So, seems just about everyone who ships something to you provides you with a tracking number.

I'm about 50/50 as to whether or not I keep up with the progress of my packages.

Sometimes I'll order something and never track it and just wait until it shows up.

Sometimes I'll check a couple of times a day and see how things are progressing.

I suppose it depends on my level of excitement to get something.

So, do you track your orders in anticipation of their arrival or do you just come home to a surprise package on your porch?

I keep an eye on the progress in order to make an attempt to be at home when the package arrives. Sometimes they will add or subtract a day or two on the expected arrival date while the shipment is in progress. I've had packages arrive before the shipment notice, and had packages that were noted on truck for delivery not arrive that day. I live in a densely populated area, so I really do not want things to simply appear on my porch, they might disappear before I know they are there. Text and email delivery notifications are wonderful.

Yes I do the many trackings. They are a good one to see package going.

I mostly track my packages, especially if the thing being shipped is expensive.

US Postal tracking is an absolute comical joke. If you've watched a number of them, you'll see complete fabrications of the truth MANY times.

I agree. I once tracked one from Kansas coming to Denver. Went from Kansas, then to Denver, then from Denver to Salt Lake City, Utah, then to some place in Wyoming, and then back to Utah, and then back to Denver and then out for delivery. Made that journey in two days. It was amusing.

I tend to track most of my packages. Exceptions are places I've ordered from before and know them to be reliable. Brownell's and Wolff Gun Springs are a couple of examples. Amazon Prime does a good job as well.

I had stuff disappear in USPS, then show up weeks after the tracking showed delivered. Have also learned not to get excited when the shipped methods goes from FedEx or UPS to USPS for final delivery. Tracking says delivered when it arrives at the Post Office, not when it's in my mail box.

I track em. Making sure Amazon gets them here in two days. Even though it is really now three days. They give us that guarantee and you get nothing when they fail. Great business plan.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

I track anything I order. I want to keep an eye on it as I live in an apartment complex and don't want anything disappearing from my doorstep. In some instances, usually when ordering ammo and having it shipped via UPS, I'll request that they not deliver it so I can go pick it up to make sure it doesn't end up on my doorstep or at the property manager's office.

I need to follow the tracking for UPS and FEDX because i have a dog that hates delivery men and my yard is fenced in so there's no access to my house without meeting doggy
As far as USPS tracking its a joke most of the time a package will sit at my local post office 2 days before the route man delivers it...many times I'll drive into town and pick a pacage up at the post office faster then delivery
DHL is the only package delivery that has a doggy treat ready for doggy he always gets it to my door

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For UPS and FEDEX, it's a fairly reliable indicator of shipping progress; USPS, not so much.

A few weeks ago, I purchased a really nice camera from an eBayer in Tokyo, Japan. I've always had great success in he quality of the cameras, their attention to detail, and the manner in which things are packaged (maybe over-packaged).

The Japanese Postal System does a great job or updates when the package is moving in Japan, until the moment it touches U.S. soil, and becomes the property of the USPS. For lack of a better term, the USPS tracking system is an abyss. My camera got to New York City, was tracked as clearing U.S. Customs, and headed into the New York area Postal System. The package literally sat there for seven days without movement being logged. After the seventh day, I requested tracing action by them.

I received a phone call from the local post office that day, telling me that the package had not been received by them. NO KIDDING! They closed their portion of the claim!

That afternoon, I filed a lost package claim with the USPS.

All this time, I kept track of the package on their system, adding a request to be notified when the package moved. At no time did the package show any movement.

The next day, the package showed up right to my door. The carrier asked me to sign for it, I did, and now I have a gorgeous Nikon FA camera with a motor drive, that's in mint condition.

I checked the status, and it went from sitting in New York's facility, to being delivered, without a single status update.

The next day, I received an email asking me to participate in a survey on how the USPS handles packages. Yes, I participated, and advised them on how they should insure that mail is properly tracked. I figured it never hurts to offer positive advice.

PS - One of the things I notice about a lot of Japanese merchants, especially on eBay, is how they do a lot of little things for the customer. I've received any number of packets of green tea, pieces of origami on three occasions, and hand-written notes on several others.

I most always track packages because UPS and USPS will just leave the packages on the ground where anyone can steal them. Yes USPS tracking is an absolute joke. USPS will show when it left seller main PO but nothing after that till it arrived at your PO. I paid for tracking on a letter and for 3 day delivery but for over a week they had no idea where my letter was. My PO master general couldn't even find where it was at till it arrived a week late at the destination PO. It was so mangled they said it was surprising it even made it there. No wonder USPS is about bankrupt because people aren't using them.

...if I get a tracking number I follow it...I'm like a kid waiting for Santa Claus...

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A Country Boy Can Survive

I track an incoming package, (especially when gun related ! ), with the same fervor I tracked Santa's journey from the North Pole Dec. 24th.

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wanna do right-- not right now

Mine has never said "delivered". It HAS said it was turned over to USPS for final delivery - that adds a day and saves the shipper (and you) some money. Midway USA uses that option a lot.

just like NASA/NORAD did for us when I was a kid!!!!!!!!

