Postal Horror Stories

[Stephra]

We haven't gotten our package yet. We ordered last Thursday (six days ago) and it still hasn't arrived.

A quick phone call confirmed that V4L sent our package out before the weekend, and USPS tracking is telling us *nothing*. Nothing, as in, it still says the package is slated for pick-up from V4L, and that's it.

So for now we're trying to stretch out the last of the Smilin' and CMF, but... That does nothing to dissipate my anger over the mail being problematic.

So please tell me your USPS horror stories so that I know it could be worse.

And if you have any hints on how to make it get here faster, they would be appreciated as well. Voodoo doesn't work, apparently.

 

[Michelle43]

Have you called the post master in your area?

 

[Trish342]

Wow...Sorry this is happening to you. I have been very lucky so far and my packages have all gotten here in 2 to 3 days. Hang in there... I hope it is there for you today.

 

[Stephra]

I think our postmaster hates us. We used to have problems with our mail carrier, and Rich has actually talked to the postmaster more than once because we didn't receive things we KNOW were supposed to be there. Then last year, our mail service switched - we had been served by the larger "area" post office, now we are being served by our tiny little local post office.

Rich did talk to them on Monday, no dice.

He orders a lot of electronics online, and the carrier likes to leave those packages *next to* the mailobox. It hasn't happened yet, but I know one day he's going to have some uber-expensive purchase ruined by USPS' carelessness, and then we will truly know what POSTAL means.

 

[daphne]

Lost packages are the worst.

I ship products with tracking numbers, and often the tracking number info won't show up until after the package is delivered. It's so annoying.

Have you called USPS and asked them to locate it using the tracking number? The Web Site sometimes isn't updated correctly, but USPS will have real-time shipping status.

Let us know how it goes!

EDIT: Here's the main number.

1-800-222-1811

or

1-800-ASK-USPS

 

[Stephra]

Thanks Daphne! If it's not in today's pile, I'll do just that!

 

[daphne]

I put the wrong numbers twice. That's what "before coffee" does to my brain.

Good luck!

 

[Lab]

i had a cell phone battery being sent to me that was almost a month late.. the replacment that was sent 2 weeks after the original got to me before the original item.. what was real bad is the original item that was sent to me was not even the right part.. was a cover for some other phone..

 

[BradSmith]

I feel your pain. I once shipped a guitar to England and 3 months later they found it in Spain. Smashed of course. I shipped another guitar a beautiful Photo Flame Fender Strat (MIJ) to Sweden it ended up in customs in Venezuela. On that one they wouldn't release the guitar at all. Luckily I had a customer who I had sold to a few times who lived down there. He bribed the customs agent and they released it, the guy in Sweden got it about three weeks later. And people wonder why I won't ship guitars overseas anymore.


Don't even get me started on UPS not only do they smash guitars but they will almost never pay out a claim no matter what they have done to it. I have had them run over, crushed, spikes completly through two boxes the guitar and the hardshell case. They claimed I didn't pack it well enough. I would estimate about one out of every twenty guitars is damaged no matter how well they are packaged.

 

[5cardstud]

I sent a package to a lady on this forum and it took 2 weeks or longer for her to get it. It was a small envelope. I'm always getting my neighbors mail. I think the post office employees have bad days like other people do.

 

[Stephra]

I always wonder why USPS has such a hard time doing what UPS seems to do so easily. They complain about how people don't use postal service anymore - maybe it's because they aren't doing a very good job of competing.

Barcode tracking at every stop isn't rocket surgery, UPS does it, and it sure seems like USPS has the ABILITY to do it, it's just not implemented. Why? A barcode scan on a package takes approximately .2 seconds, and if tracking were automated, consumers could check on status without having to call them up or get frustrated.

Then again, that means transparency - they would be held accountable if packages did month-long detours in bizarre locales. As it is, people tend to just "wait one more day" before doing something.

I get that people are human and make mistakes, but sheesh... If you're doing business, you're in the business of making as few mistakes as possible, not just slacking along and then playing duck-and-dodge when caught out.

 

[Michelle43]

Oh I DO have a shipping horror story, not USPS though. I ordered a custom framed painting a few years ago. DHL left the package laying FLAT and in the driveway! I was so close to running over it!

They sure got a tongue lashing from me.

 

[Lab]

Oh I DO have a shipping horror story, not USPS though. I ordered a custom framed painting a few years ago. DHL left the package laying FLAT and in the driveway! I was so close to running over it!

