marvey
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posted on February 2, 2001 06:06:46 PM new
In an effort to save my customers $$ on postage I often but paper collectable in bubble type mailing envelopes. I have been selling on ebay for 3+ years and have never had a single complaint of lost mail. In the past month I have had 3, two of which were in the last 24 hours, of customers not receiving their items all of which were mailed in the bubble mailers.
Is the post office targeting 1st class mail for the recycle bin or their auctions?? I always package tape my mailers shut, use return address labels, and tape over the designee's address to prevent water damage. How could all these items be missing?
Looks to me like the postal rate increase made the system worse, not better.
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psyllie
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posted on February 2, 2001 08:48:50 PM new
Me too Marvey! I'm a fairly new seller, but have had good luck until recently. Three packages have gone missing--all sent in bubble mailers. I follow the same good mailing practices you do with plenty of tape and protection for the addresses. I recently received one of the mailers back as "damaged"--it had held two cake decorating booklets. The mailer appeared to have been deliberately slit open. One booklet was still with the mailer, the other had "fallen out" and was missing (I filed a form so they could hunt for it at the warehouse). No sign of the other two mailers, though.
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janesgem
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posted on February 2, 2001 11:52:05 PM new
Please will the two previous posters put down what area of the country they mail the First Class bubble mailers from. I have had 4 lost & 1 damaged from July thru December. I ask for a reason as I think they are being stolen either along the way from my Post Office to the sorting center or at the sorting center by one or more employee(s).
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psyllie
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posted on February 3, 2001 08:55:03 AM new
I'm shipping from Western PA
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chococake
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posted on February 3, 2001 09:42:11 AM new
It's not only bubble mailers, it's also regular first class mail. A friend of mine was expecting a letter from his union concerning his pension. The union mailed it the second week of Dec. he never got it. So, they said they would send another. The date on the letter was Jan 2 the postmark was Jan 30. He received it Feb. 1st.
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apbabruce
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posted on February 3, 2001 10:42:52 AM new
I have also had some trouble with first class mail recently. I mailed an auction payment to Key West last month...$180. The payment never got there. Luckily, I paid with a money order and kept the receipt. My refund is on the way, and the auction provider has promised to hold the item until I get my refund.
Nice guy...if he goes back on his word and doesn't hold it, no big deal.
Darn post office...they're all too busy brandishing their weapons! LOL
BSM
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barrelracer
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posted on February 3, 2001 02:16:00 PM new
I am waiting for 2 first class packages from California.
This Tuesday will be 2 weeks since they were mailed.
A poster tube and a video.
I am really disappointed, if they are lost they were older items and will be hard to find again.
As a seller, I have had many inquires since the PO changed their rates. It seems like it has slowed drastically since then.
A package shipped air to Australia took over a month (4-7 days, ha)
A package to Canada never showed up at all.
A priority package sent to New York showed up a year later, almost to the exact day!
Have no idea where that one was, must have been found under a sorting machine.
~Not barrelracer on ebay, don't pick on them!~
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mballai
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posted on February 3, 2001 02:54:20 PM new
The Post Office doesn't discriminate when it mangles. At work, we had a $6,000 check returned with about 40% missing. At least they couldn't cash that part! 
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alaskaguy
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posted on February 3, 2001 04:47:01 PM new
One postal worker told me part of the problem. For a bubble mailer under an ounce, most would use 34 cents postage. It's over 1/4 inch think so you should use 45 cents postage. When you use the 34, it goes into the auto sorter and gets jammed and destroyed during removal. If you use the appropriate 45 cents, then it's hand sorted. Sounds to me like postal revenge, but it's what they told me.
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Pandoras_Trinkets
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posted on February 3, 2001 05:36:04 PM new
Alaskas right, the mailers require 45 cents (at least!) All my packages go this way. I've been *on-line* for about 2 years and never lost a package untill last month (Jan) None of my packages were arriving, one that was sent accross the state took 18 days. (yes the same state, MI)
I don't think your suddenly being targeted, just coincidence (sp) maybe ?
