US SS form 7162

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, Pib said:

Your posts below showed a status that your 7162 sent via Registered Airmail to Wilkes Barre was still in transit....it had made it to New York....but it was still in transit from NYC to Wilkes Barre. 

No change for mine. Still shows the August 4th date. I think the SSA post office has not marked it as received yet. About the same as 2019 when i sent the last one.

I did a online request on Friday to the USPS about it but no reply yet other than a acknowledgement email.

[zlodnick]

In Scranton heading to next faclity.i

[bamnutsak]

No change for me...USPS tracking still shows...

 

July 28, 2022
In Transit to Next Facility
Your package is moving within the USPS network and is on track to be delivered to its final destination. It is currently in transit to the next facility.
 

 

ThaiPost EMS last shows an update on July 23, 2022.

 

Third-party trackers show the same as ThaiPost EMS.

 

I assume it got delivered, or maybe it's still in Newman's truck?

 

I mailed another form via airmail for 49 baht.

 

 

 

[Pib]

Thanks guys...good crossfeed.   

 

For ubonjoe and bamutsak I doubt you'll get any more updates....and maybe ditto for zlodnick.  Seems registered mail tracking to SSA Wilkes Barre can all too often just stop short of the finish line although the mail "may" have indeed/most likely crossed the finished line based on your tracking and what I've seen in other posts over the years.   

 

But some folks get good tacking results....like in .Kivetoruk's 12 July post where he shows his Thai Postal System and US Postal System tracking results side by side....see partial snapshot below.   

 

The USPS tracking description states the mail piece was delivered to an agent for final delivery in Wilkes Barre which I expect means the Wilkes Barre main post office delivered the mail to a person in the SSA Wilkes Barre facility/mail room (which has it's own unique ZIP code) and its now up to the SSA internal mail system (i.e., the agent) to do the final delivery within the facility/building based on the P.O. Box line....like 7162's go to whatever office that processes 7162's. 

 

But the SSA's internal mail system has no interface with the USPS tracking system so the best a person can expect to see mail tracking-wise is what is shown in Kivertoruk's partial snapshot below indicating the mail was delivered to a SSA agent for final delivery such as Bubba working in the SSA mail room.....and that is where the USPS tracking will end.

 

Partial Snapshot of Kivetoruk's 12 July post

End Snapshot

 

 

In closing, below partial quote/weblink does a good job I think of describing a "unique" ZIP code like the SSA Wilkes Barre ZIP code. Note where it says the USPS responsibility ends (like for tracking) once the USPS drops off the mail at the unique ZIP code facility. 

 

https://batchdata.com/product-info/what-are-unique-zip-codes

Quote

Unique ZIP Codes are special ZIP Codes given by the United States Postal Service to addresses that receive a high volume of mail. The types of organizations include government agencies, major corporations, or universities. The USPS delivers all of the mail at a single location at the institution. These organizations are large and most likely have an internal postal distribution system. The responsibility of the USPS to deliver the mail ends once it has dropped off the mail at the location. It is then the institution’s responsibility to deliver the mail to the intended parties accordingly. 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Pib

[ubonjoe]

12 hours ago, Pib said:

But some folks get good tacking results....like in .Kivetoruk's 12 July post where he shows his Thai Postal System and US Postal System tracking results side by side....see partial snapshot below.   

I think his is different due to his arriving long before mine and others. I think when they get a lot of mail they hold them  until they are ready to process them.

[Pib]

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I think his is different due to his arriving long before mine and others. I think when they get a lot of mail they hold them  until they are ready to process them.

If you mean you think once the SSA processes a 7162 it will also update USPS tracking to show received I seriously, seriously doubt that.   

 

Although the SSA Wilkes Barre ZIP code is a "unique" ZIP code which can be common for large organizations (govt and private) that receive a lot of mail that does not mean they interface with USPS systems like the USPS tracking system other than probably having a metered mail machine(s) to print postage on outgoing mail which is cheaper and faster than licking stamps.  And pretty much anyone can rent a metered mail machine from the USPS or one of its metered mail affiliates like Pitney Bowes.  A unique ZIP code is really just to help sort & facilitate the delivery of mail, especially for organizations that receive a lot of mail like the SSA Wilkes Barre.  Once the "USPS" makes delivery the tracking is finished; the addressee does not have the ability to update USPS tracking.

