I'm finally convinced..the USPS is stupid,overpaid and all around sucks

[LiquidEvilGaming]

iv'e lost count how many negative experiences iv'e had with the USPS.

From signature required meaning in THEIR eyes letting ANYONE sign for something as long as they get a signature

To delivering something meaning they scanned it and left it in the USPS vehicle

To refusing to honor insured items because they were ""signed for as proof of delivery"" by a name totally different than to whom it was addressed..etc etc

They define incompetence to new levels i thought not possible...but today...today took the cake

So as many of you know i recently ordered a new HHKB to add to my collection...Needless to say the process has been a nightmare resulting in my posting this.

The Package was supposed to arrive today 3/21/16 but somehow it got early scheduled to a Sunday delivery since it was ordered via Amazon....Not cool since i was out all day with my wife.  They left a note saying no secure location to leave yada yada...went online filled out the form asked them to redeliver Tuesday since i had other packages coming that day anyways.


So today my local USPS branch contacts me asking if it's necessary to bring the package to my doorstep (something i had requested on the form since it's expensive) and they say it can easily fit into my mailbox..Why are you arguing with the guy who asked for this in the first place..the guy who gives you a TON of business both personally and from the Business i manage.  But whatever...i then think to myself no way a HHKB can fit inside of my tiny ass mailbox...Postmaster says package can...I said wait is this the right tracking #?  He says one wasn't listed on the redelivery form (Totally false as i was staring at it online and could edit it and saw the # plain as day) they screwed up and held the package for some keycaps i ordered that were supposed to be delivered today not the HHKB....ok..whatever no biggie...But where the hell is my HHKB then?  Give the Postmaster my tracking # he says hold....it was sitting at the HUB 6 towns away since it was a Sunday deliver (which it wasn't supposed to be to begin with!) and the form was supposedly screwed up and the HHKB is still 6 towns away and i need to pick it up!?

WTF...at this point i'm getting aggravated...why did this go anywhere but my local USPS to begin with..?...Fine....can i get it sent to the local branch so i can pick it up?  He says i'll call you back .....1.5 hours later i hear someone outside my door no bell rang nothing....opened a little later to see what was up...and there is my HHKB sitting there outside my doorstep when nobody seemed to know where it was to begin with...no signature...yet the first time it was an ""insecure location""  Good thing i was home as we have had a rash of stolen UPS/USPS/FEDEX packages as of late....

TLDR: The USPS (not all of them but most of them) Are overpaid buffoons who can't tie their shoes,figure out where your package is,don't communicate among each other and change policies on a daily basis as they see fit.  It's not a wonder the USPS makes virtually no money (Government run FTL) and i hope for the day they are abolished as where UPS and Fedex are far from perfect.....they seem like perfection compared to the embarrassment that is known as the USPS.  I have had more problems with the USPS in the last year than Fedex/UPS and (DHL when they were a bigger deal) Lifetime COMBINED.

Meanwhile the average USPS employee makes more than i am allowed to pay an entry level Scratch baker/Pastry chef or talented cake decorator meanwhile the average USPS position requires no trade skill or real education of any kind...it's embarrassing and disgusting.  My apologies if any fellow GeekHackers work for the USPS but i'm venting/reporting based on LOTS of personal experience both on a personal and business level.



Sorry for ranting but i figured some of you could likely understand from your own personal experiences......and please DO share!!

[demik]

USPS is such **** lately. Their 2 day shipping is minimum 5 days now. Their website is **** for tracking also. Wtf happened?

[LiquidEvilGaming]

USPS is such **** lately. Their 2 day shipping is minimum 5 days now. Their website is **** for tracking also. Wtf happened?

Definitely agree with the 2 days nonsense...i can't tell you how much free Prime membership/Gift credit Amazon has given me for the USPS inability to deliver on time 60%+ of the time.  And the website IS **** for tracking they even recycle tracking numbers now!  Seriously is the USPS run by monkeys?

[demik]

It's still better than ****ing Ontrac. Dear jeebus I hope Ontrac goes under. **** everything about them.

