HELP with USPS? My new Teal Provari Mini is MIA!

[SeaBrz]

I am so bummed out, because what should have been a Friday vapemail treat and a weekend getting to know my new Provari, has turned into a nightmare dealing with the USPS.

I ordered my colored Mini on the debut day last Wednesday, and Provapes shipped it later that day USPS Priority. All was well until it got to my normal regional sorting center (Orlando) and then things went screwy. Shipments that get to the Orlando center before midnight are always delivered to me the next day, but the Mini got rerouted 50+ miles NW of Orlando for some reason.

As you can see from the pic, the shipment has been stuck in Leesburg, FL, since early Friday morning. USPS explained that the Missent status was only because a USPS center had misrouted it incorrectly, but had nothing to do with Provape's shipping order.

Today, I called USPS and shared my concern that this package wasn't moving. I was told that "Delivery Confirmation" did not entitle me or the vendor to "Tracking Confirmation" and that Priority Mail shipping time is never guaranteed. Oh yeah, GET that, but I want to know why a HUGE Orlando regional USPS sorting center would route my package in the opposite direction to a really small postal office.

I suspect that many of you here regularly track your vapemail through the USPS tracking page, like I do, so would love feedback from any of you that have encountered a similar situation.

I also want to share that Provape.com, particularly Cecilia, have been extremely compassionate in this quest, but there is little they can do right now.

Thanks for letting me vent (while I am heavily vaping).

 

[Racehorse]

Looks like your package has been in play for a total of 3 days. (how this qualifies as a *nightmare* I don't know, but I guess you are just excited, as I would be, too. But I think calling it a nightmare is kinda out of perspective here?)

Any shipper, you want something in less time than that, you should pay for Express. Unless my package is coming from within my state, I expect Priority Mail to take at least 3 business days--it often takes 4-5.

(today won't count, because it's not a business day.)

The missent thingie is pretty common, I get them all the time and it doesn't slow my mail down more than part of that day.

Understand that once a package arrives at a huge sectional center, that doesn't mean your carrier has it yet.

Just noticed your package is coming from the state of Washington, all the way to Florida. I often deal with shippers in Oregon and Washington, that is a LONG route to cover to get all the way east.

 

[SeaBrz]

Thanks for the reply, Racehorse. I guess I am really spoiled with great shipping times -- even from the West Coast.

Yes, you are right and I was overly excited, but the package was in FL and within 50 miles of my home last Thursday, Aug 16, now it 100 miles from home (Leesburg, FL) and making no progress.

 

[BlueSnake]

I just had one that took an extra week because somehow it got routed to Puerto Rico by mistake. Also Priority Mail. With all the cuts in distribution centers it's not the same USPS anymore.

 

[Berylanna]

This happened (sort-of) with two packages in the last 3 weeks. Oddly, First Class mail is MUCH faster!

I whined about it at dinner with a friend of mine who tracks USPS closely because he has to do some mass mailings every year. He said Congress played a weird game with their money, I forget what year, but fairly-recently, by requiring them to deposit enough money to pay 75 years retirement per employee into a gov't account that can be raided by Congress for other expenditures. He said they've been losing money on dminishing first class mail volumes (surprise! we are using electrons here!) and have had to lay a lot of people off.

My packages would go across 1-2 states like lightning, then get to a regional distribution center, then, instead of zinging out of there to MY regional distribution center, they would go off to some unknown podunk town, and cycle around for a few more days before I got them.

Meanwhile, a smaller mail (BLASTER Adjustable Drip Tips) sent First Class and ordered DAYS later arrived the day before my more-anticipated package arrived.

 

[edensin]

I had a shipment sent priority from the midwest to the west coast once that took over a week. My mistake, it was shipped the wed before a long weekend. Even though the post office delivered mail that sat, apparently the distribution centers shut down completely. it arrived locally thurs, but then didn't move till the following wed.
When I pay extra for priority I mistakenly thought that was what I would get.
It doesn't help when the people at the post office have an attitude of, oh well, that's just the way it is....I was like, do you realize I have been without nic for 24 hours now? It doesn't help to get angry, but there was a certain satisfaction in my fantasies of strangling the guy at the counter of the local post office.

