USPS should just die already

[rudeguy]

Their infrastructure sucks. Their tracking sucks. Their customer service sucks. Every single thing about them sucks.

Every single time I have a package that gets shipped with them, something goes wrong. Then you check the status online and their tracking is never anywhere close to up to date. That ok! They have a customer service number, lets call them. After 40+ minutes on hold you finally get someone who is not only clueless but can't help at all.

My current issue is a package was mailed out on the 3rd via 2 day. Should have been here yesterday but it wasn't and it wasn't delivered today either. I check the tracking and I see:

The lady on the phone told me it was weather. Then that the sort facility was backed up. Then that she wasn't sure but it was for sure on its way. Then that she didn't know where my package was.

 

[IronWing]

I don't like being told something has shipped just because somebody printed a label.

 

[KeithTalent]

I like them. One of the few places I can use where I do not get charged duty/taxes.

KT

 

[jlee]

I would say 90% (or more) of the stuff I get in the mail is junk. USPS isn't incredibly useful for me unless I need to ship something small and fast. If it's heavy and slow is okay, Fedex/UPS wins.

 

[Engineer]

Isn't mail delivery written into the Constitution? Would require an amendment to get rid of it.

 

[Tweak155]

I ran a business and shipped hundreds / thousands of packages with them. I ran into an issue only twice that I can remember (and one of them, they EVENTUALLY delivered, it was slow as hell though). One package just never made it when I shipped it to Canada.

 

[rsbennett00]

I have more problems with ups/fedex. Here, usps is rock solid. It must depend on where you live.

 

[mmntech]

This is precisely why UPS and FedEx exist, and why the post office can't compete with them.

Canada Post usually isn't too bad, but we just got the letter saying they're ending door-to-door delivery for my neighbourhood. All going to community boxes now.

 

[DesiPower]

I like them too, cheap and convenient. Never had problem with them thus far

 

[steppinthrax]

Their infrastructure sucks. Their tracking sucks. Their customer service sucks. Every single thing about them sucks.

Every single time I have a package that gets shipped with them, something goes wrong. Then you check the status online and their tracking is never anywhere close to up to date. That ok! They have a customer service number, lets call them. After 40+ minutes on hold you finally get someone who is not only clueless but can't help at all.

My current issue is a package was mailed out on the 3rd via 2 day. Should have been here yesterday but it wasn't and it wasn't delivered today either. I check the tracking and I see:


The lady on the phone told me it was weather. Then that the sort facility was backed up. Then that she wasn't sure but it was for sure on its way. Then that she didn't know where my package was.

I used to say the same thing about them, however who allows you to ship for that cheap. The USPS has improved their operations. They now offer free tracking on priority mail (included with free $100 ins). They are the cheapest to ship with small parcels and overseas....

 

[rudeguy]

I have more problems with ups/fedex. Here, usps is rock solid. It must depend on where you live.

The company I work for ships tens of thousands of packages with Fedex every month. Last month it was over 100,000 units. We never have any issues. Delivery is always on time, tracking is real time, delivery confirmation can be accessed in 5 different ways. I can only think of one real delivery problem we had and that was just a glitch in Fedex's data base. It was fixed and within 24 hours of us finding out there was a problem the customer had their package.

USPS has assured me that someone will get back to me within 72 hours. The lady on the phone wasn't sure if that was 3 business days or 3 real days though. Of course.

 

[rudeguy]

I used to say the same thing about them, however who allows you to ship for that cheap. The USPS has improved their operations. They now offer free tracking on priority mail (included with free $100 ins). They are the cheapest to ship with small parcels and overseas....

Except that their tracking isn't real time tracking and it sucks. If it goes on a truck, it should show up in tracking. If it goes through a facility, it should show up on tracking. Calling what they have tracking is a joke.

 

[steppinthrax]

Except that their tracking isn't real time tracking and it sucks. If it goes on a truck, it should show up in tracking. If it goes through a facility, it should show up on tracking. Calling what they have tracking is a joke.

That's correct, their tracking sucks. It's not point-to-point.

Example, I bought something from ebay a few weeks go. It was delayed. The tracking log showed it say in one place for several days (depart from somewhere in FL). I had to call USPS which they attached a notice indicating it was delayed, it moved in a few hours and updated.

I give you a good example. I needed to ship something to China. I did a price breakdown for UPS v.s. USPS.

UPS = 144.00 (for exact weight of item less than 20 lbs)
USPS = 38 bucks with tracking (priority mail up to 20 lbs)

It was a box of documents. That's why I don't talk as bad about them like I used to....

I think their tracking system is outdated and was made just to show they can track. It wasn't made to compete with DHL, FedEx, UPS....

 

[motsm]

UPS = 144.00 (for exact weight of item less than 20 lbs)
USPS = 38 bucks with tracking (priority mail up to 20 lbs)

It was a box of documents. That's why I don't talk as bad about them like I used to....

Yeah, I sell on ebay now and then, and UPS and FedEx's rates have skyrocketed the last few years, I never even bother looking at them.

 

[Centauri]

Indeed. I only use USPS Priority at this point and I mail throughout the week. Never have any problems with Priority and it's usually faster than UPS Ground and significantly cheaper for heavier items.

