I just wanna bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

richardp69

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I've used USPS Priority Mail to ship all the guitars I sell (it's a lot) exclusively for the last 15 years or so. They are/were the fastest, least expensive shipper (at least from NE Mich. they were) and I only had one guitar damaged ins transit. I'm guessing I've shipped at least 200 guitars over the last 10 to 15 years.

Not sure what's going on but now it took them about 10 days +/- to get the Greco to Tx and about the same to get another Guild to Fla. Also, Rich Cohen just bought my Finesse and it should have gotten there yesterday or today and of course it did not. The bureaucracy is vast and it's really tough to find a warm body to talk to. Couple that with the fact their revised tracking system is far worse than what it replaced and you end up with unhappy buyers and unhappy sellers.

I really want to support my local P.O. (who does their job, they are never the issue) but the USPS recent performance indicates I may need to switch to Fed Ex.

I realize all the shippers can suck bad at times but man, I am so mad right now.

Okay, my rant is now complete and I'll head back to my best friend Mr. Jack Daniels.
 

Bonneville88

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Have used USPS for a decade shipping motorcycle parts worldwide - thousands of shipments - never
lost anything, but the tracking was always a joke, and did have several things returned after they disappeared
for awhile.

But - have used Fedex only for guitar shipments, except for one USPS shipment, and that one USPS shipment
took 10 days to reach its destination and the tracking info was vague.
That was a couple of months ago, and I thought "never again!"
Fedex Ground takes about 3 business days most of the time and the tracking is pretty much spot on.
No breaks, no damage, no issues... yet.
 

Kitarkus

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I understand your pain....but this is December Holiday package traffic time....tough time to expect expediency. I just received one from UPS...guy at the main UPS center told me that they are jammed jammed jammed.
 

Westerly Wood

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yeah, i think it is the holiday shipping jam up too.
 

richardp69

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I guess I can't accept that. Sounds more like an excuse than a reason. If they can't offer the expedited shipping I'm paying for then just tell me that and I'll ship ground and save some money. No responses needed or required, I guess I'm not done bitching yet.
 

Westerly Wood

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Increasing exponentially every year due to on-line sales.
Even UPS sub-contracts with the Postal Service for delivery of smaller stuff.

totally. job security for USPS, hope they open up seasonal jobs.
 

geoguy

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It goes the other way, too, with UPS handling a lot of USPS shipments. USPS might make the "last mile" delivery to the customer, but my office's UPS guy is often at the local post office. He picks up packages that USPS is consigning to UPS, and hands over other packages that USPS will deliver to a recipient.

Also, UPS was in the news a few days ago re: some serious delays in delivering packages due to a big-time holiday-shipping crunch.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/ups-ov...ders-warns-of-some-delivery-delays-1512496479
 

dreadnut

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I found I wasn't cut out to sort and deliver mail and packages for 300 addresses daily. I thought it was the job from hell. Every day, SOS. Relentless pace. I gained a new appreciation for mail carriers. Especially when it's snowing; those stupid little white trucks aren't even 4WD or AWD.
 
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GAD

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We’re all spoiled. I remember a time when 6-8 weeks to get anything was the norm and there was no tracking.

“Priority” doesn’t gaurrentee faster service and just because it normally takes 2-3 days doesn’t mean it always does. The fact that it usually does is amazing. If you want speed and reliability with USPS pay for Express.
 
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Default

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We are bombed. I just got back to doing my full route after hip surgery. I already have 12 hours of overtime this week. We are short-handed on the carrier side, and we are short 3 clerks. My truck is almost as old as my postal carrier and it is too small, at least for October, November, December. Last night, l came home and went to bed without eating dinner, because l was destroyed. I'm sorry you are disappointed, but online shopping makes this the worst time of the year to be shipping anything that isn't a shoebox. Btw, UPS and Fedex pick up the returns, not anything that is delivered to a customer.
 

Default

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It's not ****ing magic, people, shipping parcels at Christmas is overwhelming everybody, not just us.
 

Default

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24785130_10212175049745866_6576766754092439966_o.jpg
 

richardp69

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Look, I know those jobs are tough and I realize Xmas brings a spike in activity. I'm obviously not as accepting/patient as most of you. I can accept it may not take 2 to 3 days but maybe 3 to 4 days or even 5. I just don't, and never will, accept 10+ days.

It doesn't make any difference and won't change a thing so I'm done (really, this time I am) And GAD, I know Priority doesn't guarantee anything but their track record is that it is typically very fast and ya know what, Xmas didn't just happen this year. I believe it happens every year and you'd think there would have been some lessons learned along the way. (truly, I am done now)
 

matsickma

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USPS is working 7 days a week and extra hours in my area. I was talking to a young lady making the package deliveries and she said they do all if Amazon deliveries and handle packages for FedEx and other carriers. The USPS goes EVERYWHERE. Some of those places are expensive for the other carriers so they use the USPS. A person I know who worjs for PO said they are timed and GPS tracked when on their routes. I often see the carriers jogging up to a porch to deliver a package with mail.

I think they do a good job and their is a lot if emphasis in quality service.

Certainly no USPS workers around me are like "Neuman"! Lol

M
 

Rayk

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Yeah bad time for sure that last guitar I got and returned , I spoke with my driver and he was saying the have to many deliveries not counting all the pickups that follow and that was last month .

If anything what tick’s me off is the cost of shipping and way they estimate a price to a size .
 

fronobulax

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I just don't, and never will, accept 10+ days.

Did you pay for any kind of service that guaranteed delivery in less than 10 days? My emotional reaction to your venting is different based upon the answer. That said, I'm glad LTG is a safe place to vent and I hope my question does not change that.

Many years ago I was working with another company that made geo-tracking software back in the days when that was a New Thing. UPS had just purchased the company. The software engineer I was working with told me stories about how UPS shut down software development and maintenance operations from the time between Thanksgiving and December. Every software geek was give a day of training, possibly issued a brown suit and placed on a truck or sorting line. No vacation. From his point of view if you worked for UPS your only job was moving packages for that time period.

As far as USPS goes, they are not perfect, but I have a lot more empathy for and understanding of what they do thanks to default's stories and a recent move to a smaller town where the mail carrier actually has time to say "hello" when he sees us. I can get as pi$$ed off as anyone at large, inefficient and incompetent corporations but when I interact with the people, it's hard not to have some sympathy.
 

AcornHouse

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Also, I’ve seen more and more use of UPS and Fedex SurePost/Mail Innovations where they dump the packages on the USPS for final deliver, further overloading them, which has changed from previous seasons.

Not looking to to get better.
 
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