I’m really tired of the US Post Office

[Lee in Texas]

A rifle is waiting at my FFL because the lazy postal worker decided to just drive by and not even attempt to deliver it when it was due (actually a day late). The tracking website said there was no secure place to leave it. The shop was open and the owner was outside at the claimed delivery attempt time. Another was supposed to arrive today (eight days late. I sh*t you not.) I checked the website. “Delivery failed”. At 6:10am. Mail NEVER runs that early. I understand the bad weather, but this is just stupid. For several months now, late deliveries of even Priority Mail has been the standard. This is maddening.

 

[Bonk]

I feel your pain but it's not just the USPS. I had the EXACT same thing happen yesterday. My wife was waiting at home all day for a FedEx package that required a signature. The truck showed up and stopped at the mailbox. My wife saw him, put on her coat and went out to meet him. He drove off wile she was walking down the driveway. Our driveway is a couple hundred feet long but you can see the house from the street. We had about 4" inches of snow a few days ago but the street is clean and dry and our driveway has been plowed. WTF? Then we get the email saying delivery was attempted but no go. BS.

To top it off a different FedEx truck delivered a different package less than an hour earlier. Drove up the drive and dropped it on the porch. No problem. We also had a UPS delivery yesterday with no problem. You're right. Maddening is the correct word.

 

[K-man]

I just received this week a magazine issue from November.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

@Lee in Texas I think we can feel your pain and frustration with the USPS. The tracking systems are both a blessing and a curse. I watched a FedEx delivery a few months ago of some ammo arrive to my town and then sit for a week. It took numerous emails and phone calls to get it delivered the last mile.

A bit of advice: Worry about things you can control. You will drive yourself nuts worrying about things you can't control. Also, even if you received your rifle on time, it's too darn cold to go out shooting and ammo is too scarce to shoot anyway.

Lastly, a lot of people are hurting this week, no heat, frozen pipes, running low of food etc. Particularly in Texas. Keep things in perspective.

 

[Lee in Texas]

Good points. Btw I’m a plumber responding to calls about frozen pipes.

 

[tedthorn]

I ship hundreds of packages year after year USPS.
It is amazing how good they do considering the billions of pieces the handle per week.

 

[thriller]

A rifle is waiting at my FFL because the lazy postal worker decided to just drive by and not even attempt to deliver it when it was due (actually a day late). The tracking website said there was no secure place to leave it. The shop was open and the owner was outside at the claimed delivery attempt time. Another was supposed to arrive today (eight days late. I sh*t you not.) I checked the website. “Delivery failed”. At 6:10am. Mail NEVER runs that early. I understand the bad weather, but this is just stupid. For several months now, late deliveries of even Priority Mail has been the standard. This is maddening.

Yea I had a package arrive a month late not too long ago... it’s pretty ridiculous right now things lost and late everywhere

 

[JimP]

I've watched USPS ping-pong a package back and forth through my town a few times before it gets delivered.

The thing that I hate with both UPS and FedEx is their "Sure Post" where they drop the package off at the USPS office in town. And since I only have a PO box it means that I usually have to wait a extra day before I can pick it up.

 

[Ray B]

We (in Central Washington State) have good service from USPS, considering that they seem to have trouble keeping employment). My main complaint comes with the combination systems: SmartPost and the Mail Innovations or some such name, where a package starts out from the sender going with either UPS or Federal Express. It goes across the country then when near (within 2-300 miles) of the destination the package goes to a Fedex or UPS transfer terminal, where it is supposed to be taken to the USPS terminal for the last leg of the trip and delivery. Monitoring the tracking it is common for a package to set in the UPS,Fedex transfer terminal for 3-4 days before they finally get around to taking it to the USPS terminal. this is so common that I have placed holds on my accounts with Midway, Graf and others to avoid using these services, Usually I pay for the shipping because the combination shipping is what is usually how the "free" shipping is sent.

 

[Chukar]

Generally I have had great service from USPS.

