Literally EVERY time I buy a bass online.

[dangevans]

There have been a lot of cases around here where USPS will accidentally deliver a package to another address, and the people opening the package even though they know it is not theirs. Once you call the post office and claim how it didn't show up although tracking says it is delivered, they will try to find what house they actually dropped it off at.
Whether the people at the wrong address return it to the postal carrier or not depends on if they want to keep what was in it or not. People are truly lacking character these days.

 

[Zooberwerx]

USPS dropped a package on the front door at an address that was my last name. People there claimed they dint no nuttin about it. Ebay sent me another for free.

Local building supply co. did a roof-top delivery of 33 "squares" in my absence / while at work. Belonged to my neighbor across the street. Only off by one digit…close enough.

Riis

 

[iiipopes]

Fun fact about international shipping, it often goes directly to the airport closest to you. In your case that means straight from Japan to Chicago, meaning 2-day shipping. I wonder if it's to help with speeding through customs, but either way it's awesome.

Another fun fact: It appears that Japan has resumed "parcels," but not "small packets" delivery to the USA (which I take to mean roughly similar to padded envelopes for smaller items). In other words, you still pay your money and take your chances.

 

[Killing Floor]

Tracking a package is like skateboarding in a yoga studio. Unnecessary stress.

 

[timsgeekery]

According to UPS, my new bass shows up tomorrow between 12:00 and 3:00.

But I know better.

I'll be refreshing all day today, as I was yesterday, and I will be tomorrow, and I know I'll watch the UPS truck on their website GPS tracking map pass from east of my house to west of my house - on the boulevard my house is 100 yards from - and then from west to east of my house, and back and forth about 5 times, before the driver actually shows up at around 5:00.

And each time the truck gets close I know I'll be all anxious, and then frustrated as I watch it drive away.

Sigh.

 

[TyBo]

Where I live, there are three streets/roads/whatever in the area that have similar names. Every other package (and I keep the tracking printouts to prove it so I can complain to the post office) gets mis-delivered, and the mail carrier has to pick it up and redeliver it to me, anywhere from a day to a week late. It also happens, fortunately less frequently, that the regional sorting center throws the package in the wrong bin and the wrong truck takes it elsewhere, just to have to be returned, anywhere from a day to a week late. And I understand COVID, but I actually had one package from a third party common carrier delayed a day because they couldn't find anybody to drive the delivery truck. Now that last one I understand. The rest are my tax dollars at work. I have noticed that since Congress and the Administration put DeJoy back in line that these incidents seem to be less than before.

I don't want to get deep into politics on this ... but Dejoy's thing is basically about cutting services, not improving them (just search "Dejoy cutting services" , or something to that effect). If deliveries have improved lately, that's likely something happening on the local level. Not looking to debate this, just presenting an alternate view. I'm on board with the general thrust in this thread, that deliveries, and tracking, can be, uh, interesting.

 

[Shepsdad]

tracking a package mailed from Thomann in Germany was....interesting. We can't complain too much, I guess, when I was a kid, everything was "allow 6-8 weeks for delivery".

Yeah, it's kinda exciting when ordering from them, you never really know how it's gonna go. I will say that Thomann themselves have always put the package in the system very fast. I've had deliveries from them arrive in just a shade over 48 hours, with apparently very accurate notifications of the status, and other times, not a peep from the shipping company before the package is at my door.

I had one guitar trapped in customs somewhere in New Jersey for 11 days, pretty much figured I'd never see it, then out of the blue a fed ex truck shows up with it!

 

[mrjim123]

"Six stops away." Yes, yes, yes!

 

[iiipopes]

I don't want to get deep into politics on this ... but Dejoy's thing is basically about cutting services, not improving them (just search "Dejoy cutting services" , or something to that effect). If deliveries have improved lately, that's likely something happening on the local level. Not looking to debate this, just presenting an alternate view. I'm on board with the general thrust in this thread, that deliveries, and tracking, can be, uh, interesting.

Yes. And when you stop the cutting, at least services don't get any worse, because staffing and equipment appropriations are not cut any more, and when you chew out the local postmaster as many times as I have over the last year, and remind them that my tax dollars pay their salary, it gives incentive for them to actually train their carriers about what street is where. But it still starts with stopping the top with senior management improperly cutting everything. Remember the big news story was that DeJoy actually trashed some postal sorting machines for salvage value, and wasn't going to let any local post offices hire temps to process holiday mail.

One incident after a package went around the local and regional merry-go-round several days late I called the postmaster and complained. He said yes, the package finally arrived and was actually in his hand, but it was after hours and he did not have the authority to keep any of the carriers on overtime to re-deliver it. I reminded him he was an exempt from wage-hour supervisor, that my tax dollars paid his salary, and since he had it in his hand, I expected him to drive out personally on his own time to deliver it that evening. He did. With a storm coming. He got drenched. But it did get delivered.

Another time when I complained the postmaster actually saw where the package had either been laid aside and not delivered because the carrier didn't know where the address actually was, or whatever, and would never been found had I not kept the postmaster on the phone until she couldn't get the rest of her work done, so she took time to actually look in all the niches around the local post office to find it.

So I actually have been able get some action locally.

 

[rojo412]

This is me with EVERY trackable package (that I am excited to see).

UPS used to have a feature where they showed the truck on a map, LIVE, so you could see where it was in relation. I'd see it near my area at 10:30 am and get all stoked. I'm looking out the window like when I ask the dog "who's here?!?!" every 2 minutes.
One time, I watched that truck for at least 5 hours, checking frequently, seeing it circle the general area, taking its sweet-arse time. I was getting rather irate. For a solid half hour, it was in the same place (likely on lunch) and I was ready to drive over there and start following the guy. Thankfully, I stopped short of that.