 

Now something I think that happens for organizations who receive a LOT of registered mail is the USPS simply fails to scan each & every registered mail piece when delivered. (Even the USPS IG says there is a problem in this area...see  USPS IG article at bottom).

 

Like the postman at Wilkes Barre scanning each 7162 that he delivers to SSA Wilkes Barre as I bet each day's delivery includes "hundreds to thousands" of 7162 returned via registered mail especially during the peak return period starting about a month after they were initially mailed out from Wilkes Barre.  A with so, so many 7162's arriving via registered mail that many of them simply do not get that final scan confirming delivery....or should I say delivered to an agent for final delivery. 

 

Now for those pieces of registered mail that seem to go MIA once clearing the USPS International Service Center/Customs that is probably another case of many pieces of foreign registered mail simply not getting scanned.....the pieces still reach their final destination OK, but no tracking updates occur due to the missed scans.  And of course there are always a few pieces that simply go MIA and never arrive....got nothing to do with not being scanned....bit I think (hope) the number of pieces in this category is very low.

 

Below is a Mar 2020 USPS Inspector General article talking how some USPS employees fail to properly scan packages for tracking purposes.

 

https://www.uspsoig.gov/blog/scanning-issues-persist

Quote

 

Package visibility is important to consumers, as many ecommerce surveys indicate. “Real-time tracking” often tops lists of consumers’ preferred features.

So, it’s critical that U.S. Postal Service scanning information be accurate. Yet we continue to find shortcomings in this area. Our recent audit work found employees were sometimes improperly scanning packages at the post office rather than at the point of delivery and not following scanning policies. We flagged this activity in a recent Management Alert.

Carriers are supposed to scan a package at the delivery location after either delivering or attempting to deliver the package. This scan “stops the clock,” indicating USPS has met its delivery commitment. Anyone tracking a package would see that delivery was made or attempted. Two years ago, our comprehensive audit on USPS’s package delivery scanning process in city delivery operations found carriers were sometimes making improper “stop-the-clock” scans at a location other than the designated delivery location (house, business, apartment building).

If a carrier makes a “stop the clock” scan at a location other than the delivery point – before delivery is even attempted – a customer would see package delivery made or attempted when none has actually occurred.

Last year, we reviewed package scanning procedures at 25 delivery units and found USPS employees were not always following package scanning procedures at 21 of the 25 units. Specifically, 38 percent of the more than 1,100 packages that were selected at these units and that were in the facility before the carriers arrived for the day had been improperly scanned. For example, 191 packages had been scanned as delivered but were still at the unit, and 113 packages that were not delivered had no scan indicating why they weren’t.

The purpose of our Management Alert is to bring these issues to the attention of the Postal Service so immediate corrective action can be taken. We recommended USPS enhance ongoing strategies to improve scanning accuracy and enforce compliance. Prior recommendations focused on reinforcing adherence to package scanning guidelines and policies, as well as updating the Scan Data Integrity report to track improper scans performed at delivery units. We also recommended USPS develop a process that would allow carriers to scan multiple packages to a single delivery address.

Management was receptive to our findings and is implementing corrective action on all the recommendations.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

If you mean you think once the SSA processes a 7162 it will also update USPS tracking to show received I seriously, seriously doubt that. 

No I don't mean that.

When they get a lot of mail for PO box 7162 they do not scan the postal label until they are ready to process it.

That is my conclusion after it took almost 3 months for them to show it received in 2019.

 

[Pib]

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

No I don't mean that.

When they get a lot of mail for PO box 7162 they do not scan the postal label until they are ready to process it.

That is my conclusion after it took almost 3 months for them to show it received in 2019.

 

But that implies the SSA is scanning the registered label to update the USPS tracking system.  I seroiusly doubt the USPS gives such authority....plus  that would really negatively impact USPS mail delivery time statistics...also be a cause for many customers doing follow-ups to the USPS for MIA mail which has really been delivered.

 

In 2019 had you also done a follow-up to USPS regarding a MIA 7162 like you have just done for your 2022 report?   If so, maybe in 2019 the USPS just updated the tracking status to show final delivery based on "assumed" delivery based on the Wilkes Barre post office knowing--but not directly admitting--that they miss tracking scans for many of the thousands of foriegn registered mail 7162's arriving the SSA Wilkes Barre facility.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

31 minutes ago, Pib said:

In 2019 had you also done a follow-up to USPS regarding a MIA 7162 like you have just done for your 2022 report? 

