|
Post by danmasamori on Jun 26, 2015 17:41:32 GMT
So I purchased a Shin-Shinto blade from an ebayer in Montana, shipped out last Saturday 6/20, hasn't arrived and the tracking hasn't updated since it was dropped off.
The seller has contacted the PO on my behalf and was told that they are seeing more and more of this, Priority packages taking much longer then the standard and not being scanned due to cutbacks.
So "Priority 2-3 day" hasn't happened. Don't wanna be a semprini to the seller as shipping time is not his fault, but at what point should I assume it's lost and request a refund, I was considering requesting one if it doesn't arrive by the end of next week. The longer it's floating around in transit the more likely it'll arrive with damage as well.
Anyone else have issues with Priority Mail as of late?
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Jun 26, 2015 20:07:15 GMT
I had an EMS (Express Mail Service, international 3-5 business days) from Japan go missing after leaving Tokyo back in early February. Shipped out Feb 3, actually. By mid-month, tracking still hadn't updated from "Origin Post is Preparing Shipment" after reporting "Depart Sort Facility Tokyo ISP" or some such. Having had many packages ship this way from the same shop, I see that happen all the time, and usually take it to mean the package had been accepted by USPS and was in process of transferring tracking data. March rolls around, still no updates, so I email USPS who advises me to contact US Customs, who advised me to contact USPS...so I emailed the store to advise them of the lost package and they started an inquiry to Japan Post to see what could be found. Mid-march/early April, I get an email from them that USPS has informed them that, due to Winter Storm Juno, there had been a significant backup of mail pending sorting, and they were still working through it all, "Please be patient." Came home May 27 to a strange box on the porch, postmarked February 3. Apparently they finally got around to it and sent it the rest of the way along its journey. Good news is, the box arrived with no damage and everything inside was perfectly fine. Many, many years ago, I'd bought a new sync cable for my 2GB iPod Nano. This was way before the Touch was a thing. Anyway, apparently I'd bought something else previously and had it sent to a friend's address, and only after checking out did I realize it was still set to his address. No biggie, just have him send it to me when he gets it. I ordered 2-Day Priority, he got it the second day, put it back in the mail regular Priority and...nothing, for three weeks. Maybe four? I forget, it was a long time. Then I come home one day and my mother tells me she took delivery of a package for me and had to pay additional shipping since apparently my friend was undercharged... Had I been home, I'd have laughed in the postman's face, snatched the package from his hands, slammed the door shut, and phoned USPS demanding a refund on what shipping WAS paid. "Priority" as it was. Anyway, give it another week or so, then see how things go...
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2015 20:31:08 GMT
Stuff happens. I have had priority packages with one nearly ripped in half, then taped back together, neighboring state items taking days, a "lost"UPS package that had been in a train wreck which finally arrived, many initiated shipments that finally show up in tracking as received/accepted.
UPS and especially FEDEX are very good in my neck of the woods. I have no mail carrier, as I am rural and three hundred yards from my PO. My PO has one staff member most of the time and window hours are very limited. During the busy seasons, it can take days just in that oine location to sort stuff. Both my "local" UPS and Fedex trucks dispatch 25 miles from my house. There is a UPS store 5 miles away but they just ship and offer supplies/packing.
Claims/issues should start with the seller, received damaged or not. It is the seller's responsibility to pursue it.
|
|
|
Post by danmasamori on Jun 26, 2015 21:45:00 GMT
What burns me most is the "tracking", why bother offering it if personnel aren't going to scan it most of the time anyways?
Normally a bit of a delay wouldn't bother me, but when it's an antique I worry pretty obessively.
Funny, I recieved an EMS package today that was actually purchased the same day as the sword...
|
|
|
Post by randomnobody on Jun 26, 2015 22:07:21 GMT
I think one of the messages I got once about my lost EMS package was that not all scans are by a human, sometimes stuff's just loaded into a conveyor belt and a machine scans everything that passes by. Not much good if the angle is off... I've also learned that the "tracking" for Priority Mail is more general than, say, EMS. It gets scanned when it leaves, and when it gets delivered. Maybe a time or two asking the way, maybe. This is why I always do EMS if it's offered. Don't trust even 2-Day Priority, I've had stuff delivered before tracking was ever available.
|
|
|
Post by Voltan on Jun 26, 2015 22:33:55 GMT
I shipped two swords from California to Las Vegas NV a few weeks a go, USPS Priority Express overnight, with no issues. Tracking updates seemed to be working fine.
USPS Parcel Post on the other hand, SUCKS. I've had good luck with UPS so far, but they are more expensive than the USPS.
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Jun 26, 2015 22:42:49 GMT
I usually ship smaller items Priority Mail, and haven't had any problems, that is, until today - dropped a small fixed rate box off last night at the local hub (24 hr drop off), showing as "prepaid shipping", but not as shipped out. I've shipped this way tons of times, but this is the 1st time I've had an issue.
|
|
|
Post by danmasamori on Jun 27, 2015 5:43:48 GMT
The listing stated Priority, it's possible he shipped it standard post to save on postage, I'm guessing the insurance cost was quite a bit more the shipping was itself....
|
|
|
Post by Pogo4321 on Jun 27, 2015 14:13:25 GMT
A couple weeks ago I traded blades with a dude in NY. We both shaped Priority Mail--him on Wednesday me on Friday. Both packages were delivered on Monday. Tracking on the package from NY never updated past the arrived at origin facility, even though I watched the guy scan it before giving it to me. The scanning for the package to NY was complete marking every step.
