Why dosen't anyone ship USPS?

[macribas]

The only two times people shipped me basses through USPS, they damaged the cases of the basses. Both were "insured". The first time, since the bass was not affected and the case was not new, I let it slide. The second, it chipped the headstock. I am trying to get the money to repair the neck and a new case. When I took it over to the Post Office, they did not know what to do with, but the rude lady (who could barely communicate) started saying that they don't cover cases, that the guitar was just "scratched", and so forth. Reduced my claim by taking the case cost off, and now they are asking for more documentation. I don't know where this will go, but the experience alone is not worth saving $20-$30. Go FedEx or UPS. Use USPS only for small things, strings, pickups, pedals.

 

[loopee]

2 days.....lucky....I had a cab shipped from CA to Vancouver BC and it took 8 days and the tracking was "useless".....then they call me on Monday 7am to tell me it'll be at my door that day and it shows up Tuesday 5 pm..........and one side of the box was torn off

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

If you are shipping an item that is going by Dimensional weight (Balloon rate), it may weight physically 20lbs, but it could ship as 80lbs by Dimensional weight... At that point, as long as your package weights up to 80lbs, its the same price... so if you know its oversized, you could use paper... but paper compresses so it really is not a good packing material unless it is really really REALLY stuffed in there...

 

[michael_atw]

Yeah , the guitar box was a bit oversized. The newsprint was balled up and stuffed - it did not add any substantial weight. "Extreme example" ? Yes. But still, a 25 lb package shouldn`t cost THAT much. It shipped about 1200 mi. The box itself was around $22, and $13 for the newsprint = rip off; not so much the actual s/h fees, but the packaging. Equally my fault for paying it as theirs for charging it, I know. The bass, OTOH, shipped about 350 mi. - not "down the street", but not cross - country either. UPS wanted $60 to ship it; they too have always quoted me higher prices.

It's not the miles but the zones. It could go 300 miles in the Northeast and cross 3 zones; it can go 800 miles in the west and cross 1. A 25lb package that is very large WILL cost that much. And you added all your extra handling so you can't count that. That made the extreme example unrealistic. I personally wouldn't have wasted $35 on cardboard and paper I can get for free.

Where did you get the quotes done? UPS Store/FedEx office?

 

[Rafael]

Is there a simple explanation somewhere of how you do this?

The USPS's is totally inscrutable.

People who use this claim it's the best, but I haven't been able to get to the bottom of the details.



Yeah, what's that all about?

I didn't think their site was too complicated: Click on "print a shipping label" at the top of their home page and it walks you through it....purchasing postage online is actually a tiny bit cheaper than standing in line....and if you are selling on Ebay it's even easier to print postage online.

 

[staindbass]

usps tracking does not show progress, only when its delivered. (unlike ups and fedex) i am in a PICKLE right now with a bass i bought on our classifieds 2 weeks ago, no one knows, not eVen the post office can tell us where it is -dont do it.

 

[Rafael]

usps tracking does not show progress, only when its delivered. (unlike ups and fedex) i am in a PICKLE right now with a bass i bought on our classifieds 2 weeks ago, no one knows, not eVen the post office can tell us where it is -dont do it.

That conflicts with my experience....I shipped a flat rate box two days ago via USPS and it appears the tracking info is at least as detailed as UPS/FedEx:

Shipping label printed on Jul-06-11
USPS Priority Mail
Shipping cost: $14.20
Delivered, Jul-08-11, 15:39 PM, NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 23606
Out for Delivery, Jul-08-11, 08:59 AM, NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 23606
Sorting Complete, Jul-08-11, 08:49 AM, NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 23606
Arrival at Unit, Jul-08-11, 08:10 AM, NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 23606
Processed through Sort Facility, Jul-07-11, 23:31 PM, NORFOLK, VA, 23501
Electronic Shipping Info Received, Jul-06-11, 00:00 AM

That is at least as much info as I get from the other two, and like I said in an earlier post, I'm confused as to exactly what advantage accurate tracking info is: If the package arrives, it arrives, if not, knowing where in the system the package disappeared doesn't help bring it back!!!

