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What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

Has it ever happened to you that your local USPS office has not scanned your package and the first scan was at the Sort Facility? There can be a lag of several days when that happens. Sometimes, a buyer will accuse you of printing the shipping label, but not actually mailing the package until days later. And it looks pretty damning when they first point it out, because it says, for example:

January 3rd: Shipping Label Created.
January 8th: Accepted at USPS Origin Sort facility.

So, it looks like you held onto their package for 5 days, even though you mailed it the same day you printed the label:

http://www.iqcollect.com/USPS_Not-Scanned_at_Local.jpg

However, if the package WAS scanned at your local office, the term they use would not be "Accepted at USPS Origin Sort Facility" - it would be "Acceptance". There would also be a date and time that it left your local post office.

http://www.iqcollect.com/USPS_Scanned_at_Local.jpg

This has been driving me nuts for some time, because in 99.999% of the cases, I always pack and ship the same day. But I always end up with some smartass buyer on eBay (who is also a seller) who accuses me of printing a shipping label for an item I don't have in stock, so that I can send it later. While I will admit, it HAS happened once or twice in the past, most of the time it is a false accusation. This week, I happened to notice this happened on 28 outgoing packages. So, I asked the clerk at out post office if there was any way to prove my innocence should it become an issue, and she showed me this.

I thought I would pass it on, just in case it can help someone else.

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

I am a bit of a jerk about this stuff. I just ignore them after a simple explanation/apology.

I find replying to these types of people(almost always another seller) that it is an utter waste of time and is not productive.

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

I have to disagree. The issue is, if you ignore them, next thing you know they are on the phone with eBay and then you have a problem.

I always respond to EVERYBODY, unless it is someone who has never purchased from me sending me threats. I ignore them, because if you give them ANY attention at all, they will never leave you alone.

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

I reply once and call it a day.
Like you said someone like this will never leave you alone.

With that being said, I do not handle retail side of things for this very reason. I no longer have patience or desire to deal with these type of people :)

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

Lately, tracking has been way off, every week I get orders that don't update until they are delivered and than they update all at once.

So what I do is get ahead of the buyer, rather than wait for them to contact me I message them first.

Every night I just click the Shipping Labels link that way I can see the status of each postage all at once, and the ones that haven't updated within 24 hours I message the buyer and let them know that the order has been shipped, and let them know,that the tracking has been delayed, but it doesn't effect the delivery time and there order is on the way.

And lately I'll need to message at least 5-8 buyers a week because of this issue

Messaging the buyer first, has been a solution for me and I never have had one issue with the buyer messaging to complain, usually I'll get no response to the message and sometimes a thanks

For me the it only becomes an issue with the buyer If they need to contact you first about this issue, but by messaging them 24 hours after you ship with no tracking updates, I guess makes them reassured that it has been shipped and it's just a delay. But if they don't hear from you and don't see the tracking update than they immediately jump to conclusions


Also now with my bigger accounts that are TRS I just recently started to wait and get a receipt so that everything is scanned in right away

If they are scanned in front of you than this problem doesn't exist, and you will see usually within 4 hours or less the tracking starts, when I drop them and go it usually takes 12-24 hours for the tracking to update and there's always 1 or 2 packages per drop off that don't get scanned and I'll message the buyer to dissolve any issues.

I'll only sell in 4 accounts every week, 3 newer and one Big account and that than I rotate every week with the same 3 New one Big, so the last couple weeks the bug accounts I'll wait and have them scanned and the other 3 I'll drop off

I try and be there by 9am when they open that way I get there before they have a line and I'm not holding everyone up because I want them to scan the packages

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

I always try to have someone there by 9am as well. Lately, though, we are shipping 3 times a day. I create the scan forms, but they don't like those. They told me that if I don't mail a package on the scan form then they are responsible for it. Which is ridiculous, because unless insured, they don't pay for lost packages. Luckily, that does not happen very often.

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

I hate when this happens.. being the buyer and seller.

