USPS losing packages

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by pennsiveguy

My all-time horror story goes back to about 2015 when I sold a custom 6-string electric bass that I had made and which I loved dearly but which was too heavy for my messed-up back. I sold it to a fellow member of a bass players' forum. I decided to make UPS completely responsible for its safety, and paid for them to pack it (in its factory case) for shipment, and bought the insurance. Handed them something like $200 and left with my receipt and tracking number. It was headed for Texas, which should have taken 4 days according to them.

Of course I tracked it, out of anxiety. And sure enough, 2 days after I shipped it it stalled out and then literally disappeared off their tracking system. In a rage, I called UPS help line. They said "Well, gee whiz, I reckon we plumb done lost it. We'll have a look around and see if we can find it." Great. Just great. Luckily the buyer was really understanding - thanks Tom - while we both sweated bullets waiting for word from UPS. Almost 2 weeks later, the buyer called me and said it showed up and he was already in love with it. Turns out the label had come off and it had to be re-labeled but they never entered the new label in the tracking system. Thanks UPS, for making two nice guys wait around like a couple of chumps while you screw the pooch.

Letting them pack it was your mistake. Been there, done that. Assholes probably put one piece of tape on the label and sent it on it's way. I overpack everything now. Tape the label on myself with a shit-ton of tape so there is no way it's coming off or getting wet, and put plenty of packing so it can't get damaged unless run over by the truck.

This is probably the worst I've had:

My company was doing an infrastructure upgrade at a school. FedEx was delivering a pallet of Cisco switches to the loading dock at that location. Dude using the ramp on his truck totally botches the transport of the pallet from his truck to the ground and the boxes get damaged. Guy says "well, it wasn't packaged properly" and was about to try and blame the vendor. I go well those 4 parking lot cameras just saw your terrible pallet jack handling skills and would be happy to send the footage to FedEx. The incident was reported, FedEx denied any responsibility and tried placing the blame on our vendor. We sent the footage and suddenly had new equipment a few days later on FedEx's dime. Morons.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Letting them pack it was your mistake. Been there, done that. Assholes probably put one piece of tape on the label and sent it on it's way. I overpack everything now. Tape the label on myself with a shit-ton of tape so there is no way it's coming off or getting wet, and put plenty of packing so it can't get damaged unless run over by the truck.

This is probably the worst I've had:

My company was doing an infrastructure upgrade at a school. FedEx was delivering a pallet of Cisco switches to the loading dock at that location. Dude using the ramp on his truck totally botches the transport of the pallet from his truck to the ground and the boxes get damaged. Guy says "well, it wasn't packaged properly" and was about to try and blame the vendor. I go well those 4 parking lot cameras just saw your terrible pallet jack handling skills and would be happy to send the footage to FedEx. The incident was reported, FedEx denied any responsibility and tried placing the blame on our vendor. We sent the footage and suddenly had new equipment a few days later on FedEx's dime. Morons.

Yeah, I definitely pack things myself nowadays. In that particular case I had been scrounging around for a big enough piece or pieces of cardboard to use, and had come up empty-handed. I still didn't have anything to pack it in when the bass sold, so I turned it over to them thinking that they'd take care of it. Silly me.

When you do a simple task millions of times a day, you should a.) be really fucking efficient at it, and b.) fuck it up so rarely that a forum thread such as this one never exists. Clearly neither of these is the case. Obviously the shipping companies aren't inspiring their employees to even the most basic level of competence or pride in their work. Total leadership failure.

[TonM3]

They got much worse in the last few months. The damage done to slow down the absentee ballot delivery will have years of consequences.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Letting them pack it was your mistake. Been there, done that. Assholes probably put one piece of tape on the label and sent it on it's way. I overpack everything now. Tape the label on myself with a shit-ton of tape so there is no way it's coming off or getting wet, and put plenty of packing so it can't get damaged unless run over by the truck.

This is probably the worst I've had:

My company was doing an infrastructure upgrade at a school. FedEx was delivering a pallet of Cisco switches to the loading dock at that location. Dude using the ramp on his truck totally botches the transport of the pallet from his truck to the ground and the boxes get damaged. Guy says "well, it wasn't packaged properly" and was about to try and blame the vendor. I go well those 4 parking lot cameras just saw your terrible pallet jack handling skills and would be happy to send the footage to FedEx. The incident was reported, FedEx denied any responsibility and tried placing the blame on our vendor. We sent the footage and suddenly had new equipment a few days later on FedEx's dime. Morons.

You'd think that with all the video being captured - cameras on commercial buildings and residential dwellings plus the ubiquity of cell phones - that the increased accountability would have compelled them to improve. Maybe it'll happen.

[M_Six]

USPS tracking is essentially useless. You get a tracking number from a vendor and all it ever says is "Tracking Label Created" or some such nonsense. Your package may or may not ever show up, but the tracking status never changes beyond the original label creation post. I was suppose to get a package today, but it didn't show up with the other mail. Vendor's site still says delivery will be today, but the tracking only shows the label creation days ago. Who knows if I'll ever see the stuff.

