USPS Poll – How frequently do you have problems with mail delivery?

[Mike36609]

Okay folks, I’ve got to vent a little… and explain. I have my vaping supplies mailed to me at work. I own my business, I am here at the office more than I am at home, and I’d rather have my supplies delivered at work instead having packages left by my door when they don’t fit in the mail box at home.

My problem is, the mail service at my office has become so poor, that getting mail delivered correctly to my office is becoming a crap-shoot. Over the course of this year fully one half of my orders of vaping supplies has been delivered to someone else first. I have always ultimately received the orders, though I have one missing as I type this, and the resolution of this case is uncertain. Orders that should have arrived in three to four days take many, many more days to finally reach me.

On my latest order of juice, I paid extra for Priority Mail service, thinking, hoping that as Priority Mail, my order would receive a little more attention to detail and I would receive it without any problems. What a pipe dream! I am now out a fair amount of money and my juice – Boba’s Bounty, Gorilla Juice, Blend 4, Peach Hype, and Bees Knees, is in who knows who’s hands. Who knows if I’ll ever see it!

I know I could pay even more and have the order insured, or have a signature required for delivery, but the prices for these additional services would add such a significant extra cost to the orders that the cost of the supplies is more than I want to pay. And, I see no reason to think that the situation would improve anyway. The thing is, I shouldn’t have to do this to receive something that resembles competent mail service. I mean damn, this is reading the recipient’s address and name correctly, it ain’t rocket science.

Compounding the problem, I’ve noticed that most of favorite vendors no longer offer delivery through UPS or FedEx as options.

So, my questions are...

1. Am I the only one having this problem?
2. Is there anything I could do to improve the odds of successful delivery of my orders?
3. Is there anything I could do to get my vendors to offer alternative delivery options such UPS and FedEx that are much, much, much more reliable?
4. Or, am I doomed to this problem for eternity, or at least until the local post office branch hires some competent personnel who can read, write and comprehend at an elementary school level?

 

[tnt56]

I really hate to hear your having problems. Knock on wood but USPS has always done me right. You might want to call the Local Post Office and have a talk with the Supervisor.

 

[dirquist]

Sorry for your troubles. USPS has been flawless for me unlike DHL, UPS and FEDEX. In fact I had a new product shipped to me from Georgia to Washington State and it was due on Friday the 23rd. Just checked tracking this morning and in fact the moved the date up and it is currently out for delivery. Woohoo USPS! The best IMO. I guess it all depends on your location though.

 

[tj99959]

Well my order would have been here today if they had sent it to the SLC sort facility instead of Boisy Idaho.

 

[kazimir]

Never had any issues with USPS except they are slow to update tracking info. Beyond that, they always deliver on or before scheduled date.

UPS....NEVER AGAIN

Fedex is tied with USPS. Fedex has a 24/7 store near me for signature required pickups which is nice since no one is ever home during the day.

Anything Amazon...GLORIOUS.


Edit: I live near DC so its highly populated which helps since packages are always going in and out of the area.

 

[martinc]

Its about time the polish up the ''beam stuff up Scotty''

 

[Thompson]

Am I incorrect in thinking Signed For is only like $2 more? At this point that is cheaper than losing an order. Not sure it would help though, I have no idea what goes on if an unauthorized person is found to have signed for somebody else's package.

Oddly though I've not seen one vendor offer it, and only a handful offer insurance.

I can't believe my ProVari wasn't sign for, given there was a few hundred dollars worth of equipment sitting in my mail.

 

[tidegirl]

It seems like I remember that there is a reason USPS in the only option, am I making this up?

No, I have never experienced the kind of problems you are having. I agree with tnt, contact the postmaster and explain your situation. I would also suggest starting a log of all your packages, tracking what arrives as it should (if that ever happens:/ ) and what goes wrong with the others. That way, when you have to contact him again you have evidence and a paper trail to back your claims.

 

[billo]

For a light package, say under one pound, the post office is much cheaper than UPS or any of the other ones.
Plus , if you sign up for UPS and only ship one or two packages a week for special customers, they tack on $20 a week.
Would you want to pay $12 to have your $20 order shipped ?

