Not news: USPS is a joke (Fedex too)

[DoggyDaddy]

We’ve had prime for quite a few years now, and it would be a big adjustment to not have it at this point. We stream prime video a lot, and I use prime music in the garage, and it’s the only thing I ever use the stereo system in my truck for. Not to mention all the items we have delivered at least 3-4 times a week.

I just signed up for a free trial of Prime today (saved me $12 bucks in shipping), but I'll be canceling it before they start billing me. I have no idea how to use Prime Video and I don't have any smart radios anywhere.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I just signed up for a free trial of Prime today (saved me $12 bucks in shipping), but I'll be canceling it before they start billing me. I have no idea how to use Prime Video and I don't have any smart radios anywhere.

OK, grandpa…

 

[DoggyDaddy]

OK, grandpa…

 

[littletommy]

I just signed up for a free trial of Prime today (saved me $12 bucks in shipping), but I'll be canceling it before they start billing me. I have no idea how to use Prime Video and I don't have any smart radios anywhere.

I’m as technically illiterate as the next guy, but I figured it out. We’ve been using a firestick (once again, Amazon) since about this time last year when we told direct tv to shove their ridiculous price increase. It was a big adjustment at first, because there isn’t just one central menu or program guide, but now, I could never go back to cable or dish. And, even with the paid add ons through prime, and the apps we pay a subscription fee for, we’re still less than half the monthly fee.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

OK, grandpa…

Actually I can get to it via my Xfinity, but it wants me to sign in and I don't have a sign in that I know of.

 

[Creedmoor]

I just signed up for a free trial of Prime today (saved me $12 bucks in shipping), but I'll be canceling it before they start billing me. I have no idea how to use Prime Video and I don't have any smart radios anywhere.

Geesh pops, Im guessing you still print on a tractor printer with green and white striped paper.
Or a Canon 600 bubble jet.

 

[mom45]

Geesh pops, Im guessing you still print on a tractor printer with green and white striped paper.
Or a Canon 600 bubble jet.

Could be worse ..like the old Gestetner....

 

[johntheplinker]

I very seldom have any problems with the USPS, FedEx or UPS when they bring the package the whole way. I used to get packages from Germany delivered by DHL that looked like they were hand carried the whole way. Not even a grease smudge on the box. Almost anytime any of them do that hand off thing to another company it is a mess. Like posted, tracking shows it gets to my area in a reasonable time frame. Then it may be a week or more that the package is untraceable before it gets the last 3 miles.

I have had people pull in my drive in a ratty old car to drop off a package. No markings, no uniform or anything to show they are working for the shipper. You would think the company that hired them would at least give the guy a magnetic sign for his car and a ball cap with their logo. Even the Pizza delivery boys have a plastic sign on the roof of the car and a T shirt.

I've had very good experience with DHL also. Too bad they don't deliver all the way to the house here. Ordered some knives from Finland. Package went from northern Finland, to Estonia, to Poland, to Germany, to Louisville KY in 2 days. Handed off to USPS, took them 3 days to pick it up then another 3 to get to my house. Could have walked to Louisville and picked it up in less time than it took the post office.
FedEx has a bad habit of just dropping our packages at the bottom of the drive or say they can't find the address then we have to raise hell with them to get delivery. Have had more than one FedEx package disappear after drop off. Well, duh, leave them out in the open beside the road...

 

[littletommy]

I've had very good experience with DHL also. Too bad they don't deliver all the way to the house here. Ordered some knives from Finland. Package went from northern Finland, to Estonia, to Poland, to Germany, to Louisville KY in 2 days. Handed off to USPS, took them 3 days to pick it up then another 3 to get to my house. Could have walked to Louisville and picked it up in less time than it took the post office.
FedEx has a bad habit of just dropping our packages at the bottom of the drive or say they can't find the address then we have to raise hell with them to get delivery. Have had more than one FedEx package disappear after drop off. Well, duh, leave them out in the open beside the road...

I’ve only dealt with DHL a couple of times, but yeah, they did a decent job. I’ve bought quite a few guitars from a place in Germany, and DHL is usually who they ship through. Ordered one this spring, placed the order on Saturday night, didn’t pay any attention to the tracking, other than an email notification from the shop that they had shipped it. Tuesday morning the guitar was delivered!

It went from Germany to Indiana in less than 48 hours, and I assume that included going through customs.

 

[Mgderf]

It's a fine line that they have to walk.
But sadly, it's the same tune for most manufactured products also.
Appliances & Automotive come to mind.

