eBay

needsmorerobots · ‎12-03-2020

Update from a post I made earlier:

Mailed out a costly item through tracked air mail on Oct 16 via Canada Post. It arrived in the US at ISC San Francisco on Oct 20th where it promptly disappeared off the radar.

I called USPS San Francisco depot who couldn't help but gave me two phone numbers at ISC to call. No one picked up phones on either number and voice mail for both was full. I registered for updates through USPS hoping it would prompt some sort of movement. There was nothing.

The customer and I waited it out but still no package.

About 2 weeks ago I sent a line of inquiry to Canada Post. I wanted to know what happened to the package. This was after I failed to find any way to ask such a question of USPS through their official website.

Canada Post got back to me today. They had no answer to give and instead are paying me out part of the cost through insurance. This isn't what I want. I want my customer to get his item. I know there is still a chance it could turn up. One seller on eBay explained his turned up 6 months later.

Is there anything more I can do or should I admit defeat (for now)?

darak10 · ‎12-08-2020

I had the exact situation happen to me in August or September when an item going to Nashville was routed thru SF. It disappeared off the radar for 30 days. It was tracked. No scans for 30 days. I was getting ready to refund the guy but he was really cool about it and then like magic it was scanned and delivered within 24 hours of officially resurfacing. Saved my bacon. It really depends on the customer and how cool / patient they are. I am finding most folks are patient these days but this fellow was extra so.

I had a conversation with a customer in Minneapolis last week where she got my item from Edmonton in around ten days and had just gotten a parcel from Vegas that had been floating around in limbo for literally six months. She got the refund on that item 4 months previous. It may not matter what you want to happen, especially if USPS has other unfortunate/ unpredictable plans for the package. It might be best to take the partial insurance especially if the customer is getting antsy. If they aren't, maybe you could ride it out a bit more.

reallynicestamps · ‎12-09-2020

Let's hope the new US administration fires the Board at USPS and allows the professional staff to get on with their jobs.

Like not throwing up operational but obsolete equipent until there is a replacement.

And hiring temporary workers with a path to permant status.

And adjusting the pension burden to allow the Service to make capital investments.

needsmorerobots · ‎12-10-2020

@darak10

I'm very fortunate my customer is so calm about it. He's still willing to wait but seeing as how the package as of today has yet to appear or be scanned, my patience has already worn itself out.

I have another expensive package that entered the same ISC a few days ago. If this one vanishes, I may need to rethink how I go about shipping items over $100 to the US.

darak10 · ‎12-10-2020

yeah, I get it. when you send it tracking and one particular facility is the perpetual guilty party, and your mail is continually routed there, I dont know if there's any other way. Alot of folks were complaining about Chicago & Erlanger and the problems those facilities were having in the summer with item after item getting lost in the GSP shuffle. I dont know if its changed honestly. All I know is that I dont use the GSP so I dont have any problems with stuff getting lost at the Cincinnati Intl airport haha.

Chit Chats maybe? but then again they may route your stuff thru SF. It makes sense in a way it is happening in SF; they are no doubt a very union friendly shop and with the state lockdown their members are probably all over leadership to protect their safety, so stuff is slowing down there. Most other worksites in the US especially in right to work states would be told to pound sand if they raised any issues with workload etc.

Mail from Edmonton isn't commonly routed thru SF and when I saw it processed there first I scratched my head, wondering why it ended up there. COVID related I'm thinking. I dont understand beyond the basics how CP routs stuff to the US, if anyone has more specifics or knows more about how it operates internally it would be interesting to know.