1.7 million packages a day missing at a cost of $25m, 90,000 a day in NYC.

Stuball48

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Would be interesting to compare percentages-like packages stolen to total population to a smaller market city like Nashville, TN? Bet percentages would not vary a lot and, also, wonder how accurate statistics are gathered?
 

adorshki

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Would be interesting to compare percentages-like packages stolen to total population to a smaller market city like Nashville, TN? Bet percentages would not vary a lot and, also,]wonder how accurate statistics are gathered?
Can't resist:
In the same way as that other famous oxymoron, military intelligence?
OR:
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
-Mark Twain
:smile:

Joking aside, I suspect your basic premise would hold if starting off using a national average but I'd hazard that variables like income distribution and style of architecture would skew regional results.
I'd expect architecture that contributes to anonymity to be attractive to package thieves, and that was actually the first thing that occurred to me when I saw all the cities named were in areas that get multiple snowfalls annually.
Lots of buildings with interior dwelling entrances, compared to areas where the entrance doors are outside and more visible to neighbors, for example.
Off on a tangent, but it's always been one of the issues I had with several internet purchases:
Stuff just left at my doorway in a 200-unit apartment complex.
Sure it's typically low-value stuff but still, having to hassle making a claim and waiting for replacement simply bites.
 

HeyMikey

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I put insurance and signature requirements on everything I sent if I can’t afford to eat the cost. No mysterious disappearances on those. My former USPS postmaster told me if it goes to or through NYC it’s a total crapshot if it will reach its destination. If it isn’t insured and signed-for, then fahgeddiboutit.
 

dreadnut

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I ordered a Weber grill from Bero Mart a couple weeks ago. $65.00 for the standard 22" one-touch kettle grill, prtetty good price. Problem is, when it arrived, it was a Charbroil grill. I don't want a Charbroil grill, I want my Weber grill. Bero Mart? Nowhere to be found. Let's see what Paypal can do for me; stay tuned...
 

adorshki

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I ordered a Weber grill from Bero Mart a couple weeks ago. $65.00 for the standard 22" one-touch kettle grill, prtetty good price. Problem is, when it arrived, it was a Charbroil grill. I don't want a Charbroil grill, I want my Weber grill. Bero Mart? Nowhere to be found. Let's see what Paypal can do for me; stay tuned...
Yet another of my pet internet sale peeves.
Same thing happened to me with a small heater fan last year.
What really irritates the hell out of me is that THERE IS STUFF I CAN'T BUY IN A REAL STORE ANYMORE, OR I WOULD.

grrrrr.........
 
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Default

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I put insurance and signature requirements on everything I sent if I can’t afford to eat the cost. No mysterious disappearances on those. My former USPS postmaster told me if it goes to or through NYC it’s a total crapshot if it will reach its destination. If it isn’t insured and signed-for, then fahgeddiboutit.

Sounds like your former postmaster doesn't know what he's talking about. If it doesn't get there, it's an addressing error or some sort of freak accident, like the contractor's truck caught fire.
 

Guildedagain

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I tried to buy Michelin Defender tires from my Subaru wagon, TWICE, on the net. 1st set showed up were Firestones in the wrong tire size (Simpletire.com), second set (also from Simpletire.com but through a different vendor) were Michelin in the right size but not Defenders, they were made for Cosco/Walmart.

Each set I had to afix labels on and haul their stinky carcasses in the hot summer sun a 60 mile round trip just to get rid of them, and then deal with the refund later, between two sets it amounted to a lot on my CC.

Bait and switch anyone?

I finally lucked into a set of tires local. Never again on super deals on tires online.
 

dreadnut

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Actually of all the stuff I've bought online over the last few years, this is the first problem I've had like this. I had one item that didn't work properly and my $ were refunded immediately, so I don't consider that an issue, they didn't even ask for the item back, it was only about $15.00.
 

gjmalcyon

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I tried to buy Michelin Defender tires from my Subaru wagon, TWICE, on the net. 1st set showed up were Firestones in the wrong tire size (Simpletire.com), second set (also from Simpletire.com but through a different vendor) were Michelin in the right size but not Defenders, they were made for Cosco/Walmart.

Each set I had to afix labels on and haul their stinky carcasses in the hot summer sun a 60 mile round trip just to get rid of them, and then deal with the refund later, between two sets it amounted to a lot on my CC.

Bait and switch anyone?

I finally lucked into a set of tires local. Never again on super deals on tires online.

My kids and I have good luck using Tire Rack. Between the three of us we've probably ordered 6 or 7 sets of tires, including the oddly-sized ones on our 2010 Honda Fit Sport. They ship directly to my local mechanic, who is happy to charge me to install them since he really doesn't make much on the Cooper tires he sells.
 