 

[bal704]

I think the operative word is 'appears'. The USPS tracking is not in real time, and there's nobody to call if it disappears. For example, this is the history of some small electronic parts I ordered:

Label/Receipt Number:
Class: First-Class Mail International
Service(s): International Letter
Status: Delivered
Your item was delivered at 11:02 am on May 03, 2011
Enter Label/Receipt Number.
Detailed Results:
Delivered, May 03, 2011, 11:02 am,
Arrival at Unit, May 03, 2011, 5:03 am,

The information about it arriving in the US in mid February is missing. There was nobody at the USPS who knew where the package was. It was 'in transit' for three months. The USPS response? 'Might contact the vendor to see if they know where it's at'.

Contrast that with Fedex or UPS. The info you see on the tracking pages looks the same as USPS, but it's real time (within a few minutes), and the phone support operators have more detailed info that you can't see. They can call the local station and have somebody put hands on your package. I've had it done multiple times with both Fedex and UPS. I've had several boxes get 'misrouted', but both UPS and FEDEX knew where the package was (and that they had screwed up). Good luck getting that service with USPS. I've tried several times, and got nothing but 'sorry'.

 

[Rafael]

I think the operative word is 'appears'. The USPS tracking is not in real time, and there's nobody to call if it disappears.

Contrast that with Fedex or UPS. The info you see on the tracking pages looks the same as USPS, but it's real time (within a few minutes), and the phone support operators have more detailed info that you can't see. They can call the local station and have somebody put hands on your package.

I understand, but again, this assumes they haven't lost the package....if UPS or FedEx loses your package, live operator or no, it's still lost. I'm tracking a shipment right now via UPS:

ARRIVAL SCAN, Jul-06-11, 09:04 AM, SPOKANE
DEPARTURE SCAN, Jun-30-11, 07:02 AM, SECAUCUS
LOCATION SCAN, Jun-29-11, 23:47 PM, SECAUCUS
UNLOAD SCAN, Jun-29-11, 23:35 PM, SECAUCUS
ORIGIN SCAN, Jun-29-11, 21:11 PM, SECAUCUS

And here's one from FedEx:

Departed FedEx location, Jul-06-11, 13:22 PM, ORLANDO, FL, 32809
Arrived at FedEx location, Jul-06-11, 09:56 AM, ORLANDO, FL, 32809
Left FedEx origin facility, Jul-06-11, 02:44 AM, POMPANO BEACH, FL, 33069
Arrived at FedEx location, Jul-06-11, 00:32 AM, POMPANO BEACH, FL, 33069

In both cases while "in transit" i.e. stuffed in a truck somewhere, NOBODY can tell me what is up with my package, no matter the carrier. Today is the 9th and all I know is my package left Florida days ago....if it never arrives, how is this better real time info than USPS? Again, I don't think the tracking info is of much value except for ADD people like me who like to think that watching my package move online is somehow reassuring....the only thing that REALLY counts is delivery record, and honestly all three of the majors [and DHL and the others should be included as well] do amazingly well in taking a package and dropping it off sometimes thousands of miles away for usually nominal charges.

MY main gripe is that I can't get competitive rates from FedEx/UPS without having a commercial account....when _I_ ship a tiny box cross country w/ UPS it costs me over ten bucks but I know when I get one of those three-week-on-a-donkey deliveries from them that my shipper paid way less than $10.....

 

[bal704]

I've never lost a package with Fedex or UPS, but I have with USPS. In the cases where a package was 'lost' with Fedex or UPS, I've had supervisors all over looking for it and eventually finding it. The packages I've lost with USPS, I've never found any body who even pretended to care, much less tried to find it.

If everything goes right, there probably all the same. It's the unexpected problems where Fedex and UPS are better, IMO.

 

[mikeswals]

That conflicts with my experience....I shipped a flat rate box two days ago via USPS and it appears the tracking info is at least as detailed as UPS/FedEx:

That's because it's a different service within the Post Office. Priority and Flat Rate are done through Priority, and offer faster service and better documenting. Whereas Parcel Post is as basic and old skool as can be and offers nothing more than it shows up when it shows up.

 

[mikeswals]

usps tracking does not show progress, only when its delivered. (unlike ups and fedex) i am in a PICKLE right now with a bass i bought on our classifieds 2 weeks ago, no one knows, not eVen the post office can tell us where it is -dont do it.

