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A different take on the USPS

Maybe it's a regional thing, but I have been very happy with the service I get from USPS here in western Pa.
 
USPS is always iffy for me. If the postman marks your package delivered and he didn't deliver it to you .... you can forget it. Happened to me more than once. On one occasion this happened and I ran him down in the neighborhood and he still had my $$$$ package in his vehicle that was showing delivered. Hmmm. My experience with UPS and FedEx is great. You pay a little bit more for way better service... worth it IMO.
 
USPS has been terrible lately, when I print the Priority label it says 2-Days expected & it takes a week, & they keep sending emails that your package is moving through the system (Ya Right)

I have used USP on the last 3 I sent out & there is no comparison, you can see where its at and how long its been there, the pricing is basically the same

For cheaper knives I will use USPS but for anything high line its UPS for sure
 
The last 3 days of excuses from the Fed Ex driver:

“Unable to deliver/business closed”
“Delay due to weather”
“Unable to deliver/no one present”


It’s been sunny and 50-60 the last few days and I’ve been at the house with 3-4 other people, doors and windows open as we are doing a renovation so that includes the garage too. The driver just doesn’t want to drive down the long dead end road for most likely 1 package delivery, but spare me the bullshit. The “local” fed ex facility is over an hour away so the drivers don’t care, at least the USPS lady lives within her delivery range so she cares to do a good job.
 
USPS only guarantees EXPRESS MAIL which is over night. Priority mail is not a guaranteed service.
 
Mine have been arriving on the quoted date or before, but the quoted date has become longer over the years.
I have no gripes. I have a small friendly PO, that is convienantly located to me, and I am not in a great hurry.
 
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It’s probably been 4 years since I shipped anything Priority Mail. I also have found that regular mail, now labeled “Ground Advantage” is just as fast. Maybe 1 day later in rare cases.

USPS offers Priority Mail boxes free of charge but in many cases, Ground Advantage is just as fast and cheaper unless the package exceeds a certain weight. Knives and their boxes don’t usually exceed that weight. Ground Advantage if often a better value but deliver times can vary with both methods.

Most of the USPS packages that I receive arrive on the estimated delivery date or 1 day sooner.
 
DocJekl said:
I bought an Apple Watch March 5th, that shipped from Georgia on the 6th but didn't leave Georgia until the 12th; and then it couldn't be delivered to me on the 14th or 15th due to the winter storm in Colorado. But it should have been here days before the storm. IT WAS NOT Priority Mail, it was 1st class with tracking. So, don't use Postal?
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It arrived today - 11 days from Georgia to my mailbox.
 
DocJekl said:
It arrived today - 11 days from Georgia to my mailbox.
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That happened to me on the 1st knife I ever bought on a knife exchange. They could have walked it to me faster. I thought I had been ripped off(since I never was given tracking or was even aware of it). Glad I didn't panic and acuse the seller. It has happened a few other times, but usually all goes well
 
In North Dakota we’ve had statewide issues that have garnered the attention of our US senators and house representative. Multiple Postal Inspector General audits over the last several years on the major sorting hubs throughout the state. It’s a broken system. Very much a regional issue though it seems. Delayed, lost or damaged packages plaguing the state.

I can send priority mail packages to New York or California and they arrive in 2-3 days. Yet on the receiving end, packages will arrive in state in 2 days but then spend another 3-5 days making it the last 200 miles. The tiny local post offices at the end of the line seem to be holding their own though.

I’ve mostly switched to businesses that offer FedEx as of late when making purchases and have gotten reliable service.
 
Gentlemen, ask any of our foreign members about their postal services and I think you may consider that the USPS is head and tails better than theirs. Granted it’s far from perfect but I’ve been for the mostly pleased part with them. 🤷
 
JR42 said:
Eh, I'm not on board (ha) with this. When's the last time an engine fell off a plane (everyone died), an elevator jackscrew's threads got shredded by poor maintenance procedures (everyone died), an uncontained engine failure severed most control hydraulics (most passengers died IIRC), improper cargo caught fire (everyone died), an electrical fault caused a fuel vapor explosion (everyone died), etc. Aviation disasters were a lot rougher decades ago than now. There have been what, 2 or 3 deaths on domestic commercial flights in the last decade?

