USPS Shipping, Tracking is terrible Options

[gandalf_025]

I hadn't intended on sending my calipers out to get done. Wasn't really in the budget
and I have rebuilt enough 911 calipers, I figured I'd just do them myself.
After looking closely at them and removing the bleeder screws
I realized that sitting in a box since 1988 or so, time hadn't been good to them.
I packed them up in a Flat Rate Box and sent all 4 off to Utah.. I even insured the package for 1000.00.
Supposedly 3 day priority mail.
Tracking showed I dropped them off locally on Oct. 17th and that night they went to a sorting station....
Then NOTHING.....
No sign of them for well over a week.
I called the Post Office and opened inquires, but nothing...
They finally arrived Oct 26th
Tracking went from "in transit" to delivered, just like that.
I was just happy they weren't lost.
Coming back.. 2 boxes, sent the same time..left the 25th of Nov..
I realize there was a Holiday in there... But the box with the rears arrived yesterday.. Dec 1st.
The other box with the fronts still shows "In Transit" and delivery date still shows Sat. Nov. 28th.
I'm glad the rears made it first....
The fronts can be replaced a lot easier, if they did get lost...

Here is a quick "before and after" picture of 1 rear before and both rears now.
Amazing....... Was so worth sending them......

[GaroldShaffer]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Any big box items or higher dollar value items (over $300) I just ship FedEx. Yes they have lost a package or two over the years, but t least I was able to track every step of the way. Usually I find their shipping costs to be cheap than USPS.

Eric does a great job with the calipers. You will be happy you sent them out to him.

[rhodyguy]

Why were they shipped in 2 boxes? They should have both gone in 1 flat rate box. Be thankful you received them. $250 per core? Sounds like you expected them to get lost. It's not like for profit carriers don't screw things up.

[era vulgaris]

That's bizarre. I ship everything for work (VERY expensive, several thousand dollar value, custom designed pro audio equipment) via fully insured USPS Priority to everywhere in the US and worldwide. I ship multiple units per month and I've never had anything in the continental US take longer than 3 days, and they've never damaged an item in 8 years.

I've used Fedex and UPS twice, several years ago, at customer request, and they smashed the living hell out of the shipments and refused to pay out the insurance on one of them. I would never use either of them ever again. Plus they're way more expensive than USPS.

Calipers look great though! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[gandalf_025]

Try replacing 914-6 rear calipers these days.. The rears were the ones I
was worried about. In retrospect I would insure them for double that
if I knew I would have had such an issue with them getting there.

[rhodyguy]

I had a set of cylinders disappear between the distribution center and the buyer's porch via FedEx. Never got resolved. They said yes, buyer said no. I was not compensated with the 'included' insurance. Like above, I've always been happy with the flat rate but considering the volume the USPS handles, a problem occurring is not to be unexpected.

[Mike Fitton]

FedEx is way better and cheaper for large items. If you do not package fragile items so they can be dropped off a 4 story building then it is your fault. I just shipped a rear bumper from Illinois to Minnesota via FedEx for $30.00

[era vulgaris]

FedEx is way better and cheaper for large items. If you do not package fragile items so they can be dropped off a 4 story building then it is your fault. I just shipped a rear bumper from Illinois to Minnesota via FedEx for $30.00

I disagree. Price out a 24x18x12 box that weighs 18lbs for 2 day shipping, fully insured for $3K, and see who is the cheapest. I'll save you the trouble: it's USPS Priority.

[gandalf_025]

Here is a screen grab of the tracking for the box with the front calipers
in it. I took this grab at 12:30pm Weds the second of Dec.

[stugray]

I have had nothing but GOOD experience with USPS.

[Mikey914]

If you ship enough something is bound to happen. I've had USPS send a packahe to Hawaii that was going to NC. They got it there, but notice the delivery time is not guaranteed.

Hit and miss. Fedex will at least pay you if they loose something, ad they do ocassionally.

I used to fly freight for UPS, seing what happens in a hub I'm amazed with the volume of freight they move. As a percentage the losses are small, but they do happen.
Mark

[JeffBowlsby]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) No carrier is perfect, but no real issues with USPS Priority Mail, fully insured always. UPS and FedEx have been a pain and I avoid them. DHL for European deliveries is excellent.

I have had nothing but GOOD experience with USPS.

[era vulgaris]

Fedex will at least pay you if they loose something, ad they do ocassionally.

Maybe they paid you, but they never paid me the $2K that my shipment was insured for. It arrived at my customer's residence looking like it had been dropped from an airplane. Mind you I package my shipments as though I'm trying to prevent raw eggs from being broken. For it to have ended up in the condition it was in, it must have been brutally and intentionally negligently mishandled.
Then they picked it up from him to "inspect" it. ("Inspections" by Fedex appear to involve running the item over with a truck). When they returned it to him after "inspecting" it, it was in even worse shape than before. Then they denied the insurance claim. Two thousand dollars - poof - gone like that because they said so. Screw them. I avoid Fedex like the plague.

