posted on January 17, 2001 11:43:42 AM new
The postal clerk at the PO said to wait a few days for some items I may be expecting, because due to the procrastinators and the new rates, the mail is going as slow as a snail.
Is she right?? Is it THAT slow?
:\\\"Crystalline Sliver cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
posted on January 17, 2001 11:56:35 AM new
I sent an Express Mail envelope from WA to NC last Friday and it didn't arrive until yesterday. That's four days for an express mail shipment which was "guaranteed" to be delivered by noon on Saturday (in my dreams). But the good folks at the PO refunded my Express Mail cost.
The last eBay package I mailed (I've been taking a break during the past six weeks) went out in early December and still hasn't arrived. My bidder has been very understanding and has promised to let me know if it ever shows up. Thankfully, the refund check I mailed last week got there OK.
posted on January 17, 2001 12:41:05 PM new
I have a daughter who is a Franciscan Sister in Amarillo Texas. I live in New York and often send her boxes of little goodies for the children in her first grade class. I ALWAYS SEND THEM EXPRESS MAIL. Why? Because they NEVER get there in the time alloted and I get a refund of my costs. Use the money to buy other little goodies for the kiddies. NUF SAID about USPS
posted on January 17, 2001 12:54:45 PM new
As a Canadian seller I end up sending most items to the US, and I always use regular air mail. In the past items were arriving to most US destinations in approximatley 5 days. I always tell the bidders to expect 5-7 days, but often they receive the items in 3-4 days!
I sent an item on December 27th, and it hasn't arrived yet, so I refunded the money by PayPal. Another items was sent to California (from Montréal) on January 4th, and still hasn't arrived. I told him to wait until Saturday, maybe I should have told him to wait until the first week of February!
posted on January 17, 2001 01:22:22 PM new
I mailed Two packages to the East Coast Dec. 29th (Priority!!) one got there last monday,the other is yet to arrive. Buyer of course paid for No insurance, and is convinced it is lost (I tend to agree at this point, but the other package was Very late also and did get there),Buyer also wants money back. Please Postal Gods, deliver that damn Package.
Payments to me postmarked:
12/18 -- Arrived 12/28
12/27 -- Arrived 1/11
1/3 -- Arrived 1/13
1/10 -- Arrived 1/17
Those are a *sampling* of my worst receipts, I easily have 40 more that have taken 6-12 days from post mark... and I even live in the MIDDLE of the country (ND), and yes, it's a major metro area (150,000+) with international airport and 2 interstates, not "backwoods rural delivery" or something.
MOST of my delayed receipts have been from the entire east coast from MD, NJ, VA, FL. THe rest of the country is slow, but not horrible.
On shipments, I shipped 25 packages out on 12/27, half by Priority Mail, half by 1st class. The stuff to IA, NE, WY, OH took 2-3 days. I believe most took 7-10 days, some took 18 days to get to their destination... INLCUDING PRIORITY MAIL! (Many "1st class" beat the "Priority mail"!) I've had multiple upset buyers due to this, but luckily all of them realized it wasn't my fault once they saw the post mark which I swore all along was the date I shipped and that they could NEG me if I was lying about that once they got it... The typical 35% of bidders that leave feedback have now left me positive feedback to the extent of "Quick turnaround of shipping after payment received--i.e. next day"... Nothing like "got package to me quickly" which I used to get
I've HAD IT with the post office. With their huge priority mail increase, 1 hour long lines (even after christmas..1 counter clerk out of 4 spots open), decreased quality in the "free" Priority boxes, I'm going back to scrounging for brown boxes from McDonalds and the grocery store's "take 'em" piles by the dumpster and shipping everything Parcel Post... It will take the exact same amount of time to get there and will cost less... a LOT less on heavier packages.
posted on January 17, 2001 03:19:21 PM new
I've got a package from Indiana to Louisiana that I mailed on December 29th and it has yet to arrive. The buyer has been very patient thankfully! I've been having horrible delivery times even one state over (3-4 days Priority Mail!!). Does anyone know what the real cause of these delays is?
posted on January 17, 2001 03:27:45 PM new
I've heard that the PO is PO'd (pun intended) at the decision to *only* raise rates as much as they did. They're claiming they're loosing tons of money and they wanted rates to go higher.
They accepted the current rate increase "under protest". Check out www.usps.gov and read the .PDF docs for their responses to the decisions made. Note it's dry though slightly interesting stuff.
I've also heard that anything going thru Chicago or St.Louis (for me, that's pretty much everything comming or going from east of the Mississippi) is where the biggest delays are.
I know at my post office, even on the busiest days before Christmas, there were only 2 to 3 of 4 windows open, with lines running out the inside and outside doors.
Out of desparation I would occassionally drive to the small town post office about many miles away and be greeted by 2 employees at a 2 person counter, but the ones in the big city are understaffed and not always the friendliest.
Even after Christmas, there was a line of 10+ people with 1 employee on a Saturday morning.
And I love it when people (other customers standing in line behind me) curse at me with my bag of 10-15 small packages when I get to the counter... I have to laugh though when I'm in and out of there before most of them who don't pre-fill out anything, have no clue about what services they want or need, and basically take 10 minutes to mail 1 package/letter when I can do 15 in 5 minutes...including credit card payment once I'm at the counter. (Getting to the counter on the other hand... dont get me started!)
posted on January 17, 2001 05:21:35 PM new
I don't think they are slow at all. They delivered 2 of my packages that I mailed yesterday, today. Of course, they delivered them to me. One was going to the next state over, and the other to Canada-had a customs form on it and all. I use printed labels. This isn't the first time this has happened. Imagine that-airmail for 2 towns over...
posted on January 17, 2001 10:12:20 PM new
I shipped a priority box out on Dec. 30th and my high bidder told me earlier this week she had not received it yet (she lives in New York). I told her she should have had it a long time ago but that I couldn't put a trace on it until 30 days have passed. She received her box yesterday I think it was. Pathetic. What's the p.o.'s justification for jacking up priority so high? It sure isn't because of their 2-3 day service which is as reliable as exchange path. ;>
posted on January 18, 2001 03:22:50 AM new
I sent a package to NY from TX about noon Saturday via Parcel Post and it arrived Tuesday morning !!!!!!!! And that was with a holiday thrown in there to boot.
This only enhances my theory that Priority Mail don't mean SQUAT !!!!
posted on January 18, 2001 06:27:37 AM new
Never really had a problem...til now. Sent a bookrate book wrapped in brown packing paper out on 1/4/00. As of today, customer has sent me 3 emails saying "Still Waiting..." Of course, with my luck, this will be my first ever "lost in transit"!
