Notice the package left 10-8 from Walled Lake, Mi 20 minute drive (maybe 15) from my house. The package was at my Post Office the 10th. It has since taken a tour of the country through TN, FL, AL and now resides in IN.
I usually defend USPS, BUT.....
- Thread starter Dan in MI
- Start date
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
Been there done that.
You do realize that private companies would go broke if they were this inefficient/ incompetent.
Why am I not surprised at all?
The primary problem with USPS is mismanagement. I've encouraged my state Representative to dig into the problems with both KCMO and St Louis distribution/sorting centers. As a retired USPS manager, I know that the LAST thing any USPS manager wants is a Congressional investigation and that's exactly what we've done. Heads will roll but unfortunately, it's likely too late to salvage the situation.
The electronic communication era has killed the iconic Pony Express rider represented by the 'old time' Post Office emblem.
The electronic communication era has killed the iconic Pony Express rider represented by the 'old time' Post Office emblem.
The strangest one was last year; I bought a small part for a gun *not important' from a guy in New Jersey and he packaged it in a padded envelope and mailed it to me.... the package went back and forth between a distribution center in NJ to one in NY for just about a month.... back and forth, You could track it on the USPS web site. I can see with all the mail going through how someone working at either would not notice this but with computers and A.I. these days you would think the postal system's software would catch this... the same with the OP's original post here. Heck, the gps in my vehicles can tell me the quickest and fastest way between two points and tends to yell at me when I get off course or too close to the car ahead on me.
Yaworski
Hawkeye
Meh. FedEx and UPS screw up royally too. USPS just does about ten times the volume of either of the private companies.
It's all the automation, a bar code gets damaged and the package starts going all over place until a human catches the problem.
OP
Actually from what I know about USPS I expect it is in the bottom of a larger carton somehow obscured from view.
From what I was told each package isn't scanned. The scan of an individual package is tagged into a list for a particular large moving container. So the container scan says your package moved to x. If it doesn't make it out of the container it just keeps moving along....
From what I was told each package isn't scanned. The scan of an individual package is tagged into a list for a particular large moving container. So the container scan says your package moved to x. If it doesn't make it out of the container it just keeps moving along....
Killer Bee
Advanced Level Novice
coincidentally I'm now having a similar experience, somewhat to a lesser degree so far though, it's reportedly still in my state.
inbound package made it to my zip code 5 days ago but then showed in transit 2 days later and back in KC the following day, and no update past 2 days.
I did call yesterday to inquire about the unusual route my package was on, and as luck would have it, talked to what I could best describe as the most disinterested customer service person I could possibly have gotten.
anyways, after several painful minutes of biting my tongue and looking around my house for Allen Funt, we finally reached a mutual understanding of the odd route my package was on and she opened a case.
so we'll see if someone can find it before it starts a national tour like Dan's did.
current status;
inbound package made it to my zip code 5 days ago but then showed in transit 2 days later and back in KC the following day, and no update past 2 days.
I did call yesterday to inquire about the unusual route my package was on, and as luck would have it, talked to what I could best describe as the most disinterested customer service person I could possibly have gotten.
anyways, after several painful minutes of biting my tongue and looking around my house for Allen Funt, we finally reached a mutual understanding of the odd route my package was on and she opened a case.
so we'll see if someone can find it before it starts a national tour like Dan's did.
current status;
I fully expected the small packaged envelope that went back and forth between NJ & NY for a month to look like hell and have a new bar code on it once the postal inspector folks grabbed it and it made it to me... but no.. original bar code and package looked like it was mailed the day before... go figure.
We can complain all day about the USPS but you know the reality is it/they do a pretty remarkable job 99% of the time.
We can complain all day about the USPS but you know the reality is it/they do a pretty remarkable job 99% of the time.
Private enterprise is the solution. UPS and FedEx are not perfect, but seem far superior in their ability to rapidly move items around the country as compared to the USPS. An obstacle to privatizing this service that is always raised is the requirement for rural, and often remote deliveries. Some compromise is needed, where people who live far from cities and towns should be expected to establish a mailing location within a city or town, so that the requirement for costly rural deliveries can be eliminated. With that change I have no doubt that private business could improve the situation for all of us.
UPS & FEDEX both worked with USPS. FEDEX had drop boxes at the post office. Working the cargo ramp at several airports, USPS brought trucks to both. Much more often during the holidays.
I've had packages tracked through UPS then transferred to USPS for delivery. UPS and FedEx pay the Postal Service to deliver their ground packages, and the Postal Service pays UPS and FedEx for air transportation.
