USPS Problems

longbow62 · Aug 2, 2022

I don't know why I'm bringing this up here other than to vent my frustrations somewhere, but the USPS must have serious problems. I have 2 what I consider high dollar items totaling about $2,000.00 lost out there somewhere. One shipped from WY. The other TX. 2 items shipped within days of each other just disappear with no tracking basically since the day they were shipped. I very seldom ship or receive many high dollar items, but when I do it never seems to go well. A detector I sold on here was lost for awhile and after much hand wringing and time on phone with USPS it finally made it to the buyer.

Small low cost items seem to be fast and pretty much on time. 3 day stuff almost never makes it on time. At least for me it doesn't. The more expensive the item the more likely it's going to get screwed up. I don't even know how they can claim 3 day shipping and not deliver, but still charge you for it.

I know USPS handles millions of packages and delivers most without problems, but 2 packages lost going to the same address at once! Shipped within a couple of days of each other. I'm either their unluckiest customer or they are failing.

cellrdwellr · Aug 2, 2022

Never liked USPS, but they are definitely the most convenient for outgoing packages IMO, due to multiple locations. UPS and Amazon are pretty much all I use nowadays for purchases. I still use USPS for outgoing packages though. Hope this gets sorted out sooner than later, it's a gutwrenching feeling to have that much money floating around, I've been there...

GroundSweeper · Aug 2, 2022

USPS here, knock-on-wood, is pretty solid overall. Had one issue w/ a miss delievered package, but thankfully the recipient returned it to the post office, but tracking showed it was in my mailbox, and it wasn't. But for the volume of packages, they've been pretty solid. UPS is the best however. FedEx and OnTrac are by far the worst here - always delayed and FedEx even stole, I mean lost, a package.

longbow62 · Aug 2, 2022

I'm trying to think of a scenario where a package can get lost if it has a tracking number. If it has a return address on it even less likely to get lost. Even if it gets on wrong truck somehow it's not that hard to catch at the next place it's scanned. I sent an email to both sellers telling them to check into it. I called the post master on the highest cost item in the town it was mailed from. I'm supposed to be getting a call from someone higher up the chain.

MuddyMo · Aug 2, 2022

longbow62 said:
..... A detector I sold on here was lost for awhile and after much hand wringing and time on phone with USPS it finally made it to the buyer.
...... I'm either their unluckiest customer or they are failing.

Yup, you shipped it to me. USPS in new England and apparently Arkansas have problems. Your post office clerks were great though.

TorqueMaster · Aug 2, 2022

longbow62 said:
I'm trying to think of a scenario where a package can get lost if it has a tracking number. If it has a return address on it even less likely to get lost. Even if it gets on wrong truck somehow it's not that hard to catch at the next place it's scanned. I sent an email to both sellers telling them to check into it. I called the post master on the highest cost item in the town it was mailed from. I'm supposed to be getting a call from someone higher up the chain.

I think part of the problem is, even with "tracking" the USPS does not feel obliged to scan every package. I have had several packages where tracking shows nothing but a shipping label made -- then they show up scanned at my local PO a week later. I was ready to blame the sender for sitting on it for a week before actually sending it, but it is impossible to place blame when the USPS skips scans.

Their other problem is the dreaded "attempted delivery" notice -- which is 99% BS -- it either means the package never actually made it onto the delivery vehicle, or the driver forgot to deliver it. This usually happens on a holiday weekend Saturday, so you'll now be waiting until Tuesday.

Knock on wood, I've had good luck with USPS packages actually getting there, just not on any predictable schedule. I send lots of small packages -- under 13oz -- first class -- and they've sometimes been delivered halfway across the country in just over 24 hours from time of drop off. It all averages out, lol.

KingTotsalot · Aug 2, 2022

KT has had problems with the USPO but not locally recently. However recently, anything shipped to His Majesty that has to go through the Memphis Distribution Center, gets sent to Casper, Wyoming and then back, or to the Little Rock Distribution Center who sends them to Conway, north of Little Rock, instead of to Mabelvale, South of Little Rock. This has happened twice in the last month. There is something/someone fouled up in those distribution centers that appears not to know how to scan a package for the zip code! Perhaps it is a faulty scanner, but there is apparently no cross checks on anything that goes through there! UPS and Fedex are always fast, polite, and courteous when at the castle, and often items arrive ahead of schedule by a day!

But His Majesty feels everyone's pain. A few months back, KT had a package due in at the Castle from Pakistan. It took nearly a month to leave Pakistan, and finally arrived on the east coast where it took another 3 weeks to arrive in the Castle mail box. After a month I alerted the dealer, and he apologized but sounded sincere in his concern about the lack of progress via Pakistani PO, only thing I got was shipping label was made, until it finally arrived.

Even the Chinese Post is better than that, because they do give you an alert when it leaves their country, and when it arrives at the destination country! HA HA

amc rulz · Aug 3, 2022

Are they really lost? Last December I had an insured signed delivery item not show. A $3k item. Tracking showed scanned at originating post office out of state, and that’s the last activity. I had a rough time dealing with the vendor, them saying it was out of their hands.

We’ve also had six or seven graduation and birthday gift cards (with cash) IN A ROW scanned in but not delivered over a month’s time recently. We have the USPS app that shows pics of the mail to be delivered that day. Postmaster has personally visited our residence and says they’re ‘looking into’ it. Our mail is not being stolen out of our box at the end of the drive because it’s delivered in the AM and I watch the carrier drop it off.

achaios · Aug 3, 2022

With all the shipping services, USPS, UPS, FedEx, whatever, they are good in some geographical areas and sucky in others. In my area, UPS is almost flawless, FedEx sucks, and USPS, while more reliable than FedEx, still doesn't come up to the UPS standard. Plus, USPS really doesn't seem to care much at my post office.