Sent and received hundreds if not more packages, priority mail still comes out as the best deal IMO. It's affordable, faster than ground shipping and percentage wise done the least damage to my packaged goods. Plus they don't just leave stuff sitting in plain view on my porch (when stuff goes to my house, my local mail guy makes sure to get it directly in my hands or is clever in where he leaves it).
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2015 14:31:02 GMT
All insured parcels are tracked (afaik) If tracking shows it was accepted, it was scanned at least the first time. Regular parcel post might take a bit longer to reach you, especially if the seller was rural. Some of the northeast is screwy, with parcels going from upper New York to Philadelphia, then NYC to Boston, then Springfield MA to Providence RI; then off to my po. What would be a six to eight hour drive turning into a four or five day truck shuffle. No wonder their costs spiral.
I had one priority parcel take six business days from Brattleboro VT to just outside Worcester. A misrouted incident that went to Boston twice and then back off to Springfield for the Worcester truck, then to Worcester MA and finally a Worcester suburb po.
Brattleboro, Springfield, Boston, Acton, Boston, Springfield, Worcester, Auburn.
Another slow one to Auburn again from Maine that went through Boston then back out to Sprinfield before Worcester. Something about grouping by county and zips. That one took long enough for me to seek out the seller as wel.
I think that if it is not an overnight or even two day, everything else is routed with regular parcel post. That might even be true of book rate flats as well. Easy enough to miss the overnight or two day designation.
If it goes two business weeks, then worry.
|
|
|
Post by Afoo on Jun 27, 2015 15:37:43 GMT
I never really worried about the delivery date, since customs is the rate-determining step for most of my parcels anyways. I did notice that the delivery times are very inconsistent, even with the customs taken into account.
I have had some stuff shipped via UPS or DHL from Amazon.ca. Domestic 1 day shipping via Canada Post is a treat. However, I have never had anything arrive on time using USP or DHL from amazon. I do not know if thats reflective of their inner-US service, or whether the international shipping screws things up, but thats my experience.
I had one package from UPS from the UK arrive several days early, which would have been great had we not been away that week...-___-
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Jun 27, 2015 16:14:49 GMT
update: the package I mentioned earlier finally showed up as "shipped" - almost 2 days later! So much for 2-3 days Priority Shipping
|
|
|
Post by Voltan on Jun 27, 2015 18:39:54 GMT
I have found that most cases when I'm waiting for a package that's Priority Mail, the tracking will go from "arrived at origin facility" to "out for delivery" with little or no updates in between.
|
|
|
Post by Suho on Jun 29, 2015 2:18:29 GMT
Besides swords recently, I've been buying and selling guitars and guitar parts for years.
The USPS has been worse lately, it's not just you. Part of the blame falls on the carriers, who are lazy and liars at times. I cannot count how many times there have been updates that read "delivered" when it was not, or "location closed, notice left" when not only was my office not closed but there was absolutely no notice left. They will show up a day or two later, in their own sweet time. Lately there have been a lot of packages that they simply wait until like 7 pm to enter onto the system that the business was closed- and I'm convinced they intentionally waited until then when they know we will be closed and never actually tried to do so.
I have experienced the tracking black hole where it simply says something like 'given to post office' and no updates for a week or two until it's delivered. I've been on the phone a number of times with the USPS in the past year or two, but the problem is they often just don't answer the phone so I end up ringing and ringing until I hang up in frustration. I found out that when there is no update it sometimes means that the container they were delivered in is simply still waiting to be scanned somewhere (they aren't scanned individually). They won't even entertain an investigation into Standard mail (formerly parcel post) until at least 14 days have passed.
All of the shipping services have their flaws. Where I am (Philadelphia area) my experience is that UPS is the best, with FedEx being okay, and the USPS used to be really good but the last few years it has been pretty crappy. Part of the USPS problem also has to do with forcing out the older, experienced employees and hiring lots of folks who don't know what they are doing. I've seen that at the branch near my office. I knew all the clerks there by name, and then one day I learned that within a several month period 3 or 4 of them were all "retiring." One guy was honest enough to convey he wasn't exactly doing so by choice. And the replacements turned what was a fast, friendly, efficient office into a DMV horror-story. And the rates just went up again, too.
|
|
|
Post by Afoo on Jun 29, 2015 2:35:18 GMT
Its like Canada Post. Its great, but they are starting to phase out home delivery (ie: no longer deliver door to door), and switching to large community mail boxes instead. They have cut back on the services as well. In the past, when I call customer support with a tracking number, they can usually run it through their specialized computer system and give me information beyond whats available through the tracking website. Not anymore...
And the cuts have just started...
|
|