Question on usps tracking number

[Hien]

I have a problem that maybe someone can explain for me
I try to clear some old emails today 03/25/2019
Some how an old ebay email comes up announcing I won a flask and to pay
(a 2007 Mem Larry Heur that I won)
Because I don't think I ever potting any of Mem Larry Heur flask out.
neither any seedling or dying plants. In horror, I thought perhaps I forget to pay the seller,
so I track all the emails , turns out i did pay the seller.
so I check the tracking Number , and the usps website saying " the label was created but not in the system yet " That means the seller never sent me the item ?
What I need to know is:
Could the USPS resuse the number ? or once it is created they never use the number again?
That means the seller never sent me the item ? that 12 years how did I miss this?
9101785091401095178992
https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction_input?strOrigTrackNum=9101785091401095178992

 

[Ray]

No, the USPS does not reuse numbers.

That tracking information can mean one of two things: either the seller printed the label but did not ship it, or the USPS picked it up, then lost it before scanning it into the system.

The carrier is supposed to scan upon receipt, but sometimes - especially if they are particularly busy - they wait until later, for example when unloading their vehicle back at the PO. I have also seen situations in which the carrier collects a dozen packages, but only scans 11. Fortunately, that last one usually shows up somewhere else down the transit line.

 

[xiphius]

Ouch. That's sad.

I've had the same thing happen to me twice before when buying things through EBay. After about a week, I contacted the sellers asking when they were going to ship out the item. Both times I was told that it was shipped and that USPS must have lost it. In both cases, the sellers happily sent me a replacement item (which I did receive). I never received either of the originals that were sent. Whether they were eventually misdelivered by USPS, or still sitting in a warehouse somewhere, is anybody's guess.

My guess would be that it probably got lost in transit and was never scanned in. Sadly, 12 years is probably a little long to contact the seller and tell them you never got it .

 

[Hien]

Thanks for your answer Ray,
That clears up one piece of information, heading more toward the item never sent.
last night I track all of the feedbacks on ebay , and I gave feedbacks for all other sellers whom I bought from both before and after this particular seller, strangely enough this is one seller I never gave a feedback.
Perhaps I was waiting for the item, then too busy with work, forgot about it !
For some reason I remember all of my deflasking painful failures of multiple kovachii flasks, godefroyae flasks, dendrobium flasks etc.. and not any plants from this flask or how they died!

 

[Hien]

Ouch. That's sad.

I've had the same thing happen to me twice before when buying things through EBay. After about a week, I contacted the sellers asking when they were going to ship out the item. Both times I was told that it was shipped and that USPS must have lost it. In both cases, the sellers happily sent me a replacement item (which I did receive). I never received either of the originals that were sent. Whether they were eventually misdelivered by USPS, or still sitting in a warehouse somewhere, is anybody's guess.

My guess would be that it probably got lost in transit and was never scanned in. Sadly, 12 years is probably a little long to contact the seller and tell them you never got it .

Actually, I did not want to claim anything after such a long time,
Initially I was in horror that I would forget to pay the won item, that is why I bother to search to make sure that I did not forget to pay, once found that I indeed paid full, I became curious of why I don't seem to remember anything about any Mem Larry Heur demise (while I remember clearly all of the other failing deflasks' attempts)
You hit a point there, it could be sent to another buyer, say the seller absently minded at the time and addressed 2 packages to another buyer, and skip mine address.
I could see that happened, because one time I received from another seller a very very expensive paph (that I did not buy/win) tagged along inside the box with the plants that I bought. Because the value of the plant is so out of ordinary, I suspected it was no way a bonus gift plant, I had to contact the buyer to find out who that plant supposed to be sent to, and forward it to him.