 

[charmed412]

It wasn't vape mail but I once had my meds from NY go on vacation in Hawaii....and then they came to me in Kansas. It was inconvenient to say the least....but at least it wasn't vape mail

 

[Orobas]

Well i hope you ordered well enough in advance there, charmed. My father and law and my husband both get meds sent through the mail to them by the VA and fortunately they haven't gotten lost and/or are shipped well enough ahead of time that they still have a few doses left before it gets here.

I seldom upgrade from regular first class mail and my shipments are usually pretty quick. Like ordering after hours from EC Blends on a thursday and getting it monday. I just ordered MOAR yesterday and i might get it by tuesday.. we'll see.

I haven't had any problems since i moved from Savannah, but my mailman downtown was completely worthless. Couldn't carry a package as light as a book in a padded envelope in his bag, it seems, but would pretend like he tried to deliver it and pretend my unemployed self wasn't home, and make me go down town to pick up a freaking book from the post office.

And let's not even get into the fiascos when i used to have supplies for tubing my own cigarettes delivered to me... or the fact that I was at 1212 and the guy at 1313 had the same last name as I did.

Total nightmare. I really sympathize with you. But to be fair i believe that the trucks hauling mail still work weekends, there's just nobody in your local place to scan and note it's been returned. You might get it first thing money, don't fret yet.

 

[Iffy]

... but my mailman downtown was completely worthless. Couldn't carry a package as light as a book in a padded envelope in his bag, it seems, but would pretend like he tried to deliver it and pretend my unemployed self wasn't home, and make me go down town to pick up a freaking book from the post office.

That's when you look up your local Post Master and have a lil' conversation! Most times it's all ya need to do (unless your mail carrier is the PM's B-I-L). Chances are you won't be the first to complain 'bout that particular mail carrier.

 

[rosesense]

I can so relate to you and complaining to the post office doesn't seem to help. I bought a glass tip on the classies, it was mailed right away in OK where it sat for 3 weeks, no movement at all. The seller refunded my money and finally the package moved....to Ohio (I am in WA state). Next it made it to the sorting center about 12 miles from me but the next day it was routed 25 miles north of me so had to then be sent south again. I am amazed it ever got to me. I repaid the seller but wowzers., that was stressful for her.

 

[jkmtwo]

Haha, I climbed in my mail carriers backside one time a couple of years ago, I was standing in the driveway, and she pulled up, put mail in the box, and dropped a $200 book, a really big book, in the street in front of my mailbox, and drove off, I chased her down the street, let a few really bad words fly, and she apologized big time.

Since then, I get my packages stacked neatly on my porch coffee table, or under the chair on my porch.

 

[ByeByeCoffinNails]

I find it interesting that it was Florida where it was delayed. I too have had USPS parcels delayed by over a week at the Florida centre.

Under the old USPS- I paid $5.50 Priority mail and it arrived *here* in 1.5 weeks. Under the 'new' USPS, I pay $7.50 Priority and the mail arrives here in 3 weeks, sometimes 4.

So... an improvement there then!

Maybe vendors need to offer a FedX option.

 

[Racehorse]

Yes, you are right and I was overly excited, but the package was in FL and within 50 miles of my home last Thursday, Aug 16, now it 100 miles from home (Leesburg, FL) and making no progress.

I think you'll get it Monday.


As for the post office, I know they have their problems, but really, for the sheer amount of mail they handle, I"ve always thought they did an incredibly good job. And, somebody actually brings the stuff to your door, even on Saturdays. (I think this is how they could cut some budget...) I'm forever amazed that for 45 cents, I can mail Mom a letter and she is reading it 3 days later across the continent. Also, you should see the county roads the carriers have to drive out here, OMG, even in ice and on days that are looking quite tornadic, and getting bit by dogs and such. I'm on a bookswap, I've mailed out 300+ books this yer.... only one got lost.

