USPS Priority Mail???????

Last week I mailed a package Priority mail to Tampa Florida.
It was in a Priority box, address was clear in bold letters and a return address was on the package. I did everything on my part to insure prompt delivery.

I have tracked the package and this is the only info I get from the USPS,
incluing tracking this morning:

Status: Acceptance

Your item was accepted at 5:00 PM on November 7, 2006 in BURKE, VA 22015. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later.


I wrote to the USPS and basically what they tell me is Express service is
better because I would get more tracking info.
Yeah, as if that is answering my concerns about the current situation!
Then I am told if the package is not recieved in 14 days to contact them.
If I thought mailing Priority mail was going to take 14 days, I would have mailed the package Parcel Post and saved money.
The clerk at the PO said my package should arrive in Florida in 2 days. The USPS's website says estimated delivery is two days.

So what I get from the USPS is Priority price with Parcel Post delivery!
What a rip off!

[sweeps]

Yeah, USPS's tracking system is almost useless. It takes days to update, if it ever does.

Writing them emails is usless too
But in spite of that, I sent them another email this morning .

I asked if they would explain to me what being accepted at the PO where I mailed the package means when it continues to appear as the only message I get days after I mailed the package. .
I told them if it means my package is still at the local PO, I want a refund and I will pick up the package and take it to UPS.
Oh, I may as well go bang my head against the wall... it will do as much good. LOL!
If I get any response form the PO it will be a lame excuse and feeble apology!
<sigh!>

[scfr]

This isn't going to help you; it's just a "sharing your pain" story...

Last year I shipped my sister's family their Christmas gifts by USPS Priority Mail. When the package had not arrived a month later, I ended up buying duplicate gifts and re-sending. [Fortunately, the gifts were not expensive as the largest gift had been a check for the kids college education fund.] In the spring, the original box showed up on my sister's doorstep, in perfect condition, with absolutely no explanation.

What do you get for using the Priority Mail service? The free box!

[boefixepa]

Fed Ex, people, or some other similar service...there is a reason they exist. The USPS is NOT reliable!

[catlinye_maker]

Now that's interesting, because every time we've used USPS priority mail it's worked like a dream. Including the Christmas that we got things out a little late, and my SIL's Christmas eve call to her brother to ream him out for not sending anything was interrupted by the mailman at the door with the huge box of gifts. USPS in our area is waay better than either FedEx or UPS.

[sweeps]

Just to clarify... I find USPS' delivery system very reliable. It's their tracking system that can't be relied upon. If you're used to tracking packages with UPS or FedEx, you'll be very disappointed with USPS' tracking features.

[JanH]

I guess what's frustrating is to pay for a service that you don't get--like allyourworth's priority mail. Most of my stuff for many, many years has gone USPS, most times it works great. I don't mail my cable bill to Dallas anymore. It took two weeks to get there a couple of times--I could have driven it there in one day. Also, a gift sent a two and half hour distance took a couple of months to get there. No telling where it was. They were awfully sweet to try to redirect my mail after Hurricane Rita, but for some reason that didn't work well. I should have called my post office myself to see if it was open like the lady suggested--my fault. The only thing redirected was the notice that I was redirected. But I realize the mess they had. Eventually I got all my mail. That was great, although I did hear of some other people having a few problems. Our whole street once got delivered to a wrong street, but they straightened it out. I have mailed larger packages by UPS and so does most of my family. But I've had more damage with them. So I guess all in all, being 800 miles away, my stuff travels pretty well and fairly cheaply. However, if I had paid to have it delivered by a certain time and told I could track it, I would like to have the service I ordered. They always offer me a more expensive service to get it there for sure. I don't understand why I should have to do that.
P.S. Since my mail guy has had to deal with my crazier dog all these years, I declare him a saint. My dog goes nuts when he hears the guy on the porch, year after year after year.

[PRICEPLUS]

When it absolutely has to be somewhere on time I go Fed Ex or United Parcel Service! The USPS is absolutely dreadful given my experiences with them! If it were not for bulk mail they'd be almost out of business!

[crazyBMB]

I have used both and while US Postal service is not perfect I have had horrible, horrible service with UPS. Everytime I have used them so far they have gotten it wrong, Including sending a package to the wrong side of the Country.

[JanH]

Off the subject, but my brother once UPSed my birthday present to himself! Wasn't UPS's fault that they delivered it back to his house! lol

[nanamom]

i usually use the USPS and have rarely had a problem. I use UPS if the package is really big or heavy. i admit I have learned to allow extra time fo rthe things to go to GA than NC or PA but they do get there. The only problem I have is with the one thing I insured that I had to make a claim on. OH well live and learn.