I did not report it to USPS in 2019. I got busy and forgot to keep checking tracking. The last update on it when I checked showed it out for delivery.

I checked it after getting the 2nd notice and it showed delivery on September 10th.

[cusanus]

19 hours ago, Pib said:

If you mean you think once the SSA processes a 7162 it will also update USPS tracking to show received I seriously, seriously doubt that.   

Sorry, I don't follow this conversation very well. Personally, I've never had to bother worrying about it the last 17 years myself. The last time I sent a 7162 to Wilkes-Barr I used the physical address, not the PO Box. If it means anything, I did get confirmation on the tracking that it was received. I didn't bother to use tracking this year, but nothing I've sent has ever failed to be received. My (friend's) problem is that somehow she doesn't get correspondence and her payments were once terminated for no reason. Apparently, different SS batches are handled by different offices and a few of them aren't competent or honest. I was told that Manila will confirm if it's been received and if not send a new 7162, but I wasn't able to get through on the phone (too busy) and my email to request such was also acknowledged but told it would not be read by a human or answered. Could call again, but have to have the other person present. Think I won't bother because I'd already sent three copies of hers, one each to Wilkes-Barr PO Box, the Wilkes-Barr physical address and also Manila FBU email. Seems like I've gone far beyond what's reasonable and little chance her form hasn't registered so think I'll quit trying to confirm it. 

Edited August 23, 2022 by cusanus

[racyrick]

I did not receive either form 7162 or 7161 I get for my son and I live in Khon Kaen.

I see many people did get their forms.

I am curious, did anybody else not receive their forms or am I the only one?

Thanks

 

[djeetyet]

26 minutes ago, racyrick said:

I did not receive either form 7162 or 7161 I get for my son and I live in Khon Kaen.

I see many people did get their forms. I am curious, did anybody else not receive their forms or am I the only one? Thanks

I received the 7162 for myself in mid-July, but I have NOT received the 7161 for my dependent son. If the 7161 does not arrive shortly I will download and return it with the 7162. I live in Chanthaburi province.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

1 hour ago, racyrick said:

I did not receive either form 7162 or 7161 I get for my son and I live in Khon Kaen.

I see many people did get their forms.

I am curious, did anybody else not receive their forms or am I the only one?

Thanks

 

I received my 7162 in early July. No sign of my daughter's 7161 so far.

[Pib]

@ubonjoe @bamnutsak @zlodnick

 

Sorry to bug you guys again about "Does USPS tracking show your registered airmail 7162 back to Wllkes Barre finally making it there?" 

 

A week ago you guys said USPS tracking showed your registered airmail was still in transit but appeared to have cleared customs in NYC....like it was on the final stage of its trek from NYC to Wilkes Barre.  Does USPS now show its arrival to Wilkes Barre SSA or is it still showing in transit?  Thanks.

 

[zlodnick]

Still in transit 

[ubonjoe]

11 hours ago, Pib said:

Sorry to bug you guys again about "Does USPS tracking show your registered airmail 7162 back to Wllkes Barre finally making it there?" 

It is still in limbo. Was showing in transit. Did a request for a check about it not being delivered and shown in transit.

Result was that it is lost or missing. Went through the long process to complete a missing mail request.

It now shows this on tracking.

 

 

[racyrick]

I noticed on the SSA press release when they announced they were going to start mailing the 7161 and 7162 forms again that they listed a fax number you can use to send the forms.

Did anybody fax their form to SSA?

 

[rabas]

Let me add for the record, mine too is stuck in transit. Sent by registered Thaipost mail.

August 4, 2022 In Transit to Next Facility
Your package is moving within the USPS network and is on track to be delivered to its final destination. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

---

July 31, 2022, 7:45 am  Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

---

July 31, 2022, 6:11 am  Inbound Out of Customs

---

Inbound Into Customs

---

July 30, 2022, 6:18 pm
Processed Through Facility   ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS) 

---

Edited August 30, 2022 by rabas

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, rabas said:

Let me add for the record, mine too is stuck in transit. Sent by registered Thaipost mail.

Same for mine and the dates are the same.

[Thailandbuckeye]

Just somee added info on the 7162 mailing.

