FedEX Home vs. USPS (Rant!)

[Sgt.Rock]

Why don't more vendors offer FedEX "Home" delivery as opposed to USPS when it comes to mid to large packages?

I can understand if you have a small order that fits in a padded mailer, but for any boxed items FedEX Home is more than competitive price wise and has service and reliability far exceeding anything the USPS has--at least in this century anyway.

USPS blows_chunks these days and I'm sick of waiting for them to get off their lazy butts and deliver my stuff when the schedule says it's supposed to be delivered. Almost NOTHING gets delivered on time any more with these clowns.

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

FedEx w/insurance (which you honestly want/need if you value the merchandise) isn't really all that competitive with USPS. It's actually 3-5x more expensive, as is UPS.

USPS allows a max weight of 70 lbs per flat rate package, includes $50 of insurance free (an extra $50 is only $2.60) and delivers in 1-3 days via Priority Mail. They do lose & damage packages, though so does UPS and FedEx. Filing a claim normally resolves this quickly and in the mean time, any vendor who cares about their business will reship.

If we take a 10 lb package with $100 value claim as an example:

USPS Medium Box - $13.90 (Priority Flat Rate)

FedEx Express Saver - $32.36

FedEx 2nd Day Air - $45.33

FedEx 2nd Day Air AM - $52.18


The closest option with FedEx is almost 2.5x what it costs to ship via USPS. Throw that on to your order form for small items and you're most likely going to scare away customers as the shipping cost then becomes closer to half the value of the package.


FedEx isn't a bad option and it's nice to have a variety, though it's far from competitive. Competitive would be if FedEx was closer to the $15-$17 range and was able to offer similar services as USPS for nearly the same price.

Why don't more vendors offer FedEX "Home" delivery as opposed to USPS when it comes to mid to large packages?

I can understand if you have a small order that fits in a padded mailer, but for any boxed items FedEX Home is more than competitive price wise and has service and reliability far exceeding anything the USPS has--at least in this century anyway.

USPS blows_chunks these days and I'm sick of waiting for them to get off their lazy butts and deliver my stuff when the schedule says it's supposed to be delivered. Almost NOTHING gets delivered on time any more with these clowns.

 

[BigCatDaddy]

Frankly, I have a lot more patience than I have money. Fex-ex rates are prohibitive in that regard. If shipping costs more than my item, it's a no brainer to wait a couple more days. I know, I know, waiting on vape mail is excruciatingly painful, but a big drain on my wallet is even more so.

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

Frankly, I have a lot more patience than I have money. Fex-ex rates are prohibitive in that regard. If shipping costs more than my item, it's a no brainer to wait a couple more days. I know, I know, waiting on vape mail is excruciatingly painful, but a big drain on my wallet is even more so.

I'm patient as well and normally, 1-2 days off schedule doesn't bother me all that much unless it's something I literally have to have the day it's supposed to be there. In that case, I order in advance so it either comes earlier than expected or right on time due to delays.

FedEx is a good option, though unless you're shipping thousands of packages per month, it's not a viable alternative to USPS, price wise. It's certainly not competitive in a sense of being right there with USPS. The rates I posted above are for average monthly shipments (1 box+). Small Business rates won't be much lower than those until you start pushing a lot of business their way. USPS and UPS are the same way - they aren't going to hand out discounts to those that aren't handing them money in exchange .

 

[Sgt.Rock]

I have shipped quite a few items over the past ten years and actually FedEX HOME is not that bad for rates and one hell of a lot more reliable.

I for one would like OPTIONS when choosing how to receive my packages

 

[Rickajho]

Fedex has a "drop and run" delivery policy, not even bothering to ring your door bell to let you know a package is there. They stopped requiring you to actually receive your package in hand about two years ago unless the sender demands a signature. (Can you even demand a signature with Fedex any more?) I called about it and - yeah, "drop & run" is their policy.

While this might be fine for some people, I live in an apartment building with full height glass doors in the vestibule - anyone can walk by and see what's there from the street, open the door, and grab packages left there. At least with USPS, having that magic access to get inside apartment buildings, you stand a better chance of actually getting your package if it can fit in an indoor mail box, or in front of your apartment door when it does not. I can trust my neighbors inside my building. The entire world walking by the outer glass entry door to the building on a busy City street? Not so much.

 

[Sgt.Rock]

Fedex has a "drop and run" delivery policy, not even bothering to ring your door bell to let you know a package is there. They stopped requiring you to actually receive your package in hand about two years ago unless the sender demands a signature. (Can you even demand a signature with Fedex any more?) I called about it and - yeah, "drop & run" is their policy.

