Problems with USPS Priority Mail
Graham
Living near Jacksonville Beach, FL. "I like photographers, you don't ask questions." Ronald Reagan to White House Press Photogs
http://www.ancientcityphotography.com/>
Visit my Nikonians gallery.
-
#1. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
mklass Nikonian since 08th Dec 2006Sat 28-Dec-13 12:08 PMSorry to hear about your problems, Graham. I have only ever had one Priority Mail package ever go amiss, and it finally showed up at the receiver's about 3 weeks late.
Both FedEx and UPS use the Post Office for local pickup and delivery on their hybrid mail services. I do believe USPS uses FedEx to move their longer distance Priority Mail and Express Mail packages. So it's hard to tell where something is sometimes and who has it. With FedEx SmartPost you get no tracking from the time it leaves the sort facility until it is about to be delivered (by USPS). A recent package from B&H showed tracking from NY to Allentown, PA, then nothing until it was dispatched to the local Post Office from the sort facility here in Washington state.
My experience has been worse with UPS than USPS. Many late deliveries over the past 2 years, especially on their premium services. USPS tracking has gotten better, but it is not as up-to-the-minute as FedEx or UPS. Given the cost of Priority Mail and it's 2 day, including Saturday delivery, service, I prefer it to the other options. However, if I am selling, I let the buyer choose.
None of them is perfect, but USPS was more reliable for me this holiday season than the other guys.
Mick
http://www.mickklassphoto.com
or
Visit my nikonians gallery -
#2. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
Hi Graham
I don't know if this will be helpful or not, but I had a very recent experience regarding the USPS' lackluster tracking service. I bought a lens off of a fellow, on another site (that has feedback). His feedback was flawless. I paid him immediately and he stated he shipped the same day. Sent me the tracking info. I expected the lens in 2 days.
4 days later, no tracking info showing up on USPS.com. No emails being returned by the seller. I thought that for the first time in 15 years of doing business online, I had been fleeced.
Happy ending here though. The lens arrived on the 7th day. Ironically the USPS website STILL showed no tracking info. The seller had gone away for a week, which explains the no-contact, and there was never any clue as to the USPS delay, other than perhaps, carelessness on their part.
Hopefully this is the case in your instance. Obviously this is not a banner year for the big 3 delivery services....
Best of luck to you on this.
Tim
prVisit my Nikonians gallery.
Visit my Nikonians gallery.
Visit my Nikonians gallery.
-
#3. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
aolander Nikonian since 15th Sep 2006Sat 28-Dec-13 12:40 PM | edited Sat 28-Dec-13 12:52 PM by aolanderI am not a USPS employee (thank goodness ) so have no reason to defend them, but can you imagine the volume of mail/packages that are handled every day? It's amazing we get anything on time. I use Priority Mail frequently and, except for a couple of times, have had very timely delivery. Next time you're complaining, be thankful we don't still have to rely on the Pony Express.Alan
-
-
#5. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 4
Nikon32250 Nikonian since 16th Mar 2004Sat 28-Dec-13 05:31 PMThe USPS Priority Mail is really good when it works properly. And most of the time it works well. They typically get the package to the destination 2 or 3 days quicker than UPS Ground. But when they screw up they do it royally, and then have little or no interest in resolving the issue. I keep my eye on the tracking from the moment it leaves to the moment it gets delivered.Graham
Living near Jacksonville Beach, FL. "I like photographers, you don't ask questions." Ronald Reagan to White House Press Photogs
http://www.ancientcityphotography.com/>
Visit my Nikonians gallery.
-
#6. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
Alan
Waterloo, IL, USA
www.proimagingmidamerica.com
Visit my Nikonians gallery.
See my portfolio.
#7. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
Soon afterwards, this article appeared. It is extremely likely that my package was one of those stolen.
Eventually, the Post Office paid my insurance claim, but took months.
"There is no real magic in photography, just the sloppy intersection of physics and art." — Kirk Tuck
#8. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
When it did not arrive in a month I filed a claim with eBay and was given a full refund (total was less than $5). Imagine my surprise when the package arrived on December 16th - no damage, legible label, no explanation.
The package sat in Denver for four months. Who knows what happened?
#9. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
#10. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
Using the tracking number, I checked on a package being shipped FedEx. They had two entries on the same day, one stating that the package had been delivered, and one stating that delivery had failed.
The package actually arrived the next day.
It's an imperfect world. Sometimes things go wrong.
