Games shipping companies play

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stagpanther

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On Monday I received a message from UPS that a long-awaited package was being delivered Tuesday, so I arranged to be home on standby. By 4:00 it hadn't arrived, and I knew it wasn't going to make it. The shipping companies--all of them--have caught on to the fact that it is more profitable and less hassle to eliminate current tracking info unless you pay a "membership" fee for the privileged information of knowing exactly where the item and shipping you paid for is. Expedited shipping is nothing more than extra profit for the companies--at least where I live packages now are almost always late. There is also a correlation between the longer a package gets batted around in the system--the more damaged the package will be when it finally arrives. I just checked the status--I'm expecting a high-end match barrel--and the status has been lowered to "estimated" delivery and the last location it was scanned indicates the package has "reversed course" and back out of the state down south somewhere.
 
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Often, "package tracking" is little more than "delivery confirmation". In my experience, USPS and Amazon are the worst, UPS in intermediate and Fedex is the best as far as accuracy/reliability goes.

My big beef is delivery guys sometimes don't bring the package to my front door as it is up a flight of stairs. Instead, they leave it at ground level in front of my garage door where I can back out over it if I haven't checked carefully first.

My other beef is that when they do deliver it to the door, they don'r ring the bell so the package can sit there-- a target for porch pirates or sponge for the rain.
 
While current UPS tracking really is non-existent compared to a few years ago, their delivery on my last package of 22 bulk ammo was a day early; showed up yesterday instead of today and undamaged. Now Fedex on the other hand........................
 
I just had a go-around with USPS because the tracking info showed a package in town, then later the same day it appeared in another town 600 miles away.

I filed an online question and actually had a person call me from the local post office. She could not get confirmation one way or the other where the package actually was. It turns out that, not unexpected, the "package" gets scanned when placed in shipping container/bundle or whatever you want to think it might be. Then the BUNDLE gets scanned on those intermediate "tracking" locations. The container had been shipped back to the other town.

Turned out the package was delivered to my house about an hour after I spoke with the person. The "tracking" information still showed the package in the other town until the next day. Timing of updates in databases, people not actually scanning things as expected, human error; who knows.

BTW, the actual delivery was two days before the "expected" delivery date provided when it was shipped.
 
With most shipping companies if you're not there when the package is delivered and it's damaged, you don't have the opportunity to simply refuse delivery.
 
I just placed an order with Primary Arms--kudos to them for facing reality and being honest about it, no matter what shipping you select the menu options say "expect delays and poor tracking."
 
Can't trust those UPS, USPS, etc. tracking numbers and info. I have had tracking numbers indicate my package was at the PO, and it didn't arrive for another 3 days. Other times it arrived and was in the box, or on my step, yet "Tracking", showed it "out for delivery" for a few more days.

Only accurate system I have encountered seems to be the UK Royal Mail, as both packages I received from the UK this spring (Catapults and bands!), the ITS was 100% accurate in tracking my packages (ITS = International Tracking System) and delivered earlier than expected.

Hats off the the Royal Mail! :D.
 
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USPS and UPS have both tailspun down the toilet. Both were much better in my childhood. UPS was fast too. USPS has gotten expensive when they got rid of parcel post and it's all First Class, Priority Mail (LOL) or media mail.

I shipped my friend's cap 'n ball back to him via UPS and it's supposed to get to him on Friday. Had to go to Pueblo do to it since they open at 3 pm and I don't have to wait until 5 pm to get to a closer place.
 
We send out, on average, 50 packages a month. Contents valued at $25 to as much as $1500. Most via USPS. We have had a few issues, all resolved to my satisfaction. As a shipper and receiver, UPS is about on par with USPS, but it is currently a little more than USPS. FedEx is the worst for us.

The reason I charge shipping, is literally to get the tracking to cut down on theft by customers. I do free shipping at $400 and up, but shipping is about $10 now for a small padded package that was, in 2019, $6.
 
I've only had two major gum ups with shipping. One was a pistol shipped from Kentucky to my favorite FFL here on the east coast of Florida. It made it as far as Orlando, then tracking showed it in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Took about a week to get it back. That was USPS.

My wife ordered a unique bottle of hooch from the distiller, and had FedEx ship it to a local drug store that has a pick up desk, specifically because we were leaving on vacation. We intended to pick it up on our return, but even having been informed of the situation FedEx returned it after three days at the pickup desk. We haven't been able to get a refund or replacement yet.

Tracking has been fairly accurate for us. I wouldn't pay extra to get any enhanced tracking, personally.
 
This is shipping story unrelated to guns, but shipping nevertheless. Before winter snow hit, I bought an E-Go Electric snowblower, battery operated. Made in China (where else?) but it is really a good, efficient machine. Two batteries that will last an hour at highest speed. Total price was $600, including batteries and charger. I figured two more batteries would make sense but found they were $250 each. Internet search found a supplier in Australia for $85 each -same exact batteries. Order was sent from Australia to China and China shipped them to Los Angeles. The USPS took over and sent me a DAILY email to follow the tour the batteries were taking. Various places in LA, then to Utah; then to Las Vegas. This is over a period of a week-and a half. Multiple stops in Vegas until they were left at a P.O. box somewhere in Vegas as the final destination.
I contacted the credit card company and they launched an investigation. The Australian dealer insisted that I received them. I insisted the delivery was 2,354 miles short of my door. The USPS did nothing but report they did their job. The charge was canceled by the credit card company and I'll have to stick to 1-hour snow blowing jobs.
 
Heck, I once watched a package of coffee sent to me get delivered somewhere in Lake Tahoe, NV. I asked the vendor why they shipped my package to a different state than Colostan. Anyway, the credit card company took care of it.
 
I’ve used USPS for the last fifteen years, here in a rural area, where all packages get delivered to the local post office. Have had incredible positive results…Amazon, Fed EX and UPS all deliver to the post office…No problems.
 
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