USPS strikes again!

[Hilltopperny]

I waited all day for a couple of packages containing a carbon wheelset and Red/XX1 AXS build kit and some other items to show up. Signature required, so I was unable to leave the house yesterday until arrival. Low and behold no packages or mail at all gets delivered. Check the status and says it went to Springfield Massachusetts facility and was in route to a different facility. The problem is the package was from California and I am in the middle of NYS. Springfield is only a 1.5-2hr drive from my local PO, but in the wrong direction and the package left there Sunday.

I go to the UPS website to file a report and fill out the four pages of info only to get to the 5th page and hit send. Well it doesn't send and says try again which I do and it still doesn't go through. No tracking updates, no answer and no way to contact until my local PO opens. No way for me to be home today if they happen to show up as I have a good friend's father's funeral services to attend.

Hopefully this gets sorted today as having $4,500 in wheels and parts floating around in a system that is incapable of delivering expensive packages to the right address is causing me a bit of anxiety. Hopefully the stuff gets back on track today and shows up unscathed! I sure would feel better about it if they actually had the tracking for the past 36 hours since leaving Springfield! Rant over!

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[zmalwo]

ah, the un-fire-able, no fks given USPS strikes again.

My local USPS is supposed to open at 9AM everyday but the manager constantly shows up around 12PM and doesn't give the employees the keys. I've seen it multiple times that the poor employees who showed up on time has to sit outside for hours because they can't get in. People coming with packages during this time have to simply come back when the manager feels like to show up. Nothing can be done to these people because they are unfireable once employed and does not give a single fk about the job. They are just there to collect the paychecks and benefits and bankrupt the agency.

I'm not saying private companies are better. My local FedEx will simply skip me and mark absent if the package requires a signature because they are too lazy to ride an elevator to the 8th floor. It's NYC and no one gives a fk because these employees are heavily protected.

USPS is hundreds of billions in debt btw.

I hope you get your package soon. That's a lot of money to be shipped around the country.

[donevwil]

Always a good time of year for a USPS rant thread.

I recently sold a chainring to a Paceliner, USPS Flat Rate envelope, Click-N-Ship and drop it off at my local USPS drop box. Days pass and no tracking update, it hadn't been scanned. Return to post office, told to wait. Two weeks pass and attempt to file a claim. Can't file a claim because it's never been scanned therefore it doesn't exist. File a missing mail search request and no updates in three weeks. A supervisor finally admitted people should never use USPS drop boxes for anything of value, always drop them off at a window to be scanned and get a receipt.

Sure I'm only out $45, but I wanted to do a fellow Paceliner a solid on a $74 ring.

[NHAero]

Originally Posted by donevwil

Always a good time of year for a USPS rant thread.

I recently sold a chainring to a Paceliner, USPS Flat Rate envelope, Click-N-Ship and drop it off at my local USPS drop box. Days pass and no tracking update, it hadn't been scanned. Return to post office, told to wait. Two weeks pass and attempt to file a claim. Can't file a claim because it's never been scanned therefore it doesn't exist. File a missing mail search request and no updates in three weeks. A supervisor finally admitted people should never use USPS drop boxes for anything of value, always drop them off at a window to be scanned and get a receipt.

Sure I'm only out $45, but I wanted to do a fellow Paceliner a solid on a $74 ring.

Also learned this the hard way. I even get 10 dollar items scanned.

[Tz779]

oh, dude, good luck!
USPS gave up looking for my Time fork.
if its in Mass, it should get to your local PO.
recently, a package from NH was overdue….tracking only said “your parcel is delayed.” finally after three weeks tracking was updated and it was in Carolina, PR! it was finally re-routed back to CONUS and delivered. i was disappointed there were no “i visited PR” stickers on it like vacation luggage! ; )

[FriarQuade]

The carrier who picks up our packages is a bit of a character for sure, but he does care about his job and the service he provides. Unfortunately a bit of an outlier with the USPS.

OP, why on earth was the USPS selected to deliver such valuable packages in the first place? You can vent at USPS all you want but the real blame in this is the shipper and/or customer who selected their cut rate service in the first place.

[bikinchris]

Originally Posted by zmalwo

ah, the un-fire-able, no fks given USPS strikes again.

My local USPS is supposed to open at 9AM everyday but the manager constantly shows up around 12PM and doesn't give the employees the keys. I've seen it multiple times that the poor employees who showed up on time has to sit outside for hours because they can't get in. People coming with packages during this time have to simply come back when the manager feels like to show up. Nothing can be done to these people because they are unfireable once employed and does not give a single fk about the job. They are just there to collect the paychecks and benefits and bankrupt the agency.

I'm not saying private companies are better. My local FedEx will simply skip me and mark absent if the package requires a signature because they are too lazy to ride an elevator to the 8th floor. It's NYC and no one gives a fk because these employees are heavily protected.

USPS is hundreds of billions in debt btw.

I hope you get your package soon. That's a lot of money to be shipped around the country.

The USPS cannot be in debt. It's a public service. Is the Department of defense in debt? Private carriers have NO desire to deliver to every address and USPS is required to. The USPS even runs mule trains into remote areas where there are no roads.

