HI shipping issues

H

HairahSitna

Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Messages
226
I had to relate my frustrations with the shipping method used by HI.
I ordered 2 kukris from Yangdu on the 22nd of December. The package arrived visibly damaged on jan 3rd with one khukuri missing. I also ordered a UBE on the 28th which Yangdu said she shipped that day. It has yet to arrive. USPS priority is 2 to 3 day cross country according to the postal website. That has been my experience in the past as well. It's now 11 days and no sign of the UBE. This is amazingly frustrating.
I am going to make a public call for Yangdu to step up and include a tracking number on each order. This is the way business is done. There is no reason whatsoever to not include a tracking number so the customer knows where their hundreds of dollars in merchandise is.
At this point I've paid for 3 kukris last year and only one ( albeit a gorgeous blade) has been delivered. And it took two weeks to arrive with half the products missing. This is very disappointing to say the least.
Of course Yangdu will make it right - eventually. I'm now waiting for khukris to arrive from Nepal so I can get a chiruwa ang khola I paid for in dec.

After buying around 20 or so blades I feel I have the right to voice my opinion. Take care.
 
afaik, Yangdu always sends with shipping conf, and insurance. least wise the ones i get. USPS from 2 days to 5 typically

couple things to note with USPS... tracking? not really. at best, they can up to one month later, determine if it's lost or not. what that means is the shipper is told over a month later. then possibly gets an insurance refund.

another way to say it, unlike UPS/FEDEX, you cannot do daily/hourly tracking. even weekly. delivered or not. that's about it. in my experience.

normally, Yangdu overpacks stuff. it's kinda overkill, and it takes effort to get the knife out. i would imagine with holiday shipping, the postal service might have had issues. issues that may takea while to overcome.

also, to reiterate above, while USPS says 2-3 days, if it takes more, even 5 or 7 or even 14 days, they don't guarantee anything, nor does USPS care.

i hope you get your stuff soon, but honestly, until 30 days go by, Yangdu really can't do anything herself from a business point of view...

says a guy who has had over 100 HI product in the past. nothing lost, nothing damaged, but a few boxes scuzzed up (USPS is not perfect).
 
Wow, HI's shipping may be the best on the planet. Something crazy is going on with you. I concur with Bladite.
 
Odd.
I've never had a problem with any of the 5 or 6 packages that she has sent my way.
Always packed bombproof inside of the triangle box, and never more than 2-3 days delivery time.

Bill
 
Wait, wait. With USPS financial and consequent operational problems, they are proposing ending Saturday delivery and Next Day Delivery as well.
 
Aunties shipping has always been quick. I did have a package damaged so bad that a sheathless khuk had a bent tip. Yangdu immediately offered a full replacement, but since it was a blem and such great deal she had given me, I just reprofiled the tip and it's good to go. That package was so beat up. It had obviously been thrown repeatedly on the ground. It's not coincidence that when you thing of bad service, the USPS and state DMV come to mind. Hope it all works out.
 
Greetings,

I will d0 by best to get your knife there in timevia using diffirent shipping method. However, I have no controll over USPS service. Sorry
 
IMO - USPS is not the way to go at this point. I have been a supporter of USPS first class and 3 day delivery w/tracking for the last 10 years. I receive and ship out items weekly so I have a good feel for the service of USPS and the UPS/FEDX companies. USPS service has been a good value but you need to buy tracking. I have 4 or 5 packages in the system right now and sent/received a half dozen more prior to Christmas. I was getting 3-5 day delivery even on media mail and 3 day on first class prior to the recent announcement that USPS was going to close post offices and layoff workers. The USPS delivery times have increased since then. Depending on your area I would urge purchasers to pay for and specify UPS or FEDX service until the USPS situation is addressed.
 
apapercut said:
IMO - USPS is not the way to go at this point. I have been a supporter of USPS first class and 3 day delivery w/tracking for the last 10 years. I receive and ship out items weekly so I have a good feel for the service of USPS and the UPS/FEDX companies. USPS service has been a good value but you need to buy tracking. I have 4 or 5 packages in the system right now and sent/received a half dozen more prior to Christmas. I was getting 3-5 day delivery even on media mail and 3 day on first class prior to the recent announcement that USPS was going to close post offices and layoff workers. The USPS delivery times have increased since then. Depending on your area I would urge purchasers to pay for and specify UPS or FEDX service until the USPS situation is addressed.
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I also agree with this. Having worked in logistics for a number of years, I realize the value of a tracking number and being able to track shipments in real time. USPS Priority is only going to get worse, not better, as indicated by the posts above. Shipping for my recent order was $25, a shipping cost I typically would not even consider on purchased items through separate vendors (i.e. Amazon, Newegg, etc.), as it is simply a lot of money to pay for shipping. However, I understand these knifes are heavy and require specific packing, so I was not too upset about the shipping fee. My suggestion would also be to consider a courier service such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc., as you can negotiate reasonable rates based on your volume and it would make your customers a lot happier in the end. Most people, I imagine, would be happy to pay an extra $5 for FedEx 3-day delivery if they knew they could track the shipment. UPS Ground offers very competitive rates, trackable service, and would still be delivered faster than what I've been seeing through USPS Priority.
 