I rec'd the form 30 days after it was dated and imediately sent it registered airmail. 14 days later it arrived in New York (Aug 10th) and there have been no updates since. The 60 days has now expired. 

I called SSA last night and they have not rec'd it as of yet, the agent recomended I send another. The phone call does not suffice for proof of living.

I'll give it another week and then FedEx it to my mail forwarder and let them remail for me.

Edited August 30, 2022 by Thailandbuckeye

[Pib]

From looking back thru this thread at posts where tracking showed "successful" delivery I think for those of you where your tracking seemed to go MIA at the "In Transit to Next Facility" stage after escaping NYC/Jamaica, New York (like the image at the bottom) I bet it's just a case of your registered mail not being scanned at Wilkes Barre by the Wilkes Barre Post Office when initially received nor when it was delivered to the Wilkes Barre SSA office/delivery agent.  Maybe just to durn many 7162's to individually scan since tens of thousands are being received this time of year.

 

Now some of the successful delivery posts show a USPS scan at Scranton PA and then a day or so later another scan at the Wilkes Barre Post Office, so it's possible a person could show a scan at Scranton and then it goes MIA after leaving Scranton if the Wilkes Barre post office does not do a scan upon receipt nor final delivery.

 

The USPS Inspector General in various reports has identified many post offices failing to properly accomplish tracking scans and I expect with the tens of thousands of 7162s being returned by registered airmail that the Wilkes Barre post office is simply failing to scan all of them after they arrive from the upstream regional USPS facility.  They are still getting delivered, but if a USPS tracking scan failed to occur it makes the 7162 appear MIA.

 

Now for those who have called the SSA and they said the 7162 does not yet appear in their Automated Information Retrieval System (AIRS) which is where a received "and processed" 7162 is suppose to appear, maybe, just maybe the received 7162s which have been received and processed into AIRS will "not" be viewable to any and all SSA Customer Support reps until some bulk updated is run....maybe at the end of August or early September...which then makes it viewable to any SSA rep who might get a call from a customer asking if the SSA received his 7162.

 

My past googling, my test mailing of registered airmail a couple years back, Aseannow posts, and my gut feeling is the problem boils down to the Wilkes Barre Post Office failing to accomplish tracking scans on all of the many, many, many, many, many, etc., 7162's they are receiving this time of year.  And if that's the case then sending a 7162 back by registered mail is really a waste of money unless tracking to New York....last seen leaving NYC....is good enough for the person

 

Example of Register Airmail 7162 going MIA after escaping NY and then just showing "In Transit to Next Facility."

Edited August 30, 2022 by Pib

[ubonjoe]

12 hours ago, Pib said:

My past googling, my test mailing of registered airmail a couple years back, Aseannow posts, and my gut feeling is the problem boils down to the Wilkes Barre Post Office failing to accomplish tracking scans on all of the many, many, many, many, many, etc., 7162's they are receiving this time of year.  And if that's the case then sending a 7162 back by registered mail is really a waste of money unless tracking to New York....last seen leaving NYC....is good enough for the person

It is certainly a problem with the SSA unique post office shown as zip code 18767-7162 on the mailing envelope. If they are busy it just goes into a black hole if they are busy and don't scan them.

The one I sent in 2019 went into that black hole on July 7th until September 10th when it was shown as delivered and received on the 11th.

[bamnutsak]

On 8/29/2022 at 8:08 PM, Pib said:

Sorry to bug you guys again about "Does USPS tracking show your registered airmail 7162 back to Wllkes Barre finally making it there?" 

Yes.

 

August 25, 2022, 7:41 pm
Delivered, Individual Picked Up at Postal Facility
WILKES BARRE, PA 18701 
Your item was picked up at a postal facility at 7:41 pm on August 25, 2022 in WILKES BARRE, PA 18701.

August 25, 2022, 2:13 pm
Arrived at Post Office
WILKES BARRE, PA 18701 

 

July 28, 2022
In Transit to Next Facility

 

July 24, 2022, 3:10 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

 

 

No status emails received after July 24, did receive them up to that point.

[ubonjoe]

34 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

August 25, 2022, 7:41 pm
Delivered, Individual Picked Up at Postal Facility
WILKES BARRE, PA 18701 
Your item was picked up at a postal facility at 7:41 pm on August 25, 2022 in WILKES BARRE, PA 18701.

That is the postal code for the city of Wilkes Barre not the SSA.