It's across the service spectrum and not just manufi.
I stopped at a McDonald's the other day for lunch.
The drive-thru was way too crowded so I parked and went inside.
There were 3-4 people waiting on food, and one lady waiting at the register for someone to take her order. She looked perturbed when I first walked in.
I stepped behind her in line and waited, and waited, and waited...
There must have been 15 people in the kitchen but evidently no one to run the register.
Suddenly a girl comes off of the dining room to run the register. She must have been on break.
She took the order for the lady in front of me in about 30 seconds. O.k., now we're moving...
Wrong,
I told her I wanted a double filet of fish sandwich to go, and that was all.
She hit entirely too many buttons on the register and then stopped and looked confused
She hit a few more buttons and mumbled something.
More buttons and mumblings, and then she just turns and walks away without a word.
I waited, and waited, and...here comes a manager.
The manager steps up to the register and says, "So you have ordered 2 cheeseburgers, small fries, and a filet of fish?"
I said "No, I ordered a double filet of fish sandwich to go, and that is all."
The manager punches a few buttons and says, "O.k., that's a filet of fish and 2 double cheeseburgers, right?"
I said, "No, JUST a double filet of fish sandwich, and that's ALL!"
Finally, she says, "Just one double filet of fish?"
I said, "YES, to go, PLEASE!"

90 seconds later they call my number and all I can think of is that they MUST have gotten it wrong.
I opened the bag to see 2filet of fish sandwich boxes and think, it's not right, but I'm not going to argue.
I get to the truck and open the packages and I have 2- double filet of fish sandwiches, but I only paid for one.

Evidently it takes special skills these days to take and deliver a single sandwich order.

 

[WebSnyper]

To their credit, UPS usually does pretty well. They at least will do everything within their power to get it to you as fast as they can. (Within service parameters) They dont want your box clogging up their system.

So if it only takes 1 good day to get the box from Chicago to Indy? You got it. Its not guaranteed, but is usually next business day. Not Fedex. (see my previous comment)

The one funny/not funny story I have for UPS: I was replacing servers. They were big enough that they were being shipped in these cool 100% cardboard palletized boxes. The box was made so that it had quad wall cardboard loops on the bottom that worked like built in pallets so they could be moved easily by one man with the small rabbit jacks.

I normally brought the old servers back in my car, but for some reason didnt have room so I had it shipped back to my office in the new server box.

I got a call from the warehouse a day or two after I got back. They had something I REALLY needed to see.

I got there and found the box in two pieces. I took the server out and it had a HUGE dent in the side. So deep the frame was bent. The removable modular power supplies were jammed in place it was so bad. The old server was utterly destroyed.

I looked over the box carefully. I could see the pallet portion was separated from the rest of the box. As best I could tell, it ended up upside down. So some brain surgeon decided those loops were handles, and they tried to toss the box off the truck. Instead the box separated from the bottom, and the server tumbled out and onto the edge of the dock, and then down again to the concrete. It had obviously hit the side on a hard edge VERY hard from height and then tumbled onto more concrete.

Luckily for me the server was just going to be recycled. So no real harm done. We collected the default $100 insurance and had a good chuckle. I'm just glad it was the old scrap server and not the new $5,000 one with data on it.

I was doing a server move across a parking lot one time. Large DEC alpha server about the size of a commercial fridge. We discussed just rolling it across parking lot from other building or renting a truck, but in order for it to remain under our maintenance contract we had to have DEC move it. Which cost a lot. Which DEC sub'd it out to a couple of moving guys and a truck, but they had the field rep "certify" and wrap it at the outbound site.

I kid you not, the DEC rep then left (believe his wife was pregnant and so he was headed home for a bit that evening), and that's when it got interesting.

The movers got it across the parking lot in the lift gate truck and when they were about to lower it down at the destinationl the mover pushed it onto the lift gate at its highest point and then off and it hit the pavement. I called the DEC rep and I believe his response was "no they didn't". He thought I was joking. That said, that server never missed a beat and they just brought us a new door for it the next week.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I was doing a server move across a parking lot one time. Large DEC alpha server about the size of a commercial fridge. We discussed just rolling it across parking lot from other building or renting a truck, but in order for it to remain under our maintenance contract we had to have DEC move it. Which cost a lot. Which DEC sub'd it out to a couple of moving guys and a truck, but they had the field rep "certify" and wrap it at the outbound site.

I kid you not, the DEC rep then left (believe his wife was pregnant and so he was headed home for a bit that evening), and that's when it got interesting.

The movers got it across the parking lot in the lift gate truck and when they were about to lower it down at the destinationl the mover pushed it onto the lift gate at its highest point and then off and it hit the pavement. I called the DEC rep and I believe his response was "no they didn't". He thought I was joking. That said, that server never missed a beat and they just brought us a new door for it the next week.

