Done with USPS

[L.Sherm]

2 weeks ago I got a ripped package in the mail with an apology letter saying they where sorry but the contents could not be found (scope caps from weaver). I called weaver and let them know what happened and they said they would send some more, thought cool great customer service on weaver's part and oh well sh!t happens. Well today I got a form in the mail telling me my package sent to JLC Precision had been destroyed( FL sizing I wanted to convert to bushing die) and if i could describe it they would look for it in the recovery center in Atlanta but it could take up to 90 days because they have thousands of packages there to look threw! UNACCEPTABLE I have pretty much kissed this die good-bye will be Fed-Ex or UPS from now on. RANT OVER

 

[Judd]

Sad thing is in my experience neither UPS or FedEx are any better. Sorry man, that sucks!

 

[Duster_360]

Fed-X has been better in my experience, but only with stuff that's insured......


Have also noticed that with any of them, it's got to be packed really, really well or it won't survive the trip.

 

[BaconFat]

The reality is that USPS has relationships with both FedEx and UPS. If you ship via USPS Priority it can end up on a FedEx or UPS plane or truck to get to it's nearest USPS exchange hub. FedEx also uses USPS to deliver packages with their SmartPost system. So ditching USPS doesn't guarantee that they won't have a hand in your package delivery.

To say your problems sux is an understatement. It drives me crazy when these kind of things happen. Hope everything works out.

 

[Acme7]

So far this week i have had Fed ex screw up twice. An unknown trucking company pile damaged stuff at my door before 6;00 am USPS deliver a certified letter and the return package no problem unlike the rest of the mis delivered crap in my PO ie wrong address, name, zipcode, etc. But the gut at the post office did front my doughter 25.00 to get her passport. That was good costumer service from being in a small town. After that its a crapshoot. at least with a tracking number you vcan watch it go across the country before it gets lost.

 

[Scott Harris]

I have never had a problem with UPS or FedEx and use them both regularly. I've had many many problems with the jacka.... at the post office and stopped using them many years ago.

 

[DennisH]

I could get real deep in this subject.

To make it short, all the comments above are true about all three, USPS, UPS, & Fed Ex.

What helped me . . . I starting double packing the contents and in many cases double boxing. I spend a fortune on heavy reinforced shipping tape. If the contents are loosely packed, the package is going to get crushed. On a real important items or delicate items, wrap the content in plastic and spray the inside void areas with non-expanding foam. They make shipping foam just for this. This method really works. Since I started paying more attention to packaging, I have just about wiped out my issues with all three companies. Oh, NEVER use padded envelopes. Barrel nuts or recoil lugs will most likely never make it.

Yes, I hate doing it, but in the long run for us, it's cheaper.

Bullet shipments are the worst, 500 plus, they will destroy a cardboard box. I have ordered bullets from individuals who put them in baggies and filled the remainder of the box with foam peanuts. This is not going to work. Any piece of metal, including a die will puncture a cardboard box, or destroy a padded envelope. Just look at the tracking information and imagine your package bouncing around in the back of the shipping truck, probably under many other packages.

I had one of the companies this year flipped a "new" CNC and rendered it useless. It was in the same truck your small packages were in. I wonder how many were under my machine.

USPS flat rate boxes, you would not believe what people try to stuff in these boxes. USPS finally put a weight limit on the boxes, they had to. I sometimes take my delicate items packed in an envelope or small box. I spray foam in a larger flat rate box and insert the smaller package, then fill the remainder of the void with foam. It works, and part is delivered undamaged. Why, the claim process is almost a joke with all three companies.

ORM-D items are "required" to be shipped in heavily reinforced containers doubled walled. They still get a little damage, but usually survive.

JMO, Dennis, and yes, it's a sore subject. Bottom line, just make sure you package is well reinforced, packed tight, and has insurance on it.

 

[wmdron]

In my area UPS is the best of the three. What Dennis has said in regard to packing things well is very true. A lot of USPS sorting facilities have been closed, So your package is being handled more often, Not a good thing ! You have to package things very well indeed. We were warned by a postal employee to never ship anything USPS in a small box or envelope, doing so increases the chance that your item will be lost.

 

[tenring]

That is true. Last year, I returned a Redding neck bushing to Midsouth, because it was the wrong size. Put it in a regular business envelope with copy of the invoice, and a note to Midsouth. On outside of envelope I wrote in large letters "Please hand stamp" to keep it from going thru USPS sofrting machines. A week later, Midsouth returned half the torn envelope and copy of my order, but no bushing. I went to my PO and spoke with the postmaster, showed hlm the half envelope with my instruction; told him I wanted the bushing or reimbursement. He took my name and phone number, said he would check on it and call me. Long story short, he never called, and I returned to the PO three times, and he kept saying they are looking for the titanium bushing. He never said they would reimburse me.