The only thing I hate about UPS and Fed Ex is they NEVER KNOCK on the doors here. Which would result in my khukuris sitting in the rain or snow until I just happen to open the door and see them. The USPS mail lady here will actually get out of her car and knock on the door loud enough for anybody home to hear. Ups and Fed Ex might knock once softly, if at all, and by the time I get to the door if they knock at all they are already 1/2 a mile down the road in 4th gear. Just keep in mind, Yangdu does all the orders, shipping, packing, herself with no help. If you want a company with assembly line production, packing departments, and a 1-800- customer service number, the uniqueness and soul of these wonderful knives we all treasure will also have the look of monotone, machine produced knives you can find elsewhere. Quality would suffer also. Sounds like an isolated issue with the USPS, not Yangdu. I have not had an issue with recieving orders from her before. One package took 5 days at most. Priority mail is not Guaranteed 2-3 day delivery. The USPS even said recently. At least I know what time of day the USPS mail runs. Fed Ex and UPS can run anytime, sporradically. I've had tracking number from other companies that said "out for delivery" for 3-4 days. After I recieved and signed for my package, I checked 3 days later and it still said "out for delivery."
 
DiscusMan said:
The only thing I hate about UPS and Fed Ex is they NEVER KNOCK on the doors here. Which would result in my khukuris sitting in the rain or snow until I just happen to open the door and see them. The USPS mail lady here will actually get out of her car and knock on the door loud enough for anybody home to hear. Ups and Fed Ex might knock once softly, if at all, and by the time I get to the door if they knock at all they are already 1/2 a mile down the road in 4th gear. Just keep in mind, Yangdu does all the orders, shipping, packing, herself with no help. If you want a company with assembly line production, packing departments, and a 1-800- customer service number, the uniqueness and soul of these wonderful knives we all treasure will also have the look of monotone, machine produced knives you can find elsewhere. Quality would suffer also. Sounds like an isolated issue with the USPS, not Yangdu. I have not had an issue with recieving orders from her before. One package took 5 days at most. Priority mail is not Guaranteed 2-3 day delivery. The USPS even said recently. At least I know what time of day the USPS mail runs. Fed Ex and UPS can run anytime, sporradically. I've had tracking number from other companies that said "out for delivery" for 3-4 days. After I recieved and signed for my package, I checked 3 days later and it still said "out for delivery."
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How did we go from discussing the potential for better delivery options to establishing an assembly line production method? As far as I know, Yangdu is responsible for packing and distributing the knives, not making them, are you aware of something I'm not? Most people would like to have a tracking number and potential for real-time tracking with status updates. The issue regarding knocking at your door is resolved easily enough by requesting to have the items delivered instead to the nearest pickup location or by requesting that the 'direct signature' requirement be selected- either solution would work. As has been mentioned already, USPS is being phased out and there are undoubtedly better solutions available. If you're truly concerned about the amount of work that goes into distribution on behalf of HI, it would only make more sense to choose a courier such as UPS or FedEx, as it would help to eliminate the many emails I'm sure Yangdu receives asking her to confirm when the "package was sent", "where it is now", and "how come it hasn't arrived." An account setup through FedEx would also allow HI the ability to be provided with free packaging resources, boxes, and supplies - something I'm sure is not free through USPS.

I'm not saying that either UPS or FedEx are perfect, but I can tell you that turning the distribution services over to either service would better allow the customer to interface directly with the courier whenever there is an issue with delivery, rather than always having to bother HI for updates.
 
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Who said USPS is being phased out? And if so, when? Don't over-interpret.

USPS delivers inside my building. Everyone else delivers to the back of the building, by the parking lot. Tracking is an over-rated luxury when the items shipped show up in a few days with very rare exceptions. "One sparrow does not make a spring." The system is not now obviously broken, and may not need fixing. Actually, Yangdu will know better than anyone how often it fails, since she is the one who is hurt by it if it does.
 
The difference between the USPS and UPS/Fedex is that if the Government worker is found smashing your package little to nothing will happen, perhaps a letter of reprimand. More than likely the package will vanish at that point. It's too much work to try to reprimand a federal employee that is protected by the union. Spoken by a former Federal employee (not USPS).
I have not had a problem with the packing/shipping at HI.
 
Buttmunkey said:
The difference between the USPS and UPS/Fedex is that if the Government worker is found smashing your package little to nothing will happen, perhaps a letter of reprimand. More than likely the package will vanish at that point. It's too much work to try to reprimand a federal employee that is protected by the union. Spoken by a former Federal employee (not USPS).
I have not had a problem with the packing/shipping at HI.
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You obviously would not believe how many postal employees I had suspended or terminated for lousy attitude or performance. In New York City, where the unions once thought they owned the place. A manager who wants to can get the job done.

A far as the package vanishing, that's Federal charges that can land you in government housing.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Who said USPS is being phased out? And if so, when? Don't over-interpret.

