USPS And What Can Blue Not Do For You

[krunchnik]

Like my title says-just wondering how many people really started using USPS way more than they used to?

I ordered a box of Berrys Bullets exactly 2 weeks ago and the package was scanned in at Provo Utah on the 30th of December and hasn't moved since.

I ordered a new belt from Bigfoot last Wednesday and on Thursday it was scanned out of Fife Washington and hasn't moved since.

Friday this last I ordered 4 pair of carpenter pants from Wal Mart which were sent VIA Fedex on Saturday and I received them yesterday.

I don't know how anyone else feels or doesn't feel about USPS and their unprecedented surge in business but I am willing to bet Fedex has seen a surge also but copes with the surge much better.

I find this excuse of Covid 19 to be a trend- when a business can't keep up we will blame it on a virus-

And not only the fact of this I e-mailed Berrys and got the answer I really didn't want to hear"USPS told us not to call about lost mail until it has been missing for a month"end quote.

I am barking up the wrong tree but this is unacceptable-IMOP-rant off

[Erich]

But they can sure deliver all those Democratic ballets like nobody’s business, can’t they?  

Joking aside, they are one of the poster children for the downsides of the crazy times we live in. 

i tried to talk a GB buyer out of selecting them to deliver a rifle about a month ago in favor of Fedex. But he wanted usps. It was lost for 2 weeks until it’s status changed to ‘out for delivery’. We were both relieved. 2.5 weeks for 2 day priority. My wife’s Kohls order from Black Friday shipped on 11/29, showed up yesterday.  I’ve had an amazon order lost having never lost anything using usps in over 40 years prior to 2020 craziness. 

I’ve been avoiding them for the last 3 months, there issues are too well documented to have confidence until they get things back on track.

the big change I’ve seen, and local po manager told me when I called on the rifle, is they have stopped scanning most intermediate events as policy to speed things up. And of course, let it be for at least a month as you heard.

Hope your package shows

Edited January 12, 2021 by Erich

[Swamp ash]

I ordered some holsters in September that went to Puerto Rico for over a full week before finally making in back to the mainland system.

The leather was very nicely tanned.

[ou812]

We had many packages shipped via USPS shown picked up but waited weeks,  a few over a month sitting at some  regional postal facility.  The wife had a neckless that was almost 2 months in shipping.  I had some ram for a PC that took 6 weeks.    My understanding COVID has hit them very hard.

[btq96r]

FedEx/UPS have easy ways to hire temp workers to handle surge times...the USPS has government hiring burdens and union contracts, though they do make allowances for holiday season workers.  Outside of that, they have a normal staffing roster like any government agency.

You're never going to see a fast response to peaks from them, and that's okay...their set up to be a steady provider of a service outlined in the Constitution, not a flexible private industry.  If you want the business solution, go with FedEx/UPS...just be ready to pony up more money.

Edited January 12, 2021 by btq96r

[krunchnik]

24 minutes ago, btq96r said:

FedEx/UPS have easy ways to hire temp workers to handle surge times...the USPS has government hiring burdens and union contracts, though they do make allowances for holiday season workers.  Outside of that, they have a normal staffing roster like any government agency.

You're never going to see a fast response to peaks from them, and that's okay...their set up to be a steady provider of a service outlined in the Constitution, not a flexible private industry.  If you want the business solution, go with FedEx/UPS...just be ready to pony up more money.

Some of these vendors give no choice of shipper-I would easily pay the extra to have it shipped Via Pony Express if given.

[btq96r]

8 minutes ago, krunchnik said:

Some of these vendors give no choice of shipper-I would easily pay the extra to have it shipped Via Pony Express if given.

So it's a vendor issue, not a USPS issue.  Sounds like they're trying to save costs they would have to do some measure of cost they'd have to eat (dealing with multiple shippers) or pass along (the actual cost plus overhead).  Not uncommon practice.

[Grayfox54]

USPS is currently in the middle of a perfect storm. Covid-19, still backed up from the holidays and an idiot Postmaster General appointed by Trump last summer. As soon as Louis DeJoy took office, he immediately instituted "cost cutting measures" that have done nothing but damage USPS. He stopped all overtime, removed many sorting machines and public mail boxes. He changed many work policies. the biggest being that any mail still in the sorting room at the end of the day was to be left until the next day. As a result, the back log has built up something terrible. Many people believe Trump appointed DeJoy for the sole purpose of wrecking the USPS before the election and mail in voting. Not to mention that DeJoy owns millions in stock from other carriers that are the direct competition to USPS. If Biden does nothing else, I hope he fires this azzhole. 

