Just a bit of info if you're planning on shipping with the USPS. On 06/25, I shipped an antique rifle scope from Citrus Hgts, CA to Laying, NJ for repair via First Class mail. It was delivered in NJ on 07/31. That's one month and one week, I could have driven to NJ, delivered it myself and then back to CA in less time than that! Of course the virus is being blamed for the delay so if you plan to ship anything, I suggest you use Express mail or something higher or consider UPS or FEDX. I guess I should mention that I did track the package and was fed bad information for the entire episode. Well almost all, when they said it was out for delivery in Laying and then delivered, that was correct! Also, the package came through the entire trip unharmed.
USPS Shipping
- Thread starter OldChief
- Start date
J. R. WEEMS
Member
THE TIMES
Yeah, everyone is blaming the virus for not doing their job at all or in a untimely manner.
I think it is all a bunch of BS. stores are out of all kinds of stuff. Couldn't even get any vinegar the last couple days. Oh yeah, White House id MADE here. 
Good thing I keep a bit of a store in the basement. Just something old folks do I guess.
Yeah, everyone is blaming the virus for not doing their job at all or in a untimely manner.
I think it is all a bunch of BS. stores are out of all kinds of stuff. Couldn't even get any vinegar the last couple days. Oh yeah, White House id MADE here. Good thing I keep a bit of a store in the basement. Just something old folks do I guess.
Hawker800
Member
I ordered a small item and paid $24.95 for 2 day expedited shipping. I expected FEDEX or UPS. They sent it my USPS 3 day shipping. Took 9 days. The USPS has never had a service worth $24.95.
The Analyst
Member
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It appears every industry is being impacted by those who will not return to work. I went in a couple large retail establishments over the weekend and have never seen so much empty shelf space. And the receiving areas are over flowing with merchandise.
I got a S&W manual off Ebay. Shipped priority mail. Took 10 days from Norfolk VA to NEPA. It sat at the Lehigh Valley postal center for a week! Awful service.
Are some postal workers lazy? You bet.
Are some postal workers dedicated? You
bet they are.
The system has been working with short
staff for some time? You bet it has.
Hence later deliveries? You bet.
But no matter how you figure it, the
USPS rates remain much, much lower
for a worldwide service than do such
outfits as FedEx and UPS.
Right now, if massive mail-in voting
occurs, the USPS needs a great deal
more money. If not, the first class
category will certainly take more of
a nosedive.
Are some postal workers dedicated? You
bet they are.
The system has been working with short
staff for some time? You bet it has.
Hence later deliveries? You bet.
But no matter how you figure it, the
USPS rates remain much, much lower
for a worldwide service than do such
outfits as FedEx and UPS.
Right now, if massive mail-in voting
occurs, the USPS needs a great deal
more money. If not, the first class
category will certainly take more of
a nosedive.
- Joined
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- City & State/Province
- DUNNELLON, FLORIDA USA
USPO ships via oxen train. lately the oxen has been sick.
To add:
For less than 50 cents you can send a
piece of paper anywhere in the U.S.
Yet, people complain if it takes several
days. Maybe that's because they
can get their Starbucks coffee for
$5 instantly or their diner coffee
for $2 instantly. And in not too much
time that coffee is going down the
drain.
For less than 50 cents you can send a
piece of paper anywhere in the U.S.
Yet, people complain if it takes several
days. Maybe that's because they
can get their Starbucks coffee for
$5 instantly or their diner coffee
for $2 instantly. And in not too much
time that coffee is going down the
drain.
Over the last couple of years, USPS has gotten really bad.
Their tracking system was never any good, but usually items would arrive before they ever showed any tracking information. Now items go missing in mid-travel for days to weeks at a time... "in transit to next facility". I've had at least one package I reported missing replaced by the vendor, only to have the original shipment show up a month later.
Our residential mail delivery shows up like the cable guy: sometime between 10am and 9pm... no rhyme or reason, and almost never the same time twice. I regularly find our neighbors' mail in our box. I wonder how much of mine they get?
We have a PO Box for all our important mail, and even there I regularly get misboxed mail. And our local Post Office has not expanded in 30 years... serving 40,000 people with the same counter that once served 12,000. Always a long wait, sometimes an hour around the holidays.
UPS and FedEx may be more expensive, but they're far more reliable.