Simplify
Cormorants
#11. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
We received a gift card for PetsMart for our dog in the mail. It had been sliced open cleanly (absolutely NOT a rip) and whoever did this noticed the gift card was only for a dog supply place...promptly put the card back in the envelope and delivered it to us, with the slice still in the envelope !!
The USPS seems to be loaded with a criminal element these days. Not sure why. Obviously there are many honest folks there too, but they seem ambivalent that the bad apples are continuing to hurt their reputation.
My stuff goes another way now....I'll never use them for my photo business again.
-
#12. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 11
mklass Nikonian since 08th Dec 2006Mon 30-Dec-13 01:32 PMI wouldn't generalize so much. I've shipped gift cards and packages via USPS with no problems and accurate (but not up-to-the-minute) reporting.
Saying that USPS is loaded with a criminal element is painting with a pretty broad brush. I can think of other organizations where that might be more accurate, but I still would not taint a whole organization due to your bad experiences. Would it be fair of me to say the the problem is that the area where you live has a large criminal element and that USPS there is just representative of it? Of course not!
I shipped a package on Saturday from Washington State via USPS Priority to a Nikonian that bought something off me on Friday night. It cost $5.15 to ship. It is being delivered today in New Jersey. (Essentially 1 business day to 2 calendar days. I ordered something from B&H Friday night, paid for UPS overnight shipping ($44.37) it shipped Friday and got delivered today. (3 calendar days, 1 business day). This clearly isn't a case of "you pay your money and take your chances".
I'm not denying that some have horror stories about USPS, but I can trade a few about UPS just as easily.
In case anyone is interested, I don't work for USPS not do I have friends or family that do. My opinions are based purely on my experiences. We all have our own luck, good or bad.
However, I think we need to keep our experiences in perspective. And this all has little to do with photography, so perhaps we should not even be discussing this here.
Mick
http://www.mickklassphoto.com
or
Visit my nikonians gallery-
#13. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 12
Nikon32250 Nikonian since 16th Mar 2004Mon 30-Dec-13 03:21 PMInterestingly enough I did receive an email from the USPS today in response to one that I had sent them on Friday through their general website. The person did acknowledge that the package hadn't been scanned once it left here. She asked me for more details and is going to forward it to another department for investigation. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by this quick response.
As I have said, 99% of the time the system works well. The last time I had to write to our US Senator to get any action. At least this time they have responded in a timely fashion.Graham
Living near Jacksonville Beach, FL. "I like photographers, you don't ask questions." Ronald Reagan to White House Press Photogs
http://www.ancientcityphotography.com/>
Visit my Nikonians gallery. -
#14. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 12
PSAGuy Nikonian since 03rd Nov 2008Mon 30-Dec-13 08:34 PMAgree toi a certain point Mick. However it is our inability to want to "offend" some that leads to this. There is a BAD problem in the USPS. In my 60 years on this Earth it has never been so bad.
I was not generalizing....merely pointing out they have a huge problem with petty crimes within the organization. In order for it to stop, we must point a finger and there is no nice or comfortable way to do that. Point we must !-
#16. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 14
mklass Nikonian since 08th Dec 2006Mon 30-Dec-13 10:31 PMWhat is your evidence that is is "BAD" and "huge"? Aside from your own few experiences (few in relation to the huge number of pieces handled daily USPS)? Can you cite some credible statistics on the magnitude of this problem?
This is like someone saying they got a defective camera, so Nikon is totally incompetent. It doesn't hold water.
This has nothing to to with being PC, it has to do with facts and wild accusations against a whole organization?
Mick
http://www.mickklassphoto.com
or
Visit my nikonians gallery
-
-
-
#15. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 12
Nikon32250 Nikonian since 16th Mar 2004Mon 30-Dec-13 08:52 PM | edited Mon 30-Dec-13 10:36 PM by jrp. And this all has little to do with photography,
>so perhaps we should not even be discussing this here.
>
>Mick
>http://www.mickklassphoto.com
>or
>Visit my nikonians gallery
True, but it was a piece of photographic gear that I shipped, and we do have many people who sell here and use of the three main shipping services.
Graham
Living near Jacksonville Beach, FL. "I like photographers, you don't ask questions." Ronald Reagan to White House Press Photogs
http://www.ancientcityphotography.com/>
Visit my Nikonians gallery.
#17. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
-
#18. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 17
Nikon32250 Nikonian since 16th Mar 2004Tue 31-Dec-13 07:06 AMI got some good news this morning in the form of a shipment update indicating that the shipment has arrived in the recipient's home State. Hopefully it will get delivered on Thursday or Friday.Graham
Living near Jacksonville Beach, FL. "I like photographers, you don't ask questions." Ronald Reagan to White House Press Photogs
http://www.ancientcityphotography.com/>
Visit my Nikonians gallery.-
#19. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 18
Graham,
Good News!!!