[fanpeople]

My local aus postman put a package on top of my letterbox. Just sitting there, chilling for all to see. Obviously because it didn't fit in the mail box as it was crammed with about 2 weeks mail which i think was due to there being no mailman for that period for what ever reason. Also it was raining heavily all day and i know for a fact that ****er would have reasonable awareness that it would continue to rain after said package was placed on top of the mailbox.

[eksuen]

Damn. I haven't had any issues with the USPS where I live (SF Bay Area). West Coast best coast, I suppose.  )

I wasn't aware that Amazon Prime delivers via USPS. It's all UPS/FedEx/OnTrac here. Are there any Amazon Lockers near you? I find them very handy and I always have my packages delivered to one, provided they fit.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Damn. I haven't had any issues with the USPS where I live (SF Bay Area). West Coast best coast, I suppose.  )

I wasn't aware that Amazon Prime delivers via USPS. It's all UPS/FedEx/OnTrac here. Are there any Amazon Lockers near you? I find them very handy and I always have my packages delivered to one, provided they fit.

Sadly no.


And the west coast (California to be precise) is where USPS cost me 160$ on Ebay allowing a total stranger to sign for a package and claimed it was signature proof of delivery for a K65 RGB i sold...nobody is safe sadly

[eksuen]

Damn. I haven't had any issues with the USPS where I live (SF Bay Area). West Coast best coast, I suppose.  )

I wasn't aware that Amazon Prime delivers via USPS. It's all UPS/FedEx/OnTrac here. Are there any Amazon Lockers near you? I find them very handy and I always have my packages delivered to one, provided they fit.

Sadly no.


And the west coast (California to be precise) is where USPS cost me 160$ on Ebay allowing a total stranger to sign for a package and claimed it was signature proof of delivery for a K65 RGB i sold...nobody is safe sadly

Shame. Amazon Lockers are so convenient.

I don't have as much experience sending and receiving packages as you, but I thought anyone could sign for a package as long as it's at the delivery address. I do know the shipper dictates whether or not a signature is required, but I haven't had an experience where I, specifically, had to sign for the package.

[alexjd99]

This is what happens when the government tries to run businesses.

[demik]

This is what happens when the government tries to run businesses.

USPS is not government run.

[alexjd99]

This is what happens when the government tries to run businesses.

USPS is not government run.

My bad, it's a government entity. There goes my attempt at a lame joke  )

[Kompanion]

This is what happens when the government tries to run businesses.

USPS is not government run.

What do you mean by government run? It is still a government agency, but has a more independence than most. You can't really call it's employees "government employees".

[alexjd99]

This is what happens when the government tries to run businesses.

USPS is not government run.

What do you mean by government run? It is still a government agency, but has a more independence than most. You can't really call it's employees "government employees".

It's an independent agency. Sorta government run, but it's own entity.

I thought it would be government run, since the Postmaster General is the second highest position in the US govt. (Fun fact of the day)

[Kompanion]

This is what happens when the government tries to run businesses.

USPS is not government run.

What do you mean by government run? It is still a government agency, but has a more independence than most. You can't really call it's employees "government employees".

It's an independent agency. Sorta government run, but it's own entity.

I thought it would be government run, since the Postmaster General is the second highest position in the US govt. (Fun fact of the day)

According to their last big court case it says:

 "The PRA’s designation of the Postal Service as an “independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States,” 39 U. S. C. §201, is not consistent with the idea that the Postal Service is an entity existing outside the Government. Indeed, the designation indicates just the contrary. The PRA gives the Postal Service a high degree of independence from other Government offices, but it remains part of the Government."

So it's not an independent agency... just a more independent government agency.

[fohat.digs]

The Post Office is excellent and usually cheaper than the alternatives.

If tracking is of supreme importance, then pay the extra money and go with FedEx.

You have to expect 2%-5% of transactions to have problems. Unless you live in a bad neighborhood, then a lot more.

Pay $30 per half-year for a box. It will save you all the headaches.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

The Post Office is excellent and usually cheaper than the alternatives.

