USPS - Do not let this happen to you

Here is a train wreck just waiting to happen. Lat week I shipped

my 5x7 to be fitted for a 7x17 conversion back. After a mile or so

of bubble wrap the package was insured and sent along the

way. Today I checked with the factory to see if it had arrived. It has

not. No problem I say to myself. I will surf the web with the

tracking number to see where it is. Here comes the rub. When a

insured package is sent via the USPS there is NO TRACKING

NUMBER! This is a departure from the good old days when a

tracking number was included in the price. Not that I am a

tightwad you understand. I would have been more then glad to

pay any extra charges for a tracking number. The USPS will not

tell you that there is an extra charge.<p> The story seems to go

downhill from here. Not only did the package not arrive on time

but there is no clue where it is. If I am lucky the camera will show

up sometime in the next day or two..or week or two. If the camera

does not make it in a 30 day period the USPS will declare it lost.

The 30 days later I will recieve my money back. Only to wait to

have another camera built. The USPS has no way of tracking the

package. Is this not an oxy moron? An insured package that can

not even be tracked by the goverment.<p> As if this was not bad

enough, the customer support rep told me that next time I should

use another carrier if my package is valuable. It is sooo nice to

know that there is still good customer service available these

days.<p>On a side note I would have used UPS had they

charged me the web price for shipping. I sent a set of bellows

last month for repair and the charge for a 3lb. box next day was

$70.00. The three day price was $45.00. Please keep this in

mind while using the USPS. I will the next time I drive my

package across country. For now all I can do is pray to the Postal

God in the sky. Bummer days. - Bruce

well bruce - i had a similar experience, and it only took the USPS 8 months to get me my money. good luck.

Use FeDex for anything important, if I told you the stories and problems I have had with UPS you would think twice......

why didn't you use certified mail/ why didn't you ask the USPS what was the best way

to send it?<P>If it is valuable I always use FedEx, but I never use the FedEx Ground

service. sure it is more expensive but compare that to the cost of repalcing your

gear.<P>On a bright note: at what point can you file an insurance claim?

To quote <A href="http://www.westcoastimaging.com/wci/page/info/shippinginfo.html">West Coast Imaging</A>: <P>

 

<B>Why we don't recommend shipping with the USPS</B> <P>

 

They lose packages. When you're shipping original film, what other reason do you need? How about slow delivery? In our area, a Priority Mail shipment can take 5 or 6 days to get to West Coast Imaging. This, plus the fact that we regularly receive our mail wet or damaged, makes us a bit weary of the USPS. The only time we recommend using the post office is with international shipments where FedEx or UPS won't deliver.

Years ago, B&H switched to Fedex as their default carrier.

Their "saver" (3 day) rate is quite reasonnable, and often

cheaper than UPS. For international

shipping, I can recommend DHL. I shipped 22 matted 12x18 prints

to Korea for about $60, 3 day, trackable.

Actually, effective last Friday, UPS became B&H's default carrier (it was Fedex until Thursday).

Go for UPS or FedEX.

 

I have similar experience as well. I had a camera with USPS insured package shipped to me two weeks ago, and could not receive it within ten days. When I went to the postal office and asked the rep to check the insured mail receipt number on their system, she told me that the number was not in their system, and that she was sure the package was never mailed out yet.

Thanks for all the responses. I never guessed that I would have

that many problems with USPS. Since UPS does not want my

money I will look into FedEx. I should have done that in the first

place. Thanks again. -Bruce

According to the USPS web site, Express mail does allow for tracking

and packages can be insured up to $5000 and can weigh up to 70 pounds...

a few years ago i had a similar experience, but it turned out okay after 3 months .. i

mailed "copy paper box" filled with merchandise - shirts, hats &c - to a record

company that had me photograph the stuff for their website. it was returned the

same way they sent it to me - priority insured. the post office lost the box &c and

eventually after 3months it was found and delivered. my friends who own the record

company say the same things happens with fedex and ups .. so while you can track

your package, there is still the possibility that it won't be delivered.

 

i often mail finished photographs and negatives to people and alway use fed-ex and

ups, just because they have a tracking number. but if they lose negatives and prints,

they will be the first to tell you, even if you insure the stuff for thousands, if it is

original artwork / negatives / prints they won't give you a penny for them.

 

i guess if it is a camera, or if you have multiple negatives and you only send one of

the copies &c you are all-set, but if it is anything else, you are best off sending the

stuff post office registered, that way it is under lock-key &c and tracked every step of

the delivery process.

 

i hope your camera makes it or you get paid the big bucks from the insurance!

 

- john

Ok, let me clear some things up, I see that some people is getting confused here.

 

Bruce is talking about USPS, which IS NOT the same as UPS. USPS is United States Postal Service, which is also known as "snail mail". UPS is United Parcel Service, a private company, that uses the brown delivery trucks.

 

Now, my two cents on the matter:

 

Bruce, every post office I have seen has a BIG sign telling customers about their "Delivery Confirmation" service, that provides the tracking number via Internet or through a toll free number.

As far as I can remember, they never offered a tracking number before except for "EXPRESS DELIVERY", having the package insured or certified or both didn't provide the sender or receiver of the package with a tracking number.

 

Now, I have used the USPS (US Postal Service) many times, and only once in many years, an insured package got lost. It was a camera I bought from a seller on eBay. You have to wait about 30 days to see if they find the package, and believe me, they will investigate and try to find that package, and after that, if the package is not found, then you just fill out a lost package claim, you sign it, mail it to the receiver to get his/her signature, bring it back to the Post Office and they will mail you a check for the amount the item was insured for, in just a few days, at least that's what I remember from my experience.

