USPS

Man I love it when you're really looking forward to an item arriving, then the day you're supposed to get it you notice the tracking number has been frozen in another state half way across the country for the past two days. Talked to the postal carrier yesterday and she said that it should arrive at the facility last night and be delivered today (yes they deliver packages here on Sundays). Just checked it and it's still frozen in the same place as it was before. Lately this seems to be happening more often than not with USPS. My last order arrived over a week past the estimated arrival date. Don't mind me, just ranting a bit .

USPS tracking numbers aren't anywhere near as reliable as those from UPS, in my experience. For that matter, even FedEx and DHL do better than USPS. UPS reports are, in my experience, probably 99% accurate. FedEx will deliver no package before its scheduled delivery date, and DHL depends on USPS for the "last mile", so reliability suffers. USPS doesn't have tracking as a mandatory part of their workflow as far as I can tell; I've received packages that were still showing "Tracking number received; awaiting pickup".

Jon wrote in post #17906777
USPS tracking numbers aren't anywhere near as reliable as those from UPS, in my experience. For that matter, even FedEx and DHL do better than USPS. UPS reports are, in my experience, probably 99% accurate. FedEx will deliver no package before its scheduled delivery date, and DHL depends on USPS for the "last mile", so reliability suffers. USPS doesn't have tracking as a mandatory part of their workflow as far as I can tell; I've received packages that were still showing "Tracking number received; awaiting pickup".

You're exactly right. In fact when I was speaking to the postal worker yesterday, she told me to "completely disregard the expected arrival date, as that means nothing." She told me it's more accurate to look at where the package currently is, but even that's not always accurate she said.

I've had packages arrive when the USPS tracking said they were still in another state. It's far from a real time process.

Speed of different services have a lot to do with your location and the depots in your area.

I am blessed, despite being a 4 hour drive from Manhattan, my location means anything shipped from NY or NJ will arrive next day via UPS ground.

USPS, not so much. Usually two to 3 days.
Fedex ground, also usually 2.

Just a matter of how the UPS system happens to work in and around NYC and my own local depot in Warwick RI.

.

I actually love USPS. I always try to get vendors to ship USPS Priority. In my experience, Priority Mail is much faster than Fed-Ex. Packages always get to me in 2 or 3 days, even though they are usually coming from the eastern U.S., 3000 miles away. Fed-Ex takes a week.

The Fed-Ex tracking may be accurate, but it makes no sense (to the consumer) where the packages go. The thing Fed-Ex delivered to me last month passed within 150miles of my home, only to keep going for another 300 miles to arrive in Portland, Oregon.....where it sat for 3 days before being sent back in my direction. It was only coming from Minnesota - heck, that's only 1500 miles away.....yet it took twelve days to get here. TWELVE DAYS! I have driven to Minnesota in less than two full days.

lol USPS is the worst! My item finally updated tracking, but I noticed it had to go through the North Houston sorting facility. Check these links to see how bad they suck: http://abc13.com …s-at-post-office/1086032/ http://abc13.com …s-complaints-rise/434759/. It said on tracking it was delayed and would be here tomorrow, so only 3 days late, so not a HUGE deal. I just checked the tracking for fun and guess what?! It's arrived? It said it had been delivered. This confused me, as they always deliver to the door. I've been home all day, live in a very small apartment, and have a very loud dog who goes crazy everytime someone walks by, so they didn't deliver to the door. The tracking said it was in the mailbox, which also confused me, since it's a box that i was sure would be too big for the mailbox (small apts mean small mailboxes). I walked down to the mailbox, and find a nice little postcard saying "sorry we missed you". It's pretty easy to miss someone you didn't try to deliver to. Apparently my item is at the post office, and I can go pick it up there tomorrow. Oh joy. Everytime I've been to the Post Office since moving to Houston I've stood in lines at least 45 minutes long for the most trivial things. At least I can get my package on my terms tomorrow though.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #17906868
.

I actually love USPS. I always try to get vendors to ship USPS Priority. In my experience, Priority Mail is much faster than Fed-Ex. Packages always get to me in 2 or 3 days, even though they are usually coming from the eastern U.S., 3000 miles away. Fed-Ex takes a week.

The Fed-Ex tracking may be accurate, but it makes no sense (to the consumer) where the packages go. The thing Fed-Ex delivered to me last month passed within 150miles of my home, only to keep going for another 300 miles to arrive in Portland, Oregon.....where it sat for 3 days before being sent back in my direction. It was only coming from Minnesota - heck, that's only 1500 miles away.....yet it took twelve days to get here. TWELVE DAYS! I have driven to Minnesota in less than two full days.

Hosted photo: posted by Tom Reichner in
./showthread.php?p=179​06868&i=i136216122
forum: The Lounge

Conversely, the item I ordered this week was shipped via USPS Priority Mail. Shipped Wednesday from South Carolina, arrived yesterday here in WA state. Three thousand miles in 3 days. Never would have happened with Fed-Ex ground. With USPS I really don't even have to bother looking up the tracking, because it always arrives so quickly I don't have time to start wondering about where it is and when it will arrive.

Hosted photo: posted by Tom Reichner in
./showthread.php?p=179​06868&i=i233800194
forum: The Lounge

.

Move to Houston. You'll change your mind. I read somewhere that the North Houston sorting facility was the worst in the US.

.

Jarvis Creative Studios wrote in post #17908749
Move to Houston. You'll change your mind. I read somewhere that the North Houston sorting facility was the worst in the US.

Hmmmmm. How about this:
Instead of me moving to Houston, so that I can get crappy USPS service, why don't you move to Washington or Pennsylvania, so that you can enjoy excellent USPS service?

.

I had a guitar I sold that was meant for Washington end up in Alaska. Tracking showed it 20 minutes from its destination and then no updates for 2 weeks, before finally showing it ended up in Alaska. Customer support had no idea why. Left a sour taste in my mouth and avoid using USPS now whenever possible.

My sister lives in Baraboo, WI; stuff for her often goes to Barbados W. I.

I must be very lucky. Never have had an issue with USPS. In fact, they are usually a day earlier to deliver than what is stated on their tracking site.

This may be a case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease. Of course USPS makes more mistakes, and misses scanning more items. Nothing is perfect. Try to keep in mind that USPS handles more items EVERY DAY than UPS, DHL, FEDEX, combined handle in a year.

I use USPS because I can completely prep a package at home, pay for it at home, label it at home, fill out Customs forms at home, schedule a pickup without leaving my den, and know it is going to get delivered reliably. It may take a bit longer, but it does get there. I've sent several dozen delicate electronic/photographi​c/expensive items around the US, Canada, and Guam via USPS Priority Mail. I've never had an item arrived damaged. I know their tracking SUCKS. I'd rather have a package delivered intact than know where it happens to be at any particular moment.

Bassat wrote in post #17941737
This may be a case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease. Of course USPS makes more mistakes, and misses scanning more items. Nothing is perfect. Try to keep in mind that USPS handles more items EVERY DAY than UPS, DHL, FEDEX, combined handle in a year.
.

This doesn't sound at all right to me. Would you please state the source of this information?

saea501 wrote in post #17950415
This doesn't sound at all right to me. Would you please state the source of this information?

The US Postal Service. They used it in an advertising campaign several years ago. Validity? Unknown, but I believe it. USPS delivers letters. To every address in the country. Every day. Nobody else does that.

Not many things can be had for $0.50 these days. Reliable delivery, everywhere, everyday is brought to you by the USPS. Who gives a FFA how crappy their tracking system is? They deliver, which is what you are paying for.