Tracking Shipment....Fedex--->USPS

[tinlizzy]

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Originally Posted by Options Yes, but Sunday is not considered a "business day" which is when the USPS site said delivery would be "attempted" again. I don't understand what part of "leave at the front door" they don't get....

I see you got your package and I work for UPS but I wanted to address customer requests vs. shipper requirements. You can request that a carrier leave your package but (at UPS at least) it's the shipper's request that we have to follow. For example alcohol, firearms and high-value packages will require a signature. It doesn't matter what you want at that point.

At UPS, once I scan the barcode on a signature required package it locks me out of every other delivery option.

[bUU]

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Originally Posted by Aerides Sure-Post is known as Slow-Post. Both UPS and Fedex have these hand off services and everyone hates them both. It would be faster to just do USPS priority the whole way. I guess it's some low-tier pricing that Fed/UPS offer to take some business from USPS but lordy does it suck.

A similar thing happened with long distance telephone calls, back in the day: Competitors for Long Lines started popping up offering to carry the call through the easy part of the trip (from one big city to another), falling back on the RBOC to carry the call through to the homes.

I'm surprised to learn that UPS and FexEx packages are potentially tracked within the USPS system at all. I figured that the package was scanned when it reached the post office and that was it.

[spncity]

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Originally Posted by Options ... Despite my specific instructions on my USPS account to leave the package at the front door (they always do), I just learned via my USPS account the idiot USPS delivery employee scanned the package just moments ago as no one home (I was/am) ...

I have had this happen before. For critical package delivery I now put a sign on the front door that says some thing similar to this: "To USPS - I am HOME. Please ring and knock loudly."

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[meierlde]

I looked up Amazon Sort Centers and there are a number in the US. Here packages from various fulfillment centers (warehouses) are sorted into zip code pallets. Then the pallets are delivered to the appropriate post office. Only on delivery to the postoffice is USPS tracking really involved. This is how Amazon got the sunday delivery done, and is part of its strategy for same day delivery in metro areas. If you look at package tracking you will see a line that package has left seller facility and is in route to carrier, then arrival at an Amazon facility, followed by left Amazon facility, then package turned over to USPS, arrival at post office a few mins later (the first is the last scan by Amazon, and the second the first scan by USPS) and finally the delivery options. So in these cases Amazon has left the carriers only with the last mile to deliver.

[Lake161]

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Originally Posted by Hermit I talked to the Amazon support reps on the phone. I had to get to a high enough level that something could be done. If you just have bad service, they will probably try to work with USPS to get it straightened out. They can set a flag on your account that will tell them not to ship via USPS. To keep this flag in place, I cannot change or update any of my address information. The flag got reset and a couple of years ago and I had to go through the process again but has worked ever since. A caution that this only works for orders fulfilled by Amazon. If another company fulfills an order, they know nothing about the flag.

Thanks. I will give that a try. We are stuck in the USPS change of address database, and some packages get sent back marked forwarding address expired.

Note to other early retirees: if you convert your primary residence to a rental, do not do a permanent change of address, or the post office will not deliver to you if you change your mind and 18 months later convert it back to your primary residence. You get stuck in the change of address database for years.

[Car-Guy]

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Originally Posted by ziggy29 When UPS and FedEx come to drop ship their SurePost and SmartPost parcels (respectively) we sign for a manifest that allows UPS/FedEx to quickly scan the manifest and say all the parcels in that manifest have been "transferred to the USPS for delivery" or something like that. At some later point the clerks scan all those packages as "arrival at unit". (Note -- that does NOT yet mean the package is ready for pickup!) This is where USPS tracking *should* start showing activity -- when USPS scanners acknowledge arrival. Generally, delivery will be attempted no later than the next business day (Monday - Saturday, except for closed businesses on Saturday). Sometimes parcels going to PO boxes will be attempted or delivered the same day.

So, do you know how the USPS charges these carriers for the "last mile" service? Just curious.

[Calico]

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Originally Posted by ziggy29 It can be ready within minutes of arrival, but it's not a guarantee. The stuff for the PO box section is probably more likely to be ready faster. Normally the stuff for route delivery will wait for the next morning to be "out for delivery" or attempted. The PO box stuff can sometimes be worked quickly and scanned in as delivered or attempted shortly after the delivery scan -- and in a smaller town they usually are.

