I had a package shipped USPS leave Fort Worth, TX on Friday. It hasn't showed up anywhere since, and was supposed to be delivered on Monday.

I sent USPS an email.


So, does Arfcom think USPS will find my package and all will be good, or am I out $80?


And fuck anyone who uses USPS to ship anything that isn't a flat rate box. IMHO the only thing USPS is good for is shipping bullets.

My Experience



ETA: I will NEVER use USPS to ship anything over 50 bux in value. I'm certain the driver intended to steal the package but only returned it when myself and the recipient started raining hell down on the postmaster. If you look at the tracking info in my thread you'll see how the whole thing is fishy and when the package finally did get delivered the recipient sent me pics of the package that was clearly cut open on one end. Cut, not torn.

And in semi-unrelated news..

I just got a backpacking cot straight from China, shipped USPS. Took about a week.

This thing is pretty awesome, it packs up into a package that is about the size of a loaf of bread, and it can still support my fat ass, too.

It seems to be a straight Thermorest cot copy, however, both cots are made in China, so fucks given for buying the shameless copy at half the cost = 0.

Was it insured?

 
Yeah, I have never liked USPS. This is the last time I knowingly use them.

 
Not sure. I don't see anything on the tracking info on whether or not it is. If it doesn't turn up by the weekend I'm going to contact the seller and see if they happen to insure packages when they ship them. But I doubt it.

They took 11 days to ship my package from Houston to Baton Rouge and I paid for 2 day delivery.  I challenge anyone to call their help line and get a human being on the phone.  They will never get my business again.

If it doesn't say "delivered" on the tracking info it'll likely turn up in a few days as it probably got missent somewhere.

Did you pay with a credit card?

Is the seller a person or a business? Did you use a payment service such as PayPal, eBay, Google Wallet, etc.?

I had a packaged shipped to me from southern cali that took a little side trip to some random place in Illinois

I ship by those APC things and pay with my AmEx, which has one of those purchase protection things.

They cover all sorts of shit.

I had a priority mail envelope shipped to me from CT. It disappeared for 16 days then showed up in TN. 2 days later it got to me in OK.

I kinda got "tricked" by eBay's third party insurance bullshit. I insured the package for $800.00 but because it wasn't insured by USPS, they didn't know it was insured, so all the carrier knows is he's delivering a 48" x 24" x 12" , big, juicy , valuable package that has no insurance on it.... and if it's not insured then USPS has no liability if it comes up "missing" or "lost." Fucking Ebay and fuck USPS ! Last time I ship a Les Paul USPS.

The mail service around here has gone to total shit lately. At work I have two carriers. The first I'll call Mr. W. He is a good guy who will chase me down in my truck to hand me a package I've been waiting on. The other I'll call Mr. B. His is a lazy fool who is so stupid he has to be trying to fuck up like he does. He delivered an express envelope I was waiting on to another address and signed it himself! One other time he brought us in a bunch of mail from addresses about a half a mile away. We gave them back to him the next day and he said: "I didn't bring these here, where did you get this from?" I just looked at him, laughed, and said: You're right, I just shit that stuff. If he is delivering the mail we won't ever get any on the day after a three day weekend.

At home I have the weirdest carriers ever. One time I was waiting for a package on a Saturday. I know when the mail usually comes so I thought I'd wait in the garage to be sure not to miss him. He left a pink card in the box and just drove off. I waited by the curb till he came back around the block and asked him why he didn't try to deliver it. He said: "You might have a dog that would bite me". Well sure, and monkeys might fly out of my butt, but it ain't really that likely.

Generally, I have had relatively good luck shipping and receiving with USPS.  Here are a couple of notable exceptions though..  I have a post office box at the local Post Office.

1.  My cousin died, and left me some swords and knives.  I was told they would be shipped, yet they never arrived.  I didn't want to seem ghoulish by asking the family when the package I expected was shipped, so I left it alone.  About six months later, I went to inquire about some small articles that hadn't been placed in my box, even though the tracking number said it had been delivered.  The postal clerk found both the article I was looking for, AND the knives and swords my cousin's family sent me nearly six months earlier.  I asked why I never received any kind of notice that they package had arrived, or even a reminder to pick up the package if the first notice was never sent, or received.  The best answer I could get was that I experienced an oversight that rarely happens, along with an embarrassed apology.

2.  At another post office, about 20 years ago, I had to return a Scottish Dirk to the maker in Scotland.  I bought insurance in the amount of $800.00 and kept all the receipts for insurance, special handling, international shipping, customs etc.  I was to receive a confirmation that the package had been successfully delivered.  After 3-4 weeks I inquired at the post office's front desk as to when I should receive the confirmation.  I was told that on international shipping, they NEVER sell delivery confirmation, or insurance because they can't guarantee how the package is handled once it is out of their custody.  

