Going Postal!

[studlymandingo]

The USPS has been driving me nucking futs lately. I have had several packages shipped to me in the last couple of months that have been delivered by USPS priority mail and their archaic system has been to say the very least, frustrating.

One package was shipped to me on March 6th; I was given a tracking number by the sender which after 3 days I began to check daily on the USPS website. After 7 days there was still no update so I sent an e-mail through the website; day 10, still no update and no reply e-mail. I then decided to call their customer service number; in order to actually speak to a representative you have to go through about 5 minutes of trying to outwit the automated system. When I finally spoke to a representative, I got the same response as the tracking website gave me; the package was shipped on the 6th and it is "in transit". I replied to the guy that the priority mail says 2-3 days for delivery, to which he responded "That is what we shoot for, but the package isn't considered late until it has been 14 business days; and if it is coming from or going to a rural area it can take a bit longer." I asked him if he considered Las Vegas, NV (coming from) or St. Petersburg, FL (going to) to be rural, and if so do they still transport packages by mule-train from these "rural areas". After the requisite 14 days was up, I called back and finally got through to another "customer service" rep. This time they filed an "investigation" on the package which she could not really explain what this consisted of other than the fact they would be "looking for the package".

The package was finally delivered on the 24th; this morning (the 30th) I got an e-mail from the "investigator" at USPS stating the results of their investigation: the package was delivered on the 24th.

On the 23rd, I had another package coming to me via USPS; on the tracking website it stated "attempted delivery, notice left". I was in my yard all day installing a sprinkler system; the mail carrier handed my mail to me directly, there was no notice. I took my tracking number to the closest office, I was there for 30 minutes while they looked for the package which "should be here, give us your cell phone number and we'll call you after we speak to the carrier supervisor"; I never got the call. I went back in on Saturday morning at 9AM when they open; I waited another 30 minutes for them to search and once again I was asked to leave my phone number. At 11:45 I went back as they close at Noon on Saturday, and I spoke to a random employee at the counter who for whatever reason remembered the package from the carrier on Thursday, he told me "yea I remember we put that in your P.O. box since we couldn't deliver it". I don't have a P.O. box; but he went back in the back and looked, sure enough the package was still there in a PO box for a guy named Hartman (my last name is Roberts).

Now I am waiting for another package that was shipped from Chesapeake VA on the 22nd, no update status as of yet, and this is a hydraulic steering system for my boat, I am jonesing to install this thing this weekend but I am afraid my steering system is somewhere in Georgia strapped to the back of a turtle...

I have had several packages delivered by both FedEx and UPS that have taken no longer than 3 days, one was delivered this morning that was shipped from California on Wednesday.

The USPS wonders why they are losing so much business to the other package handlers.

Sorry for such a long post.....I just needed a rant.

I want my d@m^ hydraulic steering!!!!! Don't they know what they are doing to a guy who is waiting for boat parts?????

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: Going Postal!

Been there done that, my businesses deal with UPS as well as other carriers on a daily basis, i know precisely how frustrating and costly it can get due to untimely deliveries. :|

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Going Postal!

I've had my own frustrations with UPS this last week delivering my training supplies to another building. I'm about ready to go 'coastal' on them.

What the dang dealio with them lately?

:/

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Going Postal!

Don't feel pooped on ya'll........ I'm STILL waiting on xmas gifts the were sent via DHL about december 5th, 2006.....:| maybe they thought i meant need by xmas, 2007?...:|

$#%^'n turd-knockers...

I have stuff come in and go out via UPS almost daily... If i recall correctly, in 18 years of service on dang near a daily basis, UPS only lost one package for me, which was handled very promptley on their part..

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Going Postal!

USPS simply doesn't offer "tracking", you're expecting a service you didn't pay for. Delivery confirmation/signature confirmation is not tracking. It is just what it sounds like - confirmation of delivery/shipment...it is not updated along the way.

As for their other service, I've shipped over a thousand packages in the last 6 months via USPS. They lost one, and another took about 25 days for delivery...the other 998 arrived without complaint. That is MUCH more than I can say for any of the other shippers, who I have used just as extensively. UPS is a pathetic joke...by far the worst.