[phoenx]

I've had two packages lost by USPS. One that was supposed to be delivered in September and one in late November. Ive tried contacting them for help and all I get is "your package will arrive later. Its in transit".

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by phoenx

I've had two packages lost by USPS. One that was supposed to be delivered in September and one in late November. Ive tried contacting them for help and all I get is "your package will arrive later. Its in transit".

Gotta love that. "It's in transit." To where, the fucking space station?

[exE36M3]

While we are swapping stories...

I bought a PSA 10 - 1980 Star Wars Yoda "Rookie" Card - population 1 of 1 from a seller/shop in Connecticut. It was coming by USPS Priority Mail. It made it as far as Chicago and then nothing.... for 3 weeks.

Yes, I was pissing my pants.

And then magically the tracking went live again and it returned to sender (back to CT, I'm in CA).
I let the shop know and gave them my FedEx 2nd day air account. It arrived fine and dandy. Whew!

No idea what happened to the card delivery in Chicago, but grateful it made it back as a return service and that was 3 years ago... so no Covid excuses!

[Mingwan]

Why am I not surprised. USPS the one that throws your shit at the door like it’s made of hot lava?

[stilem235]

Same here. 3 packages usps tracking all says the same thing.

[Noneya]

Originally Posted by ntg44

USPS has always been the worst, followed by UPS. Just how it is with government agencies. Zero accountability so nobody gives a crap.

In my experience Fedex is the worst of the bunch. Fedex << USPS < UPS.

[DETRoadster]

No issues with packages but they are losing my mail right and left. I have "Informed Delivery" through USPS so I get an e-mail every day with the mail that's showing up that day. This month alone, just 11 days in, they either lost or delivered to the wrong address my car tab renewal notice, a credit card bill, and a reimbursement check from my insurance company for cancelling a policy when I sold a vehicle. Not a single week goes by that I don't get mail for my neighbors. I diligently hand deliver it to them and drop in their mailbox. Clearly I have a jerk neighbor who got a bunch of my mail this month and didnt do the same. Probably just threw it out. I went to my local USPS office to complain and got no where of course.

[StatenEye]

New one, today I get a letter from my homeowners insurance. The check from my MTG company was late so they cancelled my policy, they then received the payment and reinstated. USPS strikes again.

[pennsiveguy]

I fully expect that my frequent mailings from The Heritage Foundation, The Heartland Foundation, various Libertarian organizations and the NRA have a lot to do with my shitty service. Same goes for Bimmer Life magazine.

[RickFLM4]

Have had some issues with USPS in the past, mostly when there is a handoff to / from UPS or FedEx, but been mostly ok lately. Driver for all of them should use a brain and not drop a package at the front door and run away if liquid is dripping from a soaked package, but USPS, UPS and FedEx all do it.

FedEx is king of fuckups this year. Lost and damaged packages throughout the year, particularly stuff going through Orlando. Also numerous late deliveries.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by StatenEye

New one, today I get a letter from my homeowners insurance. The check from my MTG company was late so they cancelled my policy, they then received the payment and reinstated. USPS strikes again.

Sounds like something that could be switched to an automatic payment, to avoid it ending up in as back-up ass-wipe in the men's room at the Post Office.

[StatenEye]

Originally Posted by pennsiveguy

Sounds like something that could be switched to an automatic payment, to avoid it ending up in as back-up ass-wipe in the men's room at the Post Office.

Yea I have no idea, i just pay into an escrow account. I guess they still mail the check once a year and it was late lol. Seems archaic.

[StatenEye]

Just look at this lol. 30 miles from my house the sender is. https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfi...95232379037532

[M_Six]

The vendor still shows my package will be delivered by the end of today. I think not.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by StatenEye

Just look at this lol. 30 miles from my house the sender is. https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfi...95232379037532

The tracking history is nonsensical. It went from NJ to MI during the period of 12/2 to 12/7, then somehow during the day of 12/8 it went back to NJ? That makes no sense whatsoever. Accurately timestamping and geostamping events is software design 101. This is a broken system that manages to limp along during times of low demand, and completely comes undone when any strain is put on it.

December 11, 2020
In Transit to Next Facility
Your package is moving within the USPS network and is on track to be delivered to its final destination. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

December 8, 2020, 6:16 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
NEWARK NJ DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

December 8, 2020, 4:57 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
GRAND RAPIDS MI DISTRIBUTION CENTER ANNEX 

December 7, 2020, 8:53 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Facility
GRAND RAPIDS MI DISTRIBUTION CENTER ANNEX 

December 2, 2020, 4:55 pm
Shipment Received, Package Acceptance Pending
MULLICA HILL, NJ 08062 

[M_Six]

My package finally showed up. So the tracking was "Label Created" and 4 days later "Out for Delivery." Why bother with tracking at all if no one is scanning labels at the intermediate stops?

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by M_Six

My package finally showed up. So the tracking was "Label Created" and 4 days later "Out for Delivery." Why bother with tracking at all if no one is scanning labels at the intermediate stops?

Great point. Why not just have the tracking site say "Just relax fuck-face. You'll get your package when we get around to it and not a moment sooner."