Amazon and shipping

[calmloki]

We have Amazon Prime with two day free shipping. Last Thursday I ordered a cheap pool brush - $11.21 with free shipping. Didn't get it by Saturday and I really had a use for it so I called Amazon whining about it. Their response was to extend my Prime membership by a month, about a $8.33 value, so now the brush cost $2.88. Today it arrived, delivered by a gent in a truck. Here's it's shipping history:
10:59 AM
Your package was left at the front door or on the front porch.

La Quinta, CA, US Carrier: UPS, Tracking #: 1Z88Y70A1284761903

7:44 AM
Out for delivery
Palm Springs, CA, US

7:15 AM
Package arrived at a carrier facility
Palm Springs, CA, US

5:39 AM
Package has left the carrier facility
Ontario, CA, US

Tuesday, Oct 27

9:57 PM
Package arrived at a carrier facility
Ontario, CA, US

3:47 PM
Package has left the carrier facility
Anchorage, AK, US

5:53 AM
Package arrived at a carrier facility
Anchorage, AK, US

2:39 AM
Package has left the carrier facility
Rockford, IL, US

12:17 AM
Package received by carrier
Rockford, IL, US

Monday, Oct 26

10:52 PM
Package arrived at a carrier facility
Rockford, IL, US

8:26 PM
Package has left the carrier facility
Hodgkins, IN, US

7:58 PM
Package arrived at a carrier facility
Hodgkins, IN, US

3:57 PM
Package has left the carrier facility
Louisville, KY, US

1:48 PM
Package received by carrier
Louisville, KY, US

2:28 AM
Package received by carrier
Chattanooga, TN, US

Sunday, Oct 25

11:25 PM
Package has left seller facility and is in transit to carrier
Chattanooga, TN, US


Now much of the time the package was flying in a big metal bird, not on the road, but Googlemaps says that is an 8,224 mile trip the pool brush took. Amazon put the brush in a new cardboard box, padded it with inflatable plastic pads, taped it up, stuck on shipping labels; it got handled by maybe ten people.... I am amazed. That is a remarkable amount of travel (Anchorage Alaska? for a pool brush? really?) and packaging and handling for what I paid. What a world this is.

 

[kaneohe]

Would be interesting to ask UPS what happened......root causes and what they will do to make sure it doesn't happen again.

 

[FUEGO]

Even more amazing is the fact that you can buy stuff from China for a buck or so shipped. I've bought watch batteries, LED lights and toys, a brake light, etc. It costs around $0.50 to ship an empty envelope here in the US, and they can actually put valuable goods inside the envelope and ship it internationally for not much more.

 

[travelover]

Even more amazing is the fact that you can buy stuff from China for a buck or so shipped. I've bought watch batteries, LED lights and toys, a brake light, etc. It costs around $0.50 to ship an empty envelope here in the US, and they can actually put valuable goods inside the envelope and ship it internationally for not much more.

This amazes me, too. I ordered an electronic part from China on eBay for $1, with free shipping. I got a notice that I had to pick it up at the post office as it had been shipped registered mail! I actually had to sign for it.

 

[ziggy29]

This amazes me, too. I ordered an electronic part from China on eBay for $1, with free shipping. I got a notice that I had to pick it up at the post office as it had been shipped registered mail! I actually had to sign for it.

Yes, this cracks me up. As some of you know, I went back to part-time w*rk for the USPS after my layoff (I was a little bored and the federal retirement and full medical benefits for a 20-25 hour work week was hard to pass on), and we see these all the time. In fact, most of these look so cheap and small that we mistakenly try to scan them as delivered into a PO box, and then our scanner tells us to enter the signature. Huh? Then we have to back out of the delivery on the scanner, rescan them as "attempted" and leave a note in the box -- often for stuff that probably isn't worth much more than ten bucks.

 

[harley]

Even more amazing is the fact that you can buy stuff from China for a buck or so shipped. I've bought watch batteries, LED lights and toys, a brake light, etc. It costs around $0.50 to ship an empty envelope here in the US, and they can actually put valuable goods inside the envelope and ship it internationally for not much more.

DW buys the occasional doohickey from someone in China, usually on eBay. Super cheap shipping, and 9 out of 10 times they include a little extra prize along with it. Even more amazing, often the wrapping is cloth, sometimes a rather pretty piece.

 

[GrayHare]

Low cost labor in China can move items inexpensively but China does not pay the USPS anything extra for handling the package within the US in an expensive manner, such as registered.

 

[GrayHare]

Decades ago, and perhaps even now, I recall a tiny Carribean country was allowing US mailers to mail letters from it to USA addresses for 1 cent. At their airport that country would hand millions of letters to the USPS, which then the USPS was obligated to deliver within the USA.

 

[6miths]

We're doomed!

 

[powerplay]

Decades ago, and perhaps even now, I recall a tiny Carribean country was allowing US mailers to mail letters from it to USA addresses for 1 cent. At their airport that country would hand millions of letters to the USPS, which then the USPS was obligated to deliver within the USA.

