[wovenhand]

How up-to-date is this thing when it comes to tracking a package?
The reason I ask is that against better judgement, I went ahead with a deal, ignoring the semi-weird vibe I got from the seller. He/they got like 99.7% positive feedback and I know atleast 1 here on Head-Fi that has ordered from him/them and received what they ordered. But still.. I got a real weird feeling.

I placed the order on friday night and on saturday I got the tracking number, with the status "Electronic Shipping Info Received", meaning the seller has the package registered for departure, however (according to the tracking) it hasn't been picked up/shipped, though the guy I'm in contact with claims to have left it at the post office on saturday.

So, my question is simply - is it normal for the USPS tracking to lag? I think by now it should've changed from "Eletronic.." to some sort of actual handling/transit.

 

[subtle]

USPS tracking is quite primitive compared to UPS/FedEx/DHL. It doesn't provide "stop" updates along the way during transit. It will literally only show a few options like the one you mentioned, Accepted, and Delivered.

If the seller actually dropped the item off at the post office then I imagine it would show Accepted and have the date.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by subtle /img/forum/go_quote.gif USPS tracking is quite primitive compared to UPS/FedEx/DHL. It doesn't provide "stop" updates along the way during transit. It will literally only show a few options like the one you mentioned, Accepted, and Delivered. If the seller actually dropped the item off at the post office then I imagine it would show Accepted and have the date.

Actually, yes it does. It tells when it leaves the major shipping area where the seller is, then when it leaves the shipping center closest to its destination.

Recently, I had a shipment that had the "Electronic Shipping Info Received" for almost four days, then one day it tells me that it just left the shipping center around here, and sure enough I got them the same day.

 

[wovenhand]

Thanks for the info, subtle. The first paragraph you wrote put my mind at ease, and the second kinda disturbed it again, hehe.

If that dude's off to the Bahamas to sip Piña Coladas on my dime, I'm gonna be so pissed..

 

[wovenhand]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif Recently, I had a shipment that had the "Electronic Shipping Info Received" for almost four days, then one day it tells me that it just left the shipping center around here, and sure enough I got them the same day.

I hope that'll be the case for me as well.

 

[subtle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually, yes it does. It tells when it leaves the major shipping area where the seller is, then when it leaves the shipping center closest to its destination. Recently, I had a shipment that had the "Electronic Shipping Info Received" for almost four days, then one day it tells me that it just left the shipping center around here, and sure enough I got them the same day.

Thanks for that information. Now that you mention it I do recall one time awhile back when I shipped something internationally, and it provided an update saying that the item had departed from Customs in Miami. I just haven't had the opportunity to see any kind of update for a domestically shipped package. I'll have to keep a better eye on future shipments.

 

[subtle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wovenhand /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the info, subtle. The first paragraph you wrote put my mind at ease, and the second kinda disturbed it again, hehe. If that dude's off to the Bahamas to sip Piña Coladas on my dime, I'm gonna be so pissed..

Hah. I wonder how chilly the Bahamas are this time of the year?

I'd give it another day or two and see if anything changes. Was your item shipped International Priority or First Class?

 

[wovenhand]

Quote:

Originally Posted by subtle /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hah. I wonder how chilly the Bahamas are this time of the year?

I'm sure he'd go and freeze his ass off just to spite me. ;D

Quote:

Originally Posted by subtle /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd give it another day or two and see if anything changes. Was your item shipped International Priority or First Class?

I don't know, all I know is it's USPS. It's with insurance, but maybe that's available with both priority & first class?

 

[Juaquin]

USPS tracking is a joke. The reason it only shows accepted/delivered is because they don't want you to know what exactly happens to it in between.

 

[Juaquin]

accidental double post - delete or ignore

 

[necropimp]

USPS tracking is for the most part just delivery confirmation

 

[dvw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by necropimp /img/forum/go_quote.gif USPS tracking is for the most part just delivery confirmation

Sometimes it doesn't even do that. I have one package that was delivered to me and tracking still showed it's in transit. The package was delivered real late too.

When I called the USPS, they told me they don't really track shipment unless you pay extra for it. Tracking is just a proof for the shipper that he dropped off the package.

 

[intoflatlines]

USPS tracking is one of the most worthless things in the world. It will pretty much tell you that it's delivered a couple days after it was actually delivered, and that's it.

 

[kansei]

I find that tracking Priority Mail packages works much better than tracking first class mail. Even so, UPS and FedEx are light years ahead in tracking.

I recently shipped a package via first class mail, it took two weeks for the USPS to even acknowledge the package was in the system. It took about 3 weeks to go from Jersey to California.

 

[xenithon]

It depends a lot on the service used. With regular "first class" or even "priority" mail shipped to me (I am not in the US) the updates are not frequent and the item tends to arrived with the tracking info stuck where it was the day it was shipped.

With express however (Express Mail International) it is updated very frequently and shows each stop along the way until it departs from the US.