Mercari Users Confused By Automated Messages About UPS Surepost, FedEx Ground Economy Shipments

Liz Morton
Liz Morton


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UPDATE 12-13-24

Mercari has now added additional automated messaging that includes FedEx Ground Economy (previously SmartPost) as well as UPS SurePost, warning sellers that these packages can no longer be dropped off at USPS facilities.

Unfortunately, the messages still seem to be confusing a lot of sellers, with many posts on Reddit from confused users who aren't sure if it means something is wrong with their shipments.

Is anyone else getting this message over and over? I just dropped off a bunch of packages at their CORRECT locations… but now I’m getting this message on mercari. When I click on it, it doesn’t take me to any of my listings. Is this just an automated message that they’re sending to everyone?

Sellers are also rightly concerned that items which may actually have been dropped off incorrectly will be destroyed instead of returned to sender, as USPS has indicated that may be the fate of these packages - and Mercari has left them hanging with no Shipping Protection if that is the case.


Mercari's attempts at a customer service shortcut for items shipped with UPS Surepost have backfired with automated message leading to increased support contacts and user confusion.

The problem ties back to changes the US Postal service has made in the last few months ending discounts for shipping consolidators and discontinuing use of dual labels in effort to slow USPS losses.

USPS Plans To Discontinue Dual Labels For Private Shippers, Saying They No Longer Serve Postal Service Interests
New USPS rule would discontinue use of dual shipping labels by private shippers, saying they “no longer serve the interests of the Postal Service.”

As part of Postmaster Louis Dejoy's Delivering For America plan, these changes are designed to try to encourage shippers to use USPS Ground Advantage instead of consolidators' hybrid services like UPS SurePost, FedEx Ground Economy (previously SmartPost), and DHL ecommerce - and as part of those efforts, USPS announced in July that packages using those services would no longer be allowed to be dropped off at USPS facilities.

USPS Ends Support For FedEx Ground Economy Drop Offs July 14, 2024
USPS is ending support for drop offs of FedEx Ground Economy shipments, effective July 14, 2024.

But it would seem Mercari users may not be getting the message, resulting in problems with tracking UPS Surepost labels purchased through the platform that are apparently clogging up support requests.

That has prompted Mercari to post a notice on their status page and deploy an auto-responder when contacting support to try to address the issue proactively and head off questions without needing to actually speak to a rep.

Unfortunately. the messaging hasn't worked and is in fact making matters worse because it's being shown to all users who initiate a support contact, even those who have been shipping with USPS Ground Advantage, not UPS Surepost.

The Mercari sub-reddit has now been flooded with multiple posts expressing confusion on the topic, but a careful reading of the message should make it clear whether or not it applies.

The key words "if" and "and" are very important to understanding whether or not the automated message applies to you.

It says if you are contacting them about an item that does not have tracking updating and that item was shipped with UPS Surepost, then the explanation in the following paragraph about it being possibly incorrectly dropped off at USPS would apply.

Conversely implied (though not explicitly stated) is that if you are contacting them about an item that does not have tracking updating and that item was not shipped with UPS Surepost, then that following paragraph does not apply.

For users who have packages shipped USPS Ground Advantage that aren't showing tracking updates, it may just not have been scanned recently by USPS if they are experiencing delays due to weather, the usual seasonal spike in package volume or some other reason - either way, in that case those users will need to proceed to try to work with Mercari support and/or USPS to resolve the issue because that auto-response isn't for them.

The situation is not helped by the fact that Mercari has been experiencing technical glitches regarding shipping in the last few days, with sellers unable to purchase labels for several hours yesterday.

Source: Reddit

That has caused some users to wonder if seeing this message about UPS Surepost even for packages that were shipped with USPS and properly dropped off at a post office is also a glitch.

But from what I can tell, it's not a glitch, just a misunderstanding of a perhaps hasty attempt to use an autoresponder to address a question that is currently flooding support channels.

Are you experiencing problems with shipping labels from Mercari? Let us know in the comments below!

MercariShipping

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Liz Morton is a seasoned ecommerce pro with 17 years of online marketplace sales experience, providing commentary, analysis & news about eBay, Etsy, Amazon, Shopify & more at Value Added Resource!

6 comments
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Lllennox
Ok so comments encouraged here yet the writer of this topic is of no help
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Lllennox
I shipped my dual ups surepost/ USPS at local post office, it was indeed handed off to USPS who delivered it to the address, it shows delivered. However, buyer took advantage of the situation and got a refund since it didn't show update with the original ups surpost tracking number. This was sent Nov. 27th btw, the USPS track # shows item delivered 7 days later at door. Buyer says they didn't receive item, she got refunded and Im out the money. First, a real person at mercari messaged me and assured me they did indeed see item was delivered and not to worry, they just had to wait for confirmation from the USPS that package was delivered (what? Just admitted seeing it as being delivered?) anyway, then I get several msgs a wk later saying I was in the wrong and basically too bad, I dropped at wrong place. I said no I didn't, I dropped at local pharmacy that takes both ups and USPS, and did so plenty of times before and never had a problem. Plus it ups surepost shows they drop it with the local USPS post office to make the final delivery. Now I'm out my money and my hundred dollar item and this woman gets to keep the item for free. I sent them copies of drop off receipt, both track #'s and copy of shipping label which show they put 2 difrnt track numbers for just this reason but they still say too bad. This isn't fair.
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None Such
If you print out the Mercari labels for Surepost on a regular printer and on 8x11 printer paper, as I do, rather than printing on a small label printer, they have for a very long time printed out with a warning - printed on the page where the label is - to drop the item off only at UPS, not USPS.

About USPS employees accepting them - depends on the post office. At my branch, they absolutely never accept them - I've seen the counter staff tell people they have to take the parcel to UPS.

Dejoy's decision to terminate the agreements with UPS and FedEx for last mile delivery is as boneheaded a move as Mercari introducing fees. Does he really think USPS will pick up that business? If UPS is still cheaper, why would people go to the post office? But......Dejoy has long been dedicated to putting USPS in a position to be sold off or privatized. And now, with Trump 47, there's a good chance that will happen. Say hello to much higher postal rates. Especially to and from rural areas, if they even will deliver there at all.
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Rosesuniques
USPS had a tracking scan. I asked could I drop off my package there and they said yes. They had arrangements to forward the packages. It is not showing up. Now Mercari is saying it might not be delivered. My loss. They should emiminate dual tracking. Not fair. Not taking any responsibility. Sellers loss
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Liz Morton
The proposed USPS rule change to discontinue dual labels was actually just approved this week, so starting January 1, 2025 it should be much less confusing.

https://www.valueaddedresource.net/usps-discontinue-dual-labels-private-shippers/

Unfortunately, that doesn't help anyone who is already caught up in this and it's disappointing to see Mercari isn't doing more to hep with Shipping Protection.
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Banned in Chat
"deploy an auto-responder when contacting support to try to address the issue proactively and head off questions without needing to actually speak to a rep."

They have reps you can actually speak to?

Recent Comments
Avatar PlaceholderSeller54284 hours ago
Received a message via the Mercari app to verify credit card information. This was for a listing that was just listed. I did not do it. It had a link that I was to paste into my browser. How can I tell if this is a scam? I just started selling on this app so not sure how it all works
Avatar PlaceholdereBayer15 hours ago
Yes, I will try it. Not happy about being forced to adapt to the new technology, but willing to keep an open mind. Even though it sounds like it will be somewhat more difficult.