OT "ARRIVING LATE"

alaskanassasin

 This holiday season anything I shipped or received using USPS was late as heck! Most of the packages were sitting in distribution centers for 4-5 days beyond expected delivery time.   I know you will have a bit of that this time of year but why doesn't their expected delivery date reflect what is actually happening.   

Our northern brethren are not spared from the chaos, there was a time the Canadian postal workers were striking I think, USPS was no longer shipping to Canada but I think they are now so feel free to chime if you live north of the border.   

 I shipped a big ole box of presents using UPS to Bastrop Monday afternoon and watched it bee bop along (in a consistently southern direction) to moms front porch arriving on Wednesday.

 

hoosier_egger

Same. I had a package from Duluth Clothing sitting in the Indy USPS hub for 5 days. I offered to drive up and get it since it's only about 45 minutes from me...lol A week later it arrived

DoubleEgger

Slowing down service has been a goal of Trump appointee Louis DeJoy’s plan all along. Here’s a 2021 article. 

https://amp.theguardian.com/business/2021/dec/16/louis-dejoy-us-postal-service-postmaster-general-biden

poster

Canada post was on strike, but they were forced back by the government just this Tuesday.
We were fortunate enough that the strike started early enough that other arrangements could be made though to get our Christmas packages in time, just had to do things a bit differently. 

GrateEggspectations

No late packages and truth be told, no real impact felt by the Canada Post strike. 

JohnInCarolina

No problems with any of the several hundred packages delivered here the past few weeks.  

GrateEggspectations

JohnInCarolina said:

No problems with any of the several hundred packages delivered here the past few weeks.  

Then you have no excuse if my gift arrives late!

Canugghead

Didn't pay attention to what they're fighting for, my five cents ... Most folks survived just fine, are they not digging their own grave by proving we can do without them for a month at the busiest time of year?

Botch

Was leaving the house a couple days ago and The Man In The Brown Shorts™ came running up the driveway, the 10" box was accordion'd on one end.  He said, "Could you check this quick, make sure there's no damage?  If there is, I'll return it for you".  I opened the box and the 2"-cube product box inside was unscathed, so I said, "You're good!  Thank you for taking the time for ..."  He was already running back to his truck.
Kudos to UPS.  

poster

Canugghead said:

Didn't pay attention to what they're fighting for, my five cents ... Most folks survived just fine, are they not digging their own grave by proving we can do without them for a month at the busiest time of year?

True, it was kinda nice not having junk mail for the last month too other than having a lack of fire starters. Unless you get government cheques, it made little difference to most.

RRP

Nothing against the USPO since that's how I ship my you/know/what's but OTOH a new printer I ordered this week from HP and shipped from Indianapolis which is 200 miles from here shipping entirely by FedX has been delayed twice but is "supposed to" arrive tomorrow! 

Botch

RRP said:

Nothing against the USPO since that's how I ship my you/know/what's but OTOH a new printer I ordered this week from HP and shipped from Indianapolis which is 200 miles from here shipping entirely by FedX has been delayed twice but is "supposed to" arrive tomorrow! 

The few times I order over the phone anymore, I specifically ask if they ship via FedEx, ask for a change if they do, and if they can't I politely decline the order.  I HATE fedEx!  

alaskanassasin

Tell me you bought a laser printer @rrp they are so much cheaper to operate!

alaskanassasin

ColtsFan said:

Same. I had a package from Duluth Clothing sitting in the Indy USPS hub for 5 days. I offered to drive up and get it since it's only about 45 minutes from me...lol A week later it arrived

Swmbo sent a box to Cincinnati last Saturday and its latest update said arrive Tuesday. I literally could have walked it there faster.

alaskanassasin

@Canadians it’s interesting you didn’t miss your official postal delivery institution.  This made me reflect on things i actually count on the usps for. Electric bills (I don’t think there is an online portal to see your bill), dreaded IRS correspondence only comes via mail unless they knock on your door, personal cards like birthday or Christmas, checks from vendors, and insurance/healthcare correspondence. However usps is very affordable and convenient for small packages and postage for letters.