If tracking is of supreme importance, then pay the extra money and go with FedEx.

You have to expect 2%-5% of transactions to have problems. Unless you live in a bad neighborhood, then a lot more.

Pay $30 per half-year for a box. It will save you all the headaches.

You must live in an area they perform quite well in then,i'm quite aware the USPS as with Fedex and UPS service or lack there of can vary area to area.  That said having lived in 4 different states and numerous towns it's been horrible for myself personally both on a personal level and professional. 

Sadly when ordering online from certain places one does not have a choice of whom to use, for example in this case as noted it was ordered from Amazon and the shipping partner is random with no choice allowed by the customer..  It still does not justify recycled tracking numbers that track the wrong packages a practice frequently employed by the USPS now and simply inexcusable IMO.

I wish it was only 2-5% i have had issues with, If i count late deliveries among lost packages,damaged packages,insurance claim issues etc on a personal level i would say it's closer to 40% dealing with them at work i would say closer to around 10%.  It's happened so often when Amazon uses them even Amazon was shocked and at this point Amazon has more than over compensated me for the issues as even they saw it as unacceptable incompetence.

Why would i pay the USPS for a P.O box and give them yet more money when they currently can't seem to get anything right?  But even were i to consider it the size i would need for the average package i get is anything but 30$ for half of a year in fact just to give you an idea for my area.

1 Month/6 Month/12 Month


1 (3 IN X 5.5 IN)   $39.00   $67.00   $134.00   Yes
2 (5 IN X 5.5 IN)   $58.00   $100.00   $200.00   Yes
3 (11 IN X 5.5 IN)   $100.00   $174.00   $348.00   Yes
4 (11 IN X 11 IN)   $173.00   $300.00   $600.00   Yes

As you can see even the smallest Box costs more than that per month let alone 6 and size wise i would need #4 more than likely if not at the very least #3 on the average.

I'm happy to hear your experiences have been positive and i hope they continue to be really i do.  But the USPS is widely complained about and cheap for a reason, on the average their service is horrid.  I'm a firm believer in that you get what you pay for (And when i am given the option i use Fedex sadly this isn't always a choice)

[kurplop]

My experience withe USPS has been very good. So good, that the rare times I notice a problem, I'm surprised by it.

Not wanting to end on a positive note however, I do have one gripe. Probably 95% go the mail I receive, by volume, is junk mail that goes right into the can. For a government that is so concerned about the environment, I'm a bit annoyed by their double standard by allowing and encouraging such waste.

[hwood34]

I always feel lucky being one of the few people that's never had a problem with USPS before

[jerue]

I always feel lucky being one of the few people that's never had a problem with USPS before

Never had a major issue when sending an item

Used to have problems when I first moved (the complex I live in is so awesome there are two identical buildings with the same apartment number  ), but I think I've ordered enough items that they figured it out.

[Blackehart]

I can wholeheartedly and without any doubt or remorse say: **** the USPS.

Next Day delivery taking 1.5 weeks.
2 day turning into 7 day because of inclement weather in the East, while the package is going from NorCal to SoCal.
Queen of the Seacows (USPS office worker) has a bad day and decides to block all my mail to work if it doesn't have the business name on it for no good reason. Even though the business has no problems with it.
Reject a package so it gets sent back (as agreed with vendor located in Northern LA, a 4 hour drive from me), Lost in traffic for 3 months, appears at business address, reject it again appearing at my HOUSE address 3 days later (how the eff?).
Too many to list ...

FedEx is my go to. DHL second. UPS if I have to. If USPS is the only option, I look elsewhere.

[fohat.digs]

But even were i to consider it the size i would need for the average package i get is anything but 30$ for half of a year in fact just to give you an idea for my area.

You only need the smallest box. If it doesn't fit in the "lockers" you pick it up at the counter.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

But even were i to consider it the size i would need for the average package i get is anything but 30$ for half of a year in fact just to give you an idea for my area.

You only need the smallest box. If it doesn't fit in the "lockers" you pick it up at the counter.

