Am I the only one having trouble getting the Post Office to deliver the mail?

Bob Gage · May 2020

In the almost 10 years I have been selling stamps, I have had only 2 shipments that the Post Office lost. Until, that is, this last month or so. On several occasions it has taken two to three weeks for the Post Office to deliver domestic mail, and that's if they deliver it at all. The New York area seems to be the worst, but this week I've had two more customers ask where their orders were, and they only live one or two states away from me in Idaho. And since their orders were only $12 and $5, there is no tracking.

I can understand various Post Office Distribution Centers around the country might be shorthanded due to the virus. But three weeks to deliver a first class letter 700 miles???!!!

Anybody else having this problem, or am I the only lucky one?

Bob

George DeKornfeld · May 2020

I'm in New York State and have had few issues. Only one or two have taken more than a week to arrive at their destinations. Surprisingly, even international mail has been delivered promptly (mostly to the UK). It may be a local problem you're experiencing, either your PO or one of the distribution centers.

Bob Gage · May 2020

You might be totally correct about it being some distribution center somewhere in the country. There is just no way of knowing, without tracking. Out of the 900 plus orders I mailed out in the last month, so far there have been 5 customer complaints... and three of them were in New York state, which is why I mentioned NY. But it could be any distribution center between here and there.

I know 5 doesn't sound like much, but that is 5 more than I have received during all but two of the last ten years, and that was only in the last 4 weeks. That's why I think we might have a problem somewhere.

Thanks for your response George. I appreciate your input.
Bob

Bob Gage · May 2020

Wow, I don't know where that "900 orders" came from. It's actually "300+" orders. Oops.

Rene Bravo · May 2020

you may want to offer the option of buyer paying for tracking and an explanation.

Michael Hynes · May 2020

I mailed something a few weeks back via priority with tracking from Roseville, CA to Sacramento, CA...a 15 minute drive. It took over a week to get there and tracking showed it went to LA, then SF, then back to Sac. Craziness.

Doug Warren · May 2020

I am in Michigan and most mail is very slow compared to normal times. Most of my items are sent Priority and/or with tracking. 2 and 3 Day Priority is averaging a week to 3 weeks. I had one purchase from this site originate in NY and it took 45 days to get to MI. I have a Priority Mail pkg coming from IN and it has been 3 weeks. Most of these with tracking show sitting at a distribution center or they arrive at a dist center and then get sent back to point of origin and start their journey over again.

John Maloney · May 2020

I'm a buyer, not a seller, who has made a significant number of purchases in the past couple of months. What I have noticed is a lot of variability in how long orders take to arrive, and it doesn't seem to matter where they are coming from. I'm in Massachusetts. I have received mail from Connecticut that has gotten here in 2 days or a week. Up to 10 days from New York. From Canada, some in a week but some a month.
Thus far, everything has eventually arrived. Nothing has been lost.
And though I have informed a couple of sellers of long delays and asked them when orders were mailed, I have not complained, accused or asked for refunds or replacement. Nor have I referenced it in my feedback. I have left 100% positive feedback on my purchases. These are trying times we are in, for everyone and without patience, maddening. We all need to be more patient.
Also, it isn't just the USPS having trouble keeping up. Amazon orders take longer. UPS deliveries are delayed.
But email still gets through immediately. Maybe contact with customers and communication will make them less worried. Send an email a week after sending out the order explaining that mail has been experiencing slowdowns and inquiring if their order has arrived and if not, asking for patience. I would welcome such communication and be more likely to make additional purchases from sellers who extended me such a courtesy.
But there should be a general announcement on the HipStamp website notifying everyone of possible delays due to the Covid emergency. Amazon does it, as do many other e-commerce websites.

Michael Generali · May 2020

The normal mail processing, forwarding and delivery operations have been disrupted due to the virus. If your buyers don't know that by now, then let them know. The post office has stated that delivery times have been extended domestically by a few days or more. Internationally, that time frame has been extended by up to 6 weeks or more.

RORY MURPHY · May 2020

Here's another example. I bought a stamp from a seller in California. It spent a month in L.A. then went to Chicago. Then onto Fort Worth, Texas. Then onto Miami - then ...? As I live in Great Britain I assume it is now over the Atlantic bit who knows?

Deborah Shohet · May 2020

I just got feedback from a buyer in UK, (I'm in Australia) which just said ''Post delayed". I posted it on the 19th of March, which is over 2 months ago. I reckon it went by ship. I have already refunded/replaced two orders, and two are on hold. But how long do you make a buyer wait?
On the other hand, things posted more recently seem to getting there in a more timely manner.

Jean-Guy Olivier · May 2020

Some delays are the result of both limited air transportation and changes in how postal operators deliver. Most shipments are not delayed, but some (around 15-20%) may take 4 to 5 weeks, unrelated to the destination. Several items are returned to me without explanation, 2 days after I posted them, and I have to return to the Post Office to mail them again.
I received back a letter from Canada to New Zealand that has been returned to me after 7 weeks, I mailed it again and the customer finally received it in 8 days.

Bob Gage · May 2020

Thanks for all of the responses. Unfortunately, I see it is a worldwide problem, not just my local post office or one particular distribution center. It has the feeling that we are going to be living with this for several months to come. Hopefully, HipStamp will post something to inform the customers of the situation.

Thanks again, everybody.
Bob Gage

Paul Sharpe · May 2020

As a buyer in the UK, and given the inevitable disruption caused by covid-19, I am impressed by how quickly deliveries get here from the US. I have had several orders arrive within two weeks, which all things considered I think is pretty good. Your USPS is doing OK! On the other hand, three orders from Italy, France and Singapore have still not arrived after 12 weeks now. Puts some perspective on things?

Am I the only one having trouble getting the Post Office to deliver the mail?

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