A different take on the USPS

[SpyderPhreak]

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”

I just don't get it. If the same driver is always getting back to the hub with a truck full of undelivered packages, I can't image the excuse "Nobody was home." could work more than a couple times before someone would get suspicious that the a$$hole wasn't actually doing his job...

 

[AntDog]

USPS only guarantees EXPRESS MAIL which is over night. Priority mail is not a guaranteed service.

Then don’t advertise it as a 2-3 day service. It’s been nowhere near that for me. I’ve just about had it with USPS.

 

[L.A. Saiga]

Maybe it's a regional thing, but I have been very happy with the service I get from USPS here in western Pa.

Same here! Happy with my mailman and my local P.O. - no real problems in over a decade
and I'm in Los Angeles of all places...go figure

cheers

 

[Charr]

Had a package stuck in the last sorting facility before it gets to my local post office for the past 5 days…and I go out of town Wednesday, so I have one more day for them to get it together before I have to arrange someone to get it from my front door while I’m out of town.

I hate it, because my local post office has some great people, and I like going there honestly when I have to, but the delivery guy I deal with is just…I don’t have polite words. I have had him repeatedly just not deliver stuff on Fridays (only packages, we still get our mail), even though I see him out there, and then he will deliver it on Saturday morning instead. YOU WERE RIGHT THERE?!

And this sorting facility that my last 6 packages have been stuck in for at least 2-4 days and this one being the new record at 5-6 days so far is not even on the way here. They actively send it from a facility that is CLOSER to me to this one that is on the other side of the city IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
I know people will wave that off as “that’s just how they do it”, but it’s not.
My uncle worked for the post office through to retirement, and was a postmaster for the last part of that. They did not used to do stuff like this and I am so tired of it. At the very least, just don’t give me a delivery time. And at this point just lie to me. Don’t tell me it’s been in the same facility sitting on a truck waiting to get here for 5 days…

Alright, rant over. I’m using UPS or FedEx from now on, and requesting anyone I buy from on here do the same.
Of course, I bought something from a retailer that only ships USPS today. Supposed to be here Friday. I won’t be back from my trip yet, but I’m pretty sure I won’t have to worry about it. It’ll sit in this same facility until a week has gone by…okay, now the rant is over…

 

[jaymac21]

I was sent a USPS package to my location and it was to be signed for. Tracking showed it delivered and signed for in a different city in a different state on the other side of the country. Turns out the package was delivered to me unsigned for and was sitting on top of my mailbox at the street. It was a valuable item. I'm lucky it wasn't stolen. USPS for me now is only for items of little to no value.

 

[Monofletch]

I am a city carrier. I have 32 years of Federal service. Move to my route! If you are not home, I always come back at the end of the day to try again. I know most people are at work all day!

 

[Kettleman]

I am a city carrier. I have 32 years of Federal service. Move to my route! If you are not home, I always come back at the end of the day to try again. I know most people are at work all day!

Thank you for your professionalism and service!

 

[annr]

I am a city carrier. I have 32 years of Federal service. Move to my route! If you are not home, I always come back at the end of the day to try again. I know most people are at work all day!

That’s great! So do you have any idea why these carriers pull these shenanigans? As someone else pointed out: how can they return to their station with so many undelivered packages day after day? And make extra work for everyone? It doesn’t make sense to me.

 

[annr]

They literally do not care (any of them!) anymore.

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!!!

I figured they must have the note ready to go, but I had no proof. Really frustrating.

 

[jaymac21]

I am a city carrier. I have 32 years of Federal service. Move to my route! If you are not home, I always come back at the end of the day to try again. I know most people are at work all day!

Your work ethic should be an example to all in every profession! Thank you!

 

[Peter Hartwig]

I am a city carrier. I have 32 years of Federal service. Move to my route! If you are not home, I always come back at the end of the day to try again. I know most people are at work all day!

That is certainly service-above and beyond.
I have no complaints about my local service, but they don't go that far.

 

[choombak]

I rarely ship Priority, always Ground Advantage (previously First Class Package Service). No disappointment here, Ground Advantage is fairly good on their delivery promise of 3 to 5 business days.

