Can you work Amazon's mail system?

[Hermit]

Does anyone have experience in working Amazon ordering to circumvent USPS deliveries? I am a Prime member and usually get 2 day delivery. I am thinking about trying to order just before the deadline for the delivery. I seem to have the most problem if I order on Friday or Saturday. I'm thinking that allows Amazon enough time to send it through USPS. Any other suggestions? See my tale of woe below.

I ordered a Vornado Ultra3 Whole Room Ultrasonic Humidifier about three weeks ago. It was working great. Without the humidifier my hands were cracking and bleeding with a constant humidity level of about 10% inside. Unfortunately when I got up the other morning it was off and would not turn back on.

Amazon sent out another one. Unfortunately, they mailed it through USPS. They don't deliver to my address. I had Amazon send me another one with one day shipping which routes it via UPS so I should get it on Wednesday. They eat the shipping costs for the one day delivery as well as the original package costs and the return costs if the package winds up at my place days or weeks later. The USPS forwarded my package to the PO Box for a kid's camp a couple miles down the road. The last time this happened the package wound up at the camp director's place about 50 miles away. I may see that package in a couple of months. I called the Post Office this morning and I think I got the humidifier sent back to Amazon as undeliverable.

I don't know who is more bureaucratic, the post office for not delivering packages they contract to deliver or Amazon for not being able to route packages to a company that can deliver them.

 

[GrayHare]

I had similar problems and the only solution (at that time) was to cancel Prime. Now I believe even with Prime you can choose standard free shipping (instead of 2-day) which usually transports via UPS. Amazon later suggested I create a separate non-Prime account and order via it. They told me the customer has no direct control of the shipper Amazon chooses.

 

[Katsmeow]

I just had an issue with Amazon where I ordered something that was to be delivered last Friday (day after Thanksgiving) on my prime 2 day service.

It has yet to arrive (it is now Tuesday). Tracking shows that UPS gave it to USPS local post office last Wednesday to deliver. I've never gotten it (I'm assuming the post office probably delivered it somewhere else).

It was annoying because this was vacuum cleaner bags for my mom who is visiting (she has no internet access and the bags are hard to find) so I really wanted to get them while she is here.

What Amazon did:

They extended our prime subscription for a month due to the aggravation.

They refunded the cost of the bags. Also, said that if the bags did show up we could keep them at no charge.

They said that if we re-ordered the bags we could get a free upgrade to overnight shipping. This wasn't very useful as they only do this if we order something sold directly by Amazon. The item in question was from a third party but fulfilled by Amazon so was eligible for Prime. I don't think Amazon even directly sells the bags in question.

But, yes, very annoying to have something that is supposed to be delivered by UPS (which delivers in our subdivision regularly) and then have them give it to USPS who then doesn't deliver it at all.....

 

[aja8888]

........................give to USPS who then doesn't deliver it at all.....

Seems like a more frequently recurring theme here. Happened to us twice in November.

 

[RonBoyd]

About this time last year, I had a problem with my Letter Carrier and simply wrote (e-mail) to Amazon and explained that I would stop my Prime account if they could/would not find a way to eliminate USPS delivery to my address -- I offered to pay the freight difference. They had no problem with that.

Now, you should understand that a lot of stuff shipped by Amazon is by 3rd Party suppliers so sometimes things slip through the cracks. In addition, everyone uses the UPS/FedEx hand-off (whatever it is called) to USPS and Amazon has no control over that by 3rd parties. My solution was to open a UPS and a FedEx account. Both companies allow you to counteract the hand-off (for a price). The added benefit, BTW, of these accounts is they automatically track all packages to your designated address(es) with e-mail notification.

Amazon has not charged me (so far) for any extra freight but I have had to pay extra on the "hand-off" twice.

 

[easysurfer]

It does irk me when ordering as a Prime member, the package just routed to USPS but may take an extra day or two for the post office to sort and ship out. I'm sure the shipping that way is more cost effective for Amazon (to just drop off a bunch of packages at the post office and let them do the final delivery). Also, I guess this meets their 2-day deadline, in a way.