First, a distribution center and a post office are two different things, yes it is in the community but it goes on to a new city to get routed to you actual post office.
Second, as another person said, UPS moves things that will later be delivered by USPS.
Third, and why this is I know not, but, I have seen UPS and FedEx shipped package hit places that are 100-150 miles from me that then go to a place 500-600 miles from me to return to a different location 100-150 miles from me and then be delivered to my home. Sometimes these are packages that were "If you spend $200, it is free shipping". Which makes no sense.
Then you get packages that the USPS delivers to the wrong address, the last one at my house was meds for my wife that ended up two blocks down the road. A few years ago, we were having issues with get mail for the person around the block and they would get mail for us (usually only one piece). This is a simple thing of two houses are bundled together when sorted and either are missorted (aka the letter gets between two pieces of the other address in the bundle) or the carrier is not looking and divides the bundle in the wrong place. This was solved when my neighbor and I contacted the Post Master and said "If this does not get fixed we were calling the postal inspectors.
Second, as another person said, UPS moves things that will later be delivered by USPS.
Third, and why this is I know not, but, I have seen UPS and FedEx shipped package hit places that are 100-150 miles from me that then go to a place 500-600 miles from me to return to a different location 100-150 miles from me and then be delivered to my home. Sometimes these are packages that were "If you spend $200, it is free shipping". Which makes no sense.
Then you get packages that the USPS delivers to the wrong address, the last one at my house was meds for my wife that ended up two blocks down the road. A few years ago, we were having issues with get mail for the person around the block and they would get mail for us (usually only one piece). This is a simple thing of two houses are bundled together when sorted and either are missorted (aka the letter gets between two pieces of the other address in the bundle) or the carrier is not looking and divides the bundle in the wrong place. This was solved when my neighbor and I contacted the Post Master and said "If this does not get fixed we were calling the postal inspectors.
And the best thing we could do is turn the mail delivery system over to Amazon or a similar company
Except Amazon uses the USPS to deliver.
I've caught the local usps not making deliveries on my route for three days. But at the same time they made package deliveries all over town.
When confronted the local post office denied it.
Yaworski
Hawkeye
When you look at sheer volume, UPS and FedEx are pikers.
Yaworski
Hawkeye
I don't know if things have changed but back in the 80s, if you FedExed a package across town, it went to their hub in Memphis (I think) and then back to your town.
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2012
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- 10,877
Yep. It was the only way they could make it work.
Every envelope went to Memphis to be sorted then was delivered by 10 the next morning.
That was before fax machines, emails and texting.
I’m surprised they survived, they had to start with packages and freight.
Paul B
Hunter
I'm still trying to figure out why my water bill has to go to Phoenix before it comes to me? The office for the water department s only about five miles from my front door.
Then there is the outfit that sprays for bugs around the outside of the house. I've been with them since 1980. Last month they came around and sprayed as usual but no bill ever came in. I get a nastygram E-mail saying I've been turned over to collection for the unpaid debt. Seemed they been taken oer by some outfit in the midwest and a credit crd number to get paid autmaticallt. I say no, send me a bill. It took over two weeks to get the bill which I promptly paid and almost a week and a haf beore they recieved it with more BS from the collection outfit. I finally get an E-mail that the received payment, thank you very much. Between them not wanting to bill me as usual plus the slowpoke pony express, there was a lot of hassle that I'd rather not put up with. I told them if you want to continue the service, please send me a bill and I'll pay it. One more problem about billing and I'll permanently terminate the service. I'm too aned old to have to put up with that BS.
Paul B.
Then there is the outfit that sprays for bugs around the outside of the house. I've been with them since 1980. Last month they came around and sprayed as usual but no bill ever came in. I get a nastygram E-mail saying I've been turned over to collection for the unpaid debt. Seemed they been taken oer by some outfit in the midwest and a credit crd number to get paid autmaticallt. I say no, send me a bill. It took over two weeks to get the bill which I promptly paid and almost a week and a haf beore they recieved it with more BS from the collection outfit. I finally get an E-mail that the received payment, thank you very much. Between them not wanting to bill me as usual plus the slowpoke pony express, there was a lot of hassle that I'd rather not put up with. I told them if you want to continue the service, please send me a bill and I'll pay it. One more problem about billing and I'll permanently terminate the service. I'm too aned old to have to put up with that BS.
Paul B.