Hmm i was always under the impression if it didn't fit they would not hold it.  Still though that's now 134$ a year on top of 99$ a year for PRIME....  Maybe i'll look at a town or two over as i know a friend 4 towns away his p.o box cost is roughly half the cost of my towns charges for one..not sure why my zipcode is so expensive.

[fohat.digs]

Hmm i was always under the impression if it didn't fit they would not hold it.

Maybe that is why 10%-20% of ebay sellers absurdly refuse to ship to PO boxes.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Hmm i was always under the impression if it didn't fit they would not hold it.

Maybe that is why 10%-20% of ebay sellers absurdly refuse to ship to PO boxes.

Perhaps so

researched a bit more and by contrast a small P.O box in the town i work in close by is only 60$ a YEAR by contrast.....what an amazing difference in cost.

[appleonama]

usps has been alright the past month. Everything has been showing up at my door before noon which is rare.

[jacobolus]

USPS here is always amazing. We probably average a few package a week, and I’ve never had any problem with them.

Much preferable to UPS, which has a tendency to leave little “we missed you” notes without bothering to ring the doorbell. I think UPS must hire more temp staffers than FedEx.

[switchnollie]

It's still better than ****ing Ontrac. Dear jeebus I hope Ontrac goes under. **** everything about them.

I've never really had problems with USPS but damn, Ontrac has delivered my parcels correctly 1/5 times

[sitch]

USPS stop offering tracking to my country yet charges double the rate from few months ago, what?

[ApocalypseMaow]

I got one dude that delivers to my house most weekdays and he is legit... now the subs that work his route when he is gone... gebus help me

[katushkin]

USPS takes zero tax dollars for funding because it has about $70bn in operating revenue from postage fees. It pays $1.8bn in wages every fortnight and handles over 150 billion items every year.

47% OF THE WORLD'S POST GOES THROUGH USPS. FOURTY SEVEN PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S POST. Of all the facts I read about USPS, this one amazes me the most.

We as a community send and receive more parcels than most I would say, so while you may say that we seem to have quite a few bad experiences with USPS, it's probably because we send so many parcels. I feel for everyone who has shipping issues, as it really does suck when you don't get what you paid for (Joey Quinn's situation last year springs to mind) but you have to think that as a percentage, USPS's success rate is probably very, very high.

If you compare it to other postal services, like, for example, Royal Mail, you actually have a very good service. I am SO jealous of your pre-paid boxes, the fact that you can just print out a shipping label, and you can get your postie to pick your parcel up from your door. Our handling charges are ridiculous and you can ONLY pay for them in cash at a PO.

TL;DR, we as a community send a lot of parcels, this is a small snapshot, you should be thankful you don't have the Royal Mail, but this sucks nonetheless.

[fohat.digs]

Yes, the US Post Office is excellent and my only real complaint is that the lines at the counter tend to be long if you go at "popular" times.

I am going to be 64 years old soon and I can count the real problems (exception below) that I have experienced on my fingers.

exception: In the early 1980s I lived in an apartment building and there were 2 roommate sisters with the same last name as me in an apartment down the hall. They moved out and filled out a mail forwarding form where they ticked the box "Forward all mail to persons with the same last name" and I lost virtually all my mail for several months. It was a disaster, based on a glitch in the system that did not take apartment buildings into account. But not a transportation problem.

[appleonama]

It's still better than ****ing Ontrac. Dear jeebus I hope Ontrac goes under. **** everything about them.

how has ontrac f'ed for you? They always deliver packages for me around 10pm thats my only gripe

[demik]

It's still better than ****ing Ontrac. Dear jeebus I hope Ontrac goes under. **** everything about them.

how has ontrac f'ed for you? They always deliver packages for me around 10pm thats my only gripe

That + marking delivered when it's clearly not delivered. I live in a less than okay place so if I see delivered and it's not there, then it's stolen. They do it every single time. I've called them numerous times and contacted Amazon about them also.

[fohat.digs]

I live in a less than okay place

Get a box. All you need is a small one, you pick up the larger packages at the counter.

