Not a fan of the eBay standard envelope

tschock · #1 11-20-2021, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ValKehl

Recently, I went to my local post office branch to drop off a fairly high value card I sold and insured and to get it scanned into the USPS system, rather that letting my mail carrier pick it up as I normally do (I had printed the shipping label at home). I also had a couple of eBay standard PWEs with shipping labels on them with me, and I asked the postal clerk to also scam these in. The clerk had no idea what the eBay standard PWEs were and was unable to scan them. This surprised me. She suggested I take them to the main post office in my town. I did this and got the same response. I then asked for and spoke to the customer service manager, who was also not knowledgeable. I went back home and called eBay and spoke with a seemingly knowledgeable customer service rep who told me that the eBay standard PWE labels are only able to be scanned at the USPS regional distribution centers. Hence, one doesn't get the full tracking that one gets with First Class packages and Priority packages. Still, the eBay PWE with discounted postage and partial USPS tracking is better than before, when I used PWEs with no tracking for inexpensive cards.

I recently sent one in the ebay PWE. My local PO person knew what it was, but I've seen ebay items in their in-box before so maybe he was familiar with it. I told him it was the first time I tried it and he 'scanned' it and accepted it without question. Whether it really scanned into the system or not, I do not know. The buyer had a similar experience as mentioned. It showed up as 'delivered' yet he had not received it yet. Later in the day it was in his mail box. (similar experience to PO workers who scan priority packages as delivered before they really are)

My theory is that the 'scanning' that occurs for delivery is similar to how other first class PWEs (and junk mail) are scanned and processed. It would be better in ebay's system only indicated it was "out for delivery" rather than delivered, which would be more accurate. If you look at the tracking, it does seem to only include the distribution centers and not the local source/destination POs. I wonder if/how it would show up in my daily USPS notifications. Maybe I should sell something to myself to test this out.

Since it is impossible to even purchase the ebay PWE postage for an item that is more than $20, it all boils down to how much is the seller willing to eat if the PWE doesn't get delivered. The seller risk is no different than slapping on a forever stamp and dropping it in the mail. The ebay service provides some convenience with limited tracking.

Mike D. · #2 11-20-2021, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tschock

Since it is impossible to even purchase the ebay PWE postage for an item that is more than $20, it all boils down to how much is the seller willing to eat if the PWE doesn't get delivered. The seller risk is no different than slapping on a forever stamp and dropping it in the mail. The ebay service provides some convenience with limited tracking.

It�s also a few cents cheaper than using a forever stamp at full price.

And you�re spot on�it�s meant to be a replacement for mailing in a PWE with a stamp for inexpensive items�with some form of tracking as a bonus. It�s not intended to be a replacement for more secure/expensive forms of shipping for more valuable items.

jayshum · #3 11-20-2021, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tschock

I recently sent one in the ebay PWE. My local PO person knew what it was, but I've seen ebay items in their in-box before so maybe he was familiar with it. I told him it was the first time I tried it and he 'scanned' it and accepted it without question. Whether it really scanned into the system or not, I do not know. The buyer had a similar experience as mentioned. It showed up as 'delivered' yet he had not received it yet. Later in the day it was in his mail box. (similar experience to PO workers who scan priority packages as delivered before they really are)

My theory is that the 'scanning' that occurs for delivery is similar to how other first class PWEs (and junk mail) are scanned and processed. It would be better in ebay's system only indicated it was "out for delivery" rather than delivered, which would be more accurate. If you look at the tracking, it does seem to only include the distribution centers and not the local source/destination POs. I wonder if/how it would show up in my daily USPS notifications. Maybe I should sell something to myself to test this out.

Since it is impossible to even purchase the ebay PWE postage for an item that is more than $20, it all boils down to how much is the seller willing to eat if the PWE doesn't get delivered. The seller risk is no different than slapping on a forever stamp and dropping it in the mail. The ebay service provides some convenience with limited tracking.

The tracking shows both Out for Delivery and Delivered, but in this case, it wasn't really delivered until around 6:00 PM not 10:38 AM as indicated. I understand if it can only be scanned at distribution centers that the tracking is not as detailed as a package with a USPS tracking number, but if the carrier can't scan it then how does it eventually ever show as delivered, either before it really is on when it really is?

Republicaninmass · #4 11-20-2021, 07:53 AM

Maybe "arrival at unit" is trigger delivery confirmation?

jayshum · #5 11-20-2021, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

Maybe "arrival at unit" is trigger delivery confirmation?