For example, I ordered a Fire TV streaming box yesterday, that is on the way, shipped USPS. When I see the tracking, the expected time is tomorrow. But I'm not sure if that means tomorrow to the post office or to my place.

 

[braumeister]

Seems like a more frequently recurring theme here. Happened to us twice in November.

It happens so often around here (USPS problems) that we have a personal workaround.

There is another street with a similar name about ½ mile away.
That street has a house with the same street number as ours.

We each get so many letters and packages delivered to the wrong house that the occupants of the other house and I are on a first name basis. Whenever it happens, the recipient will either drive over and drop off the misdirected item, or make a phone call like "Hey, I have to go out right now, but your package is on my front porch."

In fairness, I have to say that it happens occasionally with UPS, but most often it's the mail carrier.

 

[bad_LNIP]

I used to work for Amazon, and I'd strongly suggest you get in touch with amazon customer service. Amazon does very little business with USPS, due to their unreliability and inability to sufficiently deliver on their 2 day shipping. That said, Amazon customer service tries to be very, very good and there are even stints where senior managers will staff the customer service line, although typically not during the holidays.

UPS and FEDEX are where probably 90% or more of the products are shipped.

Worst case, email Jeff bezos directly, and I am pretty sure, you'll never, ever have a problem getting an order directly: Jeff@amazon

 

[Hermit]

Thanks for all your suggestions and sympathy. I think I have my problem at least partially solved. I called the post office for my street address. I asked them to not forward packages or mail addressed to me to the kid's camp. The lady at the post office sounded very nice, but I don't think she has any idea how bureaucratic her answer was. She said she will just stop forwarding any mail to the kid's camp. The kid's camp's physical address has the same problem in that the USPS will not deliver out here. So now my problem is solved, but the kid's camp will have any mail addressed to the camp instead of their mail box which is located in the next big town down the road returned to sender because USPS does not deliver the mail. For me I think it will now be more of a hassle than a black hole. I'll try the last minute ordering and see if that helps keep it away from USPS.

 

[Mulligan]

Glad I am not the only one. This year I ordered 2 items from same company and the company said they were sent separately. Got my "yellow" card in PO Box notifying I had a delivery. They gave me one box. Two weeks went buy and I checked shipping site and I said I was at PO. I go back up there asking for my box and they said I needed a yellow card. They said if I had no yellow card there is no box. I forced them to go look in back and guess what...there was the box. Another time they chastised me for ordering and only putting my home address on it which mail is not sent too. I told them it was sent UPS, how the hell was I supposed to know you guys were going to be getting it. So now I always put my physical address on second line and there hasn't seem to be any problem since.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[easysurfer]

When I used to w*rk, there was not guarantee UPS packages would be dropped off instead of having that yellow paper showing a visit but no one was home. I opened up an account with a local The UPS Store (well, Mailboxes, etc. before UPS bought them out) and had packages sent there. There was a $3 charge for pickup. But that was better than waiting another day. Plus, I had a monthly income then

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I used to work for Amazon, and I'd strongly suggest you get in touch with amazon customer service. Amazon does very little business with USPS, due to their unreliability and inability to sufficiently deliver on their 2 day shipping. That said, Amazon customer service tries to be very, very good and there are even stints where senior managers will staff the customer service line, although typically not during the holidays.

UPS and FEDEX are where probably 90% or more of the products are shipped.

Worst case, email Jeff bezos directly, and I am pretty sure, you'll never, ever have a problem getting an order directly: Jeff@amazon

I'm going to have to disagree with you on this. I have had this same problem (USPS) on 4 separate occasions over the last two months. Amazon customer service used to be great, now they suck just as bad as everyone else. The best they have done is extend my Prime membership a couple of times. To me, it's just not really worth the aggravation for an extra $99 a year. I wish amazon would start listening to the complaints!