Very interesting, I've wondered how things from China can be shipped so dirt cheap. This may be why.

 

[Lakewood90712]

Never had anything arrive late with Amazon, but have seen a lot of absurd over-packing, triple box, and some "Long Way" shipping. One of those was a 5 # item, not fragile in any respect, overpacked in a huge box, and the shipping label said " actual wt. 30.2 pounds , WTF ?. Cant remember if that was f-x ground or "Brown" .

Lowes has done some wacky things too. Bought a shop vac online with them, $105 item, free shipping. it ended up getting sent fed ex air 2nd day air, from baltimore to california. ? ( same item was out of stock at all the west coast stores). How can these guys keep doing this ? Spend maybe $50 shipping a low margin $100 item. Must not happen too often.

On the small inexpensive electronics direct from china on e-bay. Some smart folks have figured out cutting the middleman is good business.

 

[tinlizzy]

That package was sent 3 day select (12). 1Z is UPS, the next 6 is the shipper's account number, then service level. 02 is 2 day. Either Amazon messed up or they did it intentionally to save on the cost of freight because that route may normally take 2 days.

It is a funny path to travel. Louisville is an air hub and it was flown to the largest ground hub outside Chicago, then trucked to Rockford, another air hub, where it was put on a plane again. The network expands towards Christmas. I'm guessing Canada is a pitstop to off load or p/u additional freight going west.


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[tinlizzy]

A code representing the service level of the package:

001 = UPS Next Day Air/UPS Express

002 = UPS 2nd Day Air/UPS Expedited

003 = UPS Ground

007 = UPS Worldwide Expedited/UPS Expedited

011 = UPS Worldwide Standard/UPS Standard

012 = UPS 3 Day Select

013 = UPS Next Day Air Saver/UPS Express Saver (to US)

014 = UPS Next Day Air Early AM/UPS Express Early AM

021 = UPS Economy

054 = UPS Worldwide Express Plus

059 = UPS 2nd Day AM

064 = UPS Express NA1

065 = UPS Express Saver

066 = Worldwide Express Freight

082 = UPS Today Standard

083 = UPS Today Dedicated Courier

084 = UPS Today Intercity

085 = UPS Today Express

086 = UPS Today Express Saver

From ups.com


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[Lakewood90712]

And the OP's pool brush ? Mfg in china, shipped by ocean container to Oakland CA, then to Amazon or it's partner warehouse in Chattanooga Tn, via truck thru Las Vegas Nv,and Ft. Worth TX. Maybe I missed a few stops along the way.

I look at ants scurrying around, feeding on something taking the spoils back to the nest. Hard to see the difference LOL.

 

[REWahoo]

A code representing the service level of the package:

001 = UPS Next Day Air/UPS Express

002 = UPS 2nd Day Air/UPS Expedited

003 = UPS Ground

007 = UPS Worldwide Expedited/UPS Expedited

011 = UPS Worldwide Standard/UPS Standard

012 = UPS 3 Day Select

013 = UPS Next Day Air Saver/UPS Express Saver (to US)

014 = UPS Next Day Air Early AM/UPS Express Early AM

021 = UPS Economy

054 = UPS Worldwide Express Plus

059 = UPS 2nd Day AM

064 = UPS Express NA1

065 = UPS Express Saver

066 = Worldwide Express Freight

082 = UPS Today Standard

083 = UPS Today Dedicated Courier

084 = UPS Today Intercity

085 = UPS Today Express

086 = UPS Today Express Saver

From ups.com


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Thanks for posting this.

My UPS driver retires today. Maybe I'll quiz him on these codes when he brings me my Amazon package this afternoon.

 

[tinlizzy]

Thanks for posting this.



My UPS driver retires today. Maybe I'll quiz him on these codes when he brings me my Amazon package this afternoon.

How nice for him! He's probably ecstatic that he gets to enjoy Christmas this year!


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[REWahoo]

How nice for him! He's probably ecstatic that he gets to enjoy Christmas this year!

Yep. He's been looking forward to it for a couple of years and resisted repeated requests to delay until year end. I saw him on Wed and the grin on his face almost filled the front window of his delivery van.

I think he's really looking forward to turning left whenever he wants to!

 

[Koogie]

I'm guessing Canada is a pitstop to off load or p/u additional freight going west.


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That would be Ontario, California... not the cold, rainy place my bum is sitting right now...

 

[harley]

And the OP's pool brush ? Mfg in china, shipped by ocean container to Oakland CA, then to Amazon or it's partner warehouse in Chattanooga Tn, via truck thru Las Vegas Nv,and Ft. Worth TX. Maybe I missed a few stops along the way.

I look at ants scurrying around, feeding on something taking the spoils back to the nest. Hard to see the difference LOL.

Ants are one of the most successful species in nature. It may look aimless, but there's definitely a process and a purpose to everything. Maybe with the delivery services, too.