OT-ish USPS Tracking Issues

[ChazzC]

Please note, while this is a Mini-Rant, is only intended to provide some behind-the-scenes information, not to instigate a slew of comments.

After several packages were sent on tours of Central Pennsylvania by the US Postal Service (USPS), I considered contacting my Congressman, but realized this would have been useless.

Then today I figured I could reach out to my local Post Office for an answer to the latest SNAFU; here's the tracking for a recent eBay purchase (so I knew the address was correct); my comments are in Bold:

Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item eBay Seller got things rolling​

ROCHESTER, NY 14624​

April 24, 2024, 10:07 am​

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Accepted at USPS Origin Facility Seller has dropped off the package and it's in the system​

ROCHESTER, NY 14624​

April 24, 2024, 8:21 pm​

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Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility It's moving along​

NORTHWEST ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER​

April 24, 2024, 9:36 pm​

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Departed USPS Regional Facility Leaving NYS​

NORTHWEST ROCHESTER NY DISTRIBUTION CENTER​

April 25, 2024, 5:55 am​

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Arrived at USPS Regional Facility Harrisburg serves my local Post Office so I should have it the 26th​

HARRISBURG PA DISTRIBUTION CENTER​

April 25, 2024, 11:09 am​

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Departed USPS Regional Facility Yea! It will be at my Post Office the 25th and Delivered the 26th​

HARRISBURG PA DISTRIBUTION CENTER​

April 25, 2024, 3:25 pm​

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Arrived at USPS Regional Facility Wait, what? Why is it in Lancaster?? (Lancaster is 30 miles SE of me, and you have to drive past my location to get there from Harrisburg)​

LANCASTER PA DISTRIBUTION CENTER​

April 25, 2024, 4:21 pm​

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Departed USPS Regional Facility OK, Lancaster figured it out​

LANCASTER PA DISTRIBUTION CENTER​

April 25, 2024, 9:56 pm​

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Arrived at USPS Regional Facility It's early enough so that I should still get it the 26th​

HARRISBURG PA DISTRIBUTION CENTER​

April 26, 2024, 12:14 am​

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Departed USPS Regional Facility Looking good​

HARRISBURG PA DISTRIBUTION CENTER​

April 26, 2024, 12:45 am​

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Arrived at USPS Facility Alright - it will be out for delivery today!​

HUMMELSTOWN, PA 17036​

April 26, 2024, 5:05 am​

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Arrived at Post Office What? How did it get here?​

GRANTVILLE, PA 17028​

April 26, 2024, 7:03 am​

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Processing at USPS Facility What do you mean "Processing?"​

GRANTVILLE, PA 17028​

April 26, 2024, 7:38 am​

This is when I called the local Post Office. While they couldn't explain why this package (and two others this week) got a free ride to Lancaster, they could explain what happened once it got to them at 5:05 this morning – it turns out that there are multiple scans at destination: the Arrival Scan is the label on the Gaylord Box that per the system is where my package is; then there is an Accepted Scan, which is the actual scan of the package. If I could see behind the curtain (like the Hummesltown Post Master could), it would tell me that Grantville reported a mis-directed package and I "should" receive the package tomorrow (like the airlines back in the 90's: they would cancel a flight rather than have a late departure – late departures counted against them, cancellations didn't; I'm guessing that USPS doesn't want the General Public to know how bad things really are and how lucky we should be that we get most of our deliveries).

 

[ChazzC]

UPDATE: I received the package this morning, but not before it made another circuit between Harrisburg/Lanacster/Harrisburg before getting to Hummelstown.

What was it? See here.

 

[Provincial]

I ordered something from Indiana. Sent USPS to Portland, OR (which is our hub, and should then go to Salem, OR and finally, Dallas, OR) but then showed up the next day in New Jersey. After cooling it's heels there for a day, it next went to Salt Lake City, UT, then took two days to get to Portland again. Last I checked, it had made it to Salem, OR.

It's a good thing the parts are for a future project, and not a breakdown repair!

 

[oogenshire]

i watched a package go between bloomington and springfield illinois (im between the 2) 4 times over 2 days once... was gonna offer to meet the driver on the side of the highway....

 

[intrepid]

I had a similar package from eBay and marked out for delivery. Didnt make it so I figured next day. Not. So went to my local post office and learned it was sent to the Baltimore sorting center, (Maybe a mistake) I was told no problem, next day. Not delivered again so back to the post office. After a few days of my package going back and forth between local post office and Baltimore sorting center the local Post Master assured me the next time it cam in she would hold it and bring it to me herself. Turns out the seller packed it in a box he had received from an order to him, and placed my shipping label on the box now to me. The issue was he didn't remove the old shipping label to him which was on the other side of the box. SO, back and forth it would go. I have always told everyone I could, if reusing boxes, ALWAYS check and remove old labels!

 

[extropic]

I wonder, in a case like ChazzC's, if there wasn't something (a scratch, mark, tear?) about the label that causes an automated scanner to screw up.
@intrepid, when I hear of an experience, like you related, it makes me wish I could figure out a way to mis-send the payment.

 

[682bear]

Last year I purchased a knife on ebay... it was shipped out of Las Vegas, NV... it made it to Tallapoosa, GA, about 15 miles from me, before being shipped to Honolulu, HI.

I finally got it... a couple of weeks late.

I've also had three or four packages lately make it to a neighboring town, then get shipped back to the city they originated from, then back to me...

I'm currently waiting on a truck part that was supposed to arrive last Tuesday... it left Phoenix, AZ, made it to Memphis TN... and disappeared... I suspect it may be on it's way back to Phoenix by now.

I think the USPS is hiring from the 'bottom of the barrell'... things are getting much worse instead of better.

-Bear

 

[ChazzC]

For those wondering about the condition of the label and extra labels, here are the front & back of the envelope (names, street addresses and +4 redacted; the tracking number just gives cities & zips, and you already know it started in Rochester and ended in Hummelstown):



As can be seen, no reason the envelope didn't get mis-directed. I will be calling USPS Regional Customer Service on Monday to ask them to look into things.