eBay

a52split · ‎03-13-2025

In the past few weeks, I've noticed many of my packages just stop tracking. Then after a week or so of no scans, the item is magically delivered. I have a couple that have never scanned as delivered, but since the buyer's haven't contacted me, I assume they were delivered without a scan.

Earlier this week, I printed a label and noticed that the bar code is quite blurry. Instead of alternating between full black and bright white, there are grey areas between the black bars. When I hold the printed label to the bar code on my screen, there's no way it will scan. When I took the package to the Shoppers counter, my suspicion was confirmed. It would not scan.

I've tried looking at printer settings to no avail. I've rotated the label. Increased the print quality. Switched to B&W image. No effect. I went back and printed a label from Nov and it printed perfectly! This is telling me it's not my printer. I also think this may be what was causing the missing tracking in previous weeks.

In the attached photo, the bar code on the right is the one giving me trouble. The left bar code is the label from Nov. Both printed yesterday on the same printer.

Has anyone looked at the bar codes on their labels to see if they are printing properly?

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎03-13-2025

@a52split wrote:
In the past few weeks, I've noticed many of my packages just stop tracking. Then after a week or so of no scans, the item is magically delivered. I have a couple that have never scanned as delivered, but since the buyer's haven't contacted me, I assume they were delivered without a scan.
Earlier this week, I printed a label and noticed that the bar code is quite blurry. Instead of alternating between full black and bright white, there are grey areas between the black bars. When I hold the printed label to the bar code on my screen, there's no way it will scan. When I took the package to the Shoppers counter, my suspicion was confirmed. It would not scan.
I've tried looking at printer settings to no avail. I've rotated the label. Increased the print quality. Switched to B&W image. No effect. I went back and printed a label from Nov and it printed perfectly! This is telling me it's not my printer. I also think this may be what was causing the missing tracking in previous weeks.
In the attached photo, the bar code on the right is the one giving me trouble. The left bar code is the label from Nov. Both printed yesterday on the same printer.
Has anyone looked at the bar codes on their labels to see if they are printing properly?

@a52split

Unsure what is causing your blurry labels. Just had a look at 1 of mine and no issues. And unable to recall a recent incident where they had problems scanning at the SD PO counter.

Have you clicked on the cp link for postage tracking? Often many to more of the individual scans show on the CP version. I have noticed that if you happen to do a refund for any reason that can hide/delay final delivery info scans. Unsure why. It just happens. CP will show delivered. Info from ebay will be MIA. Refund tr*mps delivered. Sometimes it will update later but not always. See screenshot. Middle item was untracked.

jtg204 · ‎03-13-2025

If you zoom in on the document before printing, is the barcode in the document on screen clear?

This is for CP labels purchased on eBay or another service?

a52split · ‎03-13-2025

Just after I posted this topic, I went to the library to print it there. It came out looking exactly the same, **bleep**. This proves it is not my printer.

I had the QR code for the label and was able to get CP to print the label. Their label that looks quite different, printed clearly, so my item is now on the way.

I re-printed a previous label and it is equally bad. I checked its tracking on CP, USPS, and 17Track. You're right, they all show different details. This previous label was shipped on Feb 27. It last scanned on Mar 1 when it arrived in LA. Here's the tracking # for anyone who's interested to see what it's doing: LA542494141CA. Early today I sent my buyer an email asking if he received it. No reply yet.

a52split · ‎03-13-2025

Zooming in or out, the bar code is perfectly clear.

Both labels were purchased through Netparcel. You might be onto something. I will see if labels from other sources are affected.

jtg204 · ‎03-13-2025

I'm not familiar with netparcel, but I had/have a similar problem with Shippo labels (domestic CP regular parcel). I don't get very many from there, but last year the initial label PDF provided during the buying process would print with grey bars and this did cause a scanning issue and label correction applied status when I first encountered it on Shippo.

On Shippo, I need to use the 'Download Label' feature after buying to re-download a label as a new PDF, instead of the bad label PDF that initially downloads during the buying process. The problem labels would also generate an alert in acrobat reader on exit about not being able to save changes when closing them.

mrdutch1001 · ‎03-14-2025

My only experience wth netParcel was when I utilized that service for shipping labels during the CP strike. At that time my shipping labels were for Purolator to USA (Purolator hands off to UPS in the USA) and I had no issues whatsoever with printing off labels for Purolator. I do not use netParcel unless absolutely necessary as generally CP labels through eBay are cheaper.

valuestore · ‎03-15-2025

If it's software related, reprint a label on another computer, problem solved. If that doesn't work, ide buy a new thermal 4x6 printer, $100-140 good to have redundancy, 2 of everything essential if you're running a business.

flipistics · ‎03-15-2025

@valuestore wrote:
If it's software related, reprint a label on another computer, problem solved. If that doesn't work, ide buy a new thermal 4x6 printer, $100-140 good to have redundancy, 2 of everything essential if you're running a business.

