eBay

gemaddict · ‎10-16-2015

If it's not eBay then it's CP. Due to an unusual amount of orders taking as much as four weeks to arrive to my U.S. buyers, with one never making it all, I did what eBay always wants us to do and sent an order Tracked Packet U.S.A. This was on Oct.7. I decided to check on it's status today and found that all the tracking number says is electronic information has been submitted by shipper and once the shipment arrives in our facility tracking status and the expected delivery date will be updated. Check back for updates or sign up for email notifications. WHAT????

I go to my local post office and was advised to call CP and put in a claim/ticket. I gave them all the necessary info and was told it could take up to 10 days to investigate. In the meantime I have no idea what to do.

I had trouble with this sale from the start. This buyer has a score of one, there is a good chance that English is not their first language. They had purchased two lots of the identical item. I combined it, sent an invoice. They didn't pay so I resent the invoice. I go to check the next day and the invoice is uncombined and one order is paid for and the other is sitting there with eBay advising me to open an unpaid item claim. 😞 I have never had a conversation with this person and it's not for the lack of trying. They have never responded to any of my messages. Now this fiasco. I have never believed in curses but I am beginning to wonder what is going on...wrong planet alignment perhaps?

I do have a question or two. I asked CP if there has ever been a case of a Tracked Packet not being scanned but was still in the system and got delivered and they said yes..very rare but it has happened. For all the stops a package makes along the way I find it a bit hard to believe that it could get through and NEVER be scanned. So do I wait a few more days (it's been out 9) and then contact the buyer to ask if they have received it? Should I do it right away? What pray tell do I do when they don't reply..because given past dealings I doubt they will. Do I call eBay to explain the situation? I'm wondering if I should just hang on in case the customer actually does receive it. I am not taking this well because I have had more problems in the past six weeks then I have had in the whole time I've been selling. It's mind boggling really.

Truthfully I am also upset because under the new system I would already be finished as a seller thanks to issues that are beyond my control. I don't expect I will still be a seller here after the new year and possibly be done even sooner given the sudden unpredictability of CP and the "shake my head" decisions eBay is making. Sigh.

dmil8030 · ‎10-17-2015

Hello 'gemaddict',

May I offer my thoughts? When you say,

<< do I wait a few more days (it's been out 9) and then contact the buyer to ask if they have received it?>>

in my opinion, yes and no.

Yes, wait a few more days, -- at least! And no, do not rush to get your buyer in a panic with the implication

that the parcel is unlikely to arrive.

Based on everything you have said about this transaction so far, I suspect that your buyer will quickly let you

know if she does not receive the parcel in what she believes is a timely fashion.

You said items can take up to 4 weeks to arrive to a US buyer, so there is nothing at all out of the ordinary

about 9 days. It may not even have cleared US customs yet. I agree it is odd that the package has not yet

been scanned anywhere, but it is only 9 days.

Some sellers leave feedback for buyers after the item has been posted which says, "Thank you for your business,

Your item is in the mail", -- or something like that. If you leave that kind of feedback after you post the buyers' items,

you never have to worry about letting them know in a separate note that you really truly did send it.

As you say, it is highly unlikely that she will reply even if you do.

If you wish to call ebay and ask what they would recommend in a situation where you can provide a tracking number

only it has not been scanned anywhere, and that you ultimately fear the buyer may open a 'not received' claim

even though the thing is clearly in the mail, --- Well, why not? It's free to call so you have nothing to lose by voicing

your concerns. Then, if anything like this ever happens again, however unlikely, you'll know what to do. You'll be

able to tell others here all about it.

Since most 'not received' claims are false and both Canada and the US have really good postal services, be sure

your buyer will receive the item. Customs delays are not your fault.

In the end you will have to make your own decisions about how to proceed, as it is you who will have to live

with the consequences of those choices.

I wish you well with it.

reallynicestamps · ‎10-17-2015

Is your customer in Canada? Mailing on Wednesday Oct. 7, means the item moved very slowly over the Thanksgiving weekend (Oct 10-11-12).

Is your customer in the USA? Mailing on Wednesday Oct. 7, means the item moved very slowly over the Columbus Day weekend (Oct 10-11-12).

Today is Saturday. The parcel may have been in transit for 9 calendar days, but that's only six business days. And on Monday it will be Day Seven.

dmil is right.

Don't do anything to panic your customer.

This is a good example of 'silence is golden'.

You have tracking so you will be able to prove delivery, probably sometime next week.

momcqueen · ‎10-17-2015

Are you checking your tracking against Canada Post or USPS? The two postal corporations will say vastly different things.

