Shipping hack to keep account in good standing

[solefoodbk]

If you drop ship or sell on multiple platforms like I do sometimes you'll get cross sales where you may not be able to fulfill an order. Especially with holidays it can be more problematic.

At USPS if there is a kiosk self help machine you can scan in your packages, and print off labels of ones you don't have yet and scan it. I usually do this while I'm scanning in a bunch of other packages so it doesn't look weird. This actually protects your ratings from late shipment. It really only helps if you have a reliable supplier and can purchase the goods you need same or next day to prevent issues. Naturally the customer can still open item not received claims so this isn't a fix for being lazy. I have a 3 day handling on my items and just upgrade my customer to express shipping which offsets the delay.

The reason I do this is it provides the appearance that USPS is delaying the package not you. Within 1-3 days after you scan it the tracking updates "in transit to next facility" .... and when it doesn't get delivered on time it says "arriving later than expected", as opposed to no scan and tracking showing "USPS waiting for package". If it doesn't get delivered on time, having the scan keeps your ratings intact which is important for eBay.

[SaiJin]

Why don't you just drop them off in the cargo bay and have the staff scan the boxes there if you have that much?

[kirkland]

Originally Posted by solefoodbk

If you drop ship or sell on multiple platforms like I do sometimes you'll get cross sales where you may not be able to fulfill an order. Especially with holidays it can be more problematic.

At USPS if there is a kiosk self help machine you can scan in your packages, and print off labels of ones you don't have yet and scan it. I usually do this while I'm scanning in a bunch of other packages so it doesn't look weird. This actually protects your ratings from late shipment. It really only helps if you have a reliable supplier and can purchase the goods you need same or next day to prevent issues. Naturally the customer can still open item not received claims so this isn't a fix for being lazy. I have a 3 day handling on my items and just upgrade my customer to express shipping which offsets the delay.

The reason I do this is it provides the appearance that USPS is delaying the package not you. Within 1-3 days after you scan it the tracking updates "in transit to next facility" .... and when it doesn't get delivered on time it says "arriving later than expected", as opposed to no scan and tracking showing "USPS waiting for package". If it doesn't get delivered on time, having the scan keeps your ratings intact which is important for eBay.

is this in the back in the loading bay? never seen it in the front

[agent006140]

those are for big sellers who do a lot of business with USPS.
like booksellers ER Hamilton,or DEPARTMENT STORES

[solefoodbk]

Originally Posted by kirkland

is this in the back in the loading bay? never seen it in the front

A kiosk? Maybe not every USPS store has one.

To be clear the point is I’m scanning labels of packages I’m not actually shipping just yet. I just print out the labels and take them with me. So if someone buys something from me and I’m temporarily out of stock, I can place an order from my supplier that same day.... but instead of the customer thinking I’m not shipping their order they will see it updated like it’s in transit.

[phaz0rz]

None of the post offices in my area have this. Sounds like a big city thing.

SCAN forms work just as well though for getting tracking numbers validated even if you have to hold back an order for a few days because of stock issues. All postage software can generate them. You just select all the labels you printed in a day, click "create scan form", and give the form to USPS. When they scan the barcode on the form all the labels you printed that day are marked as "accepted".

My mail people are spoiled by them now since they used to scan all of my shipments in individually. Our postmaster called me a few weeks ago asking how I make them because she was trying to tell another seller in the area how to do it.

[SaiJin]

Originally Posted by kirkland

is this in the back in the loading bay? never seen it in the front

Yes, that's the one.

He can also make a setting that for the labels he'll be buying for that day, it'll generate a list with 1 bar code. USPS scans that 1 barcode and it'll auto scan ALL the labels.

[phaz0rz]

They're called SCAN forms.

[ebaystealth1974]

Originally Posted by solefoodbk

At USPS if there is a kiosk self help machine you can scan in your packages, and print off labels of ones you don't have yet and scan it. I usually do this while I'm scanning in a bunch of other packages so it doesn't look weird.

Sounds like you need to start printing off a scan form. You're doing a lot of unnecessary work!

[yankee]

Use a scan form and drop off all items at once in the back or if you live in a non rural area have a pickup daily. The mail carrier or postal worker scans one form.

BUT a save buyer or anyone who ships can still see that it wasn't actually shipped. It can buy a day or two though.

[yankee]

Originally Posted by SaiJin

Yes, that's the one.

No. He is talking about a kiosk that is eliminating postal workers much like self checkout. These are found in big cities only as of now anyways.

[solefoodbk]

Originally Posted by ebaystealth1974

Sounds like you need to start printing off a scan form. You're doing a lot of unnecessary work!

Can you get this from Shipstation??

[phaz0rz]

Originally Posted by solefoodbk

Can you get this from Shipstation??

Yes.. all postage software has it. Instructions in here somewhere : https://help.shipstation.com/hc/en-u...demo-video-0-0


With stamps.com I just go into the history tab and click "create scan form for all eligible shipments."

[yankee]

Originally Posted by solefoodbk

Can you get this from Shipstation??

On shipstation you go to Shipments at the top and then on the left hand side click End Of Day.

[kirkland]

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

None of the post offices in my area have this. Sounds like a big city thing.

SCAN forms work just as well though for getting tracking numbers validated even if you have to hold back an order for a few days because of stock issues. All postage software can generate them. You just select all the labels you printed in a day, click "create scan form", and give the form to USPS. When they scan the barcode on the form all the labels you printed that day are marked as "accepted".

My mail people are spoiled by them now since they used to scan all of my shipments in individually. Our postmaster called me a few weeks ago asking how I make them because she was trying to tell another seller in the area how to do it.

works just as well

[solefoodbk]

Originally Posted by yankee

On shipstation you go to Shipments at the top and then on the left hand side click End Of Day.

The amount of extra work I've done the past 3 years.



I still need manually scan with Poshmark, and some other platforms that control shipping labels but this saves me a lot of time. I'll try it out tomorrow. I wonder if the kiosk will scan it.

[phaz0rz]

It's just a normal tracking barcode so I would assume so. The only thing different about it compared to a First Class or Priority barcode is the first few prefix numbers.