I have a business and use UPS only because they will come pick up packages at a reasonable price. They also track better.
But my minimum shipping charge through UPS is $12, even if under a pound.

I used to work at the post office, and I agree that you should call the supervisor at the post office and explain the problem. It might help.

 

[eagarcia123]

usps has never failed me... though a lot of my shipments have been delayed probably due to the aftermath of sandy im assuming. ive used usps, ups, and fedex. fedex is by far the worst. ive used them a few times. either my packages were shipped to the wrong house in my neighborhood or they were too lazy to ring my doorbell and leave a note saying I missed(ive seen it happen, they call your name once then drive away if you dont show up in 10 seconds). honestly, I feel im lucky that usps handles my vape mail

 

[AttyPops]

Only problem I've ever had with USPS was Netflix related, not e-cig.

Why not have it delivered to your mailbox instead of the office? Particularly if the office is in a complex of multi-office buildings? Less chance of error (with an assumption that you have a standard mailbox).

 

[kazimir]

Slightly off topic, but this follows my experience with UPS (not USPS).

0:34
Episode #109 - Burn Baby Burn, Honda Spoiler Burn! - YouTube

 

[Mike36609]

At my home there is really no safe/secure place to leave a package that will not fit in the mail box, and depending on what I have ordered some would fit and others would not. My mailbox is a smaller box attached/affixed to the house. I would be worried about the possibility of theft or other issues were packages left in the open for too long.

In the past mail service at my office has been through periods where it was bullet-proof, and other periods where it was not. I have in the past spoken to the Post Master for my area, but that was an exercise in frustration to say the least, and too complicated to detail here. I once had a mail carrier come into my office, toss a bunch of mail on my desk, and tell me to see what was mine. I've been in my office in this same building for twenty years by the way, so I have seen it all.

On the good side of the news, I just received my latest order which had been missing for several day and delivered to an incorrect address. So things are looking up.

I can say I have never, ever had a problem with UPS or FedEx service. But my mail service...

Thanks for all the feedback.

 

[house mouse]

I've lost packages before and I totally blame the inattention of some USPS delivery guys. There's one that works my route (a foot route) that is constantly on his cell phone yakking with the girl of the day while he's delivering mail. Once I was inside the house and watched another one walk up to my mailbox very engrossed in leafing through one of the catalogues he was delivering to my mailbox. I pulled the catalogue out and stood there scratching my head trying to figure out what was so captivating in the women's clothing catalogue he closed and tossed in my box. Oh, I found it alright. Swimsuits, swimsuits,swimsuits. Dude, get your head out of my mail and back on your job.

 

[Orobas]

Yeah I had no end of trouble with a "walking" mail route in downtown Savannah, GA. Haven't had any delivery problems since moving to NC, now that I'm on a truck route. Well, apart from them invariably running late when I am expecting a package.

Is your mailman a walker or a driver, OP?

 

[Faylool]

If you have time get the PO number that handles your area's deliveries and tell them your getting pretty fed up. USPS is really tring to get better and I think they might listen.

 

[Los Marauder]

Personaly I try and use USPS only, and for only one reason. Alot of vets work for USPS. I was never in the milatary, and don't think much of war, but for all the young men that endured so much in the name of our country, I say throw 'em a bone.

 

[potholerepairman]

I feel for you , have never had an issue with any vaping supply delivered(three years+).Never use the insurance and thats with $200+ mods a few times.It could be usps or the powers that be in your area.I am a nontrust giving person by nature( little paranoid) but may look into coworkers if its only the unsigned items at work, if at any time that is not in your control.May not help but people do play stupid games.

 

[DummyMe]

I've been lucky with vape mail. I used to order tax software from a company & it ALWAYS was delivered to the wrong address. The mail person delivered it to 846 PA...... road & not to 846 PE...... Road. We still get the mail for the other address & they get ours, but they are relitively new people there & they are nice. We swap mail with each other, except for "junk mail." They are about 1 1/2 miles from us & we go by there often & they come close to our house often also. The other people who owned the house before them got free tax software for 3 years.

 

[CommaHolly]

Hardly, rarely, EVER,,,,,,,,have a talk with the post master,,,,,,I'm wondering if there's a new post person delivering in your area or some other explanation like that,,,,,