Do not use USPS.

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doctorhumbert

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That's right. As of today I am no longer using Postal service and switching to Fedex. Here example of a service provided by USPS.

-Mailed M.O. for stuff I bought on E-bay. Took them 10 'business' days to deliver my priority mail. E-bay seller gave me negative feedback, after waiting a week.

-Gentleman mailed a M.O. to me for AR15 part I sold. It took him 6 business days for priority mail delivery.

-I mailed $1000 M.O. for HK rifle parts buyer returned. Took 10 business days for priority mail. Buyer thought I was commiting a fraud and threatned to sue me in mean while.

All these happened in last 2 weeks period. After X-mas rush was beginning to be over.
None of these mails were traceable, and none of the postal workers were able to help me, other than making such comments as:
"There is nothing we can do."
"It is not traceable."
"We really don't know what happened."
" I just work here."

I suggest everyone that if you are mailing anything of importance (such as payment for firearm purchase). I suggest you use Fedex or UPS. As USPS has no gurantee, service, nor tracking ability.
 
I'd say shame on you and the others for not purchasing the tracking ability and insurance for your payments. Yes, the USPS has tracking ability. I will agree on the customer issue, but what do you expect from a government-run entity? :rolleyes:

And the Christmas rush doesn't end December 26. Volume is still up well into January. Feel free never to use USPS again, but I don't think they can bear all the blame here.

Oh, guess I should add that I don't use the USPS for those kinds of things anyway precisely because I don't think they can do as good a job as FedEx or another private carrier.
 
PCRCCW sent me some holster parts before Christmas ... they have not arrived.

I was just going to give up and have him send me more, but maybe I should wait a week just in case.


Tax dollars at work ... sheesh :rolleyes:

Maybe the problem is Priority Mail

A few years ago we sent a friend in California a package and a Christmas card ... the package was sent 3rd class and the card regular 1st class

The package got there 2 days before the card.
 
Not tax dollars at work - USPS is self sufficient - does not receive tax subsidy. If you want overnight mail and tracking pay extra for it. Don't blame the USPS.

I use FEDEX.

JM
 
If you want overnight mail and tracking pay extra for it. Don't blame the USPS.
Click to expand...
How would this be a my fault then?
It clear says USPS Priority mail delivery 2-3 days. They should say that it 'might' take up to 6-10 days, so I can use something else. When it says 2-3 days, it should take 2-3 days. UPS hires extra workers during holiday so their packages get there on time. This is unethical for USPS to deceive customers in this way. If they are going to delay 3 out 5 of my mails for 6-10 days, Put up a damn delay notice sign so poor customers can use something (or someone) else.

As for tracking, it is a waste of money, because when you track it all it tells you is that they have received the mail/package, and the delivery confirmation when the receiver receives it. So during those 10 days of delivery time (12days total excluding weekends) all I knew was that they've processed the mail, but no one knows where it is nor whether it is lost or not until it is delivered.
 
On a similar topic about the USPS; I filled out my application for IDPA yesterday and on the application it states that for the shipping address you cannot use a PO box because IDPA does not use the USPS. I wonder why. Wonder if it has something to do with anything firearms related and they have been hassled in the past.

GT
 
Demand a refund from the post office. The are selling a service but not providing what they offer.
 
I use USPS Priority over UPS and the others all the time. I've never had any trouble with them. Things rarley take more than two days and if they do its three. I use delivery conformation and insure everything I ship and if you punch it in on the tack page on their web site, it emails you when it gets there. Priority is about half the cost of standard UPS ground and gets there twice as fast.
 
I've caught my mailman scanning Priority Mail packages as "delivered" and then hauling them around in his truck for a week. He didn't know we could access the tracking information on line. I called the head of the station and told him my package was shown as "delivered" two days ago and I had not received it. He said I just hadn't seen it (?) That night about six hours after the mail had been delivered that day, I hear the clank of the mailbox lid droppping and look out the window to see the mailman running like Jesse Owens for his truck making a fast getaway. The package that had been "delivered days ago" that I "hadn't seen" was now mysteriously in my mailbox......

FWIW: his personal best (or worst) is about two weeks for a priority mail package.
 
Well, the only thing I can comment on is eBay's rules very specifically state (or at least they used to) to wait 30 days before leaving negative feedback... regardless of what an auction says so the seller leaving you negative feedback after 7 days is a violation.
 
The catch to priority mail is that it is not guaranteed for 2-3day delivery. Commonly, for me it will take a week. So no refunds. I will not ship priority mail unless time does not matter.

MFH
 
It's after 3 days you can request a second notification to be sent to the buyer. Then after 7 day's you can file a NPB (non-pay bidder) complaint. Only after you file the NPB complaint, you must wait 10 days to ask for an Ebay credit. This is the time for leaving all feedback.

