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Postal Packages

AR-Trvlr said:
What are the odds that a priority package was dropped off on Thursday but not scanned as “accepted” until during business hours this morning (Saturday)? Which was also slightly after I pm’d the sender asking about the status. I’ve seen a missed scan or two, but short of getting kicked into a back corner I’ve never seen the acceptance scan delayed for two days.
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I’ll second the odds are high. USPS isn’t worth squat right now. It really makes me hesitant to sell stuff.
 
BD_01 said:
I’ll second the odds are high. USPS isn’t worth squat right now. It really makes me hesitant to sell stuff.
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My post above was as a sender. As a recipient, things are even worse.

Normally when a package arrives in BOSTON, it gets to me the same or next day, at the latest.

Now, they have a new "limbo" section apparently, where the packages just mingle for a week or so before moseying on to the neighborhood PO where they like to hang out with fellow packages for another couple of days.

Finally, days later, these "priority" packages make it to my doorstep.
 
Gastonknife said:
Yup. Jeff besos is laughing all the way to the bank. Amazon owns the Washington post. Who originates most of the hit job "reporting" on the proposed changes at the usps to try and fix all the kick down the road issues our do nothing politicians have been complicit in for many years. Gee someone might want to run the USPS more like a real business, not a government entitlement. As in thinking some responsible cost effective business model is a crazy idea. Some folks continue to be played by WP/Amazon articles. Sure Amazon doesn't want changes. They continue to get richer by taking advantage of low usps rates for moving volume they don't want to handle in low density/ high cost areas. The funny thing is some think we are standing up to The man, when the reality is we are being played by the man. Bezos did not become the richest man in the world by accident.
The fact is that the usps should be charging more for many small package shipments. Do you really think that our government is ever capable of providing a more cost effective solution to just about anything?
So if UPS or Fedex or Dhl are more expensive= do you really think they are just so off base with their true pricing?
Yup Amazon is laughing ...but at whom?

I'll add

Unfortunately, the whole situation at the usps is a political football. The union doesn't want changes - they got a good gig, politicians are beholden to them for votes. The USPS continues to bleed billions every year, yet for years no one has done anything to make some necessary changes.

The poor service during the record holiday volume and a pandemic was not caused by anything that was recently done or proposed. It was a whirlwind of historical problems, covid, and unexpected record ecommerce growth. It's worth noting that ups fedex and dhl could and did refuse business above certain volume levels because they knew their systems could only handle so much. USPS did not have that luxury. They can't turn away customers. So not only did they end up with record volume from existing business - they got overwhelmed with so much more that was never planned from other new ones. It was impossible for the system to handle it. Throw in the fact that 10-15% of their workforce out due to covid or covid protocols any given week. And well it ended very badly. Which is a shame.

Someone, sometime is going to have to have the guts to take on the politicians and the mighty union to make needed changes to preserve the usps properly long term. Things just can't stay as they are. It's not tenable.
Like it it not some price increases for packages are needed, money could be saved by slowing first class letters by a day (which is not really a big deal) and the elephant in the room - massive retirement/pension funding needs an overhaul.
Changes need to be made in order for the USPS we all love to continue to have a positive future.
letter volume has dried up to half what it once was. Package is where the growth is. They don't even have the right size vehicles to efficiently run routes with the current mix. Most of their fleet is so old and needs to be replaced. Should have been upgraded many years ago. But They can't afford to do so. Keeping things the same is really not a great option.
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^ Excellent post! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

PeteyTwoPointOne said:
Baltimore & D.C. area P.O.'s SUCK!
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^^ There is, a common denominator regarding many of these cities being mentioned in this thread....but unfortunately, I'm not allowed to discuss my opinion here in the GBU. Perhaps someone can start another thread in the PA, where the relevant facts (as well as some of the biased political opinions being posted here) to some of the issues presently facing the USPS, are allowed?

Other than 1 package I shipped to New York City, during the Christmas holiday's (which took just short of a month but was finally successfully delivered via Registered Mail), the USPS continues to always provide me with exceptional, professional service & has never, ever, let me down! My local Carlsbad USPO, clerks & my mail carrier- all rock! :thumbsup::thumbsup: As both a buyer/seller, I guess I just must be lucky, that the packages I both ship, & receive, arrive in a timely manner (usually in 2-3 days).

I will continue to use the USPS, only until, they give me a good reason, not to.
 
