USPS Tracking still shows as "Pre-Shipment"

Hey everyone!

I've been getting a handful of messages from folks asking why their package is still showing up as "Pre-Shipment, USPS Awaiting Item" even days after the tracking number was sent.

I wanted to shed some light on this and hopefully alleviate some concerns.

Creating the shipping label is the very last step of the order process. The moment the label is printed, you will get the confirmation email with the tracking number. Depending on the time of day that your order is printed, it may get picked up by the daily USPS mail pickup, I might drive it to the post office myself, or it may wait until the next mail pickup on the following day. Thus, there may be around a 24 hour window where, indeed, USPS is awaiting the item. But otherwise its in their hands.

Once USPS takes possession of the item, they are supposed to do an acceptance scan on the tracking number. This is what updates the status from "Awaiting Item" to "Accepted". Given the massive pressure that USPS is under this time of year, this often gets skipped over. As a result, the status won't update until it gets to the next shipment center, when in theory it should be scanned there.

However, distribution centers are also suffering from a massive influx of packages, at a time when they're operating with reduced staff due to COVID, thus packages may be sitting in trailers for multiple days waiting to be unloaded, depending on where in the country they are being processed. As a result, even that next depot scan could be delayed, if it happens at all.

Thus, as a result, you may see the tracking status as "Pre-Shipment" for an extended period of time, and you may even receive your package before the tracking updates. This is an unfortunate reality of shipping this time of year. I can promise you through, your shipments are indeed being sent out. I don't have any packages sitting in the shop waiting for days on end to go out. I am just as excited to get your orders in your hands as you are to receive them.

So hang in there, your packages will get there in due time :) 

-Foxx