I don't think so. I've had at least one of the eBay tracking numbers not show Delivered until well after it really was delivered. Also, with USPS packages, the normal tracking shows Arrival at Unit usually around 6:00 AM followed by Out for Delivery by 7:00 AM.

If the number can only be scanned by regional distribution centers (as indicated by an eBay rep), then it's hard to understand how it could ever get shown as Delivered in their system.

tschock · #6 11-22-2021, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayshum

The tracking shows both Out for Delivery and Delivered, but in this case, it wasn't really delivered until around 6:00 PM not 10:38 AM as indicated. I understand if it can only be scanned at distribution centers that the tracking is not as detailed as a package with a USPS tracking number, but if the carrier can't scan it then how does it eventually ever show as delivered, either before it really is on when it really is?

My guess would be that this is when it was delivered to the local PO for the local routes. Makes sense that when the mail is 'binned' out to the local PO that the distribution center would know when it arrived there. Remember that this is the distribution center's 'point of view' and not the final recipient's. Which is why I think that the last entry should be "out for delivery" rather than "delivered". Ebay could make this a little clearer, at least to the sellers, or they could ideally process the USPS information that they receive to make that clearer before they present it.

I'd much rather someone with postal connections chime in rather than me speculating though.

jayshum · #7 11-22-2021, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tschock

My guess would be that this is when it was delivered to the local PO for the local routes. Makes sense that when the mail is 'binned' out to the local PO that the distribution center would know when it arrived there. Remember that this is the distribution center's 'point of view' and not the final recipient's. Which is why I think that the last entry should be "out for delivery" rather than "delivered". Ebay could make this a little clearer, at least to the sellers, or they could ideally process the USPS information that they receive to make that clearer before they present it.

I'd much rather someone with postal connections chime in rather than me speculating though.

No, the time listed as Delivered is well after it arrived at the post office but well before it was actually delivered. Other packages that I get arrive at the post office around 6:00 AM, and after talking to my carrier about this one, he definitely had it well before the time that is listed.

The older thread referenced a few posts earlier has some suggestions as to how the Delivered time gets generated, but nothing that seems to make sense based on what I have recently seen or several others have reported in this thread.

tschock · #8 11-22-2021, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayshum

No, the time listed as Delivered is well after it arrived at the post office but well before it was actually delivered. Other packages that I get arrive at the post office around 6:00 AM, and after talking to my carrier about this one, he definitely had it well before the time that is listed.

The older thread referenced a few posts earlier has some suggestions as to how the Delivered time gets generated, but nothing that seems to make sense based on what I have recently seen or several others have reported in this thread.

I totally buy what you are saying. The point is that the items themselves are not 'tracked'. This is true of PWEs (ebay generated postage or stamps), media mail, priority mail, etc, based on a couple reasons. Barring outright theft, packages would never get 'lost' within the postal system like they do now. Also priority items are manually noted as delivered by the drivers when they actually deliver them, assuming they perform their job as they are supposed to which most of them do, hence the general accuracy of delivery dates/times once they are out for delivery. Some do not do as they should and scan them early, witnessed by similar delivered-but-not-delivered experiences in that same day or even a day later (I've had both).

During a recent lost item claim, the USPS person was trying to track down and check the container, which they found, but they did not find the missing priority package. So my theory is based on the fact that individual items are not 'tracked', but rather the containers they travel in, which makes sense. What I was guessing at was how the 'delivered' message is triggered. So my new guess is still based on being container dependent, whether it is arrival at the PO (not so), some manual process/scan after it arrives, some departure trigger and when it sent back out from the local PO, or once it arrives back at the distribution center from the local PO.

Bottom line again is that what this means is different from the distribution center's perspective (they did their job) than from the customer's perspective (where's my package). Ebay is just forwarding what they are provided from the USPS, which obviously could use some massaging to present it to an end-user customer such as ourselves.

glynparson · #9 11-22-2021, 12:10 PM

Had it happen with padded mailers as well as with ups packages. I don�t think it�s the envelopes fault

GrewUpWithJunkWax · #10 11-29-2021, 03:32 PM

Had a scare recently with USPS showing Delivered. I was going to be away on travel, so I had my mail put on Hold, knowing I had a couple cards en route and not wanting them to sit in the mailbox.

Despite deliveries on Hold (and I also kept a screenshot of USPS confirmation of the Hold status), I had 2 cards suddenly show Delivered. I texted a neighbor and had them check our mailbox - nothing there. Tried calling the post office, but it was impossible trying to get an actual person on the phone who could help. So, I waited it out.

A few days later, when the mail resumed and I was home, I walked down and watched the mailman deliver the cards with the rest of my mail.

Tracking is better than nothing, but not perfect.

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