eBay

momcqueen · ‎08-22-2018

Is anyone else noticing their orders from the USA arriving late or maybe never? On ebay and elsewhere, not toys for business, but craft supplies for personal use. And not sexy craft supplies like anything flammable or explosive but really dull stuff that should never gain the suspicious attention of someone in Customs.

It's almost like American sellers are using some sort of freight consolidator that loses their stuff. There is one thing all these missing/late/no-show orders have in common and that is that they are tracked... sort of. They claim to be sending to me via First Class International (which is the shipping service that I am paying for) and then I get tracking that says 'Arrived Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item' and then I never hear of it again. It's the last tracking on the order and it might say it for 35+ days without anything further.

What is this? Shipping Partner Facility? Is it a consolidation and ground service? I thought that ground to/from the USA-Canada was discontinued a few years ago.

It's only started to happen lately too. Maybe since the summer began. I'm confused. And a little sad because I'm waiting for plain old acrylic paints and other doohickey for the kids that just never arrive.

?

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎08-22-2018

Believe I am seeing something similar with a package ordered on the 15th. Have emailed the seller but have yet to hear back from them if they've seen any similar package behaviour. Estimated delivery Fri, Aug 31 - Mon, Oct 01

Tracking details below:

Aug 21, 2018
14:58pm

Processed Through Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Aug 20, 2018
14:11pm

Arrived at USPS Facility
CHICAGO, IL 60668

Aug 20, 2018
14:06pm

Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Aug 20, 2018
02:06am

Arrived at Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
- Aug 20, 2018
- 00:00am
- In Transit to Next Facility

Aug 19, 2018
00:00am

In Transit to Next Facility

Aug 18, 2018
07:29am

Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
CHICAGO IL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Aug 18, 2018
06:52am

Departed USPS Regional Facility
ELK GROVE VILLAGE IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Aug 18, 2018
00:08am

Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
ELK GROVE VILLAGE IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

Aug 17, 2018
22:53pm

Accepted at USPS Origin Facility
MACHESNEY PARK, IL 61115

Aug 16, 2018
02:43am PDT

Tracking number provided

Definitely, a lot more scans than one would see on a package in the Canadian system. Guess will just have to wait and see when it actually arrives. Machesney Park Illinois to Chicago is approx 2:00 hours away.

-CM

momcqueen · ‎08-22-2018

I had a FedEx package delivered today that claimed to have been in Mississauga, Winnipeg, Calgary, Mississauga, Calgary, Winnipeg, Calgary and Winnipeg again all within nine hours of one day. Something must have been wonky with their time/date stamp. I don’t think it’s possible to travel even non-stop to those eight cities in nine hours.

silverpinups · ‎08-23-2018

Yes, there's definitely something going on, I've lost two packages from the USA this Spring and Summer.

They were sent USPS First Class but sat a Distribution Center and never really moved. I don't know if USPS has a subsidized option for cheaper shipping rates but it's the first time in 13 years that I've had to file item not received claims with sellers in the USA.

I don't have details anymore because the sellers refunded me for the lost packages.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎08-23-2018

There' are definitely issues with the inaccurate scanning of packages by all postal/courier systems.

1. Canada Post - A package is available for pickup scan at your community mailbox. Checked. Was not there. Arrived 1 hour later.

2. Canada Post:Package available for pickup at your local community postal depot. Arrived to pick up and told that it would not be there until either that afternoon or sometime the next day.

3. UPS message: Your package is out for delivery first thing am delivery. Delivery by 7 PM

4. UPS message: Package left on front step. Package/scan details marked do not safe drop. Was home at time. Doorbell did not ring.

5. Intelcom: Label prepared. No further scan updates in Ebay. Intelcom tracking has full details with correct delivery information.

6. Intelcom: Label prepared - Only available update in Ebay tracking. Intelcom tracking shows item prepared but the package was never picked up. That was Aug 9/2018 (Ebay via the River warehouse). Seller shipped replacement 8 days later with Canadapost. Arrived no issues in community mailbox a few days later.

Definitely appears that a number of systems are not on very good speaking terms.

-CM

Side note: In speaking to a UPS agent at a depot, she had a package magically disappear from her apartment mailbox. Was there when she left for work. Left it to pick up when she got home. Got home package was gone but that days mail was there. In speaking to Canadapost regarding the situation, because package tracking shows delivered she was unable to make a claim.

retroman_studios · ‎08-23-2018

There are a number of low cost shipping consolidators like UPS Mail Innovations, Stamps.com and the list goes on. Even FedEx has a program.

They are all like Pitney Bowes how they use multiple couriers and mail seems to travel far away places before it gets to you.

The common one I get for small items is "Item en route to next facility". You will get that three times then nothing. But typically the item will be delivered. But it's very economical.

I imagine these freight companies cater to online shops, and to save money they all go to one plant then sort and distribute from there.

Reminds me of micro brands in the cellphone world, how they lease from xyz carriers but if you ever have a major issue the big boys (Telus😂Rogers etc) have to fix it which can take months.

momcqueen · ‎08-25-2018

In the meantime, all my outbound shipments to the USA are delivered as many as five business days AHEAD of standard.

If I’d paid $3 postage for all these missing inbound shipments, I might be of a different mindset but I’m still paying $16 CAD First Class for something that might weigh 256 g when packed. I’m frustrated to pay that and still not have what I ordered in seven weeks. If I ask the seller, they’ll always blame Customs even if tracking shows it’s not even that far yet.

femmefan1946 · ‎08-25-2018

@momcqueen

they’ll always blame Customs even if tracking shows it’s not even that far yet.

Are you sure?

I was interpreting International Centre as being Customs.

