to hose who use UR tracking numbers: Have you noticed they've become much less reliable recently?

[fergua3]

In the past several weeks i've noticed that UR tracking numbers, which have been so reliable, have become much less so.   Often there are many missed scans, especially in the first half of a package's processing, with the first scan not showing up for 5 days or more and usually after the package is at the mid point of its journey in the US (ie long after it's left ISC Chicago), and i have one now that is 8 days old that has not had a single scan.

Is this just me or have others noticed this trend to?  I hope this doesn't mean they are being phased out, as they have been very helpful for the past few years.

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

I can't answer your question directly, but I think you will find that a lot less people use Small Packet Air now that eBay offers Tracked Packet at a comparable price.

If you print the Tracked Packet label directly through eBay, it will cost approx. $7 (100g) or $8 (250g). This includes full tracking, and in a best case scenario is reasonably fast (3-4 days). 

[mrdutch1001]

Totally agree! ...with the deep discounts for Tracked Packet, haven't used the regular Small Packet service for nearly 18 months...

[fergua3]

this package was somewhat large and weighed around 700 grams

[pjcdn2005]

Like others, I haven't used small packet in a while.  It's $12.82 to mail a 700 gr package to the US via eBay right now.  I haven't mailed a package that heavy for a long time but I think small packet would be more expensive than that.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

Like others, I haven't used small packet in a while.  It's $12.82 to mail a 700 gr package to the US via eBay right now.  I haven't mailed a package that heavy for a long time but I think small packet would be more expensive than that.

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The difference is substantial. Also of note the eBay Calculator tool no longer includes expedited to USA as an option so unable to fully compare.

[mrdutch1001]

For any package between 500-1000g, theTracked Packet rate would have been well worth it!

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

Tracked Packet goes up to 2000g.

eBay negotiated with Canada Post for special rates as of a few months ago. The only downside is that you have to print it directly on eBay's site. You cannot get this discount at a post office. So if you don't have a printer, you will need to buy one.

You can get free clear label pouches from Canada Post's webstore and use a regular home printer.

[byto253]

Are the final scans for delivery showing up?  I have not shipped for a couple of months but found that there was often a delay between scans showing up, but the final delivery scan did always show up even after a few days.

[fergua3]

i have gotten delivery scans almost every time.    Rarely, there is no delivery scan, the scanning ending at 'Out For Delivery'.  That is about 1/20 of the time.

The package i said has gone 8 days without any scans at all is now at 10 days without any scans at all.....status is still 'Tracking Number Provided'.   

I've never had it go on this long before without a scan of some kind on a UR tracked package.   So at this point i figure there are 3 possibilities:  The package was  lost/stolen by Canada Post before it was shipped to the US, the package accidentally has been shipped to another country other than the US or the the tracking number i uploaded to Ebay did not register and that is why i'm not getting any scans (ie an Ebay glitche).

So far i have not heard from the buyer either through feedback or a message, so i have no idea if the package has actually been delivered or not.

With regard to Ebay's special discounted Canada Post shipping rates:  I don't have  a printer.  I calculated the amount i would save on shipping each month, assuming the rates stay as low as they are, would save me enough to offset the cost of buying a printer/ink in about 12 months.  Since i am retiring from selling in 9 months, it didn't make much sense to get one.

Besides sales have become so poor on Ebay that i'm not sure i'll be able to keep up the current rate of sales and that would make the break even point of buyng a printer even longer than 12 months.  

[byto253]

Double check that the number is correct in the tracking.  

[fergua3]

i've double checked it several times.

[marnotom!]

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@fergua3 wrote:

I've never had it go on this long before without a scan of some kind on a UR tracked package.   So at this point i figure there are 3 possibilities:  The package was  lost/stolen by Canada Post before it was shipped to the US, the package accidentally has been shipped to another country other than the US or the the tracking number i uploaded to Ebay did not register and that is why i'm not getting any scans (ie an Ebay glitch).

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I think there are other possibilities.  USPS may not be scanning untracked packages the way they used to, or else they're just not sending the scan data to eBay.

By the way, did you know that you posted about something along the same lines just over a year ago?  I wonder if it's something to do with the time of year.

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/UR-tracking-updates-disappearing-anyone-else/m-p/492649

[fergua3]

a package i sent out the day after the troubled one, scanned normally all the way to its destination and was deliverd in 6 days.   

It's now over 12 days and still no scans at all on the troubled package.  Still not a peep from the buyer.  At this point i'm hoping it was delivered and that the tracking number didn't upload on Ebay properly and that is why i'm not getting any tracking info.  It is similar to the issue i was having a while ago with Canada Post tracking info not showing up at all, but ths time seems isolated to this one US bound package.

I remember that thread from last year with the tracking appearing then disappearing.  That's not what is happening here but it does show that there can be issues with the tracking being displayed.

As luck would have it, this is the most expensive package i've ever sent out  trusting UR tracking instead of sending it tracked package, and wouldn't you know it, it's the one giving  me all this trouble.

[byto253]

Tracked is not immune to this either.  I had a tracked packet I shipped on Feb. 5 to California, but was not "delivered" until March 14.  Tracking showed it in San Fransico on Feb 10 then on to the "next facility" until it showed up as in Pheonix  for processing in March then through to "Delivered" on March 14.  But the buyer had told me on Feb. 19 that he had received it so no idea what phantom was being tracked in March.      

[fergua3]

yeah, i have had the same type of thing happen with tracked packages too.  That's why i chose to use the UR tracking on this item.  Its value is $120 including shipping, so it was borderline whether i got tracked package or went with the UR tracking.

The only real advantage to tracked packet is that you can for sure watch an item get lost....which is not a lot of comfort.  No one in the postal system ever lifts a finger to find lost packages, despite what claims from customer service reps you may hear.  As far as usps/canada post are concerned, it will either turn up or it won't.

[pjcdn2005]

But tracked Packet does have insurance so if you used it you would be able to recover at least $100 if this package is lost.   When you are figuring out whether it is worthwhile to buy a printer you need to take that into account as well as the cost savings for using online shipping.

[fergua3]

An update on this thread i started.  

To recap: On April 15 i shipped an item to the US using a UR tracking number.....these have been very reliable for me.   After several weeks the tracking had not had a single update of any kind and i was waiting, anxiously to see what happened.

Well, 2 1/2 months later there has still not been a single tracking update.  The buyer contacted me a couple of weeks ago asking where his packaage was.    He is now about to open an INR case to recover his money ($122).

So, somehow, this package was lost or stolen by Canada Post before it had a single processing scan.  

And now, i have another package that is  having the same thing happen to it.  No tracking updates.  I've only sent 6 packages to the US in the last 2  1/2 months.  One confirmed lost and another looks like it might be lost.  Very fishy.

[byto253]

With the difference between tracked packet and small packet pretty small now, I don't use URs much any more.  I did use it twice recently and so far the tracking is fine. 

[reallynicestamps]

UR numbers indicate a Small Packet service, which is not tracked.

Small Packet is also more expensive than Tracked Packet.

If you buy an untracked service, it will not be tracked.

If the customer opens an INR claim, you will lose.

I think you are experienced and sophisticated enough to know this, but for others, never ask a customer if they have received your shipment.  If the customer is not complaining, all is well.

For a couple of years, the barcode on untracked Small Packets was being mistakenly used as a tracking number by USPS workers. It was never reliable as tracking, but did reassure both eBay and the customer that the purchase had been shipped.

This honeymoon seems to be over.