Wonderful world of on-line ordering

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stagpanther

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I live in the sticks so pretty much everything I get is ordered on-line. I've grown accustomed to about 50% of my packages arriving with some kind of damage--I guess that's just the nature of multiple carrier transfers. I just ordered some mount bases from B&H last Friday and selected a quick-delivery option. Just checked on-line and the history shows it made it all the way to just 40 miles away this morning--but for some unknown reason now looks like it has turned around and headed back south, last checked in this afternoon 200 miles south at the state border. Estimated delivery has changed to "anytime within 5 to 7 days." :rolleyes:
 
You don't have to live "in the sticks" for stuff like this to happen.
I live in the largest city in the state. When online tracking was new I followed a package from shipping, across several states, to the local office, to shipping to sender with no attempted delivery in town. The package was in town less than 3 hours before "returned to sender". When I contacted the shipping company the were kind enough to not charge me for re-shipping the package after it had been returned all the way to the source. They couldn't even stop it in middle and attempt to redeliver.

I have actually made it a point of not ordering stuff from companies that only use that shipper because that is not the only problem I have had with that "service".
 
I've noticed that this happens more often when a shipper uses an option where they "hand off" to the USPS. When I make the order the retailer will often list UPS, FedEx etc as the shipping company--but often switches to USPS along the way if it's a smallish order size.
 
Just checked the latest update--looks like the package has been bounced back north to the same distribution center it was delivered to yesterday morning--making a 500 mile loop essentially. Somebody ends up paying for such waste.:rolleyes:
 
It's made it back to the "final sort facility" which is 40 miles away--and the scheduled delivery is 3 days away! No way to call these folks--naturally--but I'd just as soon drive there and pick it up.
 
Sounds like the Skinner sights that I ordered about 5 years ago.

Here are some quotes from that discussion (on another forum):

[June 19, 2014]
I ordered some parts that shipped, Priority Mail 2-day, on May 28th. They were coming from Missoula MT, and just had to hop across the border to get to me. Often, any item coming from Missoula will be in my possession the day after it is shipped, regardless of the carrier, but especially Priority Mail.

However, I still have not received the package; and every time I track the package, the results just make me wonder what's going on.

The package should have gone from Missoula, MT, to Southeastern ID, in one quick hop (maybe stopping in Idaho Falls, ID). But, no.....

The map provides a visual of the journey this package has been on for the last 23 days. But, here's a breakdown:

-Missoula MT
-Salt Lake City, UT
-Draper, UT
-Declared "Undeliverable" (I should hope so, because the shipper emailed me a copy of the label, and it clearly has my IDAHO address on it.)
-Salt Lake City, UT
-Aurora, CO
-Missoula, MT
-Grand Junction, CO
-Billings, MT
-Kansas City, KS
-Aurora, CO
-Billings, MT
-Unknown... It hasn't been heard from since the 16th, when it left Billings the second time. Maybe it's stuck in an infinite loop...

attachment.php
Click to expand...

Six days later:
The way USPS is handling the package I mentioned on page three is just getting more ridiculous.

Since I posted Thursday, the package arrived and was sorted in Billings, 'departed' Billings, only to 'arrive' and get sorted ... in Billings. Then, it showed up in Boise, going in one side of the sorting center, and right out the other ...to arrive, last night, in . . . . . . . . . Billings, MT.

So, between 6/16 and 6/23, the package went from Billings to Billings, Billings to Billings, Billings to Boise, and back to Billings...
At this point, I figure that the package has passed within 1/2 mile of my house at least 4 times (probably 5).
Click to expand...


37 days after the "Priority 2-Day" package was shipped:
Yesterday, I requested a package intercept.

So, of course, USPS returned it to the original sender this morning.
But, at least for now, the package should be out of the USPS black hole...
Click to expand...

(USPS did not give me a refund on the intercept, of course.)


The complete journey thus far ... as far as we know:
-Missoula MT
-Salt Lake City, UT
-Draper, UT
-Declared "Undeliverable"
-Salt Lake City, UT
-Aurora, CO
-Missoula, MT
-Grand Junction, CO
-Billings, MT
-Kansas City, KS
-Aurora, CO
-Billings, MT
-Billings, MT
-Billings, MT
-Billings, MT
-Billings, MT
-Billings, MT
-Boise, ID
-Billings, MT
-Aurora, CO
-Missoula, MT
-Salt Lake City, UT
-Missoula, MT
-Delivered/Returned to sender
Click to expand...

I forget his name, but the owner of Skinner Sights called me when the package was finally returned. He noted that it, "looked VERY well-traveled," but was undamaged and structurally sound.

It least it wasn't beaten to death. :rolleyes:

He shipped the sights back out via FedEx, just to avoid any further stupidity.
 

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A postal service employee once explained it to me; basically when the codes are entered if a mistake is made--or information isn't recognized by their regional centers (like a private residence address) the item can be held in purgatory forever.
 
I ordered a pistol from a now-defunct dealer in Kentucky a couple of years ago and had it shipped to an FFL here on the east coast of Florida. It made it to Orlando, then somehow wound up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The dealer intervened and it made it to me about a week later than originally scheduled.

It seems odd that this stuff would happen with bar code tracking, but it still does.
 
but for some unknown reason now looks like it has turned around and headed back south, last checked in this afternoon 200 miles south at the state border. Estimated delivery has changed to "anytime within 5 to 7 days."
Click to expand...

Had this happen with a package from one state away. Got to a local distribution center, handed off from UPS to USPS, then went south to another distribution center and then came back to the first. Merchandise from this company normally gets here in two days after order; this one took 10, but it DID finally make it.

I think you're right about the UPS handoffs...I'm happy when I've got a small order and it ships USPS right from the start. They've been the most reliable and trackable of all for me.
 
Years ago I purchased a firearm from CMP. All went well, as expected, except final delivery to me. It was returned with NO explanation of nondilivery. I called CMP and was informed that it was sitting at CMP South, and what would I like to do. Please reship and mark clearly to 'Call for Pickup.' I got called, went to the facility to pick up and they couldn't find it. One guy thought that it might be out for delivery. Finally a supervisor 'found' it.
 
My conclusion is that spending money on rush or priority shipping is just wasted money. I ordered on Sept. 13 a UPS to USPS expedited package from a major retailer--and just received notice today that it was "officially inducted" into the USPS system at the origin. Retailers routinely send messages saying your order was shipped--when in fact all they have done is generated a shipping label. There should be a law against that.
 
Agreed.

There's always Amazon's "2-day Guarantee".
Guaranteed deliver in 2 days ... after it ships.
And if it doesn't get there in 2 days, they'll refund the shipping. ...Which, for the '2-day guarantee' is nearly always "free".

"It'll get there in two days! Guaranteed! Unless it doesn't. Then we'll refund nothing and just say 'better luck next time!'"

I can't remember what it was, but I ordered something in February for an upcoming project. Guaranteed 2-day deliver!
I got an order update email as soon as I placed the order, indicating that it was "guaranteed" to be delivered in two days ... after it shipped ... some time between May and September. :rolleyes:
(It arrived in May, whatever it was.)
 
I ordered something from Amazon on a Wednesday to be delivered to my PO Box. They said it would be delivered the next Monday.

On Saturday they sent an e-mail stating that UPS tried to deliver that day and couldn't. ( Post Office is closed on Sat.)

I stopped by UPS on Monday to see if they had my package. They said it was delivered to the Post Office on Friday!

Sure enough, it was there waiting on me since Friday.
 
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