Has anyone experienced problems with USPS Delivery Confirmation not confirming delivery? I recently sold a $30 gift card on ebay. I promptly shipped the next day using USPS and got a tracking number. The package was tracked all the way to his city's post office within a couple of days, but that was the last activity recorded. A couple weeks went by so I reached out to him asking if he could leave feedback once satisfied with the transaction; he did not respond...and there were no additional tracking updates. About a month later I get a "Where's my item?" email because he filed a claim against me. I looked at his feedback and he had a few negatives for selling gift cards with a $0 balance. So I couldn't help but think that he received the gift card and since USPS didn't scan the package at time of delivery, he just claimed he never received it so he could get a refund. So I had to give him a full refund and I was out shipping too. Then I recently purchased a coin that had delivery confirmation, and the only tracking activitiy it had was when it was received by the sellers post office. This opens many opportunities for dishonest buyers to hose sellers. I guess this is just one more risk that sellers have to absorb when using USPS and ebay... -LTB
USPS Delivery Confirmation is useless and cannot be used to prove that the customer received the merchandise. I would think you would need something like "Signature Confirmation" to protect yourself. Chris
After literally hundreds of items shipped to and from me with USPS tracking, I have never had an issue with the updating of the tracking number. Sometimes it was a little late updating, but overall it was always eventually updated.
I saw poor performance on USPS tracking a few years ago, but most of the tracked packages I've received this year have had prompt and accurate updates all the way to delivery. I wonder if some local PO's are better at compliance than others?
even Signature Confirmaiton does not protect you; it shows the received the package. Also, as a FYI - the PO misses ~7-14% of delivery confirmation scans and ~5% of signatures, based on my experience with ~800 packages a day going out.
Yes some are, and it can also vary by mail carrier. Some are very good at scanning and updating, others are hit or miss. Also remember that the delivery confirmation only means it was delivered somewhere, not that it was delivered for sure to where it was addressed to. I've had mail carriers that scanned everything before they started their routes. I've had others where I have never had to sign for anything unless it was registered mail. High value insured that has to be signed for, just shoved in the box, no signature obtained.
Yes: Guaranteed Delivery Date/Time: March 29, 2011, 3:00 PM Class: Express Mail® Service(s): Insured Status: Notice Left (No Authorized Recipient Available) We attempted to deliver your item at 9:41 am on March 28, 2011 in NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658 and a notice was left because an authorized recipient was not available. You may arrange redelivery by visiting www.usps.com/redelivery or calling 800-ASK-USPS, or may pick up the item at the Post Office indicated on the notice. If this item is unclaimed after five days then it will be returned to the sender. Information, if available, is updated periodically throughout the day. Please check again later. Detailed Results: Notice Left (No Authorized Recipient Available), March 28, 2011, 9:41 am, NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658 Notice Left (No Authorized Recipient Available), March 28, 2011, 7:46 am, NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660 Arrival at Post Office, March 28, 2011, 7:43 am, NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658 Processed through Sort Facility, March 27, 2011, 6:08 pm, SANTA ANA, CA 92799 Processed through Sort Facility, March 26, 2011, 5:09 pm, WEST SACRAMENTO, CA 95799 Acceptance, March 26, 2011, 2:45 pm, AUBURN, CA 95603 -------------------------------------- PCGS Received this on the 28th and Posted two of the orders on the 29th and the third order on the 30th. This extract was taken not 5 minutes ago where the package is technically, undelivered.
Well, according to eBay "seller protection", USPS delivery confirmation will protect the seller for items under $250. Over that amount, signature confirmation is required: Protection from claims: When buyers file eligible claims through the eBay resolution system, sellers are protected in the following ways: Item not received claims: Sellers are protected against item not received claims by providing to eBay valid delivery confirmation to the address in the PayPal transaction details or eBay order details page. Signature confirmation is required for transactions over $250. To be eligible for this protection, sellers must ship the within their stated handling time, and respond to the eBay resolution process in a timely fashion. PayPal transactions: Chargebacks for item not received claims are covered by PayPal Seller Protection when the seller has appropriate delivery confirmation. We will close any eBay or PayPal disputes that were filed along with the chargeback. When appropriate, PayPal will fight chargebacks filed after a dispute closes.
Out of hundreds of packages shipped I've only had one problem. I had one come up as "delivery failed" and POOF, my package vanished with about $100 worth of coins in it. I fought with USPS for months and multiple calls....I never got the package returned and the buyer (who I trust as a friend) never got it.
I have had several, roughly 14 or 17 packages that required signature in the last 2 months state that the mailman attempted to deliver yet there was no notification in my mailbox informing me that a package was at the post office. (I think it's laziness on the mailman's part)...btw politely talking to the boss didnt help, maybe I should be upset next time lol (I try to keep track of when deliveries will come for cases like this..happens so often that you cant trust the P.O)
Man you guys sure seem to get the short end of the stick! I ship about 10-15 packages a day and have yet to have a single error. I am about an hour nw of St. Louis and from Ofallon to Hazelwood to downtown I have never had any issues. I also receive about 5-7 packages a week, all the tracking numbers from other shippers are updated regularly and accurately (as far as I can tell). Perhaps its customer/user error?