As to USPS. I have used them for all my ebay deliveries for 3 years now (except golf clubs) and have had only 1 (one) package lost out of over 1,000. IMHO, UPS is the pits.:barf:
 
USPS is self sufficient - does not receive tax subsidy
Click to expand...
I'd like to see the evidence for that. I'm not aware of a single government monopoly corporation that covers its costs.

(In the mean time I'll try to dig up some numbers myself.)

For my part, I sent an FFL and a $400 money order by 2-day Priority Mail, and they arrived in 8 days.

Edit:
Well, that was quick. The USPS is, in fact, nominally non-subsidized according to this: http://www.usps.com/communications/news/press/2003/pr03_033.pdf
However, since they suffer perpetual declining sales and price non-economically I find it hard to believe that they turn a profit or even break even, which leaves the question of what makes up the shortfall...
 
No problems with Priority Delivery...

Hmm, really odd. We run a small business and ship 10-30 packages a day, 90% of which go via Priority Mail. They go all over the country and most are delivered in 2-3 days. We switched from UPS for several reasons including faster delivery, lower price and better reliability.

I don't doubt you guys are having the problems, I just wonder if the problem isn't with certain post offices rather than the system, because we rarely have encountered a problem in the last 3-4 years.
Interesting.
 
I believe it's the system. All 3 mails that were delayed (6-10days) within those two weeks are from three different states.
 
This is a prime example of why you should always get a tracking number. Every transaction that I have made online with a trade or sale I have spent an extra dollar or two for a tracking number. This will reasonably cover you. Get the tracking number and track it yourself online.

The holiday season and the aftermath can create for long waits.
 
Send a firearm on the Dec. 22. It arrived across state lines by 10:30 the next day as it was promised - Fed Ex.
I'm using Fed Ex for the above reason n I just watched "Cast Away" again;)

Nik
 
i work for the post office as a letter carrier, and i can tell you it is crazy the whole month of december, and into january. some routes get 40 or 50 parcels to deliver every day, along with 15 - 20 certifieds, and maybe a couple express mails thrown in. then the supervisor says to make 8 hours. if you want to track it pay the $4.42 and send it certified with a return reciept. or if really imortant, send it registered. cant remember how much that costs, but its around $10.00. everybody that touches it has to sign for it. its a very big deal if sombody messes up one of them. you hear bad things about all the carriers, ie fedex,ups,usps, etc. a lot of it depends on the individual person delivering it. some people give a ????, and some dont. thats what it boils down to..
 
The USPS does not have offer a "Tracking Number" all they have is a delivery confirmation service. It will not tell you where your item is or when it will arrive. All it will tell you is if it has arrived!!!!

That is why FedEX and UPS are so nice. I just wish they would ship 16 ounces for $3.85.
 
you are correct about the tracking...the usps is behind on that. look for it in the near future, though. in general, usps is the cheapest and most reliable deliver. i do use ups for the big parcels cause they are cheaper..
 
I remember some years ago, after the first year of what was the then new 'Priority Mail' service offered by the USPS, they held a press conference to brag about their success rate.
They claimed a better than 80% success rate for delivery within the claimed 2-3 days.
FedEx quickly picked up on that, of course, claiming if they had that same "success" rate, they'd go out of business.
The USPS claims disappeared shortly thereafter.
IIRC, FedEx's success rate was around 96% or better at that time.
 
I sold a golf club to a fellow in California (I am in Michigan) who wanted it overnighted. I went into Mail Boxes Inc. to ship it and the charge was 105.00. After coming home that night, I emailed the gut and told him it was cost prohibitive, that I would ship it express. On the way home from work the following day, I stoped at UPS to ship it. While there, I asked why it was so expensive to ship it overnight to Calif. He checked on the price and told me that it would be 30.00 to overnight it, and that Mailboxes Inc, is a private franchise who set their own pricing. I havn't been back since the were bought out by UPS and change the name to the UPS Store.

Does anyone know the pricing structure at Kinko's since they were bought by Fedex ? Is it the same as a Fedex counter or is thre a hugh mark-up ?
 
I will not ship priority mail unless time does not matter.
Click to expand...
Same here. If its got to be there, I usually use Westen Union for smaller amounts, if its more than $100 it usually goes on the card (for a business) or cash if in person. I dont buy very much from ppl online, and the few times I have they were patient and in no real hurry for the money. Hell, a guy at the corral held a 79 Mustang non-AC Mustang heaterbox for two weeks waiting on my M.O., and I waited about two weeks on the part, shipped USPS Priority Mail. I didnt mind, I wasnt in a hurry. If I was I would have requested UPD or FedEx.

It would be nice if the dumb???? that does my route would quit putting my bills in the wrong box though. Kinda sucks to find out your insurance lapsed from one of NC's finest...
 
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