UPS vs. USPS

[TromboneAl]

Today I got a package that was mailed USPS on March 2 from Southern California. It took eight days. The tracking information, only showed that it had been checked into the system, and didn't show anything else until after it was delivered.

From now on, I think I'll choose UPS.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Yeah the USPS tracking system is kind of like that. The UPS system is so much better.

But to be fair, from my experience, the USPS shipping costs less than UPS.

 

[bright eyed]

Was it sent priority or regular?

 

[FIREd]

I love UPS when I don't have to pay the shipping costs. If I have to pay the shipping costs however, USPS priority is my first choice even if their tracking system is a joke. USPS employees are pretty friendly around here. And more than 95% of my USPS priority packages make it to my house in 2-3 business days.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

I'll pay more for better service and front door delivery through UPS. Having had to deal with employees, customer service, location and parking, and shipping from both, UPS here wins hands down.

 

[Midpack]

Your experience matches mine, after many shipments from eBay sales. Most folks want the cheapest possible shipping costs which is USPS, but tracking is a joke and delivery times vary from 3 to 14 days, no rhyme or reason that I could tell. If you want something delivered in a reasonable, predictable timeframe - anything but USPS. Guess you do get what you pay for...

 

[Moemg]

I ship ebay items daily and I use USPS . My items always arrive in two to three days . I think some buyers print the labels but do not mail the packages right away so it looks like USPS is doing an awful job but it is their delay in mailing that is causing the problem .

 

[travelover]

We are missing a great opportunity to segue into an anti-government rant, here.

 

[W2R]

We are missing a great opportunity to segue into an anti-government rant, here.

 

[TromboneAl]

Was it sent priority or regular?

Regular.

 

[Moemg]

Regular.

It's funny if you ship priority or first class things get there fast but once you have to ship parcel post or media mail it takes forever.

 

[Khan]

I've had stuff delivered by both (as well as FEDEX and now defunct D something or other).
Never really noticed much difference except the tracking ability

 

[jazz4cash]

I've paid more for slower service by UPS at times, so it's hard to make generalizations except UPS always costs (alot) more unless you are a mass shipper. USPS tracking has been adequate for me, but certainly not as detailed as UPS.

 

[easysurfer]

For tracking, UPS seems to work much better. USPS is hit or miss.

Sometimes the status of packages don't get updated until after they are received. Sometimes the statuses get updated along the way. I think the USPS' take is that their system doesn't really track the package, but is for delivery confirmation. If packages are tracked along the way, that's only a bonus but not a guarantee.

 

[bright eyed]

Regular.

Sometimes it depends which regions you're using, for example, we knew back in Oakland, the timing was unreliable. But some areas are really efficient and the cost difference is usually big.

Also, learned if you include (whenever possible) the last four of your zip it tends to get to you faster...

 

[missionfinder]

I've had a USPS Priority package sent to me bounce back and forth between two large cities for two months caught in an infinite loop. I complained (more than once) and it finally got escalated to the point where someone had to physically intercept it and get it sent in the right direction. More than once I've seen numerous delays from USPS, and this is after its in transit. When it arrived there was nothing unusual or wrong with the delivery address on the label. When a shipper creates a shipping label with USPS it shows up as label created, when its scanned at the PO then you know its in transit. Whenever I have something important to be shipped to me I opt for UPS even if it costs more.

 

[FIREd]

Well if we want to start dwelling on anecdotal evidence, then I will report that in 2007, it took 8 months for UPS to deliver one of my high value packages.

This item was packed and shipped by a UPS store in Wisconsin, it was then lost (twice) and found (twice), rerouted many times. I was on the phone with them everyday and their customer service was completely unresponsive. They blamed the UPS store ("individually owned"), they blamed me (are you kidding?), but never took responsibility once for the debacle. Thankfully, I had bought insurance on the package, but they refused to file a claim until the package could be proven "officially lost". Every time the package would pop up on their system, it would reset the clock on the insurance claim. After five months, I reported them to the BBB out of pure disgust (the first and only time I have ever reported a business to the BBB). One day I found the package sitting at the end of my driveway next to the trash can. NO warning. No explanation. No excuse. Nothing.

 

[ERD50]

We are missing a great opportunity to segue into an anti-government rant, here.

It's just tooooooo easy. I won't waste the energy required to push those electrons around.

Feel better now?


-ERD50

 

[bruce1]

I had a package shipped UPS from Tigerdirect at the end of November. Still reported as lost but Tiger refunded me around Christmastime.

 

[Nords]

Today I got a package that was mailed USPS on March 2 from Southern California. It took eight days. The tracking information, only showed that it had been checked into the system, and didn't show anything else until after it was delivered.
From now on, I think I'll choose UPS.

Around here we pay dearly for choosing UPS and/or Fedex. Sometimes the "shipping" charges are more than the "buying" charges.

 

[youbet]

One day I found the package sitting at the end of my driveway next to the trash can. NO warning. No explanation. No excuse. Nothing.

You should check the end of your driveway, next to the trash can, for packages more often. By leaving them out there for months you're subjecting them to the threat of being stolen, getting rained on, etc.

 

[frank]

I always pay for anything that I order online through my credit card and sometimes with paypal as additional insurance. If I do not recieve the item in a timely manner, I file a dispute with paypal and the credit card company. the shipping companies could care less about me, but the other companies have enough clout that they will get answers.

 

[TromboneAl]

This is new to me: A package from Amazon was sent via FedEx SmartPost, which apparently means that FedEx ships it, but then delivers it to the local post office, which delivers it with the mail.

 

[travelover]

This is new to me: A package from Amazon was sent via FedEx SmartPost, which apparently means that FedEx ships it, but then delivers it to the local post office, which delivers it with the mail.

UPS does this, too.