I've got some emeralds (rock specimens, not jewels) coming that I got in an auction, and thankfully, they're coming UPS.

-- Tom

metaladdict · Aug 3, 2022

KingTotsalot said:
KT has had problems with the USPO but not locally recently. However recently, anything shipped to His Majesty that has to go through the Memphis Distribution Center, gets sent to Casper, Wyoming and then back, or to the Little Rock Distribution Center who sends them to Conway, north of Little Rock, instead of to Mabelvale, South of Little Rock. This has happened twice in the last month. There is something/someone fouled up in those distribution centers that appears not to know how to scan a package for the zip code! Perhaps it is a faulty scanner, but there is apparently no cross checks on anything that goes through there! UPS and Fedex are always fast, polite, and courteous when at the castle, and often items arrive ahead of schedule by a day!

But His Majesty feels everyone's pain. A few months back, KT had a package due in at the Castle from Pakistan. It took nearly a month to leave Pakistan, and finally arrived on the east coast where it took another 3 weeks to arrive in the Castle mail box. After a month I alerted the dealer, and he apologized but sounded sincere in his concern about the lack of progress via Pakistani PO, only thing I got was shipping label was made, until it finally arrived.

Even the Chinese Post is better than that, because they do give you an alert when it leaves their country, and when it arrives at the destination country! HA HA

Sire? Do you have any of the culprits in the dungeon being stretched on the rack? :lol:

. Sorry

Martin_V3i · Aug 3, 2022

achaios said:
With all the shipping services, USPS, UPS, FedEx, whatever, they are good in some geographical areas and sucky in others. In my area, UPS is almost flawless, FedEx sucks, and USPS, while more reliable than FedEx, still doesn't come up to the UPS standard. Plus, USPS really doesn't seem to care much at my post office.

I've got some emeralds (rock specimens, not jewels) coming that I got in an auction, and thankfully, they're coming UPS.

-- Tom

You wrote: "UPS is almost flawless, FedEx sucks, and USPS"

I will stand on a soapbox about the great experiences I have had here in Texas about USPS. They deliver early almost every time. NOW, United Parcel Service has such a bad experience with me, I personally request that sellers never use UPS. Every d@mned time UPS slips through on any delivery from a seller, it ends up totally miserable.

UPS is my S-list. I guess geographical location must matter,,,USPS is king here.

KingTotsalot · Aug 3, 2022

metaladdict said:
Sire? Do you have any of the culprits in the dungeon being stretched on the rack?. Sorry

If these peons would come forward and recant their dastardly deeds, KT would issue a Royal Edict to forgive them, but, alas, no one is willing to take responsibility, so they all are under suspicion by His Majesty! :laughing:

But do not take KT wrong, the local USPS is fine, but it is within the Regional Distribution Centers that these mistakes are happening….these employees never interact with the public…their customers. The local USPO employees cannot deliver what does not arrive from the RDCs.

achaios · Aug 3, 2022

Martin_V3i said:
You wrote: "UPS is almost flawless, FedEx sucks, and USPS"

I will stand on a soapbox about the great experiences I have had here in Texas about USPS. They deliver early almost every time. NOW, United Parcel Service has such a bad experience with me, I personally request that sellers never use UPS. Every d@mned time UPS slips through on any delivery from a seller, it ends up totally miserable.

UPS is my S-list. I guess geographical location must matter,,,USPS is king here.

As I said, it varies by geographical location. In my experiences:

FedEx:
1.) I ordered 12 bottles of soda from Foxon Park. FedEx delivered 11 STICKY bottles, NOT in the original shipping container.
2.) A package was delivered (luckily, the contents were fine) soaked in something like "Janitor in a Drum".
3.) Package was listed as "Delivered". Arrived about an hour later. The driver just scanned them all at the beginning of the route so he didn't have to carry the scanner with him.

USPS:
1.) Ancient coins shipped from New Jersey about 30 days before finally arrived after I submitted a complaint of a lost package.
2.) Hardcover book by Fred Allen arrived bent in *3* because someone slammed a loading gate on it.
3.) Package with very rare coins disappeared, never to be seen again. I was the recipient.
4.) My Dad used to work for USPS and entertained us with all the dumb !!!! they would get away with.

UPS:

Nothing so far, other than 1 or 2 day delays from the promised delivery date on RARE occasions.

YMMV and apparently, yours does.

--Tom

MuddyMo · Aug 3, 2022

Martin_V3i said:
...... United Parcel Service has such a bad experience with me,....

UPS is my S-list. I guess geographical location must matter,,,USPS is king here.

I avoid UPS as much as possible. Their insurance ONLY covers lost packages not the ones they destroy. USPS's insurance covers it all even if it takes a while to get it there. Never had problems with FedX but I don't use them much. A buddy hates them...

aeds151 · Aug 3, 2022

I ordered a truck bed camper shell with slide pull out. It made it onto a truck somewhere but never got delivered. The truck shop ate that one. Things happen

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Steve · Aug 4, 2022

Beyond bankrupt... Things are only going to get worse in the coming years with a pension fund massively underfunded.
unless they get a massive bailout (more inflation)

longbow62 · Aug 4, 2022

One item arrived today intact. Not the most expensive item of the 2. There was no tracking until it arrived at my post office. Makes no sense at all. 10 days with no tracking. The other item still shows no tracking since the 07/23.

USPS Problems

longbow62

cellrdwellr

Elite Member

GroundSweeper

longbow62

MuddyMo

TorqueMaster

Elite Member

KingTotsalot

Official Tot Lot King

amc rulz

achaios

metaladdict

Elite Member

Martin_V3i

Elite Member

KingTotsalot

Official Tot Lot King

achaios

MuddyMo

aeds151

Senior Member

Steve

longbow62

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