Topfueler1
Bearcat
It is called "looping" that is what a worker at my USPO told me. I sent a rifle stock back to Gun Parts in NY state. I tracked it, it went all the way up and came back without ever being received by Gun Parts. I went to my USPO when it came back The worker asked if I wanted to resend it. I said no I'll take it Fed Ex. Gun parts received it in three days!
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But see, that’s a lot of hassle. Why not just pay with the credit card?
My parents pay bills with checks using the post office. They have similar problems.
In Dallas, we can’t pay the utilities online using a credit card, no post office necessary
OP
Woohoo! It arrived yesterday. 
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
I recently had a giant water bill so I went in person to dispute it or at least get some data. Once I was convinced I had to pay the full amount I handed over my debit card because I do not carry the checkbook with me. The clerk asked me if I was sure because the new 3% credit card fee would be quite a bit with a bill that size. There's your reason.
I wrote a check when I got home from work and put it in the drop box.
Our city changed the entire water/sewer/trash bill accounting system, took away the original style bills with the usage graphs, and is pushing hard on paperless and to get people to pay online...but they added a fee to do so. I am too stubborn to ignore it so I will continue to write a check and deposit it in their drop box the day it's due. No postage, no lost mail, no 3% fee and they get a check on the due date they cannot cash until the next day minimum.
Petty? Maybe but so is there stupid system and the Post Office for losing a mailed bill payment. My plumber friend was over to fix a small item and said all his customers are complaining about the new system.
Yep, needed to pay Lockton last month for my firearm insurance and figured it would be easier to just pay on line than send them a check... they wanted and extra $17 to process it paperless... we like to complain about the cost of a postage stamp but seemed to love to pay that extra % for electronic... and somebody is making that money you know and it is a hell of a lot.
"I'm still trying to figure out why my water bill has to go to Phoenix before it comes to me? The office for the water department s only about five miles from my front door."
In order to cut local PO workhours, a system of area/regional 'mail sorting centers' was devised. All 'non-local' (and in some cases or some days, ALL collected mail) is bagged up and sent to this 'sorting center' where it goes through OCR (optical character reader) sorting. The 'local' mail may(or maybe not) go through another run on the OCR machine that re-sorts it to routes and possibly gets collated into delivery sequence and is returned to the originating office for next day's delivery. Theoretically, this is how it's SUPPOSED to work. In practice, not so much.
In 'the good old days' a bag of mail for the next town over got dropped off w/o leaving the area. This practice stopped decades ago.
In order to cut local PO workhours, a system of area/regional 'mail sorting centers' was devised. All 'non-local' (and in some cases or some days, ALL collected mail) is bagged up and sent to this 'sorting center' where it goes through OCR (optical character reader) sorting. The 'local' mail may(or maybe not) go through another run on the OCR machine that re-sorts it to routes and possibly gets collated into delivery sequence and is returned to the originating office for next day's delivery. Theoretically, this is how it's SUPPOSED to work. In practice, not so much.
In 'the good old days' a bag of mail for the next town over got dropped off w/o leaving the area. This practice stopped decades ago.
OP
Gas guzzler’s water bill is exactly why I don’t do auto pay. You at least have a little bit of leverage if they screw up. If they already have your money through auto pay they have zero interest to help you work it out.
The lack of cc fees is just a bonus.
The lack of cc fees is just a bonus.
Killer Bee
Advanced Level Novice
16 day total, 8 days after arriving to my zip code the first time, package arrived intact today!coincidentally I'm now having a similar experience, somewhat to a lesser degree so far though, it's reportedly still in my state.
inbound package made it to my zip code 5 days ago but then showed in transit 2 days later and back in KC the following day, and no update past 2 days.
I did call yesterday to inquire about the unusual route my package was on, and as luck would have it, talked to what I could best describe as the most disinterested customer service person I could possibly have gotten.
anyways, after several painful minutes of biting my tongue and looking around my house for Allen Funt, we finally reached a mutual understanding of the odd route my package was on and she opened a case.
so we'll see if someone can find it before it starts a national tour like Dan's did.
current status;
I have to give my local post office a nod. as a result of my inquiry, I had a voicemail from a phone call during church sunday morning from a live person with status and a call back number.
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
I have sent 4-6 packages out via USPS Flat Rate boxes in the last two weeks and nearly every one has taken at least a week to arrive when two days was the norm. One was the package I mentioned that went to a Dallas address less than 50 miles from here ... over a week. I shipped a Marlin embossed sling to Missouri on a Tuesday and it didn't arrive until Friday. That's four days for a destination 6 hours away that used to be 1-2 days depending on when you dropped off.
Still do. UPS goes to Louisville, KY.