When you take your parcel to be mailed, always take it inside to the counter and ALWAYS get them to scan it and print for you a receipt that shows Proof of Shipment. That would be my advice for any and all mailings. Hand it to a person; I never use the corner mailboxes now. I had very 'bad' luck when I started selling on ebay and I suspect it was due to the fact I was leaving my parcels in the street boxes. You need proof of shipment and that can't be gotten without an Acceptance Scan. Also, the acceptance scan will be a Very Big Deal once the update comes into effect.

rose-dee · ‎10-17-2015

I suspect what may have occurred (and it's happened to me, although very rarely) is that for some reason the TP parcel did not get scanned during its trip through the Canada Post system, and/or -- as 'reallynicestamps' mentioned -- it is stuck in a backlog due to the Thanksgiving long weekend.

Where was the parcel going? Chances are it's now either at, or over, the U.S. border if it was going to the U.S., and USPS should pick it up soon (have you checked the USPS tracking?). If it was going internationally, the tracking may not be picked up until the recipient country clears it through customs.

So I'd simply wait a few more days. I would not contact the buyer yet, but I would keep pestering Canada Post to investigate in the meantime. You at least have an acceptance scan, proving you mailed the item.

If the buyer contacts you, you can tell her that the parcel does have tracking, provide the number to her, and indicate that you're waiting for her country's postal system to pick up the tracking at their end. That should buy you a few more days until CP gets back to you.

By the way, did you use a CP "labelope" on the parcel to insert the TP label? If you used tape instead, apparently that can sometimes interfere with automatic scanners, especially if there are two or three layers of tape criss-crossing over the bar code. However, the fact that you have an acceptance scan tells me that the initial P.O. scan must have worked properly at one point anyway.

In the end, it's up to CP to sort this out if the item is lost. Since TP is insured for $100, hopefully this will be enough to cover any refund you might be forced to provide. BTW, what was the value/sales price of the item? If it was a semi-precious gem, then theft may be a concern as well. If CP can't locate the parcel within a reasonable number of days, you may have no choice but to explain the situation to the buyer and make a full refund, then collect on the insurance.

I sympathize completely with your frustration. Best of luck in dealing with this, and please come back to tell us the outcome.

momcqueen · ‎10-17-2015

I don't think gem got an acceptance scan. The text she quotes is verbatim from the CPC website for postage purchased but item not accepted into the system yet.

The problem as I see it with street corner mailboxes and international shipments in particular is that the contents and value of your envelope or parcel is spelled out in black and white for all to see and no one there to watch the carrier pick it up. Or to stop neighbourhood hoodlums from tampering with the box as soon as you leave.

I know there are sellers who vouch the street boxes are safe for mail deposit but I found I had an unusual rate of items not received when I used mine. It was one of three factors that changed before the non-receipt claims stopped altogether. The other was that my feedback count grew and, finally, the third was barcodes on even small packets airmail.

My first altered course was to never ever ever leave my parcels anywhere but directly in the hands of the people who work at the authorized dealer nearest me.

jt-libra · ‎10-17-2015

This would be the 7th business day after shipment (USPS delivers on Saturday), so it has not been in the system for an unreasonable length of time, given a bit of a backlog after the Thanksgiving long week-end.

Once in a while, not often, a tracked packet I send to the U.S. does not show up on the CP website, but it always shows up on the USPS site. You may have already checked there, but if not:

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction_input

USPS updates tracking two or three times a day.

pjcdn2005 · ‎10-17-2015

I don't think that it is common for a tracked parcel not to be updated at any point but obviously it can happen. All I can suggest is to wait to see if the buyer contacts you. I would definitely not contact them to see if the package has arrived as that may just cause problems if it actually has arrived without any sort of online proof. I wouldn't phone ebay either as there is nothing they can do.

rose-dee · ‎10-17-2015

@mjwl2006 wrote:
I don't think gem got an acceptance scan. The text she quotes is verbatim from the CPC website for postage purchased but item not accepted into the system yet.

Yes, you're right, I missed that. This means that for some reason the parcel hasn't been scanned at all so far.

This isn't the first time I've heard of this happening though. In my own experience, I once had a postal clerk forget to scan an Expedited parcel in, and it took 3 or 4 days before it showed up on the radar. There was also a period of time (a few months ago I think) where Paypal labels were not able to be scanned at all. I actually stood at the P.O. while the clerk had to key in the bar code numbers to get an acceptance result. Then the tracking "disappeared" for several days until presumably somebody again thought to key in the barcode numbers manually!

I'd be interested to know from the OP whether there was anything unusual in the way the label was prepared or affixed to the parcel that might have made the bar code unreadable.

And I completely agree with you that getting an acceptance scan in person is going to be critical from now on, with eBay's new delivery policy. I will be standing there in the P.O. ensuring I hear the "beep" when the postal clerk runs the little flashy thing-y over the bar code on tracked parcels.

lady.stark · ‎10-17-2015

@gemaddict wrote:
I do have a question or two. I asked CP if there has ever been a case of a Tracked Packet not being scanned but was still in the system and got delivered and they said yes..very rare but it has happened. For all the stops a package makes along the way I find it a bit hard to believe that it could get through and NEVER be scanned.