I just shipped an air rifle a few weeks ago. When the tracking # showed it had been delivered, I wondered why the person hadn't emailed me. Turns out, that Fed Ex left the package down by the gate at the end of her property. Without following that # I wouldn't have known what happened and someone could have stolen the package. It's free why not use it ?

I do. I live out in the country, probably the furthest customer on my carrier's route. It's an older couple, he's retired Army and retired LEO. They call me from the post office when they have a package for me, and again when they get out here. UPS and FEDEX use USPS frequently out here too, and tracking is usually good.

I ship a fair amount of maple syrup or bourbon barrel aged maple syrup by USPS. I track it all. You're right, they are not great, but FedEx was just as bad. One time FedEx did a case of 4 gallons of maple syrup, going from Central NY to Kansas. It arrived with 1 gal missing and another damaged and that jug was nearly empty. A claim was like pulling teeth to get them to pay.
On another occassion I shipped 4 medium flat rate boxes to Kansas again, by USPS, each with 2 half gallons of syrup in it, all to 1 address. 2 cases arrived right, 1 case was damaged and one half gallon was missing and on the 4th case USPS cut out the shipping label and mailed it back saying they had started a claim. That one took me 5 months to get the claim paid.
On packages coming to me, I only track the ones of higher value or heavy weight, like a case of ammo.
Right now I have gotten a notice that a pick up request for a shipment going out yesterday could not be completed because they could not find it, however USPS tracking shows it has now left the regional distribution center about 120 miles away.

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Certified NRA rifle instructor

I do...I track when I'm expecting something, and I track especially if I've sold something online to a forum member here.

USPS, FedEx, and UPS all offer e-mail updates to customers who want to track their shipments.

When I've sold something to a forum member, I ship USPS Priority Mail, and always sign up online for their e-mail updates. And when I ship to someone on this forum, I give them a tracking number, too, and they can track it if they wish.

I track everything, especially gun parts and reloading supplies. UPS and FedEx are pretty good, USPS is the worst. Today I am 400 miles from home and got a UPS delivery at 9:37 am....I have a Ring Video Doorbell so I watched him put it on the porch and told him "thank you".

My tale is a bit off-topic but it fits generally and I still chuckle over it.

February, 1997: I was on my honeymoon in Hawaii and on a sight seeing tour of the Big Island, there was a gift shop where you could purchase a live Bonsai tree. Being vegetation, it was strictly controlled back to the mainland so the very best way to buy such a thing was to have it shipped. They handled all the declarations and the price of the tree and shipping all in one price -- you simply paid and a pre-packaged tree was shipped via FedEx.

Well, back in 1997 FedEx wasn't nearly as evolved or developed as today -- they eventually bought a whole other company with an established ground delivery network in a move to advance their building of a ground package delivery system (that was RPS, Roadway) but for the purpose of this story... my point is that FedEx was piecing together end-delivery of many packages in almost any possible way they could, even losing money on many with the larger goal of earning/keeping customers rather than admitting that OOPS, they actually weren't able to deliver to every address.

I sent that tree to my Mom and when I called and asked if they got it, she explained how strange the delivery was.

Late morning on a weekday, Mom & Step Dad sitting around after breakfast reading the newspaper when they hear a horn honking.

In the drive way is a taxicab. Step Dad goes out to see what this guy wants and he rolls down the driver's side window and hands him this box with the Bonsai tree in it.

I've found the complete opposite to be the case. I get shipping status updates often several times a day from the postal service when I've shipped or am waiting on a shipment.

I've watched...oh, probably one or two hundred shipments over the past four years. Never a problem.

FedEx delivery depends on the driver running the route. 4 times I've ordered perishable items with FedEx delivery, 4 times it showed delivered. Well, they were delivered, but to a different address, on a different street, to a different family in my subdivision each time.

After the third time, I called FedEx and got a supervisor and told them that their driver was incompetent, illiterate, and wholly incapable of doing the most mundane tasks, and that even the USPS wasn't even that bad. He still screwed it up. On the 4th time, I called the VP in charge of the customer service department and demanded a refund on shipping charges for each infraction. They refunded and so far, he's been getting it right.

OTOH, my UPS driver lives down the street from me. I either get my packages when he comes home for lunch or I'm his last delivery for the day. He dropped a package the other day that had been mangled in the sorting area. He rang the bell and offered to take it back right away. He then stood by while I inspected the contents, they weren't damaged so all was good. But to answer the original question, yes, I track all packages.

I track all my packages and have also found USPS to be accurate. My driveway is over a quarter mile long and I hate guessing when the mail will arrive. When I'm expecting a package via USPS, I check regularly, and when it shows delivered, I make the trip. If the package I'm expecting is larger than the mail box, I know my mail will be delivered to the door.

In general, it's also interesting to see the somewhat convoluted routes the carriers use.

If they're kind enough to send an update, I'll check.
If I was to whine about Amazon needing a third day I'd go pick it up myself.

I ALWAYS follow my packages online. Its part of the excitement/anticipation scenario.

If the shipper sends tracking info, I'll track it.
A firearm? I track it!