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.

 

[haha]

I seem to get very good service. My mail deliverer is quite reliable, so if it gets handed off it works. However, most of my deliveries go to a nearby (4 blocks) Amazon Locker. What I buy that is eligible for Prime is mostly OTC and personal care items and a little clothes. Books I buy Amazon used, which are always mailed, or get them from the library or Kindle. If I get weekend delivery at the Locker that is usually a USPS function, but it is hard for them to mess up an Amazon Locker address. Frequent no extra charge 1 day delivery.

Ha

 

[Sue J]

Never heard of Amazon Locker. I tried the location search but there are none of those anywhere around here. What a good idea.

 

[Bestwifeever]

It's not just Amazon. I ordered something from a different website this week (and paid for standard shipping), and the Fedex tracking info tells me it has now been handed off to the big post office near us, so now all bets are off re predicted delivery. Same post office that holds our vacation mail--only the days when they feel like it--and fails to deliver it when we get back in spite of the confirmation that they will do so. Grrrr.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

It's not just Amazon. I ordered something from a different website this week (and paid for standard shipping), and the Fedex tracking info tells me it has now been handed off to the big post office near us, so now all bets are off re predicted delivery. Same post office that holds our vacation mail--only the days when they feel like it--and fails to deliver it when we get back in spite of the confirmation that they will do so. Grrrr.

Funny you mention the mail stop service. Our last vacation, they *actually* did it correctly...the first in a long time. Now, we won't talk about how when we moved, we had issues with that!!!

 

[haha]

Never heard of Amazon Locker. I tried the location search but there are none of those anywhere around here. What a good idea.

I think if you have any nearby, there will be a message on your shipment page as you check out. I think they are mostly in high traffic areas where Amazon sells a lot. I have ~15 within walking distance, and a few more still in my area but not as handy. Around Christmas, sometimes my nearest one is full, so I wait and order the next day or go to one a few blocks a farther away."This Amazon Locker is currently full. Please select another address or Locker location."


I think there are fewer in nice suburban areas because they can pretty safely leave packages, whereas here only in buildings with a concierge or maybe sfh's or duplexes on smaller streets.

Ha

 

[RonBoyd]

Never heard of Amazon Locker. I tried the location search but there are none of those anywhere around here. What a good idea.

I, too, have never heard of Amazon's Locker. However, they do have a Search URL.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/css/accou...ref_=amb_link_365825242_1&viewID=searchStores&

Surprisingly, my address in Denver prompts this message:"No stores were found matching your search criteria. Please try different search criteria."

 

[meierlde]

It's not just Amazon. I ordered something from a different website this week (and paid for standard shipping), and the Fedex tracking info tells me it has now been handed off to the big post office near us, so now all bets are off re predicted delivery. Same post office that holds our vacation mail--only the days when they feel like it--and fails to deliver it when we get back in spite of the confirmation that they will do so. Grrrr.

The last several packages from amazon prime have come via the USPS, it seems if they get things to the post office in the morning, then they appear at the mailbox the next day. (Note I have a cluster mail box so there are large parcel lock boxes as well, so in one sense things are safer than if left laying around outside.) I do note that his has happened after they got their warehouse in DFW up and running so that the package could make it to my town in 1 day.

 

[Bestwifeever]

?...I ordered something from a different website this week (and paid for standard shipping), and the Fedex tracking info tells me it has now been handed off to the big post office near us, so now all bets are off re predicted delivery.....

So the predicted delivery date from Fedex was this Saturday, 12/6. The packahe showed up on my front porch delivered by the post office before noon today, 12/3. Mea culpa, post office!

 

[RonBoyd]

So the predicted delivery date from Fedex was this Saturday, 12/6. The packahe showed up on my front porch delivered by the post office before noon today, 12/3. Mea culpa, post office!

Actually, that was an optimistic prediction by FedEx... based upon my experience with USPS.