USPS is messed up!!!

[Bee-Positive]

As for the ten days it took to get to you….. if you think about it…those are the days of heavy, ice, snow, and blocked roads and grounded flights…. yet they STILL got it to you in only 10 days.

It was ordered before the current bad weather hit us. I guess the part that gets me is it was at my local post office on the 29th and they sent out for another 3 day ride. Just doesn't instill a great deal of confidence in the system. I am happy to have it finally.

 

[Scm]

I rarely have issues with the USPS, but Amazon "prime" became so bad we just cancelled the account. I gave very detailed instructions, GPS cords. and even offered to meet them on the road to show then our place. Amazon just could not get anything here, by far the worst delivery service.

 

[InTheWoods]

One bad anecdote doesn't make a very strong case against USPS.

I run an eBay business. Last year I shipped 635 items by USPS ground.

• They lost 2 out of those 635 and one of those eventually found its way back to me.
• My 'late delivery' rate is under 0.5%.

So, they're not perfect, but not bad either.

 

[jyoutz]

In my experience, USPS is far more timely and reliable than FedEx. FedEx seldom delivers my packages to my address, always to another location. I don’t have trouble with USPS or UPS, just FedEx.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

In order to get an efficient distribution system all courier companies seem to have centralised hubs where everything is sent to and then shipped out from there. Therefore the long travel distances, even if you send something to your neighbour. Normally fairly fast this system can lead to long delays with bad weather.

If you wanted to shorten the distances you would end up with thousands of shipment paths between all kinds of destinations which is impossible to handle at a realistic cost.

 

[JimDeL]

For 42-cents ….you CARE HOW IT’S ROUTED..??

You COULD have sent her an email….OR ….if you wanted it delivered more-direct…you could PAY for that delivery-service…. but you only spent 42-cents….and You Got a BARGAIN for that price.

Of course, you also could have driven across town yourself…but that also would have cost considerably more than 42-cents..

Yeah, I could've sent it differently, but...whatever...

BTW, it's been a while since you mailed a letter. It hasn't been 42¢ for about the past ten years. I think it's about 80¢ now.

With the less-than-great service, higher cost, and lately the risk of having it lost or stolen, I haven't mailed anything unless I can't do it online.

 

[GeoHorn]

Yeah, I could've sent it differently, but...whatever...

BTW, it's been a while since you mailed a letter. It hasn't been 42¢ for about the past ten years. I think it's about 80¢ now.

With the less-than-great service, higher cost, and lately the risk of having it lost or stolen, I haven't mailed anything unless I can't do it online.

Yes, it’s 78-cents for 3-oz of First Class postage. (My 42-cent postage comment was based upon the large number of “Forever” stamps my penny-pincher-wife bought a couple years ago. I guess if I gave it more thought…..I’d realize her postage-stamp-investments have outperformed Berkshire-Hathaway)

@jyoutz : AGREE! Fed-Ex is the WORST! I live rural. Fed-Ex is likely to toss Negotiable-Instruments over-the-fence and on the ground a mile-away…. than follow the Explicit Delivery Instuct’s that are Printed On the Envelope such as “1234 Street, Turn Left at Wooden Trash Receptacle, GATE CODE 1234, House is 1/4 mile on the Right” …(. and is the ONLY BUILDING IN VIEW ON THE HORIZON!)

I get a “Delivery Notice” with a picture of the pkg sitting in the ditch somewhere….and it’s an UN-recognizable location. Even an INSURED PKG… ask Fed-Ex for “proof of delivery” and they will re-send the pic of the pkg sitting in a ditch somewhere and THAT is their “proof”. NO POSSIBILITY of any insurance settlement.

UPS …ALWAYS gets the pkg to my door. Prime usually does, as well. USPS has performed flowlessly for 30+ years out here.

BUT BEWARE: Insurance on a pkg does NOT protect YOU. It protects the SHIPPER.
I once bought a dozen rare airplane parts from a Canadian seller and I paid extra for insurance.
The shipper packaged them poorly in a brown paper bag…and I received an empty torn paper bag.
When I filed for the insurance…. they PAID THE SHIPPER. That JERK not only cheaped-out on his packaging…. He GOT PAID TWICE for the items… Once from ME and again FROM INSURANCE.
I got nothing but a torn paper bag.