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marvey
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posted on February 3, 2001 06:34:05 PM new
In response to where these are being mailed from a first class postoffice in central Wisconsin. I always take my parcel to the window and have each one mailed and stamped in front of me and ALWAYS use Exact postage which in my case is 45 or 55 cents. So all these parcels should have fit into the hand sorting category.
I am mostly having problems on items getting to major cities in California, the other lost one was to Idaho.
On the same day that I sent my parcel out to CA. that has never arrived, a customer sent me a payment from CA it took over 18 days for a first class envelope to arrive. Everything was perfectly addressed. I still feel that there is a glitch somewhere in the system.
My analysis: the CA postal system in an effort to save electricity is taking it upon themselves to stop sorting the mail.
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rampaged
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posted on February 3, 2001 07:34:29 PM new
I don't know if this has anything to do with the problem or not but it could.
At the small town post office I use if a bubble mailer won't fit through a slotted card they have it receives extra postage because of how thick it is. The weight doesn't matter.
If the post office you are using isn't doing this and the postage isn't sufficient then it may be getting sorted differently because of lack of postage and causing it to be damaged or delayed.
Just a thought.
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pptrade
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posted on February 3, 2001 07:45:11 PM new
Just a thought late in the evening, have any of you had a look at the Post office site recently, usps-mrc-collectibles.
I am amazed at where they acquire all this merchandise, surely all we sellers are not such poor packers. Also note the amount of shipping costs, it is interesting when you see people complaining about shipping costs on Ebay. When I last looked they had bidders on everything.. Jealous, you bet.
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rampaged
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posted on February 3, 2001 08:02:54 PM new
pptrade
Whats the url to this site. I'd like to look.
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bingo20705
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posted on February 3, 2001 08:24:20 PM new
last month i had 3 bidders from ohio all 3 sent payment by priority mail. 1 letter took 17 days 1 letter took 23 days and 1 took 27 days. the 23 and 27 were mailed from cleveland on the same day different post offices.so much for 2/3 day delivery and all the extra cost. i just told a bidder from ohio to put a stamp on it and pray.my post office says its all because of the fed x post office deal.
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thecatlady
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posted on February 3, 2001 08:42:20 PM new
COINCIDENCE? that is nothing compared to USPS-mrc-everythingelse??????
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thecatlady
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posted on February 3, 2001 08:48:15 PM new
pptrade - COINCIDENCE? that is nothing compared to USPS-mrc-everythingelse?????? check this one out!
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misscandle
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posted on February 3, 2001 08:56:49 PM new
The post office is selling on Ebay under the user id:
usps-mrc-collectibles
Hopefully, I can make this URL to their "About Me" page clickable:
http://members.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewUserPage&userid=usps-mrc-collectibles
I don't know if I'm jealous, so much as skeptical.....and incredulous at their shipping prices, terms of service and feedback record.
I'm dashed if I ever buy anything from them. And, if any of my packages disappear and my item shows up on this site for sale (after all my award winning packing skills have been employed), then I'm filing theft charges. Might not do any good, but they'll sure know they've been in a fight when I finish with them.
Sorry to be so grumpy. I need to stop reading the threads related to post office issues. Just gets me mad. 
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misscandle
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posted on February 3, 2001 09:03:02 PM new
Thanks, catlady:
here's the URL to the other one:
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/usps-mrc-everythingelse
You're right. It is beyond belief.
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joice
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posted on February 3, 2001 09:08:09 PM new
Well, I guess to follow the CG's you should send a courtesy invitation to the email address on file with Ebay to let them know we are talking about them 
Thanks!
Joice
Moderator.
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glasshat
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posted on February 3, 2001 09:08:14 PM new
The following complaint and response were lifted directly from the USPS ebay feedback page. Am I wrong in finding the response to the complaint just a little odd? USPS seller / packer / shipper ... Why should the customer have to purchase insurance in this instance. USPS has complete control of the item!!!! What a ripoff! Pay me to do my job...then pay me extra to make sure that I do my job????
Glass
Complaint: Although paid on 12/14/00, I have yet to receive this item. Awful cust. support!
Response: Item shipped 12/14/00. Buyer did not purchase insurance.
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misscandle
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posted on February 3, 2001 09:21:24 PM new
Okay, Joice, good point.