But you can't just not ask the seller at the same time. Like one item I bought 10 days ago, I have yet received. Looked at the invoice and didn't notice any tracking. Messaged the user and they said they forgot about it.. I know it was only a $50 item, but I paid extra for Priority.. not for them to not ship it!

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

I respond once to so I'm not ignoring. They seem to wait it out. Sometimes they open a case and close it and soon as they get the package. I hardly care. As long as it's on its way I can't do anything about it. I have to work on the next shipments.

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

Some kind of a system bug, likely. But it can be ignored, as only a timely tracked delivery matters, no-one cares if tracking has weird numbers. People can send messages, but can't do anything bad to you ;) And if it comes to PP, they can see, when the tracking number was actually added to the sold item, and it is quite clear that a correct tracking #t can't be added if the item is not shipped.

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

Sure that may prevent them from getting a free item but it can always leave a disgruntled customer!

=> Possible bad feedback!

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

Definitely something any USPS shipper comes across. Normally I say that I drop packages off same day or later that night so they go out first thing the next day. Tell them every once in a while for some reason one doesn't get lost or does not show up in their system. I apologize tell them it is a rare and say you will look into it if the tracking has not updated.

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

USPS has been in a serious decline for the last 2 years in regards to keeping records updated for sellers/buyers.

I no longer buy from Florida. Hopeless with updating info.

:pout:

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

This is happening almost on a daily basis and just started this year. Driving me insane with all these customers accusing me of being a sc.ammer. What's worse is that it's customers who are only spending $10-$20 and expecting the godd@mn packages to be at their door instantly. When it's not, or their is some delay with the USPS scans, they go ape sh*t and act like I drained them of their life savings.

This has become far more time consuming and time is money. I don't have time to listen to morons accuse me of sca.mming all day because USPS has decided to cut corners.

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

Packages that normally took 2 days are now taking 4 and I've had some take up to 7 days....bad for business.

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

Priority mail has been creating many issues for me the past month. Slowly moving to Fedex ground :dance:

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

http://blog.designreplace.com/wp-con...675-732507.jpg

Slowly indeed...

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

Exactly. I've got First Class shipments sitting in my origin facilities for days. One of them just sat here for 5 days before it moved making customers think I don't ship for 5 days and just sit on my a$$.

As jakobrockz mentioned, even Priority Mail is being delayed well beyond normal. So, I'm just wasting money even paying for it.

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

How about when not a single facility checks the tracking confirmation until the final post office?

My nearest office does not keep a single piece of mail by the end of the day, and they *should* scan every package, and then the scanners are uploaded/charged at the end of the day.. but my $2000 laptop is a clear case this can slip through.

Annoying when it took forever to show the seller that I actually was in possession of this laptop and then when I give tracking, nothing updates til 48 hours when it is at his post office. Normally my tracking updates within 12 hours and I always ship items same day.

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

With my TRS accounts I been waiting in line and having them scan the packages or Scan Sheet

With the rest of accounts I'll just leave at the drop off spot on the front counter


What I noticed, is the packages that are scanned in front of me start updating within 3 hours after the scan

So I think the packages I drop off and go are sometimes not being scanned until the next day, because they usually take at least 12+ hours to update.

I really been paying attention to tracking lately , and it's been consistent , if scanned in front of me they always update within 3 hours sometimes less

Also, I'll use the mobile App and Scan the packages so I'd be able to see the progress without logging in to the eBay account

And another thing I noticed is that there is a delay from when tracking starts within USPS system and eBays system and sometimes that's a 1-2 hour delay

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

Hey you can definately keep that weather rsot, we don't want it over here like that, when we do get it, once in a blue moon, we cope even worse than that!!

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

****in' florida

Re: What to do when accused of printing a label and not mailing at the same time...
 

This is why I use to always get my packages scanned in. Eventually they just gave me a handheld and let me scan all my stuff when I had megaloads. NOW, when I just have a little bit, I just drop it off without scanning (like before) and now I am getting delays like that again.

I think this is where they lose it and then find it.