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: Going Postal!

"UPS is a pathetic joke...by far the worst."

ZM, I take it that you meant the USPS.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Going Postal!

"UPS is a pathetic joke...by far the worst."

ZM, I take it that you meant the USPS.

No, I mean UPS. It doesn't get any worse than that. They are the SLOWEST. They charge more than Fedex, DHL, and with smaller packages, USPS. They break about one in 100 packages, and they always do their best to weasel out of insurance claims, even when it's quite obvious it was their fault. They look right at your face and lie to you, telling you it wasn't packaged correctly - that's because THEY took the peanuts and foam out and threw it away!

One time I shipped something really important UPS inside a 4" peice of ABS pipe with caps glued on both ends, so it would be nearly impossible to break. It showed up back at my door two weeks later, in about 50 peices. I don't even know how you could do that to a pipe like that. You could literally run it over or drop it from several stories up and it would be fine.

 

[Pony]

Re: Going Postal!

"UPS is a pathetic joke...by far the worst."

ZM, I take it that you meant the USPS.

I reveive 50 to 80 boxes per day at work on average via UPS, and 20 or so via FED EX. I have far more issues with UPS. I am constantly having my stuff delivery a few buildings away or I get other peoples stuff. This is not good when my boxes contain thousands of dollars of merchandise per box.

On the other hand when dealing with personal matters I deal exclusively with USPS. If I sell a book on amazon I can usually make it "media mail" which is WAY cheaper than anything UPS or FED EX can do. Not to mention my dad works at the Post Office and know a little bit about what actually goes on.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Going Postal!

All I can say is, last week I got my package after 19 days in transit. I have yet to receive a package that is now 9 days in transit.

I don't see how a delivery service can possibly take that long to get a package to someone, I mean it has to sit somewhere for DAYS without moving.

The package I am waiting for now contains hydraulic steering for my boat...can you imagine what this is doing to me?

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Going Postal!

UPS works well for us as we ship hundreds of packages a day. One exception, if the package is over 70 lbs, the rank and file union members who were arm twisted into this deal by their leadership to accept these heavier packages use them for football practice. We have stopped using them for anything over 70lbs.

Fed Ex has been a strong provider over the years, but they are a bit more expensive.

USPS - if it takes more than a stamp, don't use them.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Going Postal!

I'm with you Pointer. Problem is, a couple of the packages I am receiving are from eBay purchases, for the seller, UPS and USPS are the only options for shipping through the eBay service. I just sold an item through eBay, but shipped via FedEx; I shipped on Monday, the buyer had his merchandise on Thursday. This was St Pete to Colorado, cheaper than USPS and certainly much more reliable. Unfortunately I wasn't given the choice by the seller on either one of the packages; if I were, believe me I would have been opening that FedEx package several days ago instead of hoping that today will be the day for days on end.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Going Postal!

OMG!!! Still waiting on my steering package that was shipped from VA now 13 days ago!!! I received the hoses that I ordered from Michigan via FedEx yesterday; they were ordered on Thursday. Came from several hundred miles further away and managed to make it here over the weekend...

From now on I will not allow someone to ship via the US Postal service, I will have to insist on another carrier, I don't even know how you can make it take 2 weeks to ship a package 4 states away!!!

 

[Pony]

Re: Going Postal!

You probably paid for standard non expidited shipping..................3-5 weeks.

Also I have learned most of the time the delay is with the shipper, not the shipping company. I had a package take 3 weeks from an online store, only to find out it took them 2 weeks to fill the order, let alone ship it.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Going Postal!

I wholeheartedly agreed USPS is a terrible packages carrier. They do great job with the mail though. I once waited 10 days for a package ordered from Bass Pro Shop. 10 days to go from Missouri to Indiana is absolutely ridiculous. I can leave my front door and be at BPS in a little less then 8 hours. The tracking # provided which I checked @USPS website showed that after 3 days they have just got "electronic shipping information received". I called BPS and they said they send the package out the same day. I also ordered some stuff on the same day from Cabelas which shipped from Nebraska, way farther then Missouri. I got the package from Cabelas on Thursday, ordered on Monday, delivered by UPS. My account at BPS now clearly indicates to not use USPS as the carrier. It used to be delivered timely by UPS but now BPS is not partnering with UPS anymore, my packages arrived timely by Fedex.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Going Postal!

