Vendor/USPS observation

[TNTAbilene]

Hi All... Just an observation and a request for thoughts...

We're relatively new here and still in the "order one of each" stage, like it's a race to accumulate the most juice and accessories!

During our search to find what we want and from what vendor, we've noticed a couple of disclaimers saying something to the effect of a vendors' responsibility for the shipment ending when it leaves their door and USPS takes possession.

I in no way mean to paint any vendors in a negative light since I completely understand the logic... the vendor has absolutely no control over what the Post Office does with the shipment. However, IMO the transaction isn't complete until the shipment is received by the customer. So whose responsibility is it to follow up on a lost/missing package?

As of a few years ago, I remember when using UPS/Fedex, only the shipper could initiate a package trace, request a credit for the cost of the shipment under the delivery guarantee, or request reimbursement under the insurance coverage. The burden for following up on a lost or missing shipment was clearly on the shipper.

Since for the most part, USPS doesn't offer a guarantee, vendors normally don't offer insurance and AFAIK they won't reimburse the shipment cost for a lost package, does that mean the burden has shifted to the customer?

Any thoughts or opinions on any of these disclaimers you may have seen?

 

[gashin]

I think that's bad business practice since there's no telling if the vendor didn't ship it out. Shipping losses are a part of the business and relative to the number of packages that make it through I think losses should be covered. Obviously for big orders (>$100) insurance is a must though.

 

[Firefly13]

I haven't had a package go missing in a long time, but as i use Delivery Confirmation i could see whereabouts it looked like it got lost, i just took the knock myself and sent a duplicate order no charge, no big deal, not the customers fault.

 

[Panini]

I could be completely 100% wrong here, but I think the shipper still has to initiate a package trace. What they may be referring to is that all packages (not just e-cig ones) become property of USPS once in their possession. I think it says something like that on the prepaid USPS packages. So if USPS declares it "prohibited" or "dangerous" goods and decides not to deliver it, it's your loss. If the package simply gets lost in the mail or delivered to the wrong address, they will probably still do their best to help you trace it. Like I said, I'm not totally sure. You could always contact them and ask for clarification.

 

[bearscreek]

The way I see it, the seller is responsible and should either use an insured shipping method or eat the few losses that occur. The buyer needs to pay with a credit card and have the protection of the CC company if they don't receive their purchase.

 

[brandon555]

I know a lot of vendors do replace stuff that gets lost. I don't think its something that happens a lot though. I've probably had 50+ e cig related purchases in the past year and twice they were routed to the wrong city or state but eventually ended up at my house.

 

[Vidi]

Every e cig/juice single order I have ever placed from ANY online vendor has generated an email giving me a tracking number. I have watched each and every package as it crossed the country to come to me. Once the shipping agent has picked up the order, the vendor can no longer be held responsible for it because they are no longer in control of the package.

For example, I placed an order on the 14th for an eGo ( Shipping from San Diego ) and the same day placed two orders for juice ( Tasty vapor in Oakland and Vaporbomb in Ohio ) I am in Minneapolis. The eGo order was sent Fed Ex, both juice orders sent USPS. I received all my juice last friday. I am still waiting for the eGo which has had NO acivity since the 16th when it departed California. I am worried I will not be getting my eGo tomorrow as the FedEx site claims but we shall see.

Consider this though. The eGo was a prepackaged kit. All that had to be done was put it in a box address it and ship it. It was the first of the tracking numbers I received. The juice didnt ship until a full day AFTER the eGo ( after it had been mixed up for me ) and yet it arrived just three days later. If the eGo arrives tomorrow it took seven days to come from the very same state one of the juice orders came from. On top of that Ohio is WAY closer to me than California and yet, that order arrived on the same day.

Why does any of that matter?

It illustrates that the vendor can do everything in their power to quickly send out your order but its the shipping company that is ultimately responsible for delivering in a timely fashion.

Lastly, I find it very interesting that it has taken Fedex a week to not yet deliver my package while the United States Post office shipped and delivered in just a few days.

 

[banjo]

One way for the supplier and the customer to avoid the problem of lost or damaged goods would be to give the customer the option of purchasing shipping insurance insurance at the point of sale; or to ship via UPS, which automatically insures every package for $100.00, but, most of my US suppliers ship via Priority mail, which is cheaper and faster than UPS....