They sure got a tongue lashing from me.

thats why i insure my pictures that i ship out.. have had prints destroyed in shipping..

my brother had a package for a machine part sent to his house instead of work was a 15,000$ part.. it was sent to be signed for but instead they left it on his driveway.. when he got home was a empty box. the shipping company payed for the replacement but sure that delivery guy was fired

 

[daphne]

...Don't even get me started on UPS......

I cannot stand UPS. I deal in used and rare books, and if I get a shipment from them for comics I know I'll have to write off 1/3 of the content because they employ people who cannot read "THIS END UP."

I have to pick those up at the UPS center, and even though I've pointed it out to the SAME woman every time, she still brings it out and plops it on its side...which means the comics slip down and get all smooshed and bent.

Oh...and I sent flowers to my Mom once through a company that used UPS, and after 5 days of being lost she got a broken vase and wilted flowers left on her doorstep, regardless of the "signature confirmation."

USPS is hardly better. I've had books crammed and/or hanging out of my mailbox (in rain) when my covered doorstep is 20 feet away.

FedEx has always been the best, but they are more expensive. Obviously for a reason.

 

[757girl]

The only problem I had from USPS was when all those packages said they were delivered and they weren't. They called once to say they were looking for them in the back room and they never called back. I even talked to the area post master and come to find out the sub worker they had never delivered ANY of her packages that day. So they don't know what happened to them but needless to say she was fired. All the companies were very helpful after I gave them my case number with the USPS and reshipped.

That's why I will stick with V4L and Halo until I give up vaping because they made everything good.

UPS I have never had any problems with since I have been knowing our delivery driver for 4 years and he always calls to make sure I am home before he delivers. And if I am not at home he will leave it with a neighbor that I have told him to or he calls my cell phone to schedule a time if I am not home.

Fed-Ex home delivery hates my apartment complex lol You have to be buzzed in or have a key. So what do they do? Either leave it in from of the building OR Leaves in it the bushes outside the apartment building. GRRRRR Our apartment building is on a busy busy busy road and have 3 other complexes around it and they leave it outside UGH

 

[Pawpaw]

I wasn't going to do this, but since I know Belle is sitting around waiting for it...

Be sure to check out the dates:

 

[757girl]

o h*** no. I hope you finally got that package lol

 

[BradSmith]

I cannot stand UPS. I deal in used and rare books, and if I get a shipment from them for comics I know I'll have to write off 1/3 of the content because they employ people who cannot read "THIS END UP."

I have to pick those up at the UPS center, and even though I've pointed it out to the SAME woman every time, she still brings it out and plops it on its side...which means the comics slip down and get all smooshed and bent.

Oh...and I sent flowers to my Mom once through a company that used UPS, and after 5 days of being lost she got a broken vase and wilted flowers left on her doorstep, regardless of the "signature confirmation."

USPS is hardly better. I've had books crammed and/or hanging out of my mailbox (in rain) when my covered doorstep is 20 feet away.

FedEx has always been the best, but they are more expensive. Obviously for a reason.

I think that when I hit my busy months again I will go with FedEx. I also recieve a ton of packages (literaly) from FedEx and they have been great. Their driver asked me the other day why I didn't have him picking up as well.

 

[Pawpaw]

o h*** no. I hope you finally got that package lol

I got it in about 3 days, but the USPS website never did show it delivered. In fact, if you check that tracking number, it still shows "Processed through sort facility" on Oct 13.

 

[Stephra]

Things just keep getting better.

Did not come today.

Called 1-800-ASK-USPS and they say it is confirmed for PICK-UP.

Rich goes up to the post office to see if they can provide any further information. Gives the postal worker the routing number which they look up. She gets snarky with him and tells him that there wasn't any movement showing up for the package since the initial pickup. Nothing. And apparently she made the comment that her system shows things that online tracking won't.

I'm starting to freak. It would be one thing if there was an indication that my package took an accidental trip to Idaho. It would be one thing if their machinery squashed my juice and they had to notify to fill out some sort of claim. But according to them, my package hasn't done... anything.

V4L had it tagged to go on Thursday I think, so it was sent out before the weekend. And then it....vanished? poof? gone? I am so steamed right now.

What really sucks is that this was our first real juice order. We are down to the dregs on the good stuff, left with all the tobacco flavors we initially thought we'd like but actually didn't. This is gonna suck until it gets resolved.