The exceptions are with that foul, demonic system noted previously as "SmartPost". It really should be re-named "F'nStupidPost" Every time that I have had a package shipped with that the tracking looks like a dang pinball table.

The only other issue I had was when I had was when I bought two rifles from @tarbe. One arrived promptly, the other took as long as the pony express would have taken according to my calculations.

Leaving F'nStupidPost out of the equation, I like USPS.

 

[CJW]

Most people have a problem now and then with any shipper but like @tedthorn said, considering the amount of packages they handle they actually do very well. Unfortunately a few individuals make them look bad with laziness or incompetence.

I once waited for a money order for 2 months. Eventually it could be cancelled and we just did paypal. 2 or 3 months after that the check showed up. You could tell it got jammed up somewhere and lost but obviously eventually noticed. My only point is things happen and don't let a few fools get your blood pressure up.

I bought two tickets for the Phillip Smythe ele. hunt and had to send a check to FL via priority 2 day due to paypal shutting the account down. I was nervous but they got there exactly on time just a few days before the drawing. I say bravo USPS.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I sent a letter by Canada Post "Courier Express".
1 day service as it was time sensitive. Paid the extra money.
Tracking - LOL - It was somewhere.

I filed a lost mail claim - That provided me an email that said it was delivered.
30 days later the recipient says it has arrived.
Zero on time delivery guarantee for anything.
No refund, nothing but "COVID" as an explanation.

Lesson learned.

 

[JimP]

Just as a example of how screwed up the USPS is, the other day I got a letter from my financial advisor who is located in Centennial, Colorado a stones throw from Denver. It has a postmark from Phoenix, Arizona.

 

[lwaters]

It toke them 30 days to get my passport to Pennsylvania. They cashed my check but who knows how long it will take to get to Kansas. I retired as a letter carrier and they have more people watching carriers than they have carriers. Look at the stupid mail truck the front wheels are narrower the back. That works real well in snow. Than they have their own police force to make sure you don't steal some junk mail or throw it away. The powers to be are doing their best for it to fail. People ask me why the postal service has so many problems I ask them how UPS and FedEx would do if they had to have an office in all these small towns.

 

[Bonk]

Deja vu all over again. Same story today. Waited all day just to get the email that the package was undeliverable. Also the same as yesterday a different FedEx package on a different FedEx truck did get delivered today. Tried to call 'customer service'. Let's just say it wasn't a fruitful conversation. They read from the script but couldn't offer any real solution. Waiting for a call back from 'somebody'. LOL. What else can you do but laugh? It's just so ridiculous. Corporate America strikes again. Screw it. I'm gonna eat some pizza.

 

[Cervus elaphus]

A rifle is waiting at my FFL because the lazy postal worker decided to just drive by and not even attempt to deliver it when it was due (actually a day late). The tracking website said there was no secure place to leave it. The shop was open and the owner was outside at the claimed delivery attempt time. Another was supposed to arrive today (eight days late. I sh*t you not.) I checked the website. “Delivery failed”. At 6:10am. Mail NEVER runs that early. I understand the bad weather, but this is just stupid. For several months now, late deliveries of even Priority Mail has been the standard. This is maddening.

Look at what political party owns the USPS.

 

[PARA45]

Funny, how all those "mail in ballots" made it on time, but not the delivery of your rifle. Hummmm. Another failed government ran business.

 

[Buffalo1]

Have watched the USPS system deteriorate over the years. Piss poor management, no accountability or taking responsibility, refuses to take the service challenge that UPS & Fedex offers and provides, excessive retirement payments chocking the system for operating capital. General attitude of employees is make it to the finish line to get retirement.

We need a "Ronald Reagan" attitude and execution to clean up the postal system like Reagan cleaned up the air traffic controllers.

No mercy from me !!

 

[lwaters]

Post office could make money just close up them offices in towns under 10000 population. Big city Boys would be happy

 

[Lee in Texas]

Update: I checked tracking again last night. Another attempt was made at 10:14 am, but no one was around to sign for it. Also BS. I talked with the store owner around noon. He checked. No tire tracks or door prints in the snow. No “We missed you” letter.