I sent an e-mail to each account, using the e-mail addresses given at Ebay. With a cc: to [email protected]
Hope I did that right. First time, so tell me if changes need to be made.
Thanks.
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joice
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posted on February 3, 2001 09:23:38 PM new
We will waive the 24 hour lock down in this case. Yes, misscandle, you did fine with the invitations. If it was for an individual you would also add a link to the CG's.
Thanks!
Joice
Moderator.
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waspstar
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posted on February 3, 2001 09:30:58 PM new
One of the USPS eBay IDs is for CDs... They sell them mostly in lots of 50 and 215. As to where the CDs are coming from, well I can tell you that 90% of them are Music Club CDs. I know, I bought some.
So, they aren't getting their CDs from poorly packaged bubble envelopes. Rather, it's Music Club CDs that are ending up lost or rejected or whatever.
"My possessions are causing me suspicion." - Neil Finn
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misscandle
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posted on February 3, 2001 09:44:02 PM new
Thanks, Joice.
I received autoresponses that they are away for the weekend and will not see the messages until Monday.
Gives us lots of time to prepare.
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roadsmith
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posted on February 3, 2001 09:58:36 PM new
There is something very rotten going on with the USPS re: their ebay site, etc. With my old-reporter's hat on, I beg that some reporter on some newspaper somewhere out there look hard at this. I cannot believe that all those items the USPS is selling were missent. We ebay sellers are too careful with our mailings. It is frightening to think that we may not be able to trust our post office. (I know I sound naive, but I really have never had reason not to.)
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granee
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posted on February 3, 2001 10:07:27 PM new
Look at the PRICES people are bidding for ordinary stuff with OUTRAGEOUS shipping charges!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
$15.85 estimated shipping/handling to mail a sleeping bag, $17.05 to mail an ice chest, $29.90 to mail kitchenware---and that doesn't include insurance or delivery confirmation!!!
It's cheaper to go to Wal-Mart and BUY the stuff off the shelf, and people are bidding on it like it's their only chance to get one-of-a-kind antiques!!!
I guess this is all the stuff the Postal employees stole from the packages we mailed, but decided they didn't want after getting the packages open. 
roadsmith, if you mailed jewelry through the USPS, you'd know there's reason to suspect Postal theft. If the package is small, lightweight, and heavily insured, the chances are good it won't arrive at its destination. That's why UPIC won't insure jewelry, and other insurers require all USPS jewelry shipments over $200 be signed for by the recipient in order for them to be covered.
[ edited by granee on Feb 3, 2001 10:14 PM ]
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Crystalline_Sliver
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posted on February 3, 2001 11:07:28 PM new
You guys think that's bad, I found out today that the Postal Calculators on the website are not updated to reflect the rates.
I checked on a rate for a Express Mail Package on the website and printed out the results.
Seems I was $10.00 in the hole when I went to the Post Office. I argued with the clerk for 10 minutes, but I gave in and paid.
Oh well, guess I can tell the recipient to refuse to sign for the item for a week. Then I can get my refund.
BTW, on another note, I was going thru my records and found 2 Express Mail reciepts that were 5 days and 2 weeks late in delivery time from November and December respectively of last year. Can I still ask for a refund, or is it too late?
:\\\"Crystalline Sliver cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
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misscandle
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posted on February 3, 2001 11:15:32 PM new
CS:
On the back of my Express Mail receipt (which I am taking in for a refund on Monday) it says claims must be made within 90 days from the date of mailing.
Hope you get your $$$ back.
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gem10a1
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posted on February 4, 2001 01:12:54 AM new
Here is a complaint feedback and there reply,
Complaint: Cards were NOT as described. They were damaged and poorly packaged!
Response: Buyer did not contact seller prior to posting negative feedback.
If ebays rules are that a buyer has to contact the seller before leaving a neg, it is wrong
no seller deserves to receive an email if things were wrong! none, zip, zero.
Its a bunch of bull cause i was buyer a few times from dif.sellers and they were baddd
they give you a story, well if you dont like it then send it backm yeah right, so you get nothing and you are out, your 2 way shipping expenses etc. bad system setup.
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