Despite all of that, USPS is still and always has been the highest rated government agency in customer satisfaction. They move millions of pieces of mail every single day. And most of it goes off without a hitch. 

[deerslayer]

USPS has never liked delivering bullets or any other heavy packages.  A friend and I used to routinely order from Precision Delta in MS.  Most of the time we had to go get them at the PO after the mailman indicated that they were “undeliverable.”  We started getting them shipped to his work, where the mailman could park a few feet from the front door.  Still undeliverable.  They have delivered bullets to my front door once in my life.  One other time, they dropped them next to my mailbox.  It rained later the same day.  
With all that’s going on lately, I have no idea why businesses are using USPS.  

[Erik88]

Add me to the group that's willing to cut them a little slack. We saw levels of online shopping in 2020 never seen before. FWIW, I've talked to people recently that have also had packages lost and delayed via UPS. 

[krunchnik]

I don't know about anyone else but I am completely sick and tired of this whole mess-and very frustrated that nothing appears to ever get better.

[TripleGGG]

I have actually had good service from them.  In the last year only once have I had a package get rerouted and take a small scenic tour getting to me. 

I actually just got a delivery of 2 boxes from Hoosier bullets.  I feel very sorry I didn't go out and help my lady mail carrier bring them to my door.  Medium flat rate boxes full of bullets weigh a ton! 

[E4 No More]

Well, the USPS tracking system is a complete joke. Many times I get a tracking number from it being created, but the tracking never updates. I get the package before I see its status change.

[DJTC45]

My experience is just the opposite, I've shipped through the USPS and really have not had a problem. Now FedEx and UPS that's a different story for me, I'm checking the status of a package through FedEx and it's been sitting in the Nashville hub for three days so far, hopefully it will be here tomorrow but who knows.

[Grayfox54]

1 hour ago, E4 No More said:

Well, the USPS tracking system is a complete joke.

USPS Tracking:

1. We have it!

2. Ain't got a clue?

3. Delivered! 

[TripleGGG]

26 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

USPS Tracking:

1. We have it!

2. Ain't got a clue?

3. Delivered! 

Now this is spot on! Lol

[jpx2rk]

I've had mixed results with USPS, lately it's not all that good as I mailed a check to a guy in NE for some bullets I agreed to buy.  He rec'd the check in about 4 days, and he was trusting enough to mail the bullets the SAME day I mailed my check.  It took about 13 days for USPS 2nd day priority mail to deliver the small priority mail box .  The tracking # showed progress from NE to ATL processing center, and then it went "dark", didn't move for several days, then showed out for delivery for several days.  It finally showed up undamaged, shipping label, etc., was in good shape, all addresses where clearly printed, so no sloppy handwriting to blame.  USPS could be short handed and/or over whelmed with season volume, but no reason to pay for 2 day priority mail and it take almost 2 weeks for delivery.   Not many "businesses" would survive with that level of service.  LOL

[Oh Shoot]

6 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

USPS is currently in the middle of a perfect storm. Covid-19, still backed up from the holidays and an idiot Postmaster General appointed by Trump last summer. As soon as Louis DeJoy took office....

I get more stuff than usual by mail since Covid hit. Within days of Dejoy taking over, everything USPS that had to cross state lines started taking a day or two longer than usual. And that was long before USPS put up their "sorry, but Covid" notice onsite, so that has only made it worse.

Near as I can figure from some of the bizarre tracking routings, they have used trucks as "onroad storage" because local POs were too full to even store more packages.

- OS

[Grayfox54]

Its ain't just USPS. I ordered a book from Amazon last week. It was shipped via Amazon. Delivery was scheduled for last Saturday. It arrived late this afternoon.  Between Sat and today, tracking just lost it.  No idea where it was. 

[dralarms]

Ordered a generator on dec 11, made it from cal to Atlanta by the 31st.  I still don’t have it. 
 

to be clear, it’s not coming Usps. Just wanted to point out it’s everywhere. 

Edited January 14, 2021 by dralarms

[Raoul]

I must be living right. So far I haven't had much trouble from anyone. I know if it's traveling USPS that it won't be quick but they've been reasonably dependable on their delivery times.

 

[Fourtyfive]

I would not ship a dirty diaper to the trash can by USPS. Every time I am waiting on something from them it gets lost. I demand from places I purchase things that it not ship USPS.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Fourtyfive

[Daniel]

I have been using USPS for years for packages.  Domestic and international. Mostly coming to me but a few times a year going out.  I have never had trouble like I have had since probably October of 2020 to now.  

[Capbyrd]

USPS has been garbage for me since the pandemic.   Every single package does the "in transit, arriving late" thing for at least a week.   

[Chucktshoes]