 

[ricklikesknives]

I think it is heavily dependent on location. For me USPS is the most reliable by a wide margin - at home (central MA) and at work (southern NH). UPS is ok, but they usually take a few days longer just because and FedEx is like the red-headed stepchild of package delivery in my area - I avoid them at all costs where I can - they are almost always late, constantly deliver to the wrong building/door, have wonky/inaccurate tracking data, etc. The fact is though, regardless of carrier, I've never not gotten a package. I've had a few that have shown up at the neighbor's house, or weeks late.. but they've all shown up. The vast majority show up as scheduled, or maybe a day late tops.. out of literally hundreds of packages over the years, I think that is pretty remarkable.. I try to maintain that perspective when tracking drops out between mail hubs; granted, it doesn't always reduce the anxiety of wondering why my new knife is late!

 

[Tjstampa]

Up until recently I have had good luck with USPS. However the past month has been horrible. I mailed a priority mail envelope so I had tracking, to a courthouse. I put it in the blue box on a Thursday before pickup time. It was not picked up until the following Tuesday, the day after president’s day, and not delivered to the courthouse two zip codes over until the following Friday.

I also had a package sit in Georgia for 5 days, and was 6 days latter than advertised.

The carriers for my office and my house are great. Both contacted their superiors to complain for me. The local postmaster contacted the distribution center where my incoming package was held up and they never responded to her.

About the local priority mail envelope, I had a phone call from a Postal Inspector. From the line of questioning, I am wondering if someone is falsifying time records.

 

[JPD1998]

Some years ago, our regular carrier retired, the new carrier stopped delivering any package that wouldn't fit in the mailbox (including those small priority boxes). She simply left a "slip".

She refused to drive up the driveway to the house, it was a real pain. I caught up with her one day and ask why she won't deliver packages, she told me that their union contract doesn't allow them to back their trucks down a driveway.
I asked her why she can't simply turn the truck around, like the previous carrier did for 20 years.... I got a blank stare.

Kept happening for years until my wife was waiting for a package and found a "slip" in the mailbox. My wife saw the truck a few houses away and went over to get her package.
I don't know exactly what my wife said to the carrier, but the mail lady now delivers packages to the house.

 

[Wasty]

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.

Foreign member here: Indeed, USPS is a bit iffy here in Germany, but if I send a insured package via DHL within Germany, in 98 out of 100 shipments, it will be there the next day. If I send it across Europe, it's 2-3 days on average.
Prime delivers here with a one day service that usually works. When I get home from the office, I see plenty of Prime delivery trucks obstructing the traffic as they do their evening runs.

So, no - your assumption not correct, at least for western Europe.

 

[XJ-linux]

USPS doesn’t seem to deliver every day either now. We get no mail for a day or two, then a big wad, then daily again, and a week later same routine. Consistently inconsistent. I will say I eventually get all my packages though.

 

[sf fanatic]

Foreign member here: Indeed, USPS is a bit iffy here in Germany, but if I send a insured package via DHL within Germany, in 98 out of 100 shipments, it will be there the next day. If I send it across Europe, it's 2-3 days on average.
Prime delivers here with a one day service that usually works. When I get home from the office, I see plenty of Prime delivery trucks obstructing the traffic as they do their evening runs.

So, no - your assumption not correct, at least for western Europe.

I was referring to the government run postal service not private delivery services. The USPS delivers mail and packages anywhere in the country. And for the most part they are reliable. I’m curious is your government run mail service reliable?

 

[Danke42]

All the postal services have a mutual agreement. So Canada post delivers Speedpost from Taiwan. USPS delivers Deutsche letters from Germany. The Royal Mail delivers a letter given to USPS going to Sheffield. That's been going long just about as long as there has been mail.

The hitch is the first carrier will try to get rid of the package as quickly as possible. So if you live in Vancouver BC and buy something in Texas USPS will route that to the nearest US port of Entry. So your stuff won't cross in Bellingham, and then go to Canada Post. It'll cross in Sarnia and then take a long trip across Canada so way more miles & time but less time for the USPS folks.

Now don't quote me but going from memory during the pandemic a bunch of regional hubs were consolidated in the US so in some cases mail travels a very circuitous route while in transit.

 

[SharpBits]

Many hubs were closed prior to the pandemic as well. All in the name of cost savings.