I've been waiting to see how your experience was resolved. On Dec 19, I ordered a small item that was to be shipped USPS Priority and was to be delivered on Dec 23. It was a small part so nothing to do with our holiday celebrations, so it fell off my radar for a few days.
When I checked, it had been checked in and out of the routing facilities in Forest Park, IL - a regional processing station for my area. The next place that showed an arrival scan was Madison, WI - that's the opposite direction. It sat in Madison (I think) for a week and this morning there was a departure scan for Madison and an arrival scan for Forest Park and another departure scan from Forest Park, IL.
So now I'm waiting to see what's next!!
I may be have just discovered a new "pong portal" in the USPS feature set.
It's good you get to celebrate New Year's with one less angst on your plate.-
#20. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 19
longlens Charter MemberTue 31-Dec-13 01:59 PMI have a good friend who has worked for the Postal Service ( now senior supervisor) for 24 years, who told me recently that the USPS funds a training program ( no charge to participants)for the USPS employment examination. Even after the training program, some applicants fail the test, but many of the new employees have a very different work ethic from the past and almost all of the postal thefts and mishandled mail is by the these people. Management and the Postal Inspectors know this, but politics ( congressional approval !!) does not permit policy changes. My friend now ships HIS packages by UPS.Stan
-
#26. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 19
Arrived Jan 2. Turns out it was only a one-volley pong. IL - WI - IL - me. Who knows why it sat in Madison for a week.
-
-
-
#22. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 21
DerekTV85 Registered since 12th Feb 2012Tue 31-Dec-13 11:17 PMI will add to this. I hardly ever ship or mail anything year to year.
This year i decided to tell two items On Nikonians. Both items were purchased using USPS Money Orders and Both items were shipped USPS Priority one day service. While only one item ended up showing any tracking info. Both items arrived The next day by noon as promised by USPS. One item was insured for $1000.
Shipped from Salt Lake to the east. I was happy with there service!Visit my Nikonians gallery.
#23. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
Visit my Nikonians gallery.
#24. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 0
My experiences with UPS are good as well.
FedEx? Another story altogether. First two shipments shipped out (not talking photos here, but other items); one lost apparently forever, second one destroyed by a forklift. Incoming deliveries include packages left on top of a trash can on the street curb where anyone could have simply picked them up and been gone. Then the new camera purchase delivered to the wrong address altogether five days before I needed that body to shoot a wedding; daily calls to FedEx proved they knew where it was. Could not get it picked up and delivered back to me, stating that "no one was home" at the address it was left at, day after day. Finally gave me the address where it was the morning of the wedding and I went there. Resident was home and told me she was a stay-at-home mom, had been home all week and had been calling daily to get the errant package picked up since it didn't belong to her! (Package was unopned when I picked it up from her, and she and I became friends from that experience. She even showed me her phone bill showing the calls to FedEx when the bill came in).
Other times I've had to chase the driver down - one experience was rental gear I needed for an event - it required an actual signature. I knew it was coming and waited for it. Gate was open. I watched the driver drive right past (100 foot long driveway). Calls to his dispatch got my number forwarded to him - 3 hours later he called, and we met up a 45 minute drive away. No explanation why he didn't deliver it, and why the online tracking showed "no one home". No apology.
For yet another event, rental equipment was shipped to a FedEx office near the event with arrival the day before the event, with instructions "hold for pickup". Didn't happen. Again, had to chase the driver/shipment down to a distribution location an hour away from the designated location, even though the proceedure required by FedEx had been followed.
I could recite many other horror stories with FedEx; I won't willingly use them if there are other options.
-
#25. "RE: Problems with USPS Priority Mail" | In response to Reply # 24
RE: USPS thefts; our carrier leaves a note in residents' mailboxes to let us all know when there are new/recent thefts in our area. In those situations we don't leave outgoing mail with checks in them, or packages in the mailboxes; we leave a note that there is "outgoing" mail at the house and she'll come get it, or we'll take it directly to a post office. Incoming is brought to the door, or at least placed behind a fence.
Of course we are all on the lookout for suspicious activity around mailboxes then.
Yes, we are spoiled.
G
Heaven knows how long it will be before I can file a claim. The last time this happened the lens I sold traveled three times from one coast to the other. From now on I will only ship UPS or FedEx. At least they track items better and let you know if there is a delay.