5 different messages today all different customers asking where their packages are.
All 5 last tracking location OPA LOCKA FL DISTRIBUTION CENTER .
So frustrating!
They have moved up to the #1 position knocking down BROOKLYN, NY a peg.
Updated the post from 4 to now 5!
We had that happen last September with Amarillo TX Distribution center when USPS decided to change the way local packages were going to be routed. Lubbock TX Distribution, which is only 27 miles away, use to be the outgoing distribution center. When Amarillo TX Distribution (which is 90 miles away) started handling the outgoing, we had 3 packages, that were all mailed the same day, vanish in thin air … never to be found.
Our guess would be that some change in what mail is handled through that facility is creating growing pains. It took 4 months for Amarillo TX Distribution to get things back on track.
I first misread your post as calling out the scamming book jackers from Opa Locka. Oops. But they also deserve some derision periodically so I’ll count it. 
Changes to how USPS Distribution Centers handle mail, and which mail they handle have triggered this sort of problem repeatedly.
Either USPS has planned inadequately, or workers have signaled their dissatisfaction with sabotage.
Depending on your prejudices, you can choose an explanation. Eventually, the problems seem to get resolved. Many of the missing packages will reappear when you open a case with USPS. The local people who handle the cases, know what is going on, even if we can’t be sure.
IMO, the two are not mutually exclusive.
I’ve found quite often that simply asking for tracking updates (text message) will get a package moving; sometimes within an hour or so.
Normally, we would agree … except for when one of these USPS Distribution Center changes is involved. We did ask for the tracking updates and followed up with opening a case and we tracked the numbers as far out as USPS.com allowed. In addition, we were not the only one locally that had packages completely disappear when our local change occurred.
These USPS changes have been very disruptive and messy to the point that earlier this year USPS said they were going to put a moratorium on them until they got some bugs worked out. In our region, there has been no moratorium.
I sent over all 5 to our USPS rep…I’ll post back what they say
Yeah I ship out of South Fl, and I far prefer when my stuff goes out via the WPB center vs. Opa Locka…
Still, stuff usually ends up where it needs to be on time, they just are bad at scanning outbound stuff IME.
Kearny NJ Sort was our black hole for the longest time.
Opa Locka-even the name of the town brings back bad memories—probably anyone who sold books/media pre-pandemic. The location of one of the most infamous book-jacking aggregators ever!
The worst came when one of their new/apparently untrained employees asked me to tell her how to send notes to their recipients; requesting they complain about a volume we sold to the business(and offering a partial refund if they did) so they could, in turn, complain to AMAZON on their behalf(returning a lesser condition book, I assume, though the poor kid didn’t mention the fraud). She’d lost the template! I told her wasn’t going to assist her against our own interests-and to contact her supervisor.
She thought I was her supervisor because I’d responded to her e-mail. She cried, “It’s two-days after X-mas. Nobody else is here. What do I do?” I thought about telling her to run for the hills-but there are none in Florida!!
Probably the employee lost her job…but we never heard from 'em again-ever, Thank God!!!
Sorry-had already begun this post when read @UserID’s comment.
I have sold to all of the infamous bookjackers, never had a return or any other problem.
What did I do wrong?
We got, I think, one back-again from our friends in OPA LOCKA. Afterwards, made use of sig.con.thru USPS Click & Ship. If we’d had an A-Z, wouldn’t have helped but I was too dumb to know that!
Had a coupla of questionable INR’s from drop-shippers as newbies-this was back when you could actually phone. One was a TEXAS ISD. Talked to the librarian who was the recipient and I told her the drop-shipper said they’d never received it. “If we never got it, guess we should request a refund” she replied brightly.
Even back then, it was against the TOS- since the drop-shipper was the customer, but again, I was too inexperienced to know. Got a critical earful when I mentioned it on an older interaction of the forum; though the drop- shipper was trying to bilk us!!. I grew a rhinoceros hide from those early forum days, helpful when dealing w/ future AMZ irregularities.
Same problem at the Philadelphia, PA hub.
Packages can sit in containers for weeks.
Our local postmaster is great, if we make a call the packages are usually “located” and then moved along the route. There is no excuse for leaving thousands of pieces of mail in a container IMO but it happens regularly.
USPS can “see” information using the tracking number that we cannot. Often times a call will help get them delivered.
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It is usually the bag, tub, gaylord or other shipping container your package is in.
The In-Transit On-Time messages are often generated by tracking these containers.
How can I get a report from Amazon with the tracking status for each package undelivered?
We never found a report for undelivered on Amazon …
We use an excel sheet to track all shipments through USPS.com which allows us to know when an order hasn’t been delivered.
OK, how to extract a list of tracking numbers from Amazon? Looks like I am responsible for placating customers with “late” shipments until I can get back to being 100% FBA
From a report within Amazon, we know of none. An API function might be able to but we do not play with that. Maybe someone with API experience could join in and answer if that would be possible.
Got another one today making it 6.
If I used Buy Shipping I still wont be protected, Correct?
Since it just stopped moving and not shown as delivered?
No … if you use Amazon Buy Shipping, you would be covered under INR as the item has not been delivered.
The trick is how you direct the customer to file the A2Z claim and the template you use to fight when Amazon decides to do the refund and charges you rather than covering the claim as it should be.
It use to be straight forward; however, Amazon has changed the flow of the A2Z claim input which tends to be confusing for the customer. It is important that the customer files as Item Not Received. Amazon has it that the customer has to contact you first, then wait 48 hours before filing the A2Z claim … but this doesn’t always happen. And, if your customer calls into Amazon Customer Service, there is a good chance that the reason will not be INR.
We had created a tutorial on the new path and how to direct the customer (would have to go find it as we don’t remember where we posted it). There is a template out there to use if you have to file a challenge if Amazon doesn’t cover as they should.