Thread: Problems with USPS tracking Numbers???

Anyone else have trouble with these???
Just about everytime I buy a coin or something off of ebay and the seller ships via Paypal/USPS I get an automated response, telling saying My package is shipped out, who its from and who its too and click on this link for tracking... When I click on it it almost always says, " There is no record of this item."

Why Are You Receiving This Message?

1. Event information may not be available if your item was mailed recently. Please try again later.

2. The number was entered incorrectly. Be sure to enter all of the letters and numbers as they appear on your mailing label or receipt.

I didn't enter anything incorrectly, I simply clicked on the link... How can I click on a link wrong???

I check it everyday, No updates and then the package pops up... Its getting real old...

...and it might say then... it's been delivered. I don't know whay they call it tracking... it never does anything. It's not like UPS tracking where you know when it was picked up, where it is, and estimated delivery date, etc. It is... utterly useless.

Originally Posted by samjimmy

...and it might say then... it's been delivered. I don't know whay they call it tracking... it never does anything. It's not like UPS tracking where you know when it was picked up, where it is, and estimated delivery date, etc. It is... utterly useless.

So you know exactly what I mean.... Thank god, I'm not the only one....

I consider myself to be pretty computer, Internet and network savy, especially since I work for an ISP building and supporting the network... When I can't get something like this to work it drives me nuts...

have seen the same thing. It only tells you when you pick it up. Like i do not know that. It is pretty useless.

I just checked something that's on its way...

" There is no record of this item."

I would have been shocked if it said anything else. Usually I just ignore the email.

And this year's "worst... tracking... ever award" goes to... for the 50th straight year in a row... the USPS!

Same thing here, USPS tracking is always useless. Of course you always think, oh great I'm getting stiffed and this jerk isn't sending my stuff, and then it just shows up.

IMHO: I would agree that it is pretty useless but then again I would never send anything I wanted to track, or was really valuable, through the postal system.

I also don’t want the cost of stamps to rise to some number above .75 cents to fund a system to track packages. How would the postal systems deal with foreign postal deliveries? Every point within the system would require scanners like UPS uses. I believe the number of letter carriers far exceeds the number of US UPS drivers. What real benefit would the USPS and average customer gain for the added expense? I don’t think it’s practical to expect the US or Global postal system to provide tracking like you would get from a group like UPS. I would rather pay a little extra (just for the packages that need to be protected and tracked) and us UPS or some like service.

Again - just my opinion.

Darryl

It's not called tracking. It's "Delivery Confirmation." I believe if you go to the post office and go to the desk and send it that way it will tell you it shipped. But if you go and print out a preprinted label (from PayPal for instance), it will just show when it's delivered.

Originally Posted by tsk

It's not called tracking. It's "Delivery Confirmation." I believe if you go to the post office and go to the desk and send it that way it will tell you it shipped. But if you go and print out a preprinted label (from PayPal for instance), it will just show when it's deliverd.

TSK - I am really sorry but I'm not sure what the differences would be between tracking and delivery confirmation. When I read your last post and try to imagine how to capture a USPS letter/package event (such as delivery) I come back to sophistocated custom software package and a (very) expensive reader carried by every carrier and in every postal location.

Please explain how you would solve the issue without an very expensive solution.

BTW: We just bought one handheld scanner for our ERP system at work and it cost in the neighorhood of $5K. The ones UPS uses are probably not as sophisicated or quite as expensive, but I bet they are not far from it.

The problem I have at the moment is, I recently sold a coin on ebay and shipped it usps w/delivery confirmation. The system lists it as delivered 10 days ago but the buyer says it has not arrived. Now what do I do?

Originally Posted by vipergts2

The problem I have at the moment is, I recently sold a coin on ebay and shipped it usps w/delivery confirmation. The system lists it as delivered 10 days ago but the buyer says it has not arrived. Now what do I do?

I would think that someone had to sign for it if there was delivery confirmation.?. Ask the USPS for a copy of the signed receipt. I am not sure if it is that easy, but it should be. If it isn't that easy, I would inquire with the USPS on how they determined it was delivered.

delivery confirmation does not mean there is a signature. just tell the buyer it was delivered and point them to the usps website where you see it.

Originally Posted by USS656

I'm not sure what the differences would be between tracking and delivery confirmation.

Tracking involves capturing the bar code at each stop along the way - initial entry into the system, move to a distribution center, move to the final delivery facility, etc.

Delivery confirmation involves capturing (or manually entering) the bar code ID at the ultimate destination - a mail box or PO box. Unless the item has a signature requirement (at an extra fee), confirmation merely means that the carrier says the piece has been delivered.

Originally Posted by vipergts2

The system lists it as delivered 10 days ago but the buyer says it has not arrived. Now what do I do?

Without a signature requirement you will probably have to work something out with the buyer. I would direct the buyer to the USPS dilivery confirmation. It is obvious that you sent him something even if he did not receive it. With a good seller history and this evidence the buyer should be reasonable in his response. You will probably eat the cost though without proof that he didn't get it. If there was insurance I would contact the USPS and file a claim. In the future I wouldn't send any other way than signature required. It is the only protection you have to confirm delivery. When I sell something on Ebay I state I will only ship via UPS.

I'm sorry but you got what you paid for with the USPS. They met thier service requirements just no telling what happened to the item.

A year or two ago,when I would track one of my US Mint orders throught USPS,it would give extremely detailed accounting of every stage of the transportation process.
Your shipment left the Mint Facility on...
Your shipment was received at Memphis terminal on....
Your shipment was scanned in at Northern Va. Mail facility...ETC.
Now it's either..no record of this shipment...or lately,this one:The US mint has notified us of their intent to ship this package.This does NOT mean that we do or do not have it in our possession.
This message NEVER changes until the day it's delivered.
I don't even bother anymore.