I don't ship anything without a tracking number and always do track it. Most of my shipping these days is with the USPS via Priority Mail. It is the most efficient and least expensive way to ship anything at all that will fit in those boxes.

"Who tracks their packages?"



I have always enjoyed reading fiction.

Depending on the time of the year (winter) we try to follow the tracking, as I have a extremely nasty driveway. It is long and after snow falls for the most part a 4X4 is needed to get in some days. I do my best to plow/sand but conditions up here can get interesting fast!

My rural delivery USPS person is very good, he has a good privately owned vehicle (front wheel drive and very good tires) and has always made it up to the house!

UPS can make it most times in the winter. IMNSHO Fed Xs vechicles are junk, have absolutely no traction and or their drivers are 3 rate at best and some times even in the best of conditions like middle of summer will not do our driveway. We do our best to get shippers to use USPS or UPS if at all possible.(any time of the year)

There are times if its very important we wait at the bottom of the driveway and get our delivery there. For the most part our delivery times are rather constant, (within 1 hour normally) so killing time there is no big deal. So knowing if its on the truck is very important.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Almost never. Sometimes a package shows up that I completely forgot about

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I took a chance on a third party seller on Amazon recently not realizing the item was coming from China.

Tracked it through USPS for 13 days, it finally said delivered to front porch.

Only problem it was someones else's front porch 30 miles away. Never got it. Amazon refunded purchase price.

Also I think my postal person scans packages when they start their route, tracking shows delivered two hours before they actual show up.

I pay attention to it. I generally use a UPS store shipping address for almost all my packages, so I don't have the "left in the yard" problem. An added bonus is that UPS packages, especially those shipped SmartPost, where the final delivery is USPS, show up early, because UPS doesn't transfer them to USPS.

I posted about this, but it might have been somebody else's thread. Long story short, ordered two soccer jerseys as Christmas gifts from a national soccer distributor in late November and had them shipped to my mother, because she wanted to give them. Shipped from North Carolina. USPS lost them somewhere between St. Louis and the bootheel. They didn't arrive before Christmas. Shipper initiated a trace, nothing found, so they refunded the money. The jerseys were a little arcane but very popular, and they were not available anywhere else. Still aren't. They arrived in February, with tire marks on the mylar package and duct tape all over it . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Hahaha, love that scene.

"HDS!"

I try to have all my packages tracked and insured, but it just so happens the most recent piece, though not expensive, but hard to find was stolen out of my mail box. Got the email that it had been delivered to my box at 3pm, got home at 5pm checked the box and the regular mail was there but the package was not. Come to find out some juveniles had been seen roaming the neighborhood with backpacks on and more then likely they snatched the package from my box......and of course the seller did not insure every though I asked for insurance. Live and learn and track and insure your items.

I track most every package. Lately, they're LPs, which will not fare well if left on the doorstep in the FL summer heat, so the need for prompt receipt is critical. The USPS experience varies from absurdity (how that package did a one-day FL-TN round trip remains a mystery) to tragedy (I'll never see that priceless gag coffee mug again <sniff>). International shipping is a constant source of amusement, iffn you like farce. FedEx tracking is, comparatively, plausible. But would someone please 'splain how three-day business shipping that gets stalled over the weekend doesn't get to the door until Tuesday? WTH? Lately, I've had stuff held at a FedEx center for pickup...eliminates the guesswork in the last mile. Shipping insurance is your friend.

P.S. eBay's Global Shipping Program gives new meaning to the concept of a black hole.

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50 Years of DSOTM

I frequency "cyber stock" my packages as they make their way towards me. I also track packages I send out, especially returns to Amazon. Never had one go astray, I just like to watch them.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

Most of my online gun/parts purchases are from the same half dozen places. If it's UPS I don't bother to track because I know when it will arrive. If it's UPS Mail Innovations I don't bother to track because when it hits USPS it falls into a back hole space time continuum... could be a week or more from Chattanooga to Chattanooga. No sense tracking just to aggravate myself. When it gets here it gets here... maybe... who knows. That said, it's usually my choice to select the carrier so my cheapness can't gripe too much.

Absolutely! Being retired and disabled, tracking packages helps to break up the monotony of watching grass grow and Fords rust!

Seriously, I do track all of the packages that I have tracking numbers for, regardless of whether I am the shipper or receiver. I find it novel that most of the purchases I make from the left coast have to get to New Jersey via South Carolina! I have a great mailman, but his substitutes leave a lot to be desired. Sometimes, they leave packages at different homes, but sometimes they can't find the address or a secure place to leave the package, even though I am home and they leave mail in the mailbox! Personally, I enjoy the entertainment factor that is provided at no extra cost!

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Judge control not gun control!

USPS tracking is slowly improving, but it's no where near real time. I've had packages that were sitting on my desk with tracking that showed it was a couple of states away.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

I always keep track of my package.


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Yes I track packages. Interesting to see why it takes so long sometimes. For example. I ordered an item from a company 8 miles from my house in Michigan (mail order only no store/pick up option). The package was picked up by UPS, sent 200 miles to Columbus Ohio, then to Detroit Michigan, then to my town. 7 Days to go 8 miles!!!

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