USPS processed 167.9 BILLION pieces of mail in 2011.

I've had my share of FedEx and UPS snafu's, just sayin'

nobody seems to talk about all the mail they DO get properly.

 

[Fiamma]

I can certainly commiserate with you. I had a package at the PO in NY on the 13th. It finally got to Ca on the 18th and out to my local the same morning in the wee small hours. Anticipated delivery was the 17th, originally. It was not delivered the 18th and am now hoping it will be on Monday. Interestingly enough the same vendor shipped another package to me on the 15th, anticipated delivery day the 20th and the package is still reported by USPS to be in Brooklyn as of the 19th.

Previous shipments from this vendor usually make it first class in 3 days flat, all the way across the country. Rule of thumb is if I badly need it it comes late, if I don't need it it's here in 3 days.

 

[kabonk]

I feel your pain I've had packages get miss routed all over the country before it came to me and I've even a had a few that say delivered that I never received and because no insurance and no signature required I was just SOL every time I order something its just a crap shoot I wish vendors offered the option of signature required I'd gladly pay more for that

 

[DummyMe]

The mail delivery has gotten better here in NJ. Our mail carrier used to always deliver my mail & packages to 8.. Pa.... Road instead of 8.. Pe...... Road. They haven't done that in a while. I got to meet some nice people at the other house though. We also got some of their mail, so we figured out we my packages were delivered. But, I live on a dirt road & if it rains or snows, even a little, they don't bother to deliver on my street, period.

Fedex has screwed up, too. I had a package sent from the west coast go to a north Jersey sort facility sent to Lakewood Colorado instead of Lakewood, NJ. So, the package came all the way east, sent back 3/4 of the way back & then sent all the way east, again! Oh, well life is an adventure.

 

[zuzette]

UPS the big brown guys once routed a package throu europe and africa. it was sent from california to colorado. ....i got it 6 months after shipping. relax a smudge. all is well. but next time pay a little extra for confirmation and insurance.

 

[SeaBrz]

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences with USPS. I know now that I have been super-spoiled with excellent delivery times, but I can now sympathize a bit for those of you that have suffered. The stories that you have shared are incredible and sad. We are paying for USPS still, right? I know that they were/are trying to go commercial, but (IMO) they will never survive the already-established great shipment service of UPS/FedEx/DHL.

I hope my PV shipment gets here soon, but reading what you all have been through, I am going to try and be more patient.

Thanks all for the feedback.

 

[Berylanna]

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences with USPS. I know now that I have been super-spoiled with excellent delivery times, but I can now sympathize a bit for those of you that have suffered. The stories that you have shared are incredible and sad. We are paying for USPS still, right?

Not if you don't buy from them. They were self-supporting until a year or two ago when they were forced to self-support AND start contributing a pension fund for the gov't to raid. So now, they're supporting us. And losing money at it.

I know that they were/are trying to go commercial, but (IMO) they will never survive the already-established great shipment service of UPS/FedEx/DHL.

I hope my PV shipment gets here soon, but reading what you all have been through, I am going to try and be more patient.

Thanks all for the feedback.

Good luck. And, if given First Class as an option, always take it unless something besides USPS Priority mail is a lot cheaper. So far, USPS First Class mail is the fastest-arrival of all the many things I have ordered. USPS Priority mail is the slowest. (Well, not counting things ordered from China.)

 

[Strigoi]

Good luck. And, if given First Class as an option, always take it unless something besides USPS Priority mail is a lot cheaper. So far, USPS First Class mail is the fastest-arrival of all the many things I have ordered. USPS Priority mail is the slowest. (Well, not counting things ordered from China.)

First Class and Priority are essentially the same. If you're getting something from the east coast, Priority will be faster than First Class going that distance. Also, any package over 13oz can not go First Class and has to go Priority.

I sell stuff on Ebay for my work and have had well over 10,000 transactions. I'm not new to shipping stuff.