Back on topic, I haven't noticed delay issues with USPS here lately (but I'm not waiting on knives lately), and Amazon (in their home town!) makes USPS look extremely competent IMO.
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Ever hear a little company called Boeing? The 338 people who died on 737 MAX might have a problem speaking up.

CEO pay used to be 300-500 times average worker. Now it is 1000+ and climbing. It's hard to get motivated when your thrown crumbs and watch mangement buying houses and yarchs when you're still stuck renting.
 
Crag the Brewer said:
I just think its hard to get good employees..... Anywhere/Everywhere.

Doesn't matter if you are looking for a doctor, a priest, or a mailman.
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^ This is the cause and it is getting worse. Some places down here cannot even get so-so or poor employees and the positions go vacant.
 
At work we see a lot of issues for correspondence, sometimes they return things as undeliverable when the address is actually very clear. When I ordered from WE direct I emailed them to tell them it is a bad move to use USPS along with requiring a signature. There's a good chance the mail carrier won't know how their own system works so it will force their customers to make a special trip to go to the post office and wait in line unless they're always working from home or have the package delivered where there's someone to sign. I'm sorry but it's almost like they have a test that only admits people with lower IQ to get the job, it's just so bad across the board even if it's a bit better sometimes in some places.
 
thatguymark said:
At work we see a lot of issues for correspondence, sometimes they return things as undeliverable when the address is actually very clear. When I ordered from WE direct I emailed them to tell them it is a bad move to use USPS along with requiring a signature. There's a good chance the mail carrier won't know how their own system works so it will force their customers to make a special trip to go to the post office and wait in line unless they're always working from home or have the package delivered where there's someone to sign. I'm sorry but it's almost like they have a test that only admits people with lower IQ to get the job, it's just so bad across the board even if it's a bit better sometimes in some places.
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I’ve camped out by the front door all day only to find a notice on my front door of a failed delivery attempt because no one was home. I never heard the doorbell (it works) or heard knocking.

Another mailman would ring the bell and turn right around and leave. I had to chase him down the street to get my package and tell him he needs to wait at least a few seconds to give me time to answer the door…
I also don’t want to make a trip to the post office.
 
annr said:
I’ve camped out by the front door all day only to find a notice on my front door of a failed delivery attempt because no one was home. I never heard the doorbell (it works) or heard knocking.

Another mailman would ring the bell and turn right around and leave. I had to chase him down the street to get my package and tell him he needs to wait at least a few seconds to give me time to answer the door…
I also don’t want to make a trip to the post office.
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They literally do not care (any of them!) anymore. :poop:

I now have cameras at the front door, over the driveway, and one that can see my mailbox. It's maddening when they say delivery attempted, etc. and I have proof on camera that they never actually tried. What's complete crap is when they get out of their truck with a NOTE in-hand instead of a package, and stick that to the door without trying to deliver a package!!!! I recently had that happen for a non-signature-required delivery! WHY??? Derp!!! :rolleyes:
 
At least with USPS my packages get to their destination. Albeit on occasion late. Recently I had a package shipped from New Orleans to me, roughly 100 miles. On day 3, it was in Tucson, AZ.

I can’t order anything that uses UPS. I’ve lived at my new place for about 15 months and they still can’t “find” my house. They’ve dropped expensive packages at old places I’ve lived at 15 years ago, random other peoples houses that have same last name. I’ve complained to every level of management / corporate and still…..nothing.
 
SpyderPhreak said:
They literally do not care (any of them!) anymore. :poop:

I now have cameras at the front door, over the driveway, and one that can see my mailbox. It's maddening when they say delivery attempted, etc. and I have proof on camera that they never actually tried. What's complete crap is when they get out of their truck with a NOTE in-hand instead of a package, and stick that to the door without trying to deliver a package!!!! I recently had that happen for a non-signature-required delivery! WHY??? Derp!!! :rolleyes:
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I caught a UPS driver doing that. Saw him through the window walking up to the door and headed him off.

I flung the door open as his arm was outstretched to put the sticker on my door. I yelled “NOT TODAY! Go get my f_ckin package”
 
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