I've been pretty lucky lately but I have no clue what's going on with this package to Canada:confused:

Screenshot_20210425-174654_USPS Mobile.jpg
 
KELAMA said:
^^ There is, a common denominator regarding many of these cities being mentioned in this thread....but unfortunately, I'm not allowed to discuss my opinion here in the GBU. Perhaps someone can start another thread in the PA, where the relevant facts (as well as some of the biased political opinions being posted here) to some of the issues presently facing the USPS, are allowed?
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Well, you just did anyway, didn't you...

Facts are, the recent problems we are seeing did not occur until the current head of USPS was put in place and implemented many changes under the guise of "efficiency". A deliberate slowdown during the election, in a pandemic, and over the holidays? What were they thinking at the TOP of the USPS!

Things won't get better until there is a change in leadership.
 
Why do you keep at it with the deliberate slow down thing? The PO handled the election ballots in a perfectly fine manner with little or no issues period. Please try and grasp the challenges of what happened at the PO during the pandemic and the seismic shift brought on due to ecommerce. The PO was ill prepared or able to handle it due to what has gone on there for years and also what has not been done for years. The table was set long before the current leadership - or even the ones before them - for that matter. Changes are needed and have been needed at the PO for years. Yes the service was very bad, but to blame it on the "new" guy just is not fair. It would have happened if any Leader of the last 30 years was still there.

I'd also add that it is still crazy busy at the USPS, Fedex, and UPS - it's been like Christmas for over a year. The latter two have been run like a business for years and are more nimble and prepared......they change and adapt. That is what the USPS needs to do as well. However, it's not going to be an easy task nor one that happens quickly. Better get used to it, because it has to happen - regardless of who is in charge.... it's not really optional at this point. The growth of ecommerce and the bleeding of billions of $$$ in losses can't be ignored anymore.
 
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USPS
not worth the money
incompetent asshat supervisors and thieving carriers
used them for years
over them and no accountability

they suck balls
 
Got a beautiful ~$500 fixed blade from a great seller on the exchange. This is how the USPS package arrived:

i-ZrVSf4D-X3.jpg


Luckily, the seller taped the knife against the inside wall of the package, and there was so much bubble wrap all glued together, that it must have been difficult to reach and take the knife out quickly. So I received the knife safely. Still an interesting story for all of you, I thought. So I understand if some of you prefer UPS or Fedex.

Roland..
 
Had a package shipped from York Pa on Tuesday headed to Baltimore. Scanned in at York on Tuesday, made it to Lancaster by late night, was scanned in Washington DC yesterday afternoon and today it is completely missing from my informed delivery and tracking has defaulted back to "information not available". Not sure how their system lost the earlier scans or where it is headed.

Update: USPS glitch. Tracking number on my "Informed Delivery" was not actually my package, tracking numbers were 3 digits different and it dropped off my system once they realized the mistake.
 
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Since I experienced USPS Tracking History changes, I take screen shots to document tracking reports. That allowed me to prove that a package was reported to have left Chicago three different times on the same day, returning twice. Not that there is any remedy against THE ultimate bureaucracy.
 
ferider said:
Got a beautiful ~$500 fixed blade from a great seller on the exchange. This is how the USPS package arrived:

i-ZrVSf4D-X3.jpg


Luckily, the seller taped the knife against the inside wall of the package, and there was so much bubble wrap all glued together, that it must have been difficult to reach and take the knife out quickly. So I received the knife safely. Still an interesting story for all of you, I thought. So I understand if some of you prefer UPS or Fedex.

Roland..
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So someone in the middle actually cut open the shipping box?
 
Anyone starting to see lagging in shipping and could it have something to do with the uptick in the Delta variant ?
 
nikoknife48 said:
Anyone starting to see lagging in shipping and could it have something to do with the uptick in the Delta variant ?
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I don't know, but USPS has certainly been extending the estimated time of delivery on priority I remember when it was 2 days, but not guaranteed. The package I sent yesterday had an estimate of 5 days. I have always had pretty god service from USPS(especially locally), but they now may be taking full advantage of having an excuse.
 
I'm still getting the dreaded "Arriving Late" on packages. As mentioned above, the new norm for priority is 5-7 days. Recent package from Kansas took 6 days. However, anything sent from Amazon Prime comes on time, even Sundays.

Things won't go back to the good old days of somewhat acceptable service until the recent changes put in place at the top are stopped and/or reversed. That could take some time considering what it takes to remove a post master general.
 
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