US Postal Service Is Horrible

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musicman

Lifer
Nov 12, 2019
1,119
6,052
Cincinnati, OH
I've had my share of issues with the USPS, but then again I have also had issues with UPS and FedEx, and both of those (private) companies charge much more to ship smaller packages, and for the price, Priority mail (which will generally get to Tucson AZ in two days from anywhere in the US) is a fantastic deal. The USPS also delivers to a lot of places private companies won't. The USPS is an absolutely essential service for the United States.
 

Eaglesgift

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 15, 2020
100
167
Chiang Mai
I had my slowest experience with USPS recently. Pipe posted in Florida on 2nd May, arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand today. I’m not sure what happened but it arrived in Los Angeles on 4th May and didn’t leave on a flight to the Far East until 30th May. That’s 26 days my Savinelli spent in LA: I can only assume it was trying to break into show business.
 
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paulfg

Lifer
Feb 21, 2016
1,568
2,933
Corfu Greece
I had my slowest experience with USPS recently. Pipe posted in Florida on 2nd May, arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand today. I’m not sure what happened but it arrived in Los Angeles on 4th May and didn’t leave on a flight to the Far East until 30th May. That’s 26 days my Savinelli spent in LA: I can only assume it was trying to break into show business.

The post worldwide is screwed at the moment,I sent a parcel from Greece to Italy and the buyer filed an undelivered complaint after 10 days of no update on the tracking.When I eventually got hold of someone who could help at the postal service help line ,it was explained that due to the virus and a lack of flights to Italy (Greece had banned all normal flights allowing only transport ones) my parcel had gone to Germany where it was processed through German customs and forwarded to Italy.
The time from leaving Greece to eventually clearing Italian customs was nearly 3 weeks.
i currently have 4 parcels going to UK ,US and Germany that left Greece on 21 st May with no updates since.
I believe they will arrive but when who knows.


I know this is not USPS specific but hopefully gives some idea of things
 

Eaglesgift

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 15, 2020
100
167
Chiang Mai
The post worldwide is screwed at the moment,I sent a parcel from Greece to Italy and the buyer filed an undelivered complaint after 10 days of no update on the tracking.When I eventually got hold of someone who could help at the postal service help line ,it was explained that due to the virus and a lack of flights to Italy (Greece had banned all normal flights allowing only transport ones) my parcel had gone to Germany where it was processed through German customs and forwarded to Italy.
The time from leaving Greece to eventually clearing Italian customs was nearly 3 weeks.
i currently have 4 parcels going to UK ,US and Germany that left Greece on 21 st May with no updates since.
I believe they will arrive but when who knows.


I know this is not USPS specific but hopefully gives some idea of things
It’s definitely been crazy recently. Something I ordered on 12th May from the UK turned up on the 20th May, whilst something else I’d ordered on the 17th April from the UK didn’t arrive until 29th May. I’d given up on that order as the Royal Mail said they were going to clear the backlog before processing new parcels but that’s obviously not what happened. But, I’m still alive and everything got here eventually.
 

paulfg

Lifer
Feb 21, 2016
1,568
2,933
Corfu Greece
It’s definitely been crazy recently. Something I ordered on 12th May from the UK turned up on the 20th May, whilst something else I’d ordered on the 17th April from the UK didn’t arrive until 29th May. I’d given up on that order as the Royal Mail said they were going to clear the backlog before processing new parcels but that’s obviously not what happened. But, I’m still alive and everything got here eventually.
i think thats the case,the backlog only gets looked at when things are quiet,the newer stuff gets sorted almost straight away.i was told things would improve as the Country (Greece)is opening up some of the airline routes slowly this month
 
Aug 1, 2012
4,587
5,131
Well, we might not have to worry about having a postal service in a few months. Having lived in a couple of other countries and used the postal service of 8 others, the USPS is the lesser of the evils. The only better one I have experienced is the local German post. They pay for it though...a lot.
 

lochinvar

Lifer
Oct 22, 2013
1,687
1,632
It's all luck of the draw on carriers. My local hubs and carriers with USPS and UPS are great and have not ever had a problem, but FedEx and DHL have never not (that's an intentional double negative) given me problems.
My suggestion is don't watch the shipping it can drive you nuts.
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,400
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
ironically less problem with usps then with more expensive delivery options. Like any large business there is always a shitty location. I order a lot of stuff from all over. And there was one distribution center in N.J. that honestly seemed to slow down to a crawl, noticed that once it was changed to another distribution facility it doubled how fast international orders got to me. Not sure if they were over worked or over slacky.
 