After playing this game with the Postmaster for several months, I gave up. Their customer service stinks.

 

[treeman]

insurance is cheep

 

[people]

Has anyone seen video of processing plants? I am surprised any box makes it.

 

[deadwooddick]

So… whatcha think about USPS processing an UNSEALED #10 envelope (from S.D. TO FL) with $240 (in cash) which made it, unmolested (e.g. still contained the cash) ?

No I didn't go buy a lottery ticket :

 

[BoilerUP]

Thankfully, this only cost me $20.

I'm awaiting a barrel that I bought here that was shipped USPS; it was supposed to arrive Tuesday but the last update was it leaving the left coast. Its insured (which can be a nightmare to get a paid claim in its own right) but we'll see when/if it actually shows up.

I ship a fair amount of stuff in flat rate boxes, but go through a LOT of packing tape to make sure those boxes (and anything I ship) is secure.

 

[M-61]

Packing a barrel can be a problem. This does not stop loss but so far has stopped damage. PVC pipe with cap for each end. Cap one end. Tape the barrel threads. One tennis ball in pipe. Barrel in pipe. Whatever peanuts or foam you can jam in. tennis ball #2 in pipe Cap end of pipe. At least when the carrier launches the pipe like a javelin the barrel will not come thru like a spear and be gone. Label the pipe very large so no one suspects it's just garbage laying around. It's ridiculous but it has worked for me.
Insurance? Yes! Once it's lost they (shipper) looks really hard to find it.

 

[ReedG]

I agree that all three shippers have their problems. When I package something up for any of them, I make it contest to see how totally indestructible I can make the package. It amazes me, though, to see some of the sloppily packed stuff from dealers that gets delivered to me.

I live in a rural area and both UPS and FedEx use the Postal Service to do most of their deliveries. The fees for UPS and FedEx are totally unacceptable, including the bogus "HazMat" fee on some packages that aren't even properly marked. Last week a FedEx delivery from Powder Valley which had a $27.50 HazMat fee on top of $15.50 s&h and $2.50 insurance with notation "adult signature required" was left on my front porch in the pouring rain while I was gone.

 

[Larryh128]

Big thing with any of the shippers is that it needs to be well packed, shipments that aren't usually don't make it. I ship all 3 carriers daily and have not had a single issue this year with any of them BUT my packages are well packed and taped. I use about double of the normal amount and I catch grief about it from some employees BUT my stuff gets there and I don't get angry calls about the order. I get asked all the time "can't you put it in an envelope?" . Short answer NO, won't get there & then somebody is mad & wants me to replace it because they didn't want to pay to ship it the proper way. $5.15 will ship a small package in a flat rate small box anywhere in the US.

 

[Steve Blair]

Packing a barrel can be a problem. This does not stop loss but so far has stopped damage. PVC pipe with cap for each end. Cap one end. Tape the barrel threads. One tennis ball in pipe. Barrel in pipe. Whatever peanuts or foam you can jam in. tennis ball #2 in pipe Cap end of pipe. At least when the carrier launches the pipe like a javelin the barrel will not come thru like a spear and be gone. Label the pipe very large so no one suspects it's just garbage laying around. It's ridiculous but it has worked for me.
Insurance? Yes! Once it's lost they (shipper) looks really hard to find it.

[br]
UPS cracked my pipe. The barrel made it but the packaging was destroyed. It looked like something heavy landed on it.

 

[M-61]

Packing a barrel can be a problem. This does not stop loss but so far has stopped damage. PVC pipe with cap for each end. Cap one end. Tape the barrel threads. One tennis ball in pipe. Barrel in pipe. Whatever peanuts or foam you can jam in. tennis ball #2 in pipe Cap end of pipe. At least when the carrier launches the pipe like a javelin the barrel will not come thru like a spear and be gone. Label the pipe very large so no one suspects it's just garbage laying around. It's ridiculous but it has worked for me.
Insurance? Yes! Once it's lost they (shipper) looks really hard to find it.

[br]
UPS cracked my pipe. The barrel made it but the packaging was destroyed. It looked like something heavy landed on it.

Some folks can break an anvil. Maybe they threw the anvil on the pvc pipe. My guess is you were happy the barrel was fine.

 

[Larryh128]

Post Office carries or can be ordered , triangular boxes, work well with barrels and don't seem to get crushed. Most odd ball shapes end up on top of the load or in the rear because they don't stack.

 

[dickn52]

Get some of the round shipping tubes, wrap in bubble wrap to make it fit tight, seal both ends well...