While I agreed that the explanation I was given made sense, I asked how I could get my money back for products/services they sold me, that they weren't supposed to sell, OR could deliver on.  The clerk at first said that I had to be mistaken because they would never sell insurance, or delivery confirmation....at least until I showed him all my receipts and paperwork.  

Eventually, the postmaster refunded the delivery confirmation, and insurance that I paid extra for, but wouldn't refund the basic postage.  I agreed with that deal as it made sense that they did have to ship off the item.  Fortunately, after about 2 months, I was able to get written confirmation from the people I sent the Dirk to confirming that they had received it.          THANK GOODNESS FOR HONEST PEOPLE!

My local post office generally provides shipping that I am MUCH more confident in than I am with UPS, or FedEx.  I have had far better success with the post office in both getting things delivered/received without damage, and at much less cost than with UPS or FedEx.  

I don't work for the post office, never have, and don't even have any relatives who work there, so my input isn't based on trying to boost the post office's on line credibility.

Yeah, service for all classes of mail has gotten bad this year. I've noticed 1st Class mail has been taking twice as long to arrive.

They've been closing processing plants all over the country during the last couple  years. 82 last January alone. Trucks have to drive further to drop off and pick up and the processing load is increased at each existing plant.

Supposed to get better/faster eventually according to USPS, but who knows?

The horror.

Odd that I can ship hundreds of packages by USPS every year and they seem to arrive just fine.

Poor shipping practices is usually the root cause of most USPS misfortunes.

The only issue I ever had was my fault when I messed-up one of those fucked in the head CA addresses. Out there the damn house numbers are as long as the fucking zip-code then they have some fucking long-assed Mexican sounding street name after it to boot.

Well I do, or at least I did. My dad was a postal inspector in the late 70's and early 80's after he retired from the USAF. Back then they kicked serious ass. He once busted a guy for stealing the dimes out of the March of Dimes postcards. He used to follow the carriers around and shadow them.

I hate when I lose a package. There's nothing worse than going into the basement and seeing a broken chain bolted to the radiator

Another outstanding service of the federal govt.

Don't worry, congress will keep giving them more money to make up the business their poor service has lost.

Eh, they generally show up....  I made a purchase off eBay a while back from a guy who lived about 15 miles away who asked if I just wanted to come pick it up.  With gas being over $3/ gallon at the time, I told him to just ship it for less than $2.  Well USPS, sent it almost 300 miles north, from there sent it 200 miles SW, then back 180 east, then 50 miles south to my mailbox in over a week

And they wonder why they're loosing money....  

Hell when my sister was in college, she broke a pair of glasses and my mom went to her eye Dr and got a replacement pair and sent it USPS Express and was assured it would make the 220 mile trip by the end of the next day.  Two days later.... USPS changed their tune......  

I've had roughly 95% good luck with USPS, but if something critical needs to be sent, USPS isn't on my list of carriers

Same thing happened to me. It showed as leaving Fort Worth, TX and disappeared for a week with no updates then suddenly arrived at my door

Dude, you shipped a package rather than drive 15 miles? Damn, I guess I ain't all that lazy after all lol

 
Used my debit card to pay for it, it's a business, and they run credit cards through paypal.


It's not late enough yet that I'm going to dispute the charges. I just kind of wanted to start another "I hate USPS" thread. Haven't seen one in a while, and I have a legitimate reason to bitch.


On the flip side of things, I ordered 1k .45 bullets from Bayou Bullets last Thursday night, and they showed up Monday. Shipped USPS Priority 3 day in a flat rate box.


Got an email back already. He says "Your parcel is still in transit I'm sorry for the delay but it is still on its way it hasn't been lost or misplaced it is still in transit"


To the guy who said not to call their customer service - that's why I emailed. I can't stand idiots, and talking to them on the phone only makes it worse.

 
That's what I have been hoping for - it to just suddenly appear.

I sent a jerrycan back to Deustche Optiks.  The cap didn't seal the spout (it didn't go over the spout like it should).   Instead of going  to Reno, NV where  it is to go to its final destination, it went to Richmond, CA.  Concern arose until it was learned that Richmond is a sorting facility.  It's now in Reno and should get to Deustche Opticks.

If priority, it came with $50 of insurance. Wait a few days, I've had stuff show up ten days after it was supposed to be delivery and sitting idle somewhere.


If you were the buyer, contact the seller and have them reship the goods after you wait a reasonable amount of time. Unless it is marked delivered, they'll get their $50 claim, make no profit or even lose a couple bucks, but not give a fuck to keep you happy.

I ship 99% of my stuff with USPS, they lose one in a few thousand packages, same as any other delivery service.

Inspectors do absolutely fucking nothing anymore.

 
Very good to know. That's pretty much what I am thinking I will do. I'll give it at least another week.

Wasn't in a rush(thank goodness) and was cheaper to have seller mail it.