 

[bearscreek]

Honestly, though, if you hold up your end of a transaction by paying the asking price, the seller has to hold up his end of the deal by ensuring that you receive the merchandise. If the seller chooses not to insure the package with USPS, then it's his loss if the package isn't delivered. If I were shipping 100 packages a day to US customers by USPS, I'd probably choose to eat the ones that don't make it instead of spending $1+ to insure each package, but it's my tough luck if one gets lost. In my opinion (but I'm probably right), it doesn't matter what their disclaimer is on their web site about having no responsibility after USPS gets the package. I don't think your CC company cares about that when you tell them you didn't receive your merchandise. Most CC companies will refund your money, especially if the seller can't at least show delivery confirmation.

 

[vailgal]

As a vendor, I consider it poor customer service to not ensure that each and every customer receives their merchandise. I am willing to pay the extra $1 to ensure that my clients receive their package in a timely manner and are able to track the package. If they do not receive the package, then I want to be able to correct the situation and find out where the package went. While I agree that the $1 can add up, one will make more money with happy customers than with customers who are sitting on pins and needles wondering if their shipment will arrive.

 

[lexgar]

"Lastly, I find it very interesting that it has taken Fedex a week to not yet deliver my package while the United States Post office shipped and delivered in just a few days. "

I have seen this as true as well. I ordered some items (not ecig related) from NYC shipped UPS regular delivery and noticed in tracking it that it sat in Ontario,CA for almost 2 days for some reason. I suspect that with UPS if it says 3 days then it will not be delivered earlier than that. They probably hold it while those paying for faster delivery get on the trucks first. For this purchase with this vendor UPS was actually cheaper than USPS, probably because the vendor has accts with UPS for shipping while USPS requires a trip to the PO.

 

[BuzzKill]

The only way to ENSURE that your package is covered is to insure it , this has always been ( in almost any industry I can think of ) been a buyer option , however in this small close knit market it makes sense and is good customer service to make sure your customers get what they pay for ( we do ! ) .
However in many other markets this is not the case from my experience , once the package leaves the hands of the seller it becomes the responsibility of the shipper then their policy is in force so ??

anyhow most E-Cig companies take care of their customers , if they do not they loose customers .

 

[bearscreek]

There is also some kind of fairly new deal that is really cheap with FedEx where they eventually get it to your local USPS, and it's delivered from there. I had a package come that way recently and it was really slow. By their tracking, it sat in CA for about 3 days and then another 3 days in La La Land and then another 2-3 days in Atlanta. I wasn't in a huge hurry for it, but it was unbelievably slow.

 

[Vidi]

My eGo arrived today. Five days after USPS delivered my juice ordered on the same day.

Its also interesting that it takes usps the same amount of time to ship from OH to MN as it does from CA to MN

 

[DigDreams]

Well it looks like I have my first lost package. Grrrr. I called the post office and they said "It should have been delivered yesterday, how strange" but that is the extent of the help I got. The tracking shows this:

Processed through Sort Facility, September 20, 2010, 8:27 pm, ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL 60007
Electronic Shipping Info Received, September 20, 2010

So much for my new Ego kit.

 

[kushka]

Well it looks like I have my first lost package. Grrrr. I called the post office and they said "It should have been delivered yesterday, how strange" but that is the extent of the help I got. The tracking shows this:

Processed through Sort Facility, September 20, 2010, 8:27 pm, ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL 60007
Electronic Shipping Info Received, September 20, 2010


So much for my new Ego kit.

Not necessarily so;

Do contact the vendor and have them put on a trace.

I package that amazon.com sent me by USPS a couple of months ago did not show up. USPS tracking said it had been delivered. I called amazon - and they believed me and sent me out another. Four days later both packages arrived the same day. And there was nothing on the package to indicate re-routing

A package from Liberty Flights came today - the USPS tracking just says "Shipping info received"

 

[t9c]

If there's anything consistent about the USPS you can bet your last dollar that it is "expect the unexpected". And that's all I got to say about that.

 

[Abe]

A package from Liberty Flights came today - the USPS tracking just says "Shipping info received"

It's really not fair to the shipper when that happens, a customer could claim it never arrived. Bad USPS, naughty USPS.