I doubt it's a printer problem. I suspect saving the label as a PDF, opening it in Acrobat and printing it from there would probably work perfectly. I've had quality issues before printing to the thermal printer from the browser.

ilikehockeyjerseys · ‎03-16-2025

I had an item delivered to me last week that stopped scanning half-way through. The label was very blurry, so that might be the culprit. It was delivered to a Post Office PO Box. I messaged the seller to let them know that it arrived since it was fairly expensive.

Personally, I print labels directly from eBay labels using a Zebra printer. They are crystal clear. Maybe it is a problem with different platforms or different software.

valuestore · ‎03-17-2025

I assume she would have mentioned the source image was corrupted. It can be USB related, or software, or clogged print heads, that's why I suggested swap to new computer and printer, logical quick way to narrow down a problem.

mrdutch1001 · ‎03-17-2025

agreeably could be a number of reasons for the issue. I use a laser printer and when the toner cartridge is nearing the end of its life there are all sorts of printing misshaps that can occur. To resolve any printing issues the only way to work out the problem is to take the approach of "process of elimination."

jtg204 · ‎03-17-2025

They were able to print an old one.

When I got this with Shippo labels, it looked like the same patterns but the PDF showed clear lines.

If I print to PDF or a file instead this is an example of the patterns I get with a bad label (direct to a file, no printer):

I can't open PDFs in Chrome, so I open them in Adobe Acrobat (free) where I ran into this same or simular problem.

Doing some more testing I've discovered my probem labels print fine if I open/view the PDF with Edge or Firefox instead.

jtg204 · ‎03-17-2025

Another possible solution if using Adobe Acrobat that works for me is under 'Advanced' section when printing, check 'print as image' (this does not mean it will save to an image file instead). If the option is not selectable, uncheck 'print in grayscale (black and white)' first.

Source: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/latest-acrobat-reader-24-002-21005-prints-...

flipistics · ‎03-17-2025

@valuestore wrote:
I assume she would have mentioned the source image was corrupted. It can be USB related, or software, or clogged print heads, that's why I suggested swap to new computer and printer, logical quick way to narrow down a problem.

I mean, anything to do with the physical printer can be eliminated quickly by just trying to print literally anything else from that computer (or even printing a test page). Most people don't have extra computers and printers sitting around. Also, the op clearly stated they tried printing an old label and it printed perfectly, so it's not the printer and probably something to do with the newer files themselves. Opening in Acrobat Reader and trying to print from there likely offers the best chance. If that doesn't work, PDF files can also be opened in many image editing programs and the op could try printing it as an image.

flipistics · ‎03-17-2025

@jtg204 wrote:
They were able to print an old one.
When I got this with Shippo labels, it looked like the same patterns but the PDF showed clear lines.
If I print to PDF or a file instead this is an example of the patterns I get with a bad label (direct to a file, no printer):

I can't open PDFs in Chrome, so I open them in Adobe Acrobat (free) where I ran into this same or simular problem.
Doing some more testing I've discovered my probem labels print fine if I open/view the PDF with Edge or Firefox instead.

That's definitely weird. It has to be some sort of PDF profile problem. The good news (maybe) is that it's probably not on your end. Instead of printing to PDF (Microsoft print to PDF I'm assuming), what happens if you select Save as PDF in the print dialog? Can you save as a PDF directly from NetParcel?

sapphyres-designer-jewellery · ‎03-17-2025

@flipistics wrote:
@jtg204 wrote:
They were able to print an old one.
When I got this with Shippo labels, it looked like the same patterns but the PDF showed clear lines.
If I print to PDF or a file instead this is an example of the patterns I get with a bad label (direct to a file, no printer):

I can't open PDFs in Chrome, so I open them in Adobe Acrobat (free) where I ran into this same or simular problem.
Doing some more testing I've discovered my probem labels print fine if I open/view the PDF with Edge or Firefox instead.
That's definitely weird. It has to be some sort of PDF profile problem. The good news (maybe) is that it's probably not on your end. Instead of printing to PDF (Microsoft print to PDF I'm assuming), what happens if you select Save as PDF in the print dialog? Can you save as a PDF directly from NetParcel?

I'm going to concur that printing to PDF can haze an image to not be as clear. At my work we get medical records and sometimes they aren't too clear when we print to PDF (if we have to do that). Saving as a PDF would be the better option.

C.