USPS strikes again

This reminds of the old story back from the days when you would mail your films away to be processed.  The returning package of prints would normally be marked with the notice 'Photographs - Do Not Bend', and sometimes it would be all scrunched up with the added notice from the postman that said 'Oh yes they do!'.  

Some years ago I bought an item off eBay.  This was a seller problem, for it took

considerable email prodding to get the guy to ship after I'd paid for it. (I think he

was expecting a higher winning bid).  The box rattled when I received it...wasn't

supposed to...when I opened it, item was broken and loose in a large box, like it had been thrown in there..no wrapping, padding, whatever.  I emailed back and complained.  Guy said it was packed by his elderly father with Alzheimer's, but he wouldn't and didn't refund my money...luckily less than $100.  I complained to eBay, but this was early and I didn't get my money back.

For the examples cited above, I don't want stuff dropped on my porch by UPS,

and we don't have a footman at the door of this "castle" 24/7 to sign for  packages

delivered at the caprice of any shipper (from what I read above, it does sound like

they don't want the business).  FEDEX, as noted above really does not want it, for

USPS now has a service where if you maintain a P.O. Box, and sign up with USPS for the service, all packages from any carrier can be received there IF both P.O. Box

AND THE STREET ADDRESS OF THE POST OFFICE BRANCH are on the package.  This

works great, EXCEPT a shipper who tried it discovered FEDEX refused to ship it under the excuse that he was not a high volume shipper and they would accord

the service only to high volume shippers.  I called FEDEX for an explanation and

got a "Go away, don't bother me" response. Seller had a hassle for which I apologized,  assuming FEDEX would honor a USPS agreement, and he sent it and I received it Priority Mail.  So when people say they want to ship FEDEX, I bang my shoe on the desk, and scream Nyet, nyet, nyet!!!  No UPS problems with it (yet).

I sometimes think that when a package is labelled:

"FRAGILE"

that's delivery-speak for "throw it against a wall." 

I used to work in a TV production company studio in Atlanta that was down the street from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).  A UPS driver delivered a package to us that contained a bottle of red liquid.  We thought is was a sample color for scenery paint.  As I had the bottle in my hand, the driver returned, shouting "Don't open that!  It's not for you!  It's for the CDC!".  A couple of my coworkers left the office and ran out the front door. 

I had a head-scratching moment this morning and I'm still trying to figure it out.  I live on the remote rural outer edge of the town I pay property taxes to, and only a mile from the village post office in the next town where we have a PO box number for the convenience.  Our postmaster probably knows all of us by our first names.  Last Wednesday I ordered 10 pieces of 36" AF track from Charlie Ro.  (The lady taking my order was great BTW.)  I had it shipped to my PO box explaining the hassle and sometimes confusion by UPS or Fedex of delivering it to my street address.  Well it was shipped and I tracked it via email from Fedex.  On Friday the tracking said they tried to deliver to my PO at 4:30 PM, after the 4 PM window closing.  My postmaster had an eye out for the package.  So yesterday, Saturday, I saw my postmaster before the Saturday 11 AM window closing and updated him.  He told me they never showed up while he was still there and the tracking note was BS!  So yesterday I check the tracking again and it said that it was on the truck for delivery.  Later in the evening it said that it was left at a side door in my town at 6:30 PM, not the town where we have our PO box.  Hmmmm????  Something to check into on Monday. 

Early this morning my wife looked out onto our driveway and mentioned seeing a set of footprints in the snow dusting we had.  Then I mentioned all of the above.  She slipped her shoes on and there was the package on our deck!  Never heard a knock on the door or any vehicle in my driveway.  It REALLY baffles me because I have absolutely NO clue how the driver found my street address!  All I can think of is that my nephew, a Fedex driver, may have done this route but it's unlikely he would.  Maybe I should call him?  Add this to another strange story in this thread!  Wait until I tell my postmaster!

Phil

And the USPS strikes yet again, how is this for routing a package? The only shame is that I didn''t  get to accompany it, on it's journey.

Michigan to Honolulu to Forest Grove, Oregon (near Portland), it shows delivered today, which I probably wont get home until Friday to inspect it, at least my Wife was home to accept it. Too bad it made a detour, it was supposed to arrive last Friday.

Doug

Doug,

The route taken seems normal to me.  You need to go back and read my post on page 1 of this.

Just think of how scenic the trip was, in your case, for the package above! 

Greg

Speaking of K-Line Hudsons, I purchased a nice one that had been converted to PS2 by JDS from a seller in Maryland on eBay. He sent it out Priority Mail with a 3 day expected delivery. It showed up 10 days later (only 250 miles?) and the PS2 is not working properly.

We tried to get partial insurance $$ to compensate for repairs but it was 'all or nothing'. I would have to give them the item. If they determined it was damaged they keep it- never to be seen again and I get $500. I want the locomotive so I elected to keep it and try to fix it.  Am not happy with that - NOT A GOOD WAY TO DO BUSINESS!

Have had similar experiences with UPS and they will pay partial money and let you keep the damaged item. Had it happen with an original Bascule Bridge years ago and recently with a damaged smoke unit in a Lionel E5. They sent $65 to cover it.

Even with the Bar Code on the USPS Click-N-Ship labels I print out, its amazing how many of my packages get misdirected.

Also, even with Bar Codes, how the tracking information is wrong. My most recent shipment, tracking info showed the package as "out for delivery" in a town right close to me here in New Jersey. Actually it was being delivered that day to the correct address in North Carolina.

You guys use SCAN Forms? (To promptly show the buyer that the package has actually been accepted into the USPS system.) The USPS website states that my letter carrier will scan the form when he picks up my package, and leave the form in my mailbox or hand it to me. My letter carrier tells me they don't carry the correct scanner to do so.

The website states that you can schedule online a Free Package Pickup until 2:00am CST on the day of the pickup. I was trying around midnight eastern time (11pm CST), and it would not allow me to do it ..... too late.

I needed to return a NCE HO DCC Control System to Litchfield Station in Arizona. Their letter carrier that had the package went home sick, and she was out sick for approx 2 weeks. My package sat in her USPS vehicle all that time.

Seems the USPS has been cutting corners wherever they can to help solve their budget/retiree problems. But it seems they have some management/technology/IT problems because of it.

I have much more faith in UPS, and would rather use them, but for me the post office is cheaper and easier.

Jim