What zip code did you use when you sent it. One of the codes for the SSA is 18767.

[Pib]

34 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

Yes.

 

August 25, 2022, 7:41 pm
Delivered, Individual Picked Up at Postal Facility
WILKES BARRE, PA 18701 
Your item was picked up at a postal facility at 7:41 pm on August 25, 2022 in WILKES BARRE, PA 18701.

August 25, 2022, 2:13 pm
Arrived at Post Office
WILKES BARRE, PA 18701 

 

July 28, 2022
In Transit to Next Facility

 

July 24, 2022, 3:10 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
JAMAICA NY INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

 

 

No status emails received after July 24, did receive them up to that point.

Wow....almost a month "In Transit to Next Facility" time between NYC/Jamaica NY and Wilkes Barre PA. 

 

And to the best of my knowledge/research, after leaving NYC/Jamaica, mail bound for Wilkes Barre goes to the USPS regional Processing & Distribution Center (P&DC) in Scranton PA who then distributes the mail to nearby Wilkes Barre.   The approx distance from NYC/Jamaica to Scranton is 120 miles and Scranton to Wilkes Barre is only 20 miles.   

 

Maybe the USPS uses turtles for registered mail transport between NYC/Jamaica and Wilkes Barre.   Above tracking sure makes it appear the NYC/Jamaica to Wilkes Barre leg of the trip is the black hole, weak link in getting mail to Wilkes Barre from Thailand.

[Pib]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is the postal code for the city of Wilkes Barre not the SSA.

What zip code did you use when you sent it. One of the codes for the SSA is 18767.

Although Wilkes Barre SSA office has a unique ZIP code of 18767 the mail still goes to the main Wilkes Barre Post Office for delivery/pickup as the Wilkes Barre main post office has 15 ZIP codes under its purview/area of responsibility with 10 of them being "unique" ZIP codes assigned to organizations such as the SSA unique ZIP code of 18767 used for 7162 form return.

 

[bamnutsak]

26 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

What zip code did you use when you sent it.

I used the pre-printed envelope provided.

 

The zip code in that envelope was/is 18767-7162

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

21 minutes ago, Pib said:

Although Wilkes Barre SSA office has a unique ZIP code of 18767 the mail still goes to the main Wilkes Barre Post Office for delivery/pickup as the Wilkes Barre main post office has 15 ZIP codes under its purview/area of responsibility with 10 of them being "unique" ZIP codes assigned to organizations such as the SSA unique ZIP code of 18767 used for 7162 form return.

I have not seen that postal code used when tracking my 7162's sent to the SSA.

They only have seen the 18767 code on the tracking.

[Pib]

A reoccurring theme in the USPS tracking is the Wilkes Barre Post Office does not physically deliver mail to some organizations (like some federal and county government agencies) with govt facilities in Wilkes Barre.  Instead a representative from the mail section of those govt organizations periodically visit the main post office to pickup mail which results in USPS tracking coding saying the mail was turned over to a delivery agent for final delivery....that agent is a representative from that govt organization.   I'm sure this is per agreement between the USPS and those organizations.

 

Example:  take a look at below 7 May 2022 local newspaper story talking about Luzerne County government offices mail delivery....Wilkes Barre is part of Luzerne County.  Basically, for the Luzerne County government,   a representative from the county mailroom at the courthouse visits the Wilkes Barre main post office to periodically pickup mail and then takes that mail back to the county mailroom for internal delivery to the different Luzerne County government organizations in various building. 

 

I expect the Wilkes Barre SSA does the exact same thing....that is, sends a rep to the Wilkes Barre Post Office to pickup mail sent to any SSA unique ZIP code.

 

Full news article

https://www.timesleader.com/news/1554754/luzerne-county-mail-ballot-delivery-protocols-discussed

 

Partial Quote of article

 

Quote

 

.....the county has long had a mailroom at the courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.

The county’s lone mailroom worker must go to the Wilkes-Barre post office to retrieve county government mail, bring it back to the courthouse basement to sort it and then deliver it to its intended buildings, including the Penn Place Building in downtown Wilkes-Barre that houses the election bureau, officials said.

A building and grounds worker must perform these duties when the mailroom employee is off.

 

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by Pib

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

I used the pre-printed envelope provided.

The zip code in that envelope was/is 18767-7162

How did you send it? Express mail or registered?