Why the Post Office is doomed

[Guest nicemac]

Well the package was finally delivered. The box was completely intact with a label that was not damaged in any way. It was easily human and machine readable. To get from Central KY to Middle Tennessee, it visited five states and took 5-1/2 weeks. We talked to our FedEx guy yesterday and he mentioned a dispute in the Post Office right now regarding SmartPost. He said he has seen lot of packages that just keep getting bounced back and forth between Southaven, MS and Atlanta, GA for no apparent reason. Childish labor behavior.

I got a replacement package from Amazon via FedEx weeks ago… I will avoid USPS at all costs in the future (well, I was already doing that). Who wound up getting hurt?

Those postal workers sure showed me, didn't they?

[monkeylizard]

awww.... I was kind of hoping this might go on for another few weeks to see where else it might end up, especially since you already got the replacement item.

I use USPS for packages when I really don't care how long it takes. I shipped a package to a friend in Switzerland a few weeks ago. It cost me about $7 with USPS. UPS's cheapest rate was about $122 and FedEx's was $107. Sure UPS or FedEx would have it delivered in about 3 days and it's going on the 3rd week with USPS and it's still not there, but in this case speed wasn't an issue.

Edited December 20, 2011 by monkeylizard

[Guest nicemac]

awww.... I was kind of hoping this might go on for another few weeks to see where else it might end up, especially since you already got the replacement item.

I use USPS for packages when I really don't care how long it takes. I shipped a package to a friend in Switzerland a few weeks ago. It cost me about $7 with USPS. UPS's cheapest rate was about $122 and FedEx's was $107. Sure UPS or FedEx would have it delivered in about 3 days and it's going on the 3rd week with USPS and it's still not there, but in this case speed wasn't an issue.

$7.00 is not a bargain if it NEVER gets there…

Just saying'…

[kb4ns]

I was expecting a package UPS yesterday. About 6pm, there's a knock at my door. It was the old lady from one street over whose house shares the same street number as mine (just different street name). Seems the big brown truck visited her house instead of mine and left my package on her porch. I know it wasn't my usual UPS guy as he and I are on a first name basis and he's used to coming by almost daily. I understand that the couriers are extremely busy this time of year, but it seems like this exact thing happens at least once per year. It'd be nice if they could incorporate some kind of GPS signaling into their system so that when they scan my package as delivered, a little alert comes up that says "Hey dumb*ss, are you sure?"

Had the little old lady not wanted to do the right thing (as so many don't nowadays), I could have been s*** out of luck on my purchase.

[kieefer]

I got a package yesterday from UPS, "Shari's Berries" and they come in a ice packed insulated box. Apparently the gorillas on the dock played who can slam it against the wall the hardest because the ice pack was busted inside.

Berries were soaked in the icy jelly.

Got me a new order coming for free, maybe they'll get handled a little better next time.

[kb4ns]

Just goes to show that the same problems exist no matter which carrier you use.

[Oh Shoot]

Just goes to show that the same problems exist no matter which carrier you use.

I was FedEx Ground guy for 3 years. Lord, the stories.

As far as USPS, I've probably sent a thousand packages over the last 15 years, and though there have been plenty of glitches, never had a domestic one actually lost or destroyed.

But I did once have two wedges broken completely in half by UPS, which being short stubby clubs, and packed in one of those tough triangular boxes, really took some creative destruction on their part.

- OS

[BryanP]

I was FedEx Ground guy for 3 years. Lord, the stories.

- OS

Like this?

[Oh Shoot]

Like this?...

Aww, that guy babied that package.

Actually, he's Express, company guy.

Ground folks actually handle stuff much better, since they're all contractors, and damage settlements from obvious stuff like this came out of their own pockets. Just leaving a package out in the weather is proof enough.

Most of the damage came from the sorting and loading guys at Ground, since they're all temps with no career path, not much accountability. Neer do wells and worse, students.

- OS

[Caster]

I'm diggin' this one back out.

UPS is close behind. I ordered from midway the other day. AGAIN, they shipped (ground) from Mo to knoxville. You can't get to knoxville without going through nashville. From knoxville to nashville to franklin. What a bunch of IDIOTS! You can't tell me they couldn't get a truck load to nashville and come out ahead.