Keeping in mind that Customs is not necessarily located in the country assessing the duty and sales tax.

I'm mostly amazed, considering how antsy Americans seem to be when stuff doesn't arrive yesterday, that it took two days (2am on the 16th until 7am on the 18th ) to get to Chicago.

And now it's been bouncing around in Chicago for three days.

This is why I write the date eBay promises delivery in my notebook and don't worry until then.

momcqueen · ‎08-25-2018

Definitely not Customs. It doesn’t pass ‘partner facility’ in these cases; USPS hasn’t received it yet. I don’t bug the seller(s) until the Estimated Date of Delivery has come and gone.

marnotom! · ‎08-26-2018

@momcqueen wrote:

Is anyone else noticing their orders from the USA arriving late or maybe never? On ebay and elsewhere, not toys for business, but craft supplies for personal use. And not sexy craft supplies like anything flammable or explosive but really dull stuff that should never gain the suspicious attention of someone in Customs.

It's almost like American sellers are using some sort of freight consolidator that loses their stuff. There is one thing all these missing/late/no-show orders have in common and that is that they are tracked... sort of. They claim to be sending to me via First Class International (which is the shipping service that I am paying for) and then I get tracking that says 'Arrived Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item' and then I never hear of it again. It's the last tracking on the order and it might say it for 35+ days without anything further.

What is this? Shipping Partner Facility? Is it a consolidation and ground service? I thought that ground to/from the USA-Canada was discontinued a few years ago.

This probably isn't any help or consolation to you, but I purchased a phone case in late February. While the case reached me within a couple of weeks, I still get a "Label created, not yet in system" message when I look up the "tracking" number on the USPS website, six months later.

This "tracking" number has a "UJ" prefix, which leads me to believe that a consolidation service, possible through UPS, was used for this item.

Keep in mind that not all First Class International items are trackable. The postage has to be purchased online through the USPS website in order to have USPS e-DELCON applied to it, and I suspect that items handled by a mail consolidator don't meet that criterion.

What sort of delivery time estimate are we looking at for these items? My recollection for my phone case was that it was significantly longer than the phone I ordered at the same time but was being handled through the GSP.

momcqueen · ‎08-26-2018

Yes, it's a bit confusing. Some numbers start with UJ and others start with UM but it doesn't seem to determine speed or reliability. The stuff that's missing is missing by more than two weeks and the stuff that arrives late is late by a month or more. The stuff that never comes.... well, it just never comes. Some of it are orders where postage was rolled into the price and others are or were orders where I paid $15 USD in postage alone on a small item.

It's not until the item is overdue that I start to squirm. Lots of things don't say Delivered and I don't care about those saying 'in transit' if I have them sitting on my desk. It's just the missing ones. And they're coming from The States nine times of ten which has never been an issue for me as a buyer until recently.

I find it odd. And irritating!

momcqueen · ‎08-26-2018

Oh and the initial Estimate Date of Delivery is always about a month later at its longest. Like 14 days to a month.

momcqueen · ‎08-26-2018

Here's one from ebay but my problem is not with purchases from ebay alone, it applies to all platforms you might use to shop if the seller is American-based. It's only five days late but there's been nothing useful registered with it since mid-July. This was an order that cost me $15 USD in postage for a small (weight and volume) box.

momcqueen · ‎08-26-2018

I guess part of my anxiety also stems from the fact I don't want to have to open an Item Not Received case on another seller since we all know how painful it is to be on the receiving end of one. I just want my stuff that I paid for and feel like I have reason to expect would have been delivered. I paid more for postage than it would have cost to buy the label, I know that. I feel like that should be some sort of guarantee I'll actually get it. That I might get it on time doesn't seem like too much to ask.

Why use a consolidator to save money on postage if it alienates your buyers to be left waiting two months for an order that should have arrived in two weeks?

marnotom! · ‎08-27-2018

@momcqueen wrote:

Why use a consolidator to save money on postage if it alienates your buyers to be left waiting two months for an order that should have arrived in two weeks?

I'd guess that these sellers would also be using consolidators for their domestic shipments as well. Since most US sellers don't see nearly the volume of international sales that we Canadians do, they're probably just keeping things simpler for themselves by using consolidators for international as well as domestic sales, not knowing the effects it has on shipping time.

I also suspect that there are still many US eBay sellers who believe that all international packages sent directly through USPS have to be handed off at the post office.

Then there's also the possibility that we may be looking at a gumming of the works by a carrot-headed monkey wearing an overcompensating tie.

retroman_studios · ‎08-29-2018

Got a package today that was done through Pitney Bowes. Not GSP, but for postage direct to Canada. Plus the customs form was integrated into the shipping label. Pretty neat. I paid $14 shipping and it was a small watch, so under 500g I think, and when it reached Canada it was sent Xpress Post. Not bad for $14, and considering it was ordered about a week or two ago.

momcqueen · ‎08-29-2018

“...,and when it reached Canada it was sent Xpress Post....”

This is the case with all inbound international shipments that are tracked, they all switch to XpressPost on entry into Canada via Canada Post.

marnotom! · ‎08-29-2018

@momcqueen wrote:

This is the case with all inbound international shipments that are tracked, they all switch to XpressPost on entry into Canada via Canada Post.

I recall some years ago some central Canadians posting to the effect that their First Class International packages with e-DELCON were handled as Expedited Parcels in Canada.

momcqueen · ‎08-29-2018

All of mine come in as Xpresspost and in Winnipeg, I'm as central as they come. The longitudal centre of Canada is directly outside the city boundaries. Xpresspost has been the case for incoming international tracked parcels as long as I've been paying attention which is probably ten years. Unless by 'central' you mean Ontario/Quebec, I cannot speak to that experience.