JohnInCarolina

I’ll just point out that one company really takes care of its customers when their packages arrive late:

Legume

I don't mind USPS, but I'll add I can't stand when any of the carriers deliver to USPS for the last mile. Those deliveries are always late because they quote you a delivery day for when they drop at USPS and you don't know that's what is happening until it's in the system already.

fishlessman

USPS is on life support around me. One guy working in the post office and the trucks are coming from a different city in mass. Maine is similar, the one poor bugger is working double shifts and Sundays and the locals want to kill him.
25 bucks an hour doesn't cut it anymore. No one wants that job

Botch

fishlessman said:

USPS is on life support around me. One guy working in the post office and the trucks are coming from a different city in mass. Maine is similar, the one poor bugger is working double shifts and Sundays and the locals want to kill him.
25 bucks an hour doesn't cut it anymore. No one wants that job

Actually you need to google "USPS unfunded mandates" to learn what's really wrong with the USPS.  

DoubleEgger

fishlessman

Botch said:

fishlessman said:

USPS is on life support around me. One guy working in the post office and the trucks are coming from a different city in mass. Maine is similar, the one poor bugger is working double shifts and Sundays and the locals want to kill him.
25 bucks an hour doesn't cut it anymore. No one wants that job

Actually you need to google "USPS unfunded mandates" to learn what's really wrong with the USPS.  

That would probably crash this phone😁 they could probably save some money by stopping the mailman hiring junk mail, why are they tracking delivery of all my mail at my mailbox with a scanner. I can see tracking certified and packages but Christmas cards etc

WeberWho

I want to say one of my packages took something like 2.5 weeks from 1.5 states away last year. I feel bad for anyone in the delivery business this time of year. 

DoubleEgger

WeberWho said:

I want to say one of my packages took something like 2.5 weeks from 1.5 states away last year. I feel bad for anyone in the delivery business this time of year. 

My friends who drive for UPS say that Christmas isn’t too bad because you get a helper. The veterans always take I Phone release day off. They hate a truck completely full of small packages. Makes for an extremely long day. 

ColbyLang

USPS here is hot garbage. We haven’t gotten mail at my house in 4 days. Walking route, mailboxes and slots on the houses themselves. 

RRP

alaskanassasin said:

Tell me you bought a laser printer @rrp they are so much cheaper to operate!

No - I already have a HP laser which I love and use it for printing labels and correspondence. This new HP is a business model 9129e and is a desk jet for printing my instruction sheets - plus scanning and faxing. Over the years I have simply worn out several cheaper printers. The reason I went this route is at least for me it is a sweet deal - perhaps not for everyone. This is a HP 9129e and while HP doesn't call it a 2 year lease that is what it is. I pay a fixed monthly amount for x number of copies. The copier is on line so when the ink cartridges are low they automatically send new ones without my doing anything and these expensive cartridges are merely part of the monthly charge. And if the printer develops a problem like all of my others did after time they will replace it. Then after 2 years I have the option of dropping the monthly amount and the printer is mine but I have to buy the cartridges myself OR I can merely return this printer back to them and they send me a new printer at some new monthly rate. 

lousubcap

@RRP - given your career there is no doubt you have done the due diligence with the printer.  

RRP

lousubcap said:

@RRP - given your career there is no doubt you have done the due diligence with the printer.  

Thanks. I had been enrolled for 2 years & 10 months in their ink program with my last copier which just died so I was already knowledgeable and satisfied with how their ink program worked.

WeberWho

@alaskanassasin

I'm currently waiting on a steering knuckle for my truck that I ordered 5-6 days ago online. When I was tracking the part earlier this morning I noticed it made its way to the local distribution center about 20 miles from my house. I just checked the most recent tracking update and now it's in Kearny, NJ. It almost made it....

RRP

My longest experience with the USPO was a gasket shipped to a fellow in Aurora, IL which is near Chicago. I'm in Dunlap, IL which is 170 miles from there. It took 14 business days to get there! And that was 16 years ago, so slowness and misdirection is not a new problem!

alaskanassasin

Way to think outside the box @RRP.  I cannot see any flaw in your logic, print cartridges are expensive even the laser ones, and if you are burning up printers to boot leasing with a maintenance plan is probably the best route.

alaskanassasin

That is not good @WeberWho! how does that even happen?  In the vein of ordering parts, my typical M.O. for decades it to call a local dealer, JD, IH, Agco, Kubota, whatever, see if they have the part, get the price so I am mentally $$ prepared and order it.  In several instances recently they have started charging shipping! I know these guys order boxes of parts everyday and with few exceptions most things get tossed in with those orders. My main gripe is that they don't mention the shipping charge when I ask what the price will be, If they did it would give me the opportunity to tell them to just put it on a stock order, (I know the game they are playing), or forget the whole deal and I will just order one online. If I have to pay shipping I will just have it sent to my front door, and it will probably be 20% cheaper.  Rant over.