USPS delivers inside my building. Everyone else delivers to the back of the building, by the parking lot. Tracking is an over-rated luxury when the items shipped show up in a few days with very rare exceptions. "One sparrow does not make a spring." The system is not now obviously broken, and may not need fixing. Actually, Yangdu will know better than anyone how often it fails, since she is the one who is hurt by it if it does.
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link taken from one of many recent articles:

"The House of Representatives then advanced a measure that concurred with the President’s assessment to end Saturday services, but further called for more policy expansions, such as the allowing of advertisements at post offices and on mail trucks, as well as a gradual phasing-out of most deliveries for personal mailboxes, in hopes of encouraging the use of neighborhood (or cluster) mailboxes.

The news came on top of July’s announcement from the USPS that a proposed 3,700 post offices nationally will be closing within the next year to cut costs. The USPS released a specified proposal of office closures the next month and, of the over 100 offices in California on the alleged chopping block, none are in Monterey County.

In September, a Federal Register notice from the USPS proposed plans to close over 300 processing plants while cutting around 35,000 jobs in the next twenty-eight months. The USPS has already phased out over 100,000 jobs since 2006."


So, to clarify, it's really not my 'interpretation' that USPS is being 'phased out,' it's the reality of the situation- whether or not you agree is irrelevant. Congratulations that USPS delivers to your building, they deliver to mine as well (but probably soon will not be on Saturdays). Tracking is not an overrated luxury, you clearly have never dealt with the logistical aspect of a business and therefore don't understand that the 'luxury' you are referring to has a significant impact on a company and it's reputation. Do you understand why Newegg does as well as it does? Look over a number of the reviews for any product, guaranteed you will see in there a larger portion referencing how quickly they received the item purchased. By relying on USPS, one can only create additional burdens for both the business and the consumer, as increasing confusion is raised by the decreasing services rendered by USPS and lack of any clear tracking details/updates.

For more reference/reading material, here are few more articles to keep you up to speed on current changes underway: link to 'Why the Postal Service is Going Out of Business' & 'USPS Warns of Shutdown'
 
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Earlier she offered to send them via a different shipping method. I saw nowhere that it said 2-3 days was Guaranteed, but I could have missed that part. I just don't feel the blame should lay on Yangdu for something the USPS messed up. Her method of shipping these knives has worked well for a lot of people here. I lost count of how many times in the reviews I read "my knife arrived here amazingly fast." Mine got from Nevada to North Carolina in 3 days. I'm truly sorry for you that yours was not the same experience. I just feel that people should discuss this with Yangdu herself before posting on the forum. I've gotten broken items from ups and fed ex in the past. I just prefer to know what time of day to expect a package. Tracking numbers are something I'm sure Yangdu would do if you just ask her to when you place your order. I didn't mean to offend or anger anybody, and appologize if I did so. No system of package delivery is perfect. If USPS goes bankrupt, I'm sure UPS will be more than happy to mail letters, christmas cards, advertisements, junk mail, and all the other stuff that clogs up the USPS. I just feel that this discussion has gotten a little of track. I'm just a little more laid back than most people I guess. I order my knives, she lets me know she sent them, and when they get here I open them up. Dosen't matter to me if it takes 3 days or 14. But thats just me. Have you had this problem with all 20 blades you bought from Himalayan Imports? Where any of them delivered in 3-5 days? Anyway sorry if I offended anybody, I just didn't want this to turn against Yangdu and HI in general. I think overall HI has an excellent track record, and the best customer service around, considering these blades come from halfway around the world.
 
DiscusMan said:
The only thing I hate about UPS and Fed Ex is they NEVER KNOCK on the doors here. Which would result in my khukuris sitting in the rain or snow until I just happen to open the door and see them. The USPS mail lady here will actually get out of her car and knock on the door loud enough for anybody home to hear. "
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This must be a regional thing. Here in my area of PA the mailman just leaves the boxes on the porch under the mailbox and leaves. I have had boxes delivered by UPS or Fed Ex (I forget which), and they will knock to let you know it is there. And in my area the mailman still delivers to the mailbox next to your front door, but they never knock on the door if you have a big package.


Side note, I have always had fast shipping form HI.
 
Yeah, I'm going to have to go with experience here. In nearly 10 years I have received scores of packages from HI. Some were a little rough around the edges, but that had nothing to do with how Yangdu packaged them. Shipping is hell on a package. However, none of them were even close to being split/ripped open. If you are getting constant issues with your packages, I would say it might have to do with whatever post office is handling them. I have never had an issue be it shipped to southern Kentucky or southern Indiana.

I know you're frustrated, but this is a localized USPS situation, not Yangdu's fault. I know that HI briefly tried DHL several years ago with disastrous results. For the most part, USPS works. It just depends on the post office receiving your mail. UPS is a streamlined automaton. They are efficient. However, when you get a really good post office and carrier, the personable employees of the USPS are hard to beat. My mail carrier automatically stops my mail on weekends in the winter when our office is only open through the week. She makes sure to bring inside any important looking pieces instead of leaving them in the elements. AND she knows that a triangle box ALWAYS means that it is the most important of all packages:D

I'm sorry about your issues with USPS.
 
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