USPS Delivery Confirmation - is it accurate?

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wam03

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Does anyone have any facts regarding the specifics of how USPS delivery confirmation actually works? I always thought it was a useful tool, and I was good at "ass-u-ming" what the information meant, but I'm beginning to see things differently.

The problem is that I've noticed up to a several day lag between when my post office marks "delivery confirmation" as completed and when I actually get a delivery slip in my PO box. Normally that is not a problemb and I pay little attention to it, but I can see how the nervous types in this world can get confused.

The latest example was a few weeks ago when a friend sent me a box-o-knives that was recorded as "delivered" at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning. I didn't get a delivery notice in my PO Box until the following Tuesday. Meantime my friend sweated over what happened to the box and it's $1000 contents.

An earlier example that proved more problematic was when an e-bay buyer showed payment "delivery" a few days before his express envelope made it into my PO box. The guy basically called me a liar (God how I hate dealing with nervous, non-trusting, immature idiots) and left me negative feedback over what he believed was a shipping delay. All that fun for selling a knife for a friend! I'll never understand slamming the door and denying someone benefit of the doubt, but I can understand how the non-trusting types can be misled by inaccurate USPS "delivery confirmation" info.

Anyone else have any issues with inaccurate Delivery Confirmation?
 
The USPS delivery status usually works well for me. Perhaps you should forget the return postcard and check the delivery status online at usps.com.

n2s
p.s. I can not say the same about UPS. Their system (company) has been a complete mess everytime I have used it.
 
The problem I have with USPS delivery confirmation for priority mail is that about 10% of the time, the confirmation number NEVER appears in the system. I've asked the post office about this, and their answer is that some of the postal people just don't bother to scan the package. I recently mailed three packages on the same day, using delivery confirmation. They were all delivered in two days. However, to this day only one of the confirmation numbers has showed up in the system.

Doug
 
I had the same problem with USPS delivery confirmation when I took my packages to a grocery store service counter for shipment. The people who worked at the service desk never remembered to scan the delivery confirmation barcode. I started taking my packages directly to the post office for shipment and I haven't had any problems since. I've noticed that the delivery confirmation number usually doesn't show up in USPS's system for at least 24hrs.
 
I use USPS priority with delivery confirmation. I track them online. Has been right on every time. I have a pretty high trust with priority mail these days.
 
Delivery confirmation severely limits the potential for employee theft and for loss.

Every postal employee that touches the package is logged.

Works perfectly for me
 
USPS Delivery Confirmation isn't TOO bad, but it's a shame that it's not a true "tracking" system, where it would show where the package is at any given time, and do it with consistancy.
 
Ive found it to work about 50% of the time. I always keep the reciept scanning it and then emailing to the person Im doing business with. Its just another "ease your mind" type of thing, when the USPS online site isnt showing the transaction. It seems to work well that way.
 
I use it all the time and haven't had any problems. There may be issues with scanning due to the holiday influx of packages.

They beat the hell outta UPS and FedEx !

One thing that I've noticed about the difference between USPS, UPS and FedEx. . .the latter 2 don't care when they lose a package. USPS looks at every instance.
 
I've used Delivery Confirm MANY, MANY times and I track it on line. I don't bother to pay for a return receipt.
I use delivery confirm with first class and priority.
With great success.
Depending where I ship to, the first gets there as quick as priority.

I believe that the bar is scanned only when dropped off and delivered. I don't think USPS tracks in between.
Registered mail may have this capability.
Insured mail has a chip under the label that auto tracks.

Tom
 
I just had some experiance with del confirmation on a trade I made just before Xmas.The package I sent was scaned at my post office and at the arival post office and when it was delivered.The package I was sent was not scaned at the sending post office but it was scaned when it got to my post office and was listed as delivered that afternoon when I got it.
I called and asked why there was no scan when it was shipped and they told my that scaning at each post office it goes through was not garenteed,only a scan at the time it is delivered.The guy at my local post office said that they all ways scan all delivery confirmation packages but not all offices do.The only packages that they are required to scan at every location they go through are express delivery packages.He said that most of the time most offices scan priority too but in high traffic times like Xmas many do not.
 
I'm pretty sure the reason for your delays is because a Delivery Confirmation package is scanned at the Post Office when you drop it off and then scanned again when it reaches the Post Office in your local area. So when it shows "delivered", it means delivered to your local Post Office, NOT to your actual address. Insured packages get scanned at the time of delivery at your actual address as they require a signature. I might be mistaken, but I've asked the same question at the Post Office and this is what I was told. Shane
 
100% for me, so far, EXCEPT for when someone who has packages pre-prepared (is that a word?) at home, and gives a DC # ahead of time, that is then not scanned in when the package is shipped.
 
I have used it w/ 100% success.I have shipped at least 25 times using it. I was a little sheptical at first ,but I am now sold on it.Really covers your butt.
 
I have had 100% until recently........

I filed a 'Lost Package' report with the USPS just yesterday. I sent a 2-3 Day Priority Mail package (a large package... 2'x3'x8"!!!) on December 15th and it has never been delivered. The Delivery Confirmation is absolutely useless as a tracking device.......the postal folks get the same screen I do when doing a Track/Confirm.

There is nothing more they can tell me except that I did in fact mail it at a cost of $11.45, it was put in the system at 4:45 pm 12.15.03, and that it has never made it to the final destination. Where it's gone/been/going, they have NO IDEA!

The 2-3 Day thing is a scam at best because, when push comes to shove, they will tell you that 2-3 days is a best case scenario for delivery and that's it.......no guarantee, just good intentions.

The only REAL tracking is on Next Day Express Mail. I've told them more than once and never very nicely that the Priority Mail 2-3 Day Delivery boast is unfair and they should be upfront and TELL EVERYONE IT IS NOT A GUARANTEED 2-3 DAY DELIVERY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :grumpy: :confused: :mad:
 
They have told me that it is not gaurenteed but the longest it has ever taken a Priority package to get to me is 3 days.That depends on when it is mailed.If I send the package at my post office before 2 pm it will get where it is going in 2 days,if after 2 pm it will take 3 days.The Priority pick up is at 2 pm at my local post office.
I know the guy at my post office very well and we talk about this stuff.He was saying that a small post office does things a little better than large offices and how well that scans and delivery times are done depends alot on what part of the country it is going to.He said from what he has seen the north east states seem to have the most trouble with late deliveries.Mainly around very large cities.
 
The package I described above was delivered December 31st, 16 days after being sent via 2-3 Day Priority Mail on the 15th........at least it finally made it.

It still doesn't show as being delivered on their 'Track/Confirm' page......
 
I've used priority mail quite a bit, and I would have to say at least half the time it only takes two days. However, I have had a couple take two weeks, and was on the receiving end of one that took three weeks.

Doug
 
My longest Priority Mail shipment took 3 weeks and the box arrived empty. It was a Randall #14 being sent by a Randall dealer. I about had a heart attack as I picked up an empty box off my front porch while watching the PO truck drive away. Only a little red stamp "contents missing, box opened as received at PO branch", which I photographed to show the dealer, proved the box had been tampered with. Other than that, I've had a few Priority Mail shipments take two weeks and many between 1-2 weeks.

Regardless of the delivery confirmation mistakes, the occasional stolen Randall, and the occasional 2-week shipments, I still use Priority Mail almost exclusively.
 
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