posted on September 7, 2001 04:52:10 PM new
My post office is no longer scanning Delivery Confirmation barcodes printed by the user (Endicia) on the date of shipment. Yesterday they did, today they don't - as per a memo they received. They are now just going to scan once when the item is delivered.
Of course I am not happy about this. That little tracking number gives my customers great piece of mind that I've done my job and it's on it's way. It also saves me responding to emails when anxious customers don't get their package as quickly as they think they should.
I'm not sure the reasons, I know the scanners at their counter won't pick up the Endicia code. They have to use the same scanners the carriers use. They have them at the post office, just not one at every counter, so it's not as convenient.
Has anyone else run into this problem? Can we write our congressman or have Endicia intervene on our behalf? It seems like a really big perk just got taken away. Am I over-reacting?
posted on September 7, 2001 04:56:12 PM new
The way I understand it, the PO is not supposed to scan the barcodes when you drop off the package. When you print your DC label, it is sent electronically to the USPS. It is only supposed to be scanned when it is being delivered at the destination address by the postal carrier.
posted on September 7, 2001 05:29:01 PM new
So...you're saying Endicia downloads the information to the USPS so it's unneccesary to scan at dropoff. That would be great! I printed some 8 hours ago and they are not in the system yet. I will check tomorrow.
I was going off of what the postal clerks told me. I even called 1-800-ASK-USPS and they knew nothing. They just told me to call my local post office for more information.
posted on September 7, 2001 05:36:11 PM new
The way I understand it is that when you print out a label with the DC on it with Endicia that it goes to the postal service and requests a DC tracking number and the information is immediately entered into the postal service system. I don't think the sender's PO is supposed to scan them at all. Mine does not. I just hand them over and tell them they are good to go! I think they must scan them in along the way because when you research something it will tell you that it was accepted at this place or that until it gets to its destination. I had one package once that got stuck in the Denver CO sorting office for a few days before it moved on. Only slow one I've had since I started using Endicia.
posted on September 7, 2001 05:51:58 PM new
Yes, when you print the DC on your computer it IS sent to dropoff PO. I have checked this out. It wouldn't scan at my PO when dropped off. The next day it was in the system. I guess it is like the search index update cycles on Ebay, it shows up in the system at next update. I don't know how often it cycles but that is my experience. Most likely every 12 hours or so, that is something Harry should know, though, since I don't know if the cycle is on PO or Endicia end.
posted on September 7, 2001 06:28:06 PM new
From my experience, the electronic DC shows up in the system at 10:00 pm on the day that the piece was dated.
The whole point of electronic DC is to avoid having the postal clerks scan it, and thus reduce cost. That's why it's free.
Do you know if your handheld origin scans were showing up in the system? I would suspect that when the handheld was downloaded, your endicia codes would be rejected as invalid, since they wouldn't be in the system at download time.
posted on September 7, 2001 08:59:29 PM new
I'm quite surprised that your post office was able to scan the labels to begin with for origination. The counter scanners are supposed to lock out Electronic DC labels. The reason we get a break in cost is that we are taking the postal counter work out of the equation.
Counter scanners will normally return "Invalid Number" to the counter screen when attempted to be scanned. As noted here, Endicia bulk uploads all of our numbers to the postal service servers at approximately 10pm (E). The DC information will then show the item was accepted at your local ZIP code at 10:00pm.
What, if any, scans occur before the destination is unreliable. I get more Priority Mail Sorting Center scans on my Media Mail packages than I actually get on my Priority Mail. Usually that's about all you will get until it arrives at the destination city. Then sometimes you will receive a scan that it arrived at the ZIP code for delivery. Most times you will just get the delivery or attempt scan.
So, in the end, just feel free to drop your items in a box or inside drop. Use the Meter Mail drop if it's available at your post office. That will take some of the handling out of the equation since they won't have to sort your pieces out of the stamped mail.
posted on September 7, 2001 09:26:10 PM new
Wow! It worked, my packages show scanned at 10pm just like you said.
We had quite a time with it the first time I took packages in. Several calls to the main post office and a half hour later they determined that the packages should be scanned with the scanners the carriers use and not the ones they have at the counter because of course they don't work.
When they scanned on outbound, sometimes they were in the system immediately, and sometimes not. A postal worker said it depended on when the gun was returned to the cradle and could download the info to the main system.
Then today they said per a memo, they were no longer required to scan on outbound. I expressed my dismay that there was no tracking or confirmation to assure my customers the package had in fact shipped and when. They told me I would just have the one delivery confirmation scan.
So, tomorrow I will tell the post office how their delivery confirmation works, since they apparently don't know. And I love the fact that these can be dropped in the box.
Many thanks to everyone. This forum is a wonderful place for answers
posted on September 7, 2001 09:44:20 PM new
I'm glad you got all the answers you needed. Sometimes post offices stay on top of new things while others will refuse your items because you didn't pay for the Delivery Confirmation. All they had to do was look up the Electronic Rate Agreement number right under the DC barcode and that would have told them everything they needed to know about the package. Instead they give their customers a hard time because they don't read all of their bulletins.