[Hypersion]

USPS Priority Mail doesn't offer tracking only delivery conformation.

[sweeps]

Originally Posted by Hypersion

USPS Priority Mail doesn't offer tracking only delivery conformation.

Actually it does. When you request delivery confirmation, they provide tracking information on their web site.

Originally Posted by Sweepsplayer

Actually it does. When you request delivery confirmation, they provide tracking information on their web site.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I checked this morning and I am still getting the same message that my package was accepted at the Burke, VA PO on Nov, 7, 2006.

What am I supposed toi think?
I drove in rush hour traffic to mail the package and witnessed it being accepted when I paid . I have written to the USPS "customer Support" and it has been a total waste of time.
I guess my next step is to drive to the PO and ask if the package is still there. At this point I want my package back and a refund.
When I first started selling on ebay I learned about Delivery Confirmation.
The clerk at the PO pointed out the phone number and website addy on the receipt and told me this is how I could track my package.
The USPS better get their act together and inform their employees just what Delivery Confirmation is because I was certainly told this was for tracking a package.

I think they mislead a lot of people and all these 50 and 55 cents add up to big bucks for the postal service.
I feel ripped off by this scam they call Delivery Confirmation. And I have used it many, many times having sold on ebay. I think from now on I will only sell on Craigs list where I don't need to bother with any delivery service.

[sweeps]

Originally Posted by allyourworth

I think they mislead a lot of people and all these 50 and 55 cents add up to big bucks for the postal service.
I feel ripped off by this scam they call Delivery Confirmation.

You're preaching to the choir.

I know I am preaching to the choir! LOL!
I am just so frustrated trying to figure out what has happened to my package and getting no where.
I got the local phone number for the PO and talked with the manager who has contacted the PO in Florida where it was sent. I haven't heard back from her. I hope I do. She seems to want to at least help, unlike that online customer support person who only seems to want to sell me on express mail !
I was so excited to send this package and so was the person I was sending this too looking forward to receiving it. Why else would I go out in rush hour traffic to mail something?

Well...so much for making plans!
Bonnie

[Pupart]

I was" All Your Worth" but have left cyber stone age and now have high speed internet access, so I have registered anew with my new email addy.

Here is an update on the package I mailed Priority Mail Nov 7th.
After much frustration dealing with the USPS's online "Customer Support" and having them tell me they couldn't look for my package untili had been 24 days, I contacted a friend who is retired from the PO. She got me in touch with a wonderful lady named Marvae. Unlike customer support, Marvae worked to find out what had happened to my package.
For the first nine days after I had mailed the package , the only message I received from the USPS website was that my package had been accepted at the very PO where I mailed it.On the 10th day the message changed to the package arrived in Tampa ,Florida TWO DAYS AFTER I HAD MAILED IT! Still, my son had not received his package.He lives in an apt and I was told to tell him to check his mailbox for a key because they have cluster mailboxes and packages are put in a larger box. He was aware of that and said he never got a key.
On Wed. Marvae sent two PO employees to the apt management office and there in the corner were two packages. The bottom one was the package I had sent to my son.
The management had not contacted hiim to let him know he had a package.Nor had the mail carrier left him a note. God only knows how long this package would have stayed in that office had I not perservered in my efforts to find out what had happened to it.

The package was in an 8 X 12 USPS Priority mail carton. Not an oversize box.
I still don't know the details about why this package sat in the management office for days.I know from now if I mail a package with the USPS I will pay extra for signature delivery and only the person who the package is addressed to will be able to sign and receive it,

BTW, The package contained a Redskins jacket .My son is a huge fan of the Skins!

[sarah]

UPS is terrible. I live in a rural area and they can't seem to find me. I ordered some sheets from ebay and the seller shipped them on Nov. 8 using ups. I still haven't received them. I finally emailed ups and they were sitting in a warehouse in New York. supposedly they will be delievered on Monday. We will see.

[b4freedom]

Whenever I send anything USPS, I always ask for "media rate". About the only time it'll ever make a difference is right before Christmas. Try it, send something "media rate" and then something "Priority Rate" and it'll get there the same time. They use the same machines, the same trucks, the same everything to send it. Why would it take longer? At Christmas time, if the truck is full and they can squeeze on one more package and one says "media rate" and the other says "express" then the "priority" will get priority. Otherwise, it's the exact same. If it was FedEx, it would be different. FedEx will actually put a package on an airplane instead of s shipping truck.