It does happen, but it's really rare. Every time I used Tracked Packet USA (all my props are shipped that way), the package is usually scanned about 10 times along the way. However, one of my recent shipment was only scanned when I brought it to the Post Office and at delivery. Nothing in between.

That is why I always - always - bring a Tracked Packet (or Expedited and Xpresspost) at the Post Office to be scanned and I stay there until the clerk does it in front of me. 😉

gemaddict · ‎10-18-2015

@reallynicestamps wrote:
Is your customer in Canada? Mailing on Wednesday Oct. 7, means the item moved very slowly over the Thanksgiving weekend (Oct 10-11-12).
Is your customer in the USA? Mailing on Wednesday Oct. 7, means the item moved very slowly over the Columbus Day weekend (Oct 10-11-12).

Today is Saturday. The parcel may have been in transit for 9 calendar days, but that's only six business days. And on Monday it will be Day Seven.

dmil is right.
Don't do anything to panic your customer.
This is a good example of 'silence is golden'.

You have tracking so you will be able to prove delivery, probably sometime next week.

My customer is in the U.S. I am waiting on contacting the buyer. I can't prove delivery if the tracking shows that the order hasn't even been processed by Canada Post...that is the problem. Being as the package was mailed Oct.7 it should at least be showing up on Canada Post's computers. I contacted my local post office and they told me to call and put in a claim, which I have. What will happen is debatable as Canada Post can just say they never received the packet which is why it was never scanned.

gemaddict · ‎10-18-2015

@jt-libra wrote:

Once in a while, not often, a tracked packet I send to the U.S. does not show up on the CP website, but it always shows up on the USPS site. You may have already checked there, but if not:

I have had the odd shipment show only one entry on the CP website and then suddenly have an entry showing delivery, but this is the first time I have had one sound like CP hadn't even received the parcel for shipping yet. I have been checking both CP and USPS websites just in case. Thanks!

gemaddict · ‎10-18-2015

UPDATE! Strangely enough after checking several times there has finally been a change in status for the order. It happened first on USPS while CP still showed they hadn't received it. Finally this morning it showed up there as well. Phew! Still I don't like the fact that even tracked shipping can't be depended upon. Luckily I haven't heard a peep out of this customer as I really don't know what I would have told them had they inquired. Of course the truth but really in this day and age of mistrust I have a feeling they wouldn't have believed me!

USPS shows the order went out for delivery yesterday and then ends there. It does not show delivered so I won't rest easy just yet. However the fact that it actually exists now eases my mind somewhat. I wonder why CP suddenly shows it exists? Perhaps when USPS scans it the info is shared with the sending PO? Confusing stuff. Thanks to all for the ideas and suggestions. Mainly it's nice to commiserate with fellow sellers.

momcqueen · ‎10-18-2015

Absolutely. With UPSP, the information is then conveyed to CPC. There is a delay.

I know I am bleating about this but you MUST get an acceptance scan on your tracked items when you take them to mail. Don't leave them in a mailbox anywhere. You have to have them scanned at the counter by a real live person or you risk this happening again but worse you risk blowing your handling time acceptance scan by which we will all be judged in the very near future.

jt-libra · ‎10-18-2015

I'm glad you can finally see where it is. It will likely be delivered tomorrow which is the 8th business day. Not bad!

I wouldn't worry too much about this happening in the future. I've sent dozens of Tracked Packet U.S. and, so far, none of them have gone missing. I think your situation was an exception.

But like other members have stated, I always wait for the postal clerk to scan the item.

momcqueen · ‎10-18-2015

You must must must hand it to the clerk to get the Acceptance Scan. Soon, this is the only standard by which we will be judged.

tobyshitzu · ‎10-18-2015

Its not the only standard

Its acceptance scan on time OR delivery confirmed on time OR buyer answers yes to on time

momcqueen · ‎10-18-2015

My point was that Shipping Speed is the only standard by which we will be judged and, further to that, the only part of that we can control is how fast the Acceptance Scan is recorded on a tracked item. After that, it's all left to the whim of the buyer who may or may not remember when they received an order when they answer the question.

Thank you giving me the opportunity to set terms for the clarification.

momcqueen · ‎10-18-2015

Or the whim of the postal system who may or may not deliver it within the parameters that ebay has (sometimes incorrectly) set.

gemaddict · ‎10-18-2015

I did hand it to the postal clerk. My mistake was thinking that that was enough. Instead of standing there and waiting for it to be scanned I made the poor judgement to assume I had nothing to worry about and walked away. Not going to happen again.

I don't really do a lot of tracked shipping as quite a bit of what I sell costs less then the price of tracked shipping. I am going to try to be as optimistic as possible about continuing on as a seller here but it is very difficult. As I have said many times previously, I've never had so many problems with shipping as I have these past six weeks and I know I would already be finished as an eBay seller based on the changes that are coming our way.