Frustrated with USPS tracking?

[tonyo]

I've been selling a lot of my collection lately and can totally identify with almost everything mentioned in this thread.

USPS is annoying, And I personally can be very very patient with them , especially lately.

It's eBay that really chaps me because:

I now (last two months) have a "below standard" seller rating, which increases my final value fees by 50%.

the criteria that drops me?: 3 out of 947 sales in the last 12 months are "cases closed without seller resolution" eBay's max in that category is 0.3% .

their definition : "A case closed without seller resolution is any case the seller is unable to resolve with the buyer prior to the buyer asking us to step in and help with a request"

I've sold a lot of cards at $2/free shipping, and send them in PWE. I've had probably 12 or 15 buyers write telling me "the card hasn't arrived". When that note comes to me, if it's inside 4 weeks from my ship date, I always respond with "first, you can rest assured you will receive the card or a full refund, then I explain the troubles USPS has been having, and ask for a little more patience, please allow at least 4 weeks for the card to surface."

I ultimately refunded almost all of those when the buyer wrote back saying, I think we've given it long enough, but 3 of those buyers opened cases with eBay without contacting me again, and eBay has initiated the refund within about 5 minutes each time.

I didn't even know this was costing me more fees until I went to make my regular FVF payment to eBay and saw that it was more than expected. I've appealed and tried multiple times to converse with a human who would at least acknowledge that I do everything I can possibly do on my end (other than just not sell those low dollar cards). But it always ends up with the CSR sticking with the company motto that the seller is always to blame.

I could continue to b*tch about eBay...... it's all more of the same song and dance that we all know and have read. I know it's a risk I take sending cards without tracking... I get that.


0.3% ??? really?

I'm anal about dropping cards off at the post office within 24 hours of receiving payment, and I've never hesitated to refund any buyer that states they didn't receive a card mailed without tracking and want a refund.

Ultimately I'll probably keep listing on eBay as long as I still want to reduce my collection, just need to continue to adjust my attitude and expectations regarding the faceless eBay monster

To bring this back onto topic, yes when I drop any package or envelope off at USPS, I cross my fingers that it arrives.