While this might be fine for some people, I live in an apartment building with full height glass doors in the vestibule - anyone can walk by and see what's there from the street, open the door, and grab packages left there. At least with USPS, having that magic access to get inside apartment buildings, you stand a better chance of actually getting your package if it can fit in an indoor mail box, or in front of your apartment door when it does not. I can trust my neighbors inside my building. The entire world walking by the outer glass entry door to the building on a busy City street? Not so much.

Did you see anywhere that I said YOU had to use them?

All I said is I would like to have OPTIONS.

USPS blows

 

[ClintS]

You'd get better results making your shipping desires known to those you are buying from - and you can always refuse to buy from those that do not offer your preferred shipping method.

 

[DeloresRose]

I don't know where people are shipping from, but for me it would be a royal pain to have to ship FedEx. The closest one is over 20 miles away, and it would have been next to impossible to get there during this past winter - all that snow! Whereas I can walk to the post office. Aside for expense, it may be about convenience.

 

[porkchopbun]

A lot of times, FedEX home will just hand small items over to USPS in my area..so what's the purpose...happen to me few times already

 

[BigCatDaddy]

A lot of times, FedEX home will just hand small items over to USPS in my area..so what's the purpose...happen to me few times already

Come to think of it, that's what happens whenever someone I order from uses FedEx. It usually makes it to the Dallas hub and then the PO picks it up the rest of the way.

 

[Robino1]

It really depends on the area a person lives. Options from vendors would be nice, maybe some time in the future?

In the burbs of Philly, FedEx was the better choice. In the city of Philly, USPS was the best choice. Here in Florida, UPS is the best choice with USPS the second best. FedEx here blows.

 

[Jugband]

I used to feel the exact same way as the op. I was and still am fed up with USPS! Yes, they are awful! Then I had a packaged shipped by Fedex. Not vape mail. It was a very large, very heavy package. I tracked it. The day is was due it changed to weather emergency delivery not attempted, next day the same. It wasn't even raining!!!! I finally had to make the hour drive and go pick it up! Six of one if you ask me.

 

[wheezal]

USPS is fine as long as it doesn't rain, snow, sleet, or if they work on a gloomy night. luckily they have no such mission statement regarding those circumstances.

FedEx, for what we're paying, should be a better service. All the carriers have issues.

luckily, it will all be moot once my vapemail is fired at me in a heat-seeking container from a drone. hurry up and get drone's shooting mail at people, gubment!!!

 

[HughDaHand]

I have to agree that having options would be nice. USPS is the most reliable in my area for sure, everything sent through them generally arrives in half the time of Fed-Ex or UPS. I have a long drive way and dogs that go nuts when a delivery truck enters it. I can't even count the number of times I have gone outside to be handed a packages from UPS just to hand it back and say "this is not my address". One time it wasn't even the right street.

Everything I have ever had shipped through Fed-Ex looked like they hired a kid to kick the box across the country. Which would fit with the amount of time it took to get here. I will no longer place a order for anything if it is going to be shipped with Fed-Ex.

With USPS it is rare for a package to take more than 3 days to arrive, when it does take longer it is usually because it would be delivered on Sunday. The packaging is usually in good shape. This is my preferred delivery for pretty much anything that I order. In my area it just beats out any other delivery company in every way.

 

[cbrite]

A lot of times, FedEX home will just hand small items over to USPS in my area..so what's the purpose...happen to me few times already

Yes, this is how it works here, too. The last thing I ordered where delivery was split like that, the tracking info said that FedEX had a delivery in my area so would deliver vs handing it off to the post office folks. So, I got it a day earlier.

 

[Miata GT]

I think it depends on your area too. I cringe when I deal with a company that only ships by FedEx. Around here UPS is far more reliable.

 

[Cliven]

USPS in my area is great!

<Knock-on-wood> I've gotten every piece of vapemail on time if not a day early. A month ago, they blew me away. I sold a Provari, sent it out on a Friday afternoon from Salt Lake and it arrived at its MI destination Monday morning. It wasn't expected till Wednesday.

 

[AntnyMikal]

USPS is great around here too. Get most things a day early or on time. If it's too big for the box in Apt. They just bring it to the door and Knock.

Fed around here blows, boxes all out of shape, they don't knock, have claimed to deliver something to me but I was home all day chilling on the porch and didn't see them, which has happened multiple times. Had them drop a box on my porch at 830 pm without knocking - package was out for delivery @8am with expected delivery noon. I could go on.....but.

Think it just depends on your area, and luck sometime.