posted on September 2, 2005 04:17:25 AM new
Is this happening to anyone else? I'm on the east coast and am getting a scary number of buyers from California asking where their posters (or lithographs) are, even 2 to 3 weeks after their items were shipped First Class. I've heard a LOT of stories about how the post office handles shipping tubes behind the scenes (even from a mailman which was stated off the record), and buying Delivery Confirmation hasn't helped. If the PO doesn't fulfill their Delivery Confirmation obligation that I paid for, they just say to file a form. Besides, purchasing DC, USPS insurance, etc is just paying the USPS extra to do what they're supposed to be doing anyway: treating your items with respect. Luckily, I pay a third party for package insurance, because USPS's is more expensive. Anyway, ever since I switched to selling posters and lithos in the past couple months, this happens in an alarming number of shipments to California.
Anyone else having problems with the California package blackhole? In your experiences, have you noticed any other states being notorious for losing packages? I don't want to stop dealing with Californian buyers because they're great, but I can't keeping dealing with losses and upteen "where is my item" e-mails because of the CA PO.
posted on September 2, 2005 05:28:21 AM new
I dont have those problems, but I dont sell lithos or posters. -- Did you ever think the source of the problem might be out of your post office? I could understand your suspecions if it was limited one area of California; but CA is a big state to have it happening all over? I think your better source of query is out of your PO. JMO.
posted on September 2, 2005 06:09:05 AM new
Thanks for the feedback on my question. The thing is, only items sent to California have come up missing. Stuff sent to other states arrive just fine. I asked my local PO about how things are shipped to CA, and they said via plane and there aren't many checkpoints for my packages to get mishandled. It's just frustrating for my excellent ebay rep and wallet to get hit because of possible mishandling by the PO, whichever location they may be.
posted on September 2, 2005 06:31:34 AM newit's just frustrating for my excellent ebay rep and wallet to get hit because of possible mishandling by the PO, whichever location they may be...
Yes, I can understand your exasperation! Weird thing to have happen over and over. Maybe try fed ex? Dont know what the weight on tubes is and home delivery will cost you an extra 1.30 or something like that. But maybe as an experiment, you could try that or one of the other mailing services and see if there is a difference?
posted on September 2, 2005 07:41:08 AM new
I have found that maybe once or twice a year all my shipments to Calif. suddenly take weeks longer to arrive than normal. Have no idea why. I always advise patience to buyers, and the stuff eventually gets there.
posted on September 2, 2005 08:07:12 AM new
I appreciate the tips and knowing that someone else has experienced these kinds of delays when shipping to CA makes me feel better. Hopefully, that's the case with the things I shipped, but I wish there was more accountability with the PO if in fact it was one of their people that lost, damaged, or misappropriated the items I must reimburse my angry customers for. Too many insurance claims raise premiums and suspicions, even though I can prove that I sent each and every item. I even handed the missing poster tubes directly to a counter person at the local PO, which is what I always do. So naturally I'm spooked about these coincidences and am having big doubts whether to continue using the PO or to even deal in lithographs and posters anymore. They're not getting handled well behind the scenes at the PO apparently, and I hate the feeling of helplessness with no recourse. I rarely ever had such problems when I dealt with other ephemera (paper) items in the 6 or 7 years I've been on ebay.
Any other ideas or insights? I could sure use them right now.
posted on September 2, 2005 11:20:15 AM new
Are you using the same p.o. all the time, to ship your posters? I'd have a talk with the manager in charge there and see if there's something you can learn.
What state are you shipping from? Right now, air shipments may be interrupted somehow by the horror in New Orleans. I'm not sure about that, but it's just a hunch.
posted on September 2, 2005 12:42:51 PM new
I have had problems with those round tubes as well. I think they just get lost more easily primarily because they can roll. I didn't use them often, but it seems 20% of the time the item was lost. (Fortunately, all were insured.) I have since used the triangular Priority Mail boxes and not had a problem since. I still make certain all are insured.