 

[rsbennett00]

The company I work for ships tens of thousands of packages with Fedex every month. Last month it was over 100,000 units. We never have any issues. Delivery is always on time, tracking is real time, delivery confirmation can be accessed in 5 different ways. I can only think of one real delivery problem we had and that was just a glitch in Fedex's data base. It was fixed and within 24 hours of us finding out there was a problem the customer had their package.

I totally believe that. I'm 100% positive that our issues with fedex/ups are local illiterate fuckups. They lose at least a box a week and it's always in town somewhere. Come to think of it, perhaps it's just the drivers.

 

[steppinthrax]

Yeah, I sell on ebay now and then, and UPS and FedEx's rates have skyrocketed the last few years, I never even bother looking at them.

And in all honesty the only time I've lost something with them was back in 2002 when I shipped a dell computer with monitor.

This was back in the day when I was in college. My dad had several of them from a business that didn't pan out. I was kind of dumb and didn't properly pack it (most likely). It was a heavy package and I put both units in the box (newspaper, no peanuts). Wimpy box from Office Depot. Anyway i received the box flap back showing it's been damaged. Finally a few months later I received a busted keyboard, monitor (no cpu).

 

[rudeguy]

That's correct, their tracking sucks. It's not point-to-point.

Example, I bought something from ebay a few weeks go. It was delayed. The tracking log showed it say in one place for several days (depart from somewhere in FL). I had to call USPS which they attached a notice indicating it was delayed, it moved in a few hours and updated.

I give you a good example. I needed to ship something to China. I did a price breakdown for UPS v.s. USPS.

UPS = 144.00 (for exact weight of item less than 20 lbs)
USPS = 38 bucks with tracking (priority mail up to 20 lbs)

It was a box of documents. That's why I don't talk as bad about them like I used to....

I think their tracking system is outdated and was made just to show they can track. It wasn't made to compete with DHL, FedEx, UPS....

Their whole system is outdated. Its impossible for them to reroute a package. What? Its 2015! We have driverless cars and they can't reroute a package?

I guess I'm spoiled by fedex. And pissed off at USPS for sucking.

 

[rudeguy]

I totally believe that. I'm 100% positive that our issues with fedex/ups are local illiterate fuckups. They lose at least a box a week and it's always in town somewhere. Come to think of it, perhaps it's just the drivers.

Yea I think the other thing is that I'm used to being the shipper instead of the receiver (can we make a buttsechs joke there?). Since we are a high volume customer, they do a few extra things for us. We would never ship USPS here unless it was the only choice.

 

[kranky]

We'd be suffering terribly if the USPS went away. They handle 40% of the world's mail volume (letters, packages, catalogs). If the USPS wasn't around to guarantee service, people in the boondocks would end up with mail service like Hooterville on the old Petticoat Junction show. Your mail goes to the general store, then it's up to you to go get it. And you'd go there to send mail as well.

You can't compare the USPS to a private company. Some of the value of the USPS is from the aspect of it being a public service, making sure everyone has some type of mail service.

 

[eng2d2]

Its not perfect but still cheap, reasonable and gets the job done. CSR is not outsourced. I had several bad service from them but...... I can live with it.
.

 

[yuchai]

The tracking does suck, but I haven't really run into any issues with packages getting delivered.

 

[krose]

Recently I sent a Priority Mail package to Texas. It went from here to Philly to a sort facility in Nashua, NH. Then finally to Houston and then the destination. A thousand miles in the wrong direction? WTF?

A fellow in Western PA sent me payment for an item. He sent me the tracking number so the next day I sent the item as I knew him from the board where I had sold the item. He received the item in two days, it took six for me to receive the payment. And my package had first gone to Philly again.

Finally, I sent a package to a gent in the UK. Went from here to Philly right? Hell no, it went to Chicago first, then to London! At least they didn't lose it.

 

[steppinthrax]

We'd be suffering terribly if the USPS went away. They handle 40% of the world's mail volume (letters, packages, catalogs). If the USPS wasn't around to guarantee service, people in the boondocks would end up with mail service like Hooterville on the old Petticoat Junction show. Your mail goes to the general store, then it's up to you to go get it. And you'd go there to send mail as well.

You can't compare the USPS to a private company. Some of the value of the USPS is from the aspect of it being a public service, making sure everyone has some type of mail service.

YEP,

I believe an act of Congress keeps USPS afloat, however if it were to go away USPS and FedEx will capitalize on this. They will likely try to provide a service for small parcels. They will also charge MONTHLY to deliver these simple envelopes etc...

You will find innovative features. Example, there was a small company a few years ago that offered a service to forward all your junk mail to them. They would in turn scan it into a flatbed and email it to you. You could access all your junk mail through a account portal.

This of course threatened the USPS, they took the business into a room and told them to stop what they were doing!!!!!!!

 

[AnitaPeterson]

I am horrified at the way in which some U.S. folks hate public services like the USPS and praise private initiatives like FedEx and UPS. No matter how slow the USPS is, it's a vital service for the country. You're way too quick to want to dismantle it.

Boggles the mind, really...