USPS shipping time question?

Question regarding an eBay purchase, and USPS?

• I asked a question about this before, as far as reasonable shipping time. Now I'm wondering if I'm even going to get my package. On October 22, I won an auction on eBay. I paid immediately through PayPal, as I always do. Most purchases I have made arrive within 3-4 days, no more than a week, depending on their size. However, this has turned out to be completely different. Shipping was to be parcel post, and 2-9 days. Yesterday, a full week after both the auction and my payment, I e-mailed the seller asking when she shipped my item (auction stated no more than 2 days after receiving cleared payment). She replied with "SHIPPED TODAY". That alone has me a little upset. I've been tracking on USPS, but for 3 days it has said the same thing; "The U.S. Postal Service was electronically notified by the shipper on October 26, 2008 to expect your package for mailing. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date. Delivery status information will be provided if / when available. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later." Is there any way for me to know if the item has actually been shipped? I'm growing a little impatient now, knowing that it was at least a full week before she even bothered with it. Thank you for any input/advice.

• Answer:

  She shouldn't have waited that long to ship it if she even did ship it. Usually people on ebay ship right away.I had a person do that to me before and I kept asking her where my stuff was. Then printed the postage and that's when the tracking says electronically notified. After the postage was printed, I waited 2 weeks and nothing. Then I asked her where it was again and she finally shipped it. USPS tracking also sucks! It usually says that until the item is close to your house, then it will say something different and where the item is. There is no way to tell if your item has actually been shipped. If your state is close to theirs, it shouldn't take the whole 9 days to get to you.