adorshki

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I tried to buy Michelin Defender tires from my Subaru wagon, TWICE, on the net. 1st set showed up were Firestones in the wrong tire size (Simpletire.com), second set (also from Simpletire.com but through a different vendor) were Michelin in the right size but not Defenders, they were made for Cosco/Walmart.
Each set I had to afix labels on and haul their stinky carcasses in the hot summer sun a 60 mile round trip just to get rid of them, and then deal with the refund later, between two sets it amounted to a lot on my CC.
To be fair I can understand a "warehouse picking error" if Simple Tire owns and controls their own warehouse.
But there's also the business model that the internet entity is simple the broker for multiple sources (Amazon's original model).
Still, putting the onus on the consumer to use their time and expense to cure an error they didn't cause is at best unethical and probably even illegal in some states.
I even had to push Amazon into downloading me a UPS pickup label for that fan because their model wants to push you into going to a local fulfillment center to drop off the defective item.
"BS" I told 'em, in more polite terms.
Bait and switch anyone?
Yeah, depending on the actual cause for multiple failures and the company's service in fixing 'em, it's awfully tempting to suspect there's a lot of that going on with some sellers taking the chance the average consumer's just gonna lie down and take it, or not notice, or decide the hassle of demanding correction isn't worth it.
In fact you even see comments to that effect in product reviews, which also reminds me:
What's up with products that have a lotta good reviews and then a couple of 1-stars with completely opposite comments on quality?
Now I wonder if those were from folks who didn't realize they got shipped a different brand than advertised or maybe even an outright counterfeit?
I'm positive that fan vendor intentionally misrepresented the product and I was determined to shove it back down their throat.
To be fair to Amazon, the few problems I've had were resolved successfully and efficiently, once I could get hold of a live person.
But you also have to dig through a couple of layers to find an 800 number, now.
And still, at least a couple of those problems would never have happened if I was able to inspect the product myself before taking it to the register.
I finally lucked into a set of tires local. Never again on super deals on tires online.
And if you think that's bad you should try to get an alignment online.
All I can say is pack your car carefully, for starters.

Actually of all the stuff I've bought online over the last few years, this is the first problem I've had like this. I had one item that didn't work properly and my $ were refunded immediately, so I don't consider that an issue, they didn't even ask for the item back, it was only about $15.00.
Yeah, that is one of things that'll help keep vendors honest, if they're writing off stuff because the cost of bringing it back in exceeds the cost of writing it off especially when compounded by the cost of replacing said item.
Had similar issue with a bike inner tube, arrived pre-punctured, invisible in box.
Obviously caused by poor folding and insertion technique.
Amazon just credited my card.
Still, these issues simply add cost of time back into the equation, defeats the whole supposed advantage of shopping from the comfort of your home.
 

beecee

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I ordered a Weber grill from Bero Mart a couple weeks ago. $65.00 for the standard 22" one-touch kettle grill, prtetty good price. Problem is, when it arrived, it was a Charbroil grill. I don't want a Charbroil grill, I want my Weber grill. Bero Mart? Nowhere to be found. Let's see what Paypal can do for me; stay tuned...

OMG...someone stole the retailer?????
 

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Projected hours this week suggest that I will put in 84 hours.

This week.

Eighty four.

See ya in January, kids.
 

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Maybe it's just this time of year and the volume of shipments but I've had problems on a couple of deliveries recently. I never had an issue before in several years of ordering things online.

A couple days ago, I got a notification on my phone that a platform bed I ordered for my daughter had arrived in 3 boxes. So I went to the door expected to see it sitting outside - nothing there. I live in a condo so I looked around at the other door fronts in my building - nothing there either. So I'm starting to get panicked - this was a pretty expensive purchase - and I'm about to send an e-mail to the manufacturer when I found it at someone else's doorstep 2 buildings away. The address on the label was correct, they just delivered it to the wrong building. So I have to carry 3 heavy boxes myself (3 trips) about 100 yards and then up a flight of stairs, explaining to people along the way that I wasn't stealing someone's delivery but these were actually mine. What a relief, I was so thankful I had found it. From now on, I'm requiring a signature for all my incoming deliveries.

I cannot imagine how upset I would have been if it had been a guitar.
 

adorshki

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Maybe it's just this time of year and the volume of shipments but I've had problems on a couple of deliveries recently. I never had an issue before in several years of ordering things online.

A couple days ago, I got a notification on my phone that a platform bed I ordered for my daughter had arrived in 3 boxes. So I went to the door expected to see it sitting outside - nothing there. I live in a condo so I looked around at the other door fronts in my building - nothing there either. So I'm starting to get panicked - this was a pretty expensive purchase - and I'm about to send an e-mail to the manufacturer when I found it at someone else's doorstep 2 buildings away. The address on the label was correct, they just delivered it to the wrong building. So I have to carry 3 heavy boxes myself (3 trips) about 100 yards and then up a flight of stairs, explaining to people along the way that I wasn't stealing someone's delivery but these were actually mine. What a relief, I was so thankful I had found it. From now on, I'm requiring a signature for all my incoming deliveries.
I cannot imagine how upset I would have been if it had been a guitar.

Happened to me once last year in my complex, somebody else's package on my doorstep, gave me the clue as to which apt. probably had the package I was expecting.
In apartments at least, the doorstep drops are NOT US Mail, they're the subcontracted FedEx freelancers or Amazon Prime Vans.
First thing I thought of was the Amazon delivery person I'd seen a couple of days earlier, bopping around the complex to the beat of his earbuds, likely on autopilot and not paying attention to which package went where.
They also park in open but reserved resident's spaces.
More "grrrrr......."
If I ever come home and find one of those suckers in my space I'm gonna block 'im in and have 'im towed.
 

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Had a package stolen this morning. I delivered it at 7:39. Now, I'm going to be pounding on doors like the FBI.
 

dreadnut

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I ordered a Weber grill from Bero Mart a couple weeks ago. $65.00 for the standard 22" one-touch kettle grill, prtetty good price. Problem is, when it arrived, it was a Charbroil grill. I don't want a Charbroil grill, I want my Weber grill. Bero Mart? Nowhere to be found. Let's see what Paypal can do for me; stay tuned...

UPDATE: PayPal refunded my money; I guess PayPal buyer protection is for real.

And I still have the Charbroil grill...
 
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