Word of advice: if you ever require a shipper to an inspect an item for an insurance claim, DO NOT let them take it into their custody. Insist that they come to your residence and inspect the damage on site. Otherwise your item will likely be returned to you in even worse shape after being inspected.

[toolguy]

I have a part time machining and machine tool business. When I sell, I usually take advantage of the USPS Flat Rate process if my items will fit in their designated boxes. . This is advertised by USPS to be Priority Air Mail with a 2 day promised delivery. . Or so they say.
On several occasions when shipping a heavy box, like 40 pounds of steel which is withing their guidelines, the tracking indicates they actually sent it surface or trucked, rather than the 2 day Air Mail. .

On another box I sent to Michigan using the 2 day Flat Rate service, the package went to Florida, then Texas, then up to Michigan. . took a couple of weeks to get there, and with days passing with no tracking updates. .

And when I asked about where my package went , I got " You'll need to wait a few more days" for an explanation.

Face it, it's the government and they don't really care. .

Fed Ex is even worse. . insurance is a rip off with them. .
When I had a $3500 set of Webbers mashed when being sent to PMO, the box looked like it was drop kicked and crushed on the corners. Their insurance department determined that the items were not packed well enough. .
I showed them the 2 inches of foam rubber inside the box on all sides. . their reply was, "Obviously you didn't use enough foam. If you had of used the correct amount the contents wouldn't have been damaged". . (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

[pdlightning]

Fedex will at least pay you if they loose something, ad they do ocassionally.

Maybe they paid you, but they never paid me the $2K that my shipment was insured for. It arrived at my customer's residence looking like it had been dropped from an airplane. Mind you I package my shipments as though I'm trying to prevent raw eggs from being broken. For it to have ended up in the condition it was in, it must have been brutally and intentionally negligently mishandled.
Then they picked it up from him to "inspect" it. ("Inspections" by Fedex appear to involve running the item over with a truck). When they returned it to him after "inspecting" it, it was in even worse shape than before. Then they denied the insurance claim. Two thousand dollars - poof - gone like that because they said so. Screw them. I avoid Fedex like the plague.

Word of advice: if you ever require a shipper to an inspect an item for an insurance claim, DO NOT let them take it into their custody. Insist that they come to your residence and inspect the damage on site. Otherwise your item will likely be returned to you in even worse shape after being inspected.

Eric did my rears and converted them to the 308 style. Beautiful work, great guy!

[Mikey914]

Not saying the claim process is easy. I've had issues with UPS and Fedex as well as USPS. USPS will contineously pass the buck and I only ship items that I can replace or have lower values with them.
They all have issues, UPS has actually set up a seporate "insurance" company that they own to seporate them from the transaction. At least Fedex handles it in house. I have had to make a call to my rep from time to time, but it almost always gets resolved. That being said, they are not treating me like a joe off the street, but yeah they all can suck.

[rhodyguy]

Why did it take so long, from the 19th, pre shipment info sent, for the pickup on the 25th in sandy? Picked up on the day before a 4 day weekend. Then, it left SLC at 12:24 AM on the 27th. so...still no fronts today? Are you trying to speak with a USPS rep on the phone? You might consider going to a post office. Better than terminal hold on the phone.

[era vulgaris]

Face it, it's the government and they don't really care. .

Eh, yes and no. They are an independent agency of the gov't but don't receive taxpayer funding. They basically operate as a private company, but are subject to Congressional oversight. Not a gov't agency in the way the DMV is, for example.

[gandalf_025]

Why did it take so long, from the 19th, pre shipment info sent, for the pickup on the 25th in sandy? Picked up on the day before a 4 day weekend. Then, it left SLC at 12:24 AM on the 27th. so...still no fronts today? Are you trying to speak with a USPS rep on the phone? You might consider going to a post office. Better than terminal hold on the phone.

No idea about the pre shipment info..
Both Boxes were picked up the 25th.. 1 day Holiday..
USPS worked Fri, Sat.

Now at 3:30pm, Tracking says the same it has since Nov. 27th at 12:40am...
"In Transit"
Box with rear calipers arrived here yesterday.. It had it's own tracking #

Calling or going to the Post Office is useless. They can see the same tracking info you can on-line.
I called many times when they shipped from here.... Opening a claim .... They have 3 days to reply...
When I called, they also mentioned something about proving value for the Insurance.?

Like I said.. The rears made it fine.. The fronts may take more time ???
Just interesting how they went different directions...

[rhodyguy]

Hope your fronts turn up. your PMD invoice should be proof enough of their value.