Their tracking system was never any good, but usually items would arrive before they ever showed any tracking information. Now items go missing in mid-travel for days to weeks at a time... "in transit to next facility". I've had at least one package I reported missing replaced by the vendor, only to have the original shipment show up a month later.
Our residential mail delivery shows up like the cable guy: sometime between 10am and 9pm... no rhyme or reason, and almost never the same time twice. I regularly find our neighbors' mail in our box. I wonder how much of mine they get?
We have a PO Box for all our important mail, and even there I regularly get misboxed mail. And our local Post Office has not expanded in 30 years... serving 40,000 people with the same counter that once served 12,000. Always a long wait, sometimes an hour around the holidays.
UPS and FedEx may be more expensive, but they're far more reliable.
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Ogandydancer
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- High Point North Carolina
Just got a package from Fedex coming from Ca. and it sat in Williams Az for 5 days. Tell me what magic hold Williams Az has on packages coming out of Ca. It was scheduled for delivery this past Monday, what made me look on my front porch on Sunday afternoon I know not but there it lay nd I had NO notification of delivery, not a knock one the door; nothing if I had not looked it would have lain there the rest of the day and into sometime Monday before I would have found it. What ever happened to them ringing the bell or at least knocking to let you know something was going on.
prob didn't make it to the door.. to lazy and just threw it on the porch
Retired LTC USAR
US Veteran
I would demand a refund of the shipping cost since you did not get what you paid for.
As a kid, when the US Mail came to the house, the mailman always blew a whistle (more like a pipe). That disappeared long before I moved to the country in 1965.
Some of the Rural Route carriers were contractors and provided their own vehicles and were paid by the mile, the total house count and the average piece count. They were the most punctual workers in the nation! 5 out of 6 days the mail was delivered within a 10 or 15 minute window. The sixth day was always a weekday, the delivery was by a higher grade postal letter carrier in a Post Office vehicle. it was usually the same person (for us Wednesday) and it would arrive between 10am and 6pm, if after 6, not at all!
Right after "The Blizzard of 1978" there had been no rural delivery for around a week. I saw the contractors drive up to mail boxes, dig them out then put a bundle of mail in. Slowing their progress to about 1/3 of normal. They worked to around Midnight, the next day went better but some mail boxed were burried at the bottom of the ditch where the snow plows had pushed them; the contract carriers repeated the whole process, On the third day of delivery it went differently. If your mail box was missing, and your driveway was clear the drove up to your house, and hand delivered your mail! Unbelievably good service!
In 2011 I had a stroke in the early fall. Around Thanksgiving, I was shuffling across the yard with 2 pieces of firewood to heat with (Took about 2 hours for me to fill the wood rack for the next 36 hours or so). Just before lunch time a Mail Jeep pulls in my yard and a 6'4" Black man, I had never seen before gets out. "Hi, I'm Omar, your new letter Carrier, I just wanted to introduce myself to you. Here is my card if you have any questions, just call my cell. Oh let me help you with that!" I had only heard tall tails from the 30's & 40's of RFD carriers being that helpful! When mail service was going downhill fast, Omar, was the best I've ever seen!
I moved to a condo almost 6 years ago, mail delivery is at a 400 mailbox hub at the front of the complex. Service is rude, never the same time twice, and we have to meet our neighbors to exchange misdelivered mail!
Ivan
Some of the Rural Route carriers were contractors and provided their own vehicles and were paid by the mile, the total house count and the average piece count. They were the most punctual workers in the nation! 5 out of 6 days the mail was delivered within a 10 or 15 minute window. The sixth day was always a weekday, the delivery was by a higher grade postal letter carrier in a Post Office vehicle. it was usually the same person (for us Wednesday) and it would arrive between 10am and 6pm, if after 6, not at all!
Right after "The Blizzard of 1978" there had been no rural delivery for around a week. I saw the contractors drive up to mail boxes, dig them out then put a bundle of mail in. Slowing their progress to about 1/3 of normal. They worked to around Midnight, the next day went better but some mail boxed were burried at the bottom of the ditch where the snow plows had pushed them; the contract carriers repeated the whole process, On the third day of delivery it went differently. If your mail box was missing, and your driveway was clear the drove up to your house, and hand delivered your mail! Unbelievably good service!