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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,256
108,360
Still no issues. An order from pipestud in Texas got to me in Kentucky in three days.
 
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3rdguy

Lifer
Aug 29, 2017
3,472
7,293
Iowa
This is just a single tin of tobacco..

06/12/2020 3:43 A.M. IA, United StatesReceived by the post office
06/11/2020 4:44 P.M.Des Moines, IA, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 8:27 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 8:24 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 7:20 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 7:17 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 7:16 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 1:03 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage routed to wrong post office. Package will be transferred to correct post office for delivery.
06/09/2020 5:11 A.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesReceived by the post office
06/08/2020 2:47 P.M.Cedar Rapids, IA, United StatesShipment Acceptance at Post Office
06/06/2020 1:11 P.M.Kansas City, MO, United StatesPackage departed UPS Mail Innovations facility enroute to USPS for induction
06/05/2020 11:59 A.M.Kansas City, MO, United StatesPackage received for sort by destination UPS Mail Innovations facility
06/03/2020 6:32 A.M.Bridgeport, NJ, United StatesPackage transferred to destination UPS Mail Innovations facility
06/03/2020 1:57 A.M.Bridgeport, NJ, United StatesPackage processed by UPS Mail Innovations origin facility
06/01/2020 9:50 P.M.Bridgeport, NJ, United StatesPackage received for processing by UPS Mail Innovations
06/01/2020 5:00 P.M.Bethlehem, PA, United StatesShipment tendered to UPS Mail Innovations
 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,273
4,269
I've had a number of USPS problems over the past six months but I've learned that it is usually the failure of one or two individuals that creates the problem. For example, our regular mail carrier retired a year ago. She was great and she now drives the route as a part time mail carrier. The current mail carrier is inconsistent. I've sat outside and watch her speed by our mailbox when we know we have mail and packages out for delivery. (Informed Delivery on the USPS website is pretty good.) When she does deliver the mail, she doesn't take the time to shut the mailbox and thereby leaving the mail exposed to anyone driving by or the weather. And, did I mention she seems to be talking on her phone all the time?

Other than that, I've discovered that small packages sometimes go through the system without getting properly scanned for tracking purposes. I was told that the scanner can actually miss small packages on the conveyor belt between larger packages.
 

BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
This is just a single tin of tobacco..

06/12/2020 3:43 A.M.IA, United StatesReceived by the post office
06/11/2020 4:44 P.M.Des Moines, IA, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 8:27 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 8:24 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 7:20 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 7:17 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 7:16 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage processed by post office
06/09/2020 1:03 P.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesPackage routed to wrong post office. Package will be transferred to correct post office for delivery.
06/09/2020 5:11 A.M.Wichita, KS, United StatesReceived by the post office
06/08/2020 2:47 P.M.Cedar Rapids, IA, United StatesShipment Acceptance at Post Office
06/06/2020 1:11 P.M.Kansas City, MO, United StatesPackage departed UPS Mail Innovations facility enroute to USPS for induction
06/05/2020 11:59 A.M.Kansas City, MO, United StatesPackage received for sort by destination UPS Mail Innovations facility
06/03/2020 6:32 A.M.Bridgeport, NJ, United StatesPackage transferred to destination UPS Mail Innovations facility
06/03/2020 1:57 A.M.Bridgeport, NJ, United StatesPackage processed by UPS Mail Innovations origin facility
06/01/2020 9:50 P.M.Bridgeport, NJ, United StatesPackage received for processing by UPS Mail Innovations
06/01/2020 5:00 P.M.Bethlehem, PA, United StatesShipment tendered to UPS Mail Innovations
SUREPOST STRIKES AGAIN
?‍♂️
 
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