Johnny, it sounds like your bass is on Parcel Post. It will eventually show up...2-3 weeks pretty typical with that service.
For items that do go missing, The Postal system does have a audit feature they can investigate manifests of what or where a box went, but the item has to be missing for something like at least 30 days.

It was not the USPS fault for my experience, but a Customs office in Argentina kept two basses I sent to a TB'er down there. Their Customs office decided not to hand the basses over to the receiver and lied about sending them back to me. They were gone for like almost 4 months. I finally had to file and phone-in an investigation request with the Post Office...and they showed up back here.

 

[chadds]

I once asked a retired Postal Employee if I should use the Mail or Fedex/UPS. He said, "Do you want it to get there?"

 

[darkstorm]

ship a bass or guitar thru post office? no way. Horrible horrible and no tracking of packages despite any claim they make,

 

[staindbass]

That conflicts with my experience....I shipped a flat rate box two days ago via USPS and it appears the tracking info is at least as detailed as UPS/FedEx:

Shipping label printed on Jul-06-11
USPS Priority Mail
Shipping cost: $14.20
Delivered, Jul-08-11, 15:39 PM, NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 23606
Out for Delivery, Jul-08-11, 08:59 AM, NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 23606
Sorting Complete, Jul-08-11, 08:49 AM, NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 23606
Arrival at Unit, Jul-08-11, 08:10 AM, NEWPORT NEWS, VA, 23606
Processed through Sort Facility, Jul-07-11, 23:31 PM, NORFOLK, VA, 23501
Electronic Shipping Info Received, Jul-06-11, 00:00 AM

That is at least as much info as I get from the other two, and like I said in an earlier post, I'm confused as to exactly what advantage accurate tracking info is: If the package arrives, it arrives, if not, knowing where in the system the package disappeared doesn't help bring it back!!!

i used to get that kind of info, but about 6-8 months ago it just stopped showing up, and only says when its delivered. must be because i am in massachusetts lol. the post office people have no answer, i asked them why it stopped .

 

[staindbass]

Johnny, it sounds like your bass is on Parcel Post. It will eventually show up...2-3 weeks pretty typical with that service.
For items that do go missing, The Postal system does have a audit feature they can investigate manifests of what or where a box went, but the item has to be missing for something like at least 30 days.

It was not the USPS fault for my experience, but a Customs office in Argentina kept two basses I sent to a TB'er down there. Their Customs office decided not to hand the basses over to the receiver and lied about sending them back to me. They were gone for like almost 4 months. I finally had to file and phone-in an investigation request with the Post Office...and they showed up back here.

thank you, i appreciate that info. maybe its only parcel post. i should have checked how they were going to mail it first...

 

[Freddels]

Johnny, it sounds like your bass is on Parcel Post. It will eventually show up...2-3 weeks pretty typical with that service.
For items that do go missing, The Postal system does have a audit feature they can investigate manifests of what or where a box went, but the item has to be missing for something like at least 30 days..

. . . there's always the story of the USPS finding a piece of mail from WWII that was never delivered.

 

[fourstringdrums]

. . . there's always the story of the USPS finding a piece of mail from WWII that was never delivered.

thats the only reason mint condition fenders exist. They've been in transit for 50 years

 

[pnut166]

It's not the miles but the zones. It could go 300 miles in the Northeast and cross 3 zones; it can go 800 miles in the west and cross 1. A 25lb package that is very large WILL cost that much. And you added all your extra handling so you can't count that. That made the extreme example unrealistic. I personally wouldn't have wasted $35 on cardboard and paper I can get for free.

Where did you get the quotes done? UPS Store/FedEx office?

In the store. And the only reason I paid that ridiculous amt for the supplies was I had to get it out that day, and had already been several places looking for stuff. The UPS Store has quoted me several insane prices in the store; I`ve never shipped with them. Once, they told me they didn`t sell supplies, but that they would pack a bass for me...for $60. Another $60 - $70 to ship it.

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

usps tracking does not show progress, only when its delivered. (unlike ups and fedex) i am in a PICKLE right now with a bass i bought on our classifieds 2 weeks ago, no one knows, not eVen the post office can tell us where it is -dont do it.

It SHOULD show when it was dropped off at the post office, if the seller had them scan the package...