"They dont make them like that anymore." Literally.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

It's across the service spectrum and not just manufi.
I stopped at a McDonald's the other day for lunch.
The drive-thru was way too crowded so I parked and went inside.
There were 3-4 people waiting on food, and one lady waiting at the register for someone to take her order. She looked perturbed when I first walked in.
I stepped behind her in line and waited, and waited, and waited...
There must have been 15 people in the kitchen but evidently no one to run the register.
Suddenly a girl comes off of the dining room to run the register. She must have been on break.
She took the order for the lady in front of me in about 30 seconds. O.k., now we're moving...
Wrong,
I told her I wanted a double filet of fish sandwich to go, and that was all.
She hit entirely too many buttons on the register and then stopped and looked confused
She hit a few more buttons and mumbled something.
More buttons and mumblings, and then she just turns and walks away without a word.
I waited, and waited, and...here comes a manager.
The manager steps up to the register and says, "So you have ordered 2 cheeseburgers, small fries, and a filet of fish?"
I said "No, I ordered a double filet of fish sandwich to go, and that is all."
The manager punches a few buttons and says, "O.k., that's a filet of fish and 2 double cheeseburgers, right?"
I said, "No, JUST a double filet of fish sandwich, and that's ALL!"
Finally, she says, "Just one double filet of fish?"
I said, "YES, to go, PLEASE!"

90 seconds later they call my number and all I can think of is that they MUST have gotten it wrong.
I opened the bag to see 2filet of fish sandwich boxes and think, it's not right, but I'm not going to argue.
I get to the truck and open the packages and I have 2- double filet of fish sandwiches, but I only paid for one.

Evidently it takes special skills these days to take and deliver a single sandwich order.

That's why I use the kiosks whenever they're available.

 

[bobzilla]

It's across the service spectrum and not just manufi.
I stopped at a McDonald's the other day for lunch.
The drive-thru was way too crowded so I parked and went inside.
There were 3-4 people waiting on food, and one lady waiting at the register for someone to take her order. She looked perturbed when I first walked in.
I stepped behind her in line and waited, and waited, and waited...
There must have been 15 people in the kitchen but evidently no one to run the register.
Suddenly a girl comes off of the dining room to run the register. She must have been on break.
She took the order for the lady in front of me in about 30 seconds. O.k., now we're moving...
Wrong,
I told her I wanted a double filet of fish sandwich to go, and that was all.
She hit entirely too many buttons on the register and then stopped and looked confused
She hit a few more buttons and mumbled something.
More buttons and mumblings, and then she just turns and walks away without a word.
I waited, and waited, and...here comes a manager.
The manager steps up to the register and says, "So you have ordered 2 cheeseburgers, small fries, and a filet of fish?"
I said "No, I ordered a double filet of fish sandwich to go, and that is all."
The manager punches a few buttons and says, "O.k., that's a filet of fish and 2 double cheeseburgers, right?"
I said, "No, JUST a double filet of fish sandwich, and that's ALL!"
Finally, she says, "Just one double filet of fish?"
I said, "YES, to go, PLEASE!"

90 seconds later they call my number and all I can think of is that they MUST have gotten it wrong.
I opened the bag to see 2filet of fish sandwich boxes and think, it's not right, but I'm not going to argue.
I get to the truck and open the packages and I have 2- double filet of fish sandwiches, but I only paid for one.

Evidently it takes special skills these days to take and deliver a single sandwich order.

It’s why I don’t bother with people. I welcome the kiosks. I can order what I want, as I want it in less time than it takes them to decipher my first sentence.

 

[bobzilla]

As for usps every time I have to deal with a person it’s terrible. They don’t give a **** at all and are about as rude as you can be. They’re protected. They work for the .gov. Customer service? Nah they don’t have none. Don’t want none. Don’t care.

Once again i try to use the kiosks as much as possible. At least they don’t talk back to me or make derogatory comments about wasting their time.

 

[edporch]

I do everything I can to avoid having the USPS involved in any way when it comes to having a package shipped/delivered to me.
IF I know ahead of time that a vendor uses the USPS in any way to ship me something, it's a deal breaker for me.

As far as Fedex, they're better than the USPS and are usually OK where I live, but I have the best luck with UPS.

 

[thompal]

It went from Germany to Indiana in less than 48 hours, and I assume that included going through customs.

Heck, USPS can't get something from downtown Indy to my apartment in 48 hours!

 

[Cameramonkey]

Heck, USPS can't get something from downtown Indy to my apartment in 48 hours!

I had to send a registered letter to a next door neighbor and it took 5 business days. Unbelievable.

And no, it didn’t rake that long for him to be home. I was quoted that at the desk. “You’re telling me it will take you 5 days to deliver something I can WALK it to them in under an hour from here? It’s literally up the road. “

 

[xwing]

All the shipping companies are hit-or-miss, especially with large items. With all of them, you take your chances. They are good at volume / production, but less good on anything large, fragile or unusual.

 

[Cameramonkey]

AND UPS

Yep. They are normally pretty good but they painted me into a corner today. (well, 2 weeks ago, but it came to a head today)
Schneider Electric emailed me today "Where is our backup battery you were supposed to send back? Send us the tracking number you used. " I looked up the tracking for the return ship and UPS said "We printed the label". Crap. UPS took it but 2 weeks later still havent scanned that label. No idea why. I just know they have it.

Luckily we have cameras on our loading dock. I sent them a photo of the box going onto the truck. Thank God its a huge, heavy, distinctive box. "Oops, our bad. We'll contact UPS."