Some desk jockey thinks he has it all figured out I bet. I'll bet too he could find his butt with both hands.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Caster

[Guest nicemac]

I'm diggin' this one back out.

UPS is close behind. I ordered from midway the other day. AGAIN, they shipped (ground) from Mo to knoxville. You can't get to knoxville without going through nashville. From knoxville to nashville to franklin. What a bunch of IDIOTS! You can't tell me they couldn't get a truck load to nashville and come out ahead.

Some desk jockey thinks he has it all figured out I bet. I'll bet too he could find his butt with both hands.

I noticed that with my Midway shipments as well. It always goes to Knoxville, then back to Nashville. Makes no sense…

[Caster]

RGHT, it was in nashville yesterday. It's in franklin as of 5:41 am today. AND TO BEAT ALL, as of 10 minutes ago, it says "transferred to post office" I'll be lucky if I get it this week.

I understand I'm not nearly as important as I think I am, and shipping mass quantities takes time but that's just stupid.

[Guest nicemac]

…as of 10 minutes ago, it says "transferred to post office" I'll be lucky if I get it this week…

You're hosed…

[Timestepper]

Hmmm... Recently both wireless cards shot craps - talked to Verizon and agreed that they'd ship one via 2-day service for $6.99 and the other via USPS 5-day for free. The one via USPS arrived in three days while the "2-day" (via FedEx) took EIGHT FREAKIN' DAYS to get here.

Score one for the U.S Post Office!

[Oh Shoot]

....Score one for the U.S Post Office!

There's still no alternative to USPS for the zillions of items that are a few ounces to about 4 lbs. Can't touch their prices in that range, and no way FedEx or UPS could put it in your hands for that.

Probably 80% or more of eBay runs off USPS, not to mention some share of all the other largest online retailers.

- OS

[Caster]

UPS relies heavily on the usps. Half the UPS packages I get are handed off to the post office for delivery.

[deerslayer]

Caster,

I obviously don't know your address or the path your package took and it may have simply been missorted, but I wouldn't be surprised if going to Knoxville was the quickest way to get your package on a trailer that was scheduled to be processed early enough to get on a truck that would deliver it to your post office that day. In other words, they might could have skipped the trip to Knoxville, but it would add another day in transit because there were no other trailers going to Franklin that day or night. What is the normal time-in-transit? I bet this package is on schedule. Think of the airline industry--sometimes we have to make a connection in Atlanta or Houston to get where we want to go when we want to get there. The shipping industry works much the same way.

Also, be aware that your package was shipped UPS Basic, which means that UPS picks up the package and delivers it to your post office for delivery via USPS. After they give it to the post office, it's no longer a UPS concern. When ordering something, I always make sure not to get my stuff shipped UPS Basic, because it involves the post office, it adds a day to the shipping time, and if there is a claim issue, you are SOL.

[Oh Shoot]

There's still no alternative to USPS for the zillions of items that are a few ounces to about 4 lbs. Can't touch their prices in that range, and no way FedEx or UPS could put it in your hands for that.

Probably 80% or more of eBay runs off USPS, not to mention some share of all the other largest online retailers.

- OS

Commenting on my own post, LOL.

Ya know, the opinion above I think is valid, but I was assuming the same model that FedEx and UPS uses now, ie one on one personal delivery. Certainly, if they revamped and expanded to actually deliver to your mail box as does USPS, they could probably do it for about the same, who knows maybe even cheaper.

Sure would be time to buy stock in them if ya only knew enough ahead of time that it was gonna happen.

- OS

[kieefer]

I thought of this thread today. I got a package coming from Utah and it was sent to Memphis USPS and arrived on 4/10, 2:06pm and turned over to USPS to complete apparently.

USPS sends it to Mississippi on the 12th, today it came back to Hermitage and "in transit" at 11:45am. My mail usually gets here around 2pm but I suspect it didn't get on the truck this morning since I don't have it.

Also this note was added - "Arrived at local Post Office - Allow one to two additional days for delivery"

Saw two FedEx trucks today on my street.

Guess I'll see it next week sometime.