Welcome to our little Endicia group. It's nice to have another around.
posted on September 8, 2001 04:32:09 AM new
The other great thing is that you can go directly into the Postal Log on Endicia and email your customer the tracking number. If anyone questions where their package is, just email them from Endicia. I had one customer who emailed looking for his package, which had been sitting at his PO for 4 days waiting on him! Just quickly emailed him the info from Endicia and everything was fine.
posted on September 8, 2001 10:57:20 AM new
Good stuff here and everyone is on the correct track!
Yes, Endicia does transmit all of the tracking data to the USPS during the label printing process. This all happens in the background when you press the print button.
The tracking information is held in a USPS "staging computer" and later uploaded in batch mode to the master USPS tracking system at 10 PM. (There is some thought to making this a real-time process in the future.) That's why you won't "see" the package you created today until 10 PM tonight. That record appears in the tracking system even if you didn't give the package to the USPS! It could still be sitting in your shipping room or car trunk at 10 PM!
Now, the USPS retail counter clerks have scan guns which ARE NOT PROGRAMMED to recognize the electronic DC number. I'm not really sure why they did this and I'm working with USPS to have them reconsider their position. But the bottom line if if you take your package to the PO counter(which is not necessary unless you need insurance), they won't be able to scan it even if they try.
BUT, if you find any mail carrier (or if the counter person borrows one of the carrier's scan guns from the back), they WILL be able to scan your package. And then you will see a message probably before 10 PM which shows a "package pickup" at the exact time of your scan.
It is my personal opinon that the USPS cost savings with electronic DC relate to the fact that the retail clerk doesn't have to collect money, make change or perform a CC transaction, affix the manual DC sticker, input the destination ZIP5, give you a receipt, and perhaps explain the service to the customer. THAT takes a lot of counter time.
But let's consider an Endicia customer walking in with a completely posted package with an electronic DC. And he/she just wants a quick scan to show the recepient that the package was indeed given over to the custody of the USPS. That scan should take 5 seconds!
If your carrier stops by your office or home, ask him (or her) to show you their scan gun. There is an "office mode" and a "street mode". Have them put it into "street mode" and then scan your electronic DC. Next a small menu comes up where they input a number depending on the type of scan. I believe option #5 is "pickup". Have them press that.
In the evening, check out the status of that package. It will show it as having been picked up exactly at the time you scanned it!
posted on September 8, 2001 06:34:34 PM new
Just to set everyone's mind at ease, so far 100% of the first 46 packages I mailed, most of them by dropping them in a mailbox, all show as delivered. Since I ship no more than 5 packages a day, I used Endicia's postage log to send each customer an email with the tracking number. I very rarely get an email asking where the package is (I think 2 out of the 46) and both showed up later that same day.
I can't say enough about how great this service has been and how many hours of time it saved me from standing in line at the PO.
posted on September 9, 2001 06:11:44 AM new
All of my packages have been delivered very fast as well. Media Mail coast to coast in 6 to 7 days. Also don't forget how professional it makes your packages look, and the addition of a verified address plus barcode speeds up the process as well. Also, my post office people love it! They are trying to talk the other Ebayers who ship at their PO to give it a try as well.
posted on September 9, 2001 09:28:24 AM new
>>Now the scammers can print out a label, and have the suckers (customers) think that the package was sent, when in fact it would NOT have been. <<
Now this stupid idea would work for all of about 3 days until the package never arrives. Scammers can just as easily give their victims the DC from some other package or even a fake one if all they want to do is fool someone for a few days.
posted on September 9, 2001 09:57:01 AM new
>>Now the scammers can print out a label, and have the suckers (customers) think that the package was sent, when in fact it would NOT have been. <<
It is very clear with Endicia or any other form of postage meter that you are required to mail the piece on the date printed on the postage label. I would think doing otherwise would be a form of mail fraud.
It seems like they pull your meter and assess a stiff penalty fee for abuses. I can't remember exactly. Anyone know?
posted on September 9, 2001 05:40:06 PM newNow this stupid idea would work for all of about 3 days until the package never arrives. Scammers can just as easily give their victims the DC from some other package or even a fake one if all they want to do is fool someone for a few days.
LOL...please think for a minute what you said, then get back to me...(talk about "stupid ideas"
The difference is... THE PO HAS IT ON RECORD THAT IT WAS SHIPPED ALREADY! FROM YOU, and TO THEM!! That would give the SELLER the opportunity to show that he DID send it, and if the buyer did not insure...OOPS! Get it yet?
posted on September 9, 2001 05:47:39 PM new
>>THE PO HAS IT ON RECORD THAT IT WAS SHIPPED ALREADY! FROM YOU, and TO THEM!! <<
The only thing the PO has is that you are claiming you sent SOMETHING to SOMEWHERE. It doesnt say what and it doesnt say where. In my case it says "your item was accepted in Far Rockaway, NY at 10 PM." What exactly does this prove? And when it still says that 3 or 4 days later, what will it prove except that you sent nothing?
