced that.

[katlover1952]

I too sell jewelry mostly not expensive so you simply cannot justify Canada Post's expensive tracking (especially for the 250 & under) cost. No buyer would pay the cost anyway so I too mostly use light and small packet. Touch wood have not had any problems lately. Have sent one or two to Texas too. I know that despite what eBay tells everyone even though it is mailed airmail I always tell the buyers it can take 10-14 business days and on occasion has been known to take 2-3 weeks to arrive (mostly is 2 weeks or under). I expect they face the same type of problems we do here in the rural areas and it simply takes a little longer.

Hopefully this will not be a trend. I know that over the years I usually have at least 1 or 2 per year that does not show up and of course have to refund. It is frustrating because it is not our fault as the seller but one of those things you just can't do much about and of course you never really know if the buyer is honest or scamming you.

[craftyhands4-9]

I totally agree with you. It is fine to say send tracked packet, but for my items, mostly under $10.00, It costs $16.29 to send it. Not sure how many will buy a pair of $5.95 earrings and pay $16.00 to ship them.

[ricarmic]

Certainly tracking would never make sense.

Normally "cookie jar insurance" would cover stuff like the odd loss.

5 potential/actual losses in a one month time period given OPs selling rate is waayyyy out of line, and is beyond what cookie jar insurance can sustain.

I'm assuming you've talked with your postmistress so they know something is happening. There isn't much they can do to help but she may have insights or be able to send a message through the leadership chain that an inordinate number of US destined packages are going MIA from her location. It can't hurt for her to try.

If the problem continues the idea to temporarily try sending from another location is a good one. If it works then repeating the message through your local PM up her leadership chain might hold more merit then too because you have "proof" that it is something about her location....

I hope you keep us updated, it would be good to know what happens.....