Also I have learned most of the time the delay is with the shipper, not the shipping company.

The online "Track and Confirm" says the package was "accepted" by USPS in Chesapeake, VA. The shipper was great, shipped it the morning after I paid for it.

I've done the calculations, and my packages are traveling at an average of 1.9 MPH. Here's the kicker, my girlfriend ordered a box of tennis balls last Wednesday (we have a golden retriever who goes through a couple per week) the package arrived at our doorstep today... FROM TIAWAN!!! 6 days on a "slow boat from China" via UPS. 13 days and counting on my package shipped from Virginia... Amazing!!!

 

[Pony]

Re: Going Postal!

True, but read the next paragraph I wrote after that. Standard shipping via USPS is 3-5 weeks. If you ever stepped into a Post office you may understand why. They are often understaffed and packages/mail that couldnt be delivered one day are pushed to the next. Unless of coarse your package was paid to be delivered expedited, than it will go out in a special truck on that day no matter what.

Also take into consideration that ALL UPS does is ship packages, the USPS also delivers TONS AND TONS of MAIL to EVERY house in America.....not just a few here and there like UPS.

13 days isnt bad at all, and IMHO it is realistic when you consider the paragraph before this.

Like I said before, I deal will ALL the major shipping companies every day, with hundreds of thousands of dollars of merchandise.......USPS isnt ideal for shipping package with their standard service, media mail and expidited are great. UPS just plain blows half the time. I like DHL, but we rarely use them because we are contracted mostly with UPS.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Going Postal!

I think it's a great deal that you can mail a letter several thousand miles for a mere .40.

I feel that if they can't handle the package load, then they should stay out of the package business. They "suggest" that priority mail packages will be delivered in 2-3 business days; don't "suggest" this to your customers if the reality of the situation is actually 2-3 weeks!

I will definitely not be using their package service anytime soon. I just sold an item on e-bay, and contacted the buyer to let them know I would be shipping via FedEx even though eBay doesn't offer that when the buyer checks out. I just didn't want the hassle of the USPS, and I didn't want to have to charge the buyer the extra 10.00 for UPS.

The ONE and only time I used DHL was when I was in Boston with my girlfriend; she was waiting on a new pair of glasses to be ready for pick-up before we left. Long story short, the glasses were not ready before we had to be at the Tampa airport; so we had her sister overnight them to Boston... We paid almost double for the guaranteed delivery before 11AM. This was on a Thursday; when were leaving the following Tuesday to return home, the glasses had just made it to the hub in Boston. DHL "generously" offered to ship the package back to Tampa "free of charge". I declined and had them have the driver meet us at a restaurant on the way to Logan; no-way was I going to take the chance of them taking another 5 days to "overnight" the package back.

I have packages shipped to and from me all of the time; generally I use FedEx just because of the value. I rarely have problems, the packages can be easily tracked, and they usually arrive right on time. This deal with the Post Office is very frustrating as I have had serious problems on 3 out of 3 packages in the last 4 weeks... Not a good track record in my book. On top of that, they have me waiting for my BOAT PARTS!!! It might be different if I was waiting on new parts for my lawn mower or something!!!

 

[PW2]

Re: Going Postal!

I want to give kudos to my local USPS guy.

I bought something on Ebay the other day, and the seller transposed a couple of numbers on the shipping label, and 1014 somehow became 1410.

My USPS carrier intervened when they were about to send the parcel back as "undeliverable" and said "I bet I know where that is supposed to go" and got it to me, albeit a day late.

They don't always screw things up, and in my view they provide a great service.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Going Postal!

Package finally arrived today!!! Traveled at a blistering average speed of just over 2 MPH! It's a wonder the box wasn't still smoking when it landed on my doorstep!

Now I can get about the business of converting my outboard to hydraulic steering. I am having my new fuel tank shipped via FedEx, supposed to be delivered Friday.... Stay Tuned!