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USPS Tracking??


gloworm

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Anyone else having trouble with the tracking on packages lately? I sent a bunch of things out lately and most of my tracking is still showing only that paragraph about being notified of a shipment via electronic postage. (You know-paypal click n ship). Looking as though USPS never received the packages and I know they did 4 days ago. A couple actually arrived already to areas out of state and some only going 10 miles away are still in electronic limbo. Is it just me??? Guy at the post office just says "Oh some one must have not scanned them like they are supposed to".

Glo

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Keep in mind...it is NOT tracking (I am assuming you are talking about delivery confirmation). It is simply notice that the package has been scanned as 'being delivered'. Sometimes the packages are scanned upon receipt at the PO and will show up in the system once they have them in their posession, but not always.

It will show you zero progress along the way. And, they update only in the afternoon/evening so if a package was delivered in the AM, it still won't show as delivered until the evening update.

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Delivery Confirmation is a joke, imo. It's free when you print labels up online, so I always get it, but I sure wouldn't pay for it, as unreliable as it is. It would be so much easier to print and pay online, but I often just print online and pay at the post office. At least that way, you do get a receipt showing you sent a box to a certain zip code on a certain day; otherwise you would have no proof at all that you even sent the package.:undecided It's really a half-assed system; I mean, really, how long does it take to scan a box? But according to the postal supervisor I complained to, the post office isn't really supposed to scan incoming boxes. Which makes me wonder: if you printed your label and paid online, and purchased insurance, how would you ever collect on a claim if the box did get lost? They're just gonna pay based on your word and no proof that you even mailed it? Somehow I doubt it.:rolleyes2 I'm sure they scan the boxes at the processing center, but if something happened to your box before it made it there, you'd be sol.

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I agree, Carol. Whenever the system is down and I can't get the online label to print, I handwrite a label but don't pay the 50 cents for the delivery confirmation. No point paying extra for a number which doesn't do much. I accept that this system isn't the same as UPS' tracking, but then they shouldn't charge the 50 cents if it doesn't give proper results.

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I've had no problem but I use www.stamps.com Here is one of my packages this week. I left out shipping locations...

Tracking Status

August 24, 2006 - 14:47:00 DELIVERED

Your item was delivered at 14:47:00 on August 24, 2006 in City, State

August 22, 2006 ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATION

The U.S. Postal Service received electronic notification of your item on August 22, 2006.

August 24, 2006 - 08:46:00 ARRIVAL AT UNIT

Your item arrived at XXXXXXX post office, zip at 08:46:00 on August 24, 2006.

August 24, 2006 - 08:47:00 NOTICE LEFT

We attempted to deliver your item at 08:47:00 on August 24, 2006 in City, State Zip and a notice was left. It can be redelivered or picked up at the post office. If the item is not claimed, it will be returned to the sender.

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Just chiming in because I've had a few years of experience with selling online and USPS...DC is not online tracking, it's simply confirmation of delivery...if you pay online DC is free and as a rule they will not scan these at drop off (every PO is different) because it is free...if you hand carry in and pay at the counter, they should scan there (to prove drop off) because you pay for it.

DC does not provide tracking along the way unless someone scans along the way...it's hit or miss. Most of my packages end up showing a delivery scan, but others have not even though they've gotten there ..it's hit or miss.

I've never had one go missing (knock on wood) but during the holiday season many many many more go unscanned even though they've been delivered.

USPS Express is a service that is supposed to show online tracking along the way

USPS.com has lots more details

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I guess I must have been spoiled by a spurt of good service before. This time they obviously were not scanned and as long as it's taking they must be sitting somewhere along the way. Always before it said if not where the package was scanned and left from, at least "in transit". Everyone is mentioning free DC, I've been paying online-cheap (.14) but still not free????

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Gloworm, if you print priority mail labels online at usps.com, it is free. When you were charged the 0.14, was it for non-priority packages?

I accept that this system is hit or miss - that's fine if the DC comes for free. But in instances where you have to pay for it (e.g. when the label was not printed online) then it's wasting our money.

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Yes -ground shipped packages. I guess I was under the misconception that this was a sort of tracking system-that I would know for sure that a package was delivered. I realized long ago that from the recievers end it was worthless as I had a lady print the postage but never send the package to me till I got paypal after her.

Glo

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Gloworm - maybe it isn't worth paying the extra 0.14 then, if it is being sent parcel post. I only get it because with priority mail, it comes free if you print your label online, so I have nothing to lose. Most of the time, it does show it's delivered, but it doesn't say where it was delivered, so it could have been brought to the wrong house for all I know. I've also had an instance when the person did receive it but DC did not show that.

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My state has a posted rule that the post offices are not allowed to scan incoming online postage. :( I have fought them several times with it over the years. They say that it takes to much time (money) for their employees to scan every box. I fixed it by going in on Saturday just before they close with every package under weight. If they have to add anything to the package, they have to scan it. I get a receipt with amount paid and city for every shipment. I really hate that paypal auto sends those emails as I get tons of emails asking why I haven't taken their package to the post office.

They say it is DELIVERY confirmation and they only have to scan when it is delivered.

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It would really help if PayPal would take that 'tracking' notice off and explain that DC is not online tracking.

Glo, one thing you might try doing it to use a green highlighter to circle the DC number or I've even used bright green 'scan me' stickers...when you print labels online its all black and white. When you buy DC at post office it's a bright green sticker to get the carriers attention.

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I print all my labels at home and schedule USPS pick up. When they pick up the package from me they scan it and if you check the confimation number it usually says something like Package received in the Mansfield Post office and is on route. Then I will get a deleivery confirmation. Now if I mail it from the post office it always says that the post office has been notified bla bla bla. So I always sched a pick up that way people can check the number and know that it's been mailed.

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I use stamps.com and paypal for labels and I always take the receipt half of the label with me and have the po stamp it with their postmark stamp so that I have some proof that I dropped off that package. So far I haven't needed it, but I figure it is better than nothing. There is actually a place on the stamps.com receipt for the postmark to go, which is what made me start doing this.

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Well my local packages are still MIA. I went to the PO this AM to personally deliver my next pkg and have them post it so I would get a receipt and the PO mistress says even with a receipt it proves nothing to the PO. Actually there is no mention on receipt of where pkg was sent. I feel between a rock and a hard place here. I try to ship economically and I understand when a lot of people would rather not pay for insurance on pkgs (I personally don't on my own most of the time). I was shipping UPS and that was costing SOO much more (many times I paid several dollars more myself to make up the difference to ship UPS when the calculator was inaccurate) but at least UPS has a decent tracking system and insures the packages automatically. I'm beginning to see the difficulties many of these companies face in shipping our orders. As the seller we are left holding the bag when the PO doesn't do their job properly. Well the vent is over :undecided

Glo

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