USPS Delivery Confirmation Vs. True Tracking - Resource To Help You Explain The Difference To Your Ebay Buyers

If you're an eBay seller I'm sure you've run into upset buyers who do not understand the difference between USPS Delivery Confirmation versus true Tracking like Fedex offers for example.

For those of you who don't know the difference I'll break it down for you really quickly. Fedex offers true tracking, this means every sorting facility the package goes through as well as every driver who touches your package, the package will get a scan. With true tracking you know where the package is pretty much at all times.

USPS Delivery Confirmation on the other hand is nearly useless. USPS Delivery confirmation is offered on First Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Media Mail. The only USPS service which offers true tracking, is USPS Express, however even that is subpar to Fedex.  The only scan which is required for USPS Delivery Confirmation is upon delivery. This means oftentimes you will get a package in your hands prior to any scans showing up.

The frustrating part about being an eBay seller is your buyers will constantly accuse you of printing a lable but not shipping a package because the scans are not showing any updates. This doesn't mean you didn't send the package, it simply means they havn't scanned it, which they are not required to.

Another frustrating thing about Delivery Confirmation is if you get a "courtesy scan" which is a scan along the way but not a delivery scan, that also confuses buyers. For example, say I send a package out on Monday and it gets a scan it's at the Forest Park Sorting Facility. Let's say USPS does not do any further courtesy scans. I have buyers contacting me on Thursday saying " I think the package is stuck in Illinois, there's no scans since it got to the Forest Park Sorting facility. In all likelihood at this point the package is probably on their local postal carriers truck going out for delivery but as they are only required to scan upon delivery and don't always do "courtesy scans" buyers wind up thinking their package is stuck in some other city.

A Few Things To Note About Delivery Confirmation

•  USPS Delivery Confirmation on First Class mail is restricted to shipped items which are at least 3/4 inches thick. If the item is thinner, you must either pad the envelope with packing peanuts or paper towels or upgrade to Priority Mail.
• USPS Delivery Confirmation is NOT AVAILABLE when shipping to APO, FPO or any US Territories which are not Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. 

How To Respond To The "Where's My Stuff eBay Messages"

• Kiss Butt. It's annoying responding to the 4rth message of the day from a buyer who is cheap, selects free shipping and then wants Fedex type shipping times. That said thank them for their order and their business, be emphatetic to their situation, and explain the difference between delivery confirmation and true tracking. I also often emphasize how we encourage buyers to upgrade to expedited shipping as we are not huge fans of USPS.  
• Emphathise with the customer and let them know you also are excited about receiving new items and that you understand it's frustrating waiting for an item to arrive. 
• Find the delivery confirmation number for the package and enter it into USPS.Com to see what might have happened or if it's anything outside the norm from just not showing updates.
• Keep the customer informed and updated with any recent developments. this is more difficult when your selling 50 items a day and not 5 items a day but it helps.
•  Offer to file a lost mail claim. Let the buyer know if the package doesn't arrive by a specified date you will be willing to file a claim as well as either ship a replacement or issue a full refund. Essentially you are on the hook for the Post Offices mistakes and lost packages so don't try to be argumentative with buyers. In the end eBay and Paypal will refund them so may as well do it yourself and look like the good guy, rather than have them run to eBay and Paypal which leaves them frustrated and also negatively affects your account.
• Keep all paperwork handy. I like to manage a file of delivery confirmation or post office receipts to give to the buyers. Sometimes just being assured that you actually did mail the package will put people at ease. Most First Class packages don't show updates so buyers will accuse you of not mailing the package.

 

You will have to craft your own policy for how long a buyer must wait before their package is considered lost and before you will send a replacement or issue a refund. My personal policy is 15 days. Some buyers get upset waiting that long but it is not unreasonable and it's within eBay and Paypal's terms. 

 

Reason being is in the past I cannot tell you how many times I had refunded an item at day 12 or 13 only to have the package arrive a day later, and these buyers who were so concerned you were scamming them are not quick to return calls and e-mails asking them to either re-pay for the item or send it back since they have already gotten the item and their money back.