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Preferred Carrier
- Thread starter lowendblues
- Start date
likely depends on where you are and where you're shipping to/from. In my experience, all 3 of the big US carriers, USPS, UPS, and FedEx, all have their moments, both good and really really bad. I can't say whether any one of them does any better a job overall than any other, but it has been noted several times here that USPS parcel tracking is particularly lame. For example, my recent Sire V7 order from Thomann.de was reported as "held in customs" from the time it arrived in the US until about half an hour after it had been delivered, at which point I got a huge flood of pending status update emails for all of the transitions between US customs and my doorstep. Unimpressive. But it got here ok, which I care about a wee bit more.
ANYONE but USPS.
For some reason my shipping address (same as my mailing address) is "invalid" and they can't deliver anything to me (no guitars, no pedals, no inflatable fun). So USPS fails to deliver everything EXCEPT the mail, which arrives with annoying frequency, esp. that crap from my ex's attorney, but I think it's got GPS on it and finds me wherever I am. FML.
THANKS USPS!
For some reason my shipping address (same as my mailing address) is "invalid" and they can't deliver anything to me (no guitars, no pedals, no inflatable fun). So USPS fails to deliver everything EXCEPT the mail, which arrives with annoying frequency, esp. that crap from my ex's attorney, but I think it's got GPS on it and finds me wherever I am. FML.
THANKS USPS!
When buying basses from the U.S. (I am in Canada), BY FAR the best choice is USPS/Canada Post.
If I sell an expensive bass in the US , I use insured UPS as they do a great job packaging.
If I sell an expensive bass in the US , I use insured UPS as they do a great job packaging.
Except the "as mentioned" was about USPS, not UPS. I've noted some very suspicious behavior on the part of UPS, though - for example, in my "haunted bass" story, the seller was told by someone at UPS that they should ship the bass and the case separately, rather than with the bass inside the case.
:***:
Makes no sense, until you realize "their way" increases profits for UPS.
I go with the lesser of three evils, which has been UPS for me. Least amount of damaged, lost, stolen packages. Same price as the others, provided I go to a UPS Customer Service Center. UPS "stores" are much more expensive.
Next up, FedEx. Not too bad, easy to deal with if things go wrong. Decent tracking, even tho packages often arrive a day early. Same cost as UPS, but FedEx recently closed their Customer Service Center in my area, so....
Never USPS. Not ever. In fact, I don't even want a large package delivered to me by USPS, and have declined buying stuff if the seller uses them as their carrier. They are the absolute worst at handling, tracking, and losing packages. Plus, if a damage claim is required, the USPS red tape and their general incompetence can be extremely frustrating....and the claim process can be looooong and drawn out.
That said, it all depends on how the carriers in your area perform.
Next up, FedEx. Not too bad, easy to deal with if things go wrong. Decent tracking, even tho packages often arrive a day early. Same cost as UPS, but FedEx recently closed their Customer Service Center in my area, so....
Never USPS. Not ever. In fact, I don't even want a large package delivered to me by USPS, and have declined buying stuff if the seller uses them as their carrier. They are the absolute worst at handling, tracking, and losing packages. Plus, if a damage claim is required, the USPS red tape and their general incompetence can be extremely frustrating....and the claim process can be looooong and drawn out.
That said, it all depends on how the carriers in your area perform.
Large items UPS.I can take delivery at work.Plus I know when the time they come around.Small. USPS.They go in the mailbox.Never the other way around.USPS and FedEx will leave large items on my door step.
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FedEx. Opening an online account saves some money as well.
USPS is laughable. Nonexistent tracking, poor customer service and inconvenient hours = no thank you unless shipping across border. Tracking remains terrible but they do not charge obscene brokerage fees.
UPS has been the only carrier to damage items on me. Several cases and a cab were dropped causing damage (boxes crumpled on bottom from impact) and good luck getting your money or anything out of them.
USPS is laughable. Nonexistent tracking, poor customer service and inconvenient hours = no thank you unless shipping across border. Tracking remains terrible but they do not charge obscene brokerage fees.
UPS has been the only carrier to damage items on me. Several cases and a cab were dropped causing damage (boxes crumpled on bottom from impact) and good luck getting your money or anything out of them.
The reason I'm asking is I dropped a bass off at my local UPS store on Saturday at 10:00 am, and it didn't leave the store until Monday night at about 10:30 pm. This seems a bit "slacking" in my book.
mark beem
Wait, how does this song start again??
+1000
USPS/Canada Post ONLY, IMO/IME. FedEx is bad, UPS is criminal.
If I'm buying something from the US, be it a pedal or a bass, and the person wants to ship in any way other than USPS, its a deal killer for me.
For me it's anything that will actually get what I ordered to me, usually UPS. I currently live in a country-ish area outside of a city, if I order anything through USPS I have to use the "locally known" address, which is not at all my actual address and isn't recognized by any carrier but my local post office. With any carrier other than USPS I have to use the actual GPS recognized address, but even still, whoever is shipping the item often finds a way to screw that up. I have to find out exactly who will be delivering or else I will 100% encounter issues, it makes for a lot of frustration when I order something from ebay because I have to explain all that to the seller, which to me is pretty straight forward, but sometimes they change their mind about which carrier the are going to use after I've already given them the correct address, thus leading to issues.
So all that aside I'd say UPS is my first choice, USPS my second, as long as I'm 100% about which carrier is actually sending it so I can use the correct address. I've never had Fed Ex send me anything, nor even had the option for them to be the carrier, but in my time working in a wear house I found them to be the least accommodating carrier.
So all that aside I'd say UPS is my first choice, USPS my second, as long as I'm 100% about which carrier is actually sending it so I can use the correct address. I've never had Fed Ex send me anything, nor even had the option for them to be the carrier, but in my time working in a wear house I found them to be the least accommodating carrier.
I actually received a package from UPS yesterday before noon, but sometimes things "sit", it's hard to say for certain why since we're not there to monitor what's actually happening. I think sometimes packages get passed over because they are still technically on schedule to be delivered by a certain date, even though they possibly could have been shipped ahead of schedule.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
UPS can break anything, and then they don't honor the insurance. I would rather walk across the continent carrying a bowling ball with my teeth than ship by UPS ever again.
Fedex on my own account. You can print labels at home and just drop them off at any fedex location. Prices are good for USA and Ive never had a problem. UPS has damaged multiple items ive shipped (and is more expensive than fedex) and USPS is just a ridiculous hassle.