In 2011 I had a stroke in the early fall. Around Thanksgiving, I was shuffling across the yard with 2 pieces of firewood to heat with (Took about 2 hours for me to fill the wood rack for the next 36 hours or so). Just before lunch time a Mail Jeep pulls in my yard and a 6'4" Black man, I had never seen before gets out. "Hi, I'm Omar, your new letter Carrier, I just wanted to introduce myself to you. Here is my card if you have any questions, just call my cell. Oh let me help you with that!" I had only heard tall tails from the 30's & 40's of RFD carriers being that helpful! When mail service was going downhill fast, Omar, was the best I've ever seen!
I moved to a condo almost 6 years ago, mail delivery is at a 400 mailbox hub at the front of the complex. Service is rude, never the same time twice, and we have to meet our neighbors to exchange misdelivered mail!
Ivan
It’s not just the USPS, they are all messed up. Most companies are using young temporary (low pay) workers. I live in a small community of about twenty hoses. We deliver more mail to the right houses than any service because the mail service folks evidently can’t read the house numbers. Some even leave everything at the first house because they were to lazy to drive into the neighborhood.
BLACKHAWKNJ
Member
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I get my mail at my PO Box, I prefer to get USPS shipping, they put the yellow card in my box, I go around to the counter and get my package.
No problem with porch pirates.
Yesterday afternoon-a Sunday- sitting on my front step, at 4:05PM I saw a USPS truck pull up and deliver a package.
Here in Central NJ we just had the bizarre case where an assailant dressed as a FedEx driver invaded the home of a federal judge, badly wounded her husband-and killed her son. To me, FedEx is now DeadEx.
The USPS on the federal level is like the police on the local level-it's the only branch of government that 95% of us have direct contact with.
Before the creation of the "Postal Services Corporation" the Postmaster-General was in the cabinet and mail delivery was seen as a genuine "vital" public service.
There were stories about the elder Thomas Watson who established IBM and gave it its character for decades. He knew that to customers the salesman was IBM, he insisted on strict standards of dress and decorum-cf the IBM "white shirt" but he saw to it that the salesman was supported 100% and when the customers wanted something, the company made sure he got it.
No problem with porch pirates.
Yesterday afternoon-a Sunday- sitting on my front step, at 4:05PM I saw a USPS truck pull up and deliver a package.
Here in Central NJ we just had the bizarre case where an assailant dressed as a FedEx driver invaded the home of a federal judge, badly wounded her husband-and killed her son. To me, FedEx is now DeadEx.
The USPS on the federal level is like the police on the local level-it's the only branch of government that 95% of us have direct contact with.
Before the creation of the "Postal Services Corporation" the Postmaster-General was in the cabinet and mail delivery was seen as a genuine "vital" public service.
There were stories about the elder Thomas Watson who established IBM and gave it its character for decades. He knew that to customers the salesman was IBM, he insisted on strict standards of dress and decorum-cf the IBM "white shirt" but he saw to it that the salesman was supported 100% and when the customers wanted something, the company made sure he got it.
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Many have noticed significant delays with USPS recently. This is intentional. There is a movement to destroy/privatize the USPS and making the service less reliable is an important part of the plan. Many Americans run businesses buying and selling stuff online. Virtually all rely exclusively on USPS because commercial providers are not cost effective. Intentional sabotage of USPS will harm millions of Americans. Fight for the USPS, everyone.
This is an article explaining, from the Washington Post’s point of view, why the USPS is having a hard time keeping delivery times these days. (Policy changes prohibiting overtime to sort packages, for example):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/14/postal-service-trump-dejoy-delay-mail/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/14/postal-service-trump-dejoy-delay-mail/
mckenney99
Member
As has already been stated USPS tracking is truly screwed up. I have a small package with 2 items coming from Midway that were supposed to be delivered today according to USPS. (if it's late, it's not that big of a deal). However their tracking shows the following, (abbreviated version):
August 2, 2020, 3:00 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
DAYTON OH DISTRIBUTION CENTER
August 3, 2020, 3:09 am
Arrived at USPS Facility
XENIA, OH 45385
Your item departed our USPS facility in
DAYTON OH DISTRIBUTION CENTER on
August 3, 2020 at 4:45 am.
The item is currently in transit to the destination.
According to their own tracking system, the package arrived at my local post office an hour and 36 minutes before it even left the Distribution Center.
And of course, the package did not get delivered today.
I won't even go into detail about, mis-delivered mail, mail boxes left standing wide open to the elements / thieves and mail found randomly laying in the street (not from the open boxes but from several streets away).