[slowpoke]

Oh here we go..

The On-trac delivery person always leaves packages outside our building even though we buzz them in. I assume the person is in a rush.

The FedEx guy does the same thing but with the extra flair of throwing the box into our entryway. Also, FedEx has the worst estimates and Lexington, KY seems to be a black hole of a hub.

[GregL]

A few weeks back, I had a generator oil filter shipped to me via USPS. The tracking information stated it was delivered "...in or near..." my mailbox. When I got home, there was no package in or near the mailbox. Like the OP, I tried the online portal to report missing mail. I too got an error message and could not make a submission.

I went to my local post office (which happens to be the primary mail facility for the city of Syracuse) the next day. The counter person gave me a form letter which detailed how to inquire/report on missing mail. I called the number listed and got a recording stating to leave a message... except the voice mailbox was full and clearly never monitored. I called the local postmaster's office, got yet another recording, left another message, and got no response.

Very frustrated, I wrote a note for my letter carrier and left it in my mailbox. The letter carrier was the only element of the USPS system that worked. He left me a note with his personal cell number. I called him and he helped me unravel the mystery of the lost package. Without his help, I would have had no recourse. To the OP, try to chat with your letter carrier if possible. Perhaps they can help you out!

Greg

[Hilltopperny]

Originally Posted by GregL

A few weeks back, I had a generator oil filter shipped to me via USPS. The tracking information stated it was delivered "...in or near..." my mailbox. When I got home, there was no package in or near the mailbox. Like the OP, I tried the online portal to report missing mail. I too got an error message and could not make a submission.



I went to my local post office (which happens to be the primary mail facility for the city of Syracuse) the next day. The counter person gave me a form letter which detailed how to inquire/report on missing mail. I called the number listed and got a recording stating to leave a message... except the voice mailbox was full and clearly never monitored. I called the local postmaster's office, got yet another recording, left another message, and got no response.



Very frustrated, I wrote a note for my letter carrier and left it in my mailbox. The letter carrier was the only element of the USPS system that worked. He left me a note with his personal cell number. I called him and he helped me unravel the mystery of the lost package. Without his help, I would have had no recourse. To the OP, try to chat with your letter carrier if possible. Perhaps they can help you out!



Greg

No package or update in tracking again today, so I will call the local PO in the morning. Probably go down in person. Small town spot and usually pretty helpful.

Something clearly went amiss when it was sent to Massachusetts in the first place. Should have never made it past NYS.

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[Hilltopperny]

Originally Posted by FriarQuade

The carrier who picks up our packages is a bit of a character for sure, but he does care about his job and the service he provides. Unfortunately a bit of an outlier with the USPS.



OP, why on earth was the USPS selected to deliver such valuable packages in the first place? You can vent at USPS all you want but the real blame in this is the shipper and/or customer who selected their cut rate service in the first place.

I had two orders from the same place arrive without any issues. About two months ago I shipped an entire bike via Bikeflights/UPS and they delivered it to a different address in Seattle. It was never recovered and all they did was refund the $210 they charged to ship it and $175. They then promptly told me to kick rocks for the remainder. It would appear they are all terrible!

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[ltwtsculler91]

Originally Posted by Hilltopperny

I had two orders from the same place arrive without any issues. About two months ago I shipped an entire bike via Bikeflights/UPS and they delivered it to a different address in Seattle. It was never recovered and all they did was refund the $210 they charged to ship it and $175. They then promptly told me to kick rocks for the remainder. It would appear they are all terrible!

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Was bike flights not helpful there with the insurance coverage?

I agree, they've all gotten MUCH worse since COVID. FedEx Ground and Amazon are particularly bad, and like to leave our packages across town at a similarly named street rather than our own. Haven't had much issue with UPS or USPS but we've also become friendly with our mail carriers and usual delivery guys. Definitely try to ship 2-3day when I can, as they seem to keep much better track of "priority" stuff that flys.

[AngryScientist]

The customer service is the inexcusable bit. If they deliver that many packages, stuff will get lost, it happens. To not have a good system in place to track down lost items is just a poor way to run an operation.

Very frustrating, but my experience with the USPS is that the item always shows up eventually. Sometimes it looks like it sat in a dark warehouse or corner of a truck for a month until someone found it, but as long as the shipping label stays intact, it usually gets to where it should.

Good luck!

[tellyho]

I agree with Angry - in my case I've only ever lost one item. I ship a fair amount of bike parts and am fortunate that I can just leave them out on my porch for my USPS person to pick up. Have shipped all over the world with hardly an error.

[Hilltopperny]

Originally Posted by ltwtsculler91

Was bike flights not helpful there with the insurance coverage?



I agree, they've all gotten MUCH worse since COVID. FedEx Ground and Amazon are particularly bad, and like to leave our packages across town at a similarly named street rather than our own. Haven't had much issue with UPS or USPS but we've also become friendly with our mail carriers and usual delivery guys. Definitely try to ship 2-3day when I can, as they seem to keep much better track of "priority" stuff that flys.

The bike was a $500 sale. I was under the impression that was what Bikeflights covered as they used too from what I recall. Not anymore!

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