[katushkin]

It's still better than ****ing Ontrac. Dear jeebus I hope Ontrac goes under. **** everything about them.

how has ontrac f'ed for you? They always deliver packages for me around 10pm thats my only gripe

That + marking delivered when it's clearly not delivered. I live in a less than okay place so if I see delivered and it's not there, then it's stolen. They do it every single time. I've called them numerous times and contacted Amazon about them also.

Amazon's choice of courier is just bull****. The one they use in the UK, Yodel, is just ****ing awful. And "Amazon Logistics" is no better. I waited all day for a package, from literally 9am until 6:30pm, left to go shopping, and they came when I was out. I live in the centre of the UK's second city and I'm dead last on their round? Luckily I had set up a safe space and they left it there, but ****.

[demik]

I live in a less than okay place

Get a box. All you need is a small one, you pick up the larger packages at the counter.

Not the point, they should do their job and not lie.

But, for the sake of curiosity, how much does a box cost?

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Varies wildly on location,if you scroll up I posted the rate differences just between my home town and the work I work in and it's near double.

[Rad]

I've been trying to track a set of Bomb Kings from Nightcaps with USPS, and it hasn't updated since the shipping label was initially created... and that was three days ago.

The mail already came by today and they weren't there so I guess I'll get them Monday or Tuesday or who knows when because AFAIK they could still be in another state.

[vivalarevolución]

Meh, for an organization basically delivers packages to everywhere in the United States and coordinates with postal services all over the world and handles $70 billion in revenue each year, I think they do alright.

If it wasn't for that bull**** law about massively front loading employee retiree benefits, with the main intent of the law to force more privatization upon USPS, their numbers would look a lot better.

[fohat.digs]

it hasn't updated

AFAIK they could still be in another state.

USPS tracking is inconsistent, as is their routing. I live near Atlanta, and recently sent a package to Knoxville, Tennessee, about 180 miles.

It went to Memphis (about 400 miles) then back to Atlanta (another 400) miles, then straight up to Knoxville.

UPS would have probably delivered it in 1 day at "ground" rate (still about half again the Post Office rate) since it is so close.

But if you really want the best tracking, pay the extra money for FedEx.

[katushkin]

I've been trying to track a set of Bomb Kings from Nightcaps with USPS, and it hasn't updated since the shipping label was initially created... and that was three days ago.

The mail already came by today and they weren't there so I guess I'll get them Monday or Tuesday or who knows when because AFAIK they could still be in another state.

Maybe it's just not been sent? The problem with self-created labels is that, when you create them, tracking starts. But the parcel may not be sent for a few days.

For example, I have tracking for my win from the recent brocaps sale, but there have been issues with the t shirts so the final designs haven't even arrived with the guys there yet. So my parcel hasn't moved for like two weeks, even though it doesn't actually exist.

[HannahPeach]

Which other company should one go to for international shipping now?
I have no idea!

[Kompanion]

Which other company should one go to for international shipping now?
I have no idea!

I've always had good luck with DHL for international.

[iLLucionist]

If my theory is correct, it must be new ownership and/or new people in the board changing stuff / setting new targets / taking shortcuts. Same happened with Mont Blanc in '92.

I like FedEx International more (I live in the Netherlands), but I didn't have any issues with USPS so far. But I only dealt with USPS through Apple, not individually as a customer. DHL is the worst I have ever encountered. Slow, unreliable, and dented / warped packaging. I would NEVER order electronics shipped by DHL.

[fohat.digs]

The USPS flat rate game board box goes international for $78 and will fit even a 122-key IBM or 2 thinner keyboards easily.

My experience is that it takes about a week to a week and a half from the eastern US to Europe, and more like 2 weeks to anywhere else.

All the other carriers have quoted me prices at least twice that for something like a vintage IBM keyboard.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Since i have written this topic USPS has shipped 5 more items from amazon to me and 3/5 have been 1-2 days late on 2 day shipping...sigh

[appleonama]

Notice Left (No Secure Location Available) at 5:50

wtf usps has been ****ty all last week and now today. I would've heard my door at 5:50 I've been here the whole time and there is not notice slip on my door.