This thread is very timely.

I had two Amazon deliveries scheduled to arrive (at my house) today - one of the two has arrived, the second one has not, yet both are marked as "Delivered" on the Amazon website. The delivery which did arrive today was delivered in a truck with all the usual USPS markings.

The USPS tracking info on the package that has not arrived says "Status of Item: Tendered to Final Delivery Agent."

Then there is a comment in the USPS tracking info which reads: "Your item has been tendered to a final delivery agent in (my location) at (today's date and time). The Postal Service no longer has the item."

I have never seen a message like this before. I now have no idea who has the package now, or how to track its further progress.

When I googled the phrase, I got responses that the message above is sometimes used when packages are destined for a military base or a college campus. I don't fall into either group!

Can you shed any light on what this status means? Your expertise would be greatly appreciated (the package contains presents for little kids).

[kaneohe]

Well, my package arrived today, a day earlier than scheduled, but still no sign of it in USPS tracking. Thank goodness, reality is better than the tracking.

[aja8888]

Speaking of training, everyone in our neighborhood is trained to re-deliver the packages USPS delivers to the wrong addresses. This happens so frequently, we suspect that being able to read has been dropped as a requirement to be hired in the USPS.

[Options]

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Originally Posted by tinlizzy I see you got your package and I work for UPS but I wanted to address customer requests vs. shipper requirements. You can request that a carrier leave your package but (at UPS at least) it's the shipper's request that we have to follow. For example alcohol, firearms and high-value packages will require a signature. It doesn't matter what you want at that point. At UPS, once I scan the barcode on a signature required package it locks me out of every other delivery option.

Yes, this has happened before (the infamous "yellow/brown" tag). Sometimes you can sign to have it left, others you can't and must take personal delivery. I almost never order anything that can't be left and can't remember the last time I did.

Funny thing is the USPS EE that redelivered the package had to do the same to all my neighbors. Not our regular delivery person, he was a young guy who may have been seasonal. It looked like he had made a mistake with all our packages and either realized it himself or was sent back out.

I will say I have always been extremely pleased with USPS package delivery. The ability to receive transit/delivery updates via text is beyond helpful (interestingly, FedEx does not allow for text updates, or at least I couldn't find that option).

[cathy63]

Something I learned this morning (as I anxiously wait to see whether a perishable gift will arrive before we leave on Wednesday for a week) ... if your FedEx tracking shows something like "Shipment information sent to U.S. postal service" or "FEDEX SMARTPOST CHINO, CA" as a scan location; then you can take the FedEx tracking number and prefix it with 92 to get a USPS tracking number.

Also, you can get text updates from FedEx by creating a free account and giving them your address and all the variations of your first name that your packages might be addressed to. Then go to My Profile / Delivery Manager and choose to get SMS Texts or Emails. It's basically the same process at the UPS and USPS sites. I haven't looked to see if Amazon has this for their private delivery service yet.

[Options]

Good to know! I have an account with USPS and UPS but I don't think FedEx, so I guess it's time. The "92" technique is a great trick!

[Calico]

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Originally Posted by Calico This thread is very timely. I had two Amazon deliveries scheduled to arrive (at my house) today - one of the two has arrived, the second one has not, yet both are marked as "Delivered" on the Amazon website. The delivery which did arrive today was delivered in a truck with all the usual USPS markings. The USPS tracking info on the package that has not arrived says "Status of Item: Tendered to Final Delivery Agent." Then there is a comment in the USPS tracking info which reads: "Your item has been tendered to a final delivery agent in (my location) at (today's date and time). The Postal Service no longer has the item." <snip>

My original question is now moot.

This afternoon the package was delivered by my regular USPS delivery person, driving the standard USPS vehicle, and it was delivered together with my regular daily mail.

So the note on the USPS site which stated the Postal Service had handed off the package, and no longer had the item, was 100% false.

I hereby throw up my hands, and abandon any attempt to understand the USPS tracking process.

On the bright side, the kids' presents arrived in plenty of time, so that is what I will focus on!

Happy Holidays to one and all.