The package eventually came and all was well, but I really don't need THAT kind of stress in my life. I may want to see it, but I don't need it.
The text alert for "package delivered" is pretty much all I need. I'm glad they all do that.

Although one thing worth mentioning too, and maybe this is an iPhone thing or something: I would have something showing progress, then click on it on the phone and it comes up "DELIVERED." I check the porch, NOTHING. I start freaking out. Drive myself nuts for a long time, then check again and see that it was a DIFFERENT TRACKING NUMBER. It linked to a previous package, for some reason.
Correct the number, back on track, but damn Apple, I don't need THAT stress either.

Oh, and one more thing, I promise: Recently, I had something come up "DELIVERED" and check the porch, nothing. Check the numbers this time, it's legit. Dig deeper and find that it was delivered an hour from here and I panic. But the address and all that is fine, so I'm really confused. I start to write an email to the sender, when I hear a guy on the porch and there's the package.
WHY?
Well, they started delivering to carrier hubs for some reason (Amazon maybe?) and the package gets sent out from that location (as it were, an hour from here) on a much smaller truck. So it gets here, but the "DELIVERED" message is incorrect.
Just something to keep an eye out for.

 

[Danny O Danny]

The worst for me was "Out for Delivery" for five days straight. That meant it was here, in my city, either at their facility or on a truck. Just let me just come get it! The explanation I eventually got was that this happened because the regular UPS driver for this area was on vacation.

 

[1st Bass]

Yeah, all of that can be a headache. I had a 5-string fiddle I shipped to Canada, and it waltzed all over from province to province. Finally the customer got a text saying it had been delivered… in a different province.
I was sure I had lost the instrument, but she called them, and it turned out it was actually at the distribution point in her town. She drove there and picked it up, but that was pretty stressful. In the long run, however, it arrived undamaged, and she is still thrilled with it, so… all is well.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

My Thomann package took about two weeks from Germany, but that was at the height of Covid, so I didn't expect much different. It arrived damaged via UPS (looked like somebody jabbed it with a poleaxe), and to their credit, Thomann shipped me a new one immediately, and I kept the second lightly damaged item gratis. Nothing bad to say about Thomann. I have a distinct memory of ordering a Lost in Space Jupiter 8 model out of the back of a comic book and it taking "8-12" weeks. Took so long I literally forgot I ordered it, 12 weeks being a vast stretch of time to a 10 year old kid. Does Third Class Mail still even exist? Amazon seems to be back to around 48 hour delivery time, after that brief Cataclsymic Covid Episode when it took up to FOUR DAYS to receive my Turnip Twaddler, or whatever the hell else I blew some coin on.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

"What the heck are they doing in Hodgkins, Illinois?!"

 

[ThudThudThud]

tracking a package mailed from Thomann in Germany was....interesting. We can't complain too much, I guess, when I was a kid, everything was "allow 6-8 weeks for delivery".

In my industry "6-8 weeks" was something nobody liked saying (but had to) three years ago. 4-6 was the norm.
Today we have products out to second quarter 2023 and beyond.

 

[C Stone]

I don't bother looking at tracking, I just never really have. One time ordered a P bass body and forgot. It was a really nice surprise!

 

[singlemalt]

Waiting around for the brown truck because my package is "out for delivery".

Brown truck goes by, goes by again….hit refresh and nice!!!!my package is delivered. Except it ain't. Stroll around the block and find it outside in a neighbor's carport. Same house number, different street. I get his car parts and drum stuff, he got my Dingwall Super J 5.

At least the driver always has biscuits for the dogs.

 

[2cooltoolz]

This is just a fancy drill bit I'm waiting for, BUT!

Shipped with USPS
Tracking ID: 9400111108296762840746
Wednesday, August 10
4:04 PM
Package arrived at a carrier facility.
Montgomery, TX US
1:32 PM
Package left the carrier facility.
North Houston Tx Distribution Center, US
10:35 AM
Package arrived at a carrier facility.
North Houston Tx Distribution Center, US
Monday, August 8
4:53 PM
Package left the carrier facility.
Fresno Ca Distribution Center, US
Sunday, August 7
10:16 AM
Package arrived at a carrier facility.
Fresno Ca Distribution Center, US
Thursday, August 4
8:35 AM
Package arrived at a carrier facility.
Onalaska, TX US
7:57 AM
Package arrived at a carrier facility.
7:35 AM
Package arrived at a carrier facility.
Montgomery, TX US
6:25 AM
Package left the carrier facility.
North Houston Tx Distribution Center, US
2:58 AM
Package arrived at a carrier facility.
North Houston Tx Distribution Center, US
Wednesday, August 3
2:23 AM
Package left the carrier facility.
Boise Id Distribution Center, US
Tuesday, August 2
Carrier picked up the package.

 

[No Malarky]

My one time experience was near perfect. I bought and arranged the delivery of a 'Fender of Japan' (new and shipped from Japan) Jazz Bass model "JB 62 Walnut" with the "Smoke Black Hardware". I fretted (no pun intented) like an expectant Hen waiting for the egg to hatch. It did not take long.

In under 3 weeks a rather large and oblong package arrived. I was as giddy as a 10 year old boy with his first BB gun. I was thrilled, yet wary.

As I gingerly cut open this long traveled thing, I ran in to handwritten notes declaring "Thanks for your order" and "Please play in Complete Joy". Included were clearly hand made Origami (Orizuru) Paper Cranes. A really nice touch!

In the end, this Bass was near perfect. No dead spots. No fret issues. No electronic issues. It has and still does play like a dream with only the minor yearly adjustments.

I play this Bass in Complete Joy.

 

[Nakoatron]

One time ups gave a live update of the truck on a map and I drove clear across town found the driver and got my package hahaha