August 2, 2020, 3:00 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
DAYTON OH DISTRIBUTION CENTER
August 3, 2020, 3:09 am
Arrived at USPS Facility
XENIA, OH 45385
Your item departed our USPS facility in
DAYTON OH DISTRIBUTION CENTER on
August 3, 2020 at 4:45 am.
The item is currently in transit to the destination.
According to their own tracking system, the package arrived at my local post office an hour and 36 minutes before it even left the Distribution Center.
And of course, the package did not get delivered today.
I won't even go into detail about, mis-delivered mail, mail boxes left standing wide open to the elements / thieves and mail found randomly laying in the street (not from the open boxes but from several streets away).
Jessie
US Veteran
They’re all the same these days. FedEx just delivered a package that was sitting at one of their places 20 miles from my house for 6 days.
I try not to order anything that I might need in a hurry anymore.
I try not to order anything that I might need in a hurry anymore.
dscampbell
Member
I ordered a knife July 17th it left kanas for California that day it has been in Florida since the 29th
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Here's my recent weird USPS delivery story. A couple of weeks ago, I ordered some small parts from SIG Sauer for my new P229. They were shipped via Fedex "Smartpost" (a combination of Fedex and USPS). I didn't need the parts immediately, so I prepared myself for the the 2-3 week wait that usually accompanies a Smartpost delivery. I got the package only four days after I ordered it. What's up with that?
Just sent three packages via USPS Priority Mail this morning. Destinations are within state (Oregon), Idaho (neighboring state) , and New Jersey (on the opposite coast). Per receipt, all are expected to arrive on Thursday.
Will report back with delivery results.
My local PO can get crowded, and the wait can be trying, but the clerks there are invariably polite and helpful. And my mailwoman goes out of her way to do a good job, politely. I don’t believe the delivery delays we are experiencing are due primarily to the work ethic of USPS rank and file.
Sent an email to my congresswoman this morning encouraging her and her colleagues to support the USPS.
Will report back with delivery results.
My local PO can get crowded, and the wait can be trying, but the clerks there are invariably polite and helpful. And my mailwoman goes out of her way to do a good job, politely. I don’t believe the delivery delays we are experiencing are due primarily to the work ethic of USPS rank and file.
Sent an email to my congresswoman this morning encouraging her and her colleagues to support the USPS.
schutzen-jager
Member
priority mail package mailed from here in central N.J. has been sitting in Newark , N.J. [ apx. 9 miles from point of mailing ] - since last Thursday -
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Ogandydancer
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That's exactly what they do. I happened to catch it once.
The new postmaster has forbidden overtime, directed that delivery people leave a portion of the mail at the post Office each day and sort less mail every day.
Think those management decisions made things better?
Think those management decisions made things better?
It must be a nightmare for people working in all of the shipping sectors, USPS, UPS, FedEx. I'm sure they're all aware of loaded trailers full of packages that aren't moving due to a myriad of reasons, long delays, more over-time than they want (or none at all because of budgets), etc etc., with no quick solutions. This COVID era isn't easy on the people working in the transportation, shipping, and food industries. Just go with the waves - it's too big for any of us to fight and anguish over.
m75rlg
US Veteran
DeJoy's new rules are designed to make things worse at USPS. Just immagine that if your mail truck will hold 400 pieces of mail/packages. For the past several decades if you had 600 pieces of mail you filled up your truck, delivered the first 400 pieces and then returned to load up the next 200 and finished your route.
Today you are required to deliver the first 400 of those 600 pieces of mail, and leave the next 200 on the post office floor. Tomorrow you get 600 more pieces of mail, but you put the first 200 left from yesterday on your truck, then the first 200 pieces of todays mail, and leave 400 pieces on the floor for the next day. That day you end up with 400 leftover pieces, 600 new pieces and can only deliver 400. See how this ends up?
Mail Delays Fuel Concern Trump Is Undercutting Postal System Ahead of Voting - The New York Times
Today you are required to deliver the first 400 of those 600 pieces of mail, and leave the next 200 on the post office floor. Tomorrow you get 600 more pieces of mail, but you put the first 200 left from yesterday on your truck, then the first 200 pieces of todays mail, and leave 400 pieces on the floor for the next day. That day you end up with 400 leftover pieces, 600 new pieces and can only deliver 400. See how this ends up?
Mail Delays Fuel Concern Trump Is Undercutting Postal System Ahead of Voting - The New York Times
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