 

For those recommending FedEx, I have many stories about them too, from FedEx and FedEx Ground, they both suck, sometimes I order from other sources than B&H Photo just because I don't want to deal with FedEx.

 

Now, UPS, another story, I've never had a single problem with them, only once I had to contact UPS Customer Service to request them to leave the package at a neighbor's apt., and when I came home back from work, the package was delivered as I had instructed, for me UPS is simply the best.

 

Anyhow, good luck, I hope that they find your package and this story has a happy ending.

It is really sad to see that B&H is using UPS. UPS can break kitty litter. Their handling is brutal and well known in the industry.

I have shipped with the US Postal Service many, many times in

the past several years and have never sent a package without

being asked if I wanted Delivery Confirmation. My post office has

a big sign explaining exactly what Delivery Confirmation is and

that it is the only way the USPS tracks packages. Plus, I've never

had a package lost by them, though I suppose that could happen

with them or anyone. However, I have had packages show up

late. My guess is that Bruce's shipment will arrive soon. My

experiences with UPS are less good -- I had two packages

misdirected, and felt pretty frustrated before they finally arrived.

Nothing's for sure, but Bruce, the odds are with you here. It'll

probably all work out okay.

to sum it up THEY ALL SUCK!!!

 

its like anything else, there is good and there is bad.

 

i went to fed ex today to ship an item to canada via fed ex ground.

the website said $27.63, and that I could bring it to my local

super fed ex depot.

 

when i got to the depot, the fed ex guy explained that to ship to

canada via fed ex ground, the order must be placed online and I

have to have an account with fed ex in order to do so.

 

he offered to ship the item via fed ex air, at a cost of $97.33!!!

 

none of this was aluded to on the website.

 

I have watched the fed ex guys in my neighboorhood not even

ring a doorbell before putting the "sorry you weren't home" sticker

on the door. once we had to chase them down the street!!!

 

I have used the USPS priority mail system for 3 years and have

never had a problem.

 

I never had a problem with UPS, except some of there drivers

never seem to be able to find an address!!!

 

DHL is awesome for international- much cheaper and handles

stuff better than fed ex and ups.

 

But others have had problems, and I am sure the USPS and

UPS will screw something up of mine one day.

 

it is a gamble anyway you go.....

Be very wary of Fed Ex too. As mentioned above, just because you have a tracking number doesn't mean the package will get to its destination! Or even that the tracking information your are provided is correct. Also, they don't necessarily stand behind their insurance. Case in point: a dear friend of mine shipped a box with $2000 worth of vintage costume jewelry across country via Federal Express Ground. She insured it and declared what the contents were. The day the package should have arrived, she was home and checked the tracking several times and saw it was on it's way. However, after it didn't arive, she saw that the Web tracking said it had been delivered! Turns out the driver (a subcontractor by the way) had obviously delivered it to a wrong address! Well, it was never recovered so she filed a claim for the insurance. Fed Ex refused to honor the insurance due to the fact that it was jewelry which fell into a special category of non-insurable items. It is very possible that valuable cameras may not actually be insurable either in their eyes, even though they will gladly accept your money to insure the package! And irreplacable things like negs, prints, etc. aren't covered as mentioned above. Shipper Beware! She never did get her money back by the way, and the jewelry was never recovered.

My deux sous:

 

If it's really valuable (i.e. thousands of $s) the only way to ship it is insured, Registered Mail through the USPS unless you are a business with an insurance policy that will cover the loss.

 

For example, I once traded a Rolex watch for another timepiece with a dealer in California (I live in Washington, DC). I shipped him the Rolex and he shipped me my Chronoswiss Fedex. If either timepiece had been lost or stolen his business insurance would have covered it because he is a dealer. The key here is that the packages were unmarked as to content and uninsured by Fedex. If you buy insurance from Fedex or UPS, you MUST declare a value and describe the contents and this information goes on the waybill attached to the package. In other words, you've just paid them to put a sign on your package that says, "Steal Me!".

 

Whenever I send my watch to Chronoswiss USA in New York I use USPS Registered Mail and insure it for the full replacement value. If you do this, EVERY SINGLE PERSON who touches the package between you and the designated recipient (including that recipient) must sign for it. Registered Mail packages just don't get stolen, and if they're lost it can only be due to some Act of God. The insurance you've purchased will then replace the item.

 

Express Mail is really no better than UPS or Fedex. Although you get a tracking number and a signature at the end, without a separate signature at each link in the chain of contact, all you're ever likely to hear in the event of loss is the Bart Simpson refrain: "I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, you can't prove a thing!".

I agree with all the respondents on this issue...especially James

Driscoll who puts it in the most delicate fashion..."They ALL

suck!"

<p>

This quotation also applies big time to the brokerage charges

these couriers charge to bring things into the country. In this

case, they charge outrageous amounts for items coming in from

the USA to Canada. Bloody highway robbery is the most subtle

way of putting it!

<p>

And, there seems to always be an escape clause in their

contracts too....sort of like used car sales!

Boy I wish I'd read this before ordering a lensboard from B&H via

USPS air parcel rate. I reckoned USD 25 -- always ridiculously

high, I received an equivalent weight parcel from CA in 7 days for

USD 10 -- might be a special safe rate, or certainly would

guarantee delivery . 8 weeks later I'm sure that it's lost, and B&H

have gone very quiet. Australia Post won't do anything my end

until B&H do a trace their end. My last transaction with B&H, and

as I pointed out to them it does nothing for their e-commerce.

 

Ross Chambers

I've had problems with every delivery service I've tried. None of them appear to be able to do their jobs consistently well. Out of all of them, however, UPS is the one I'll never ever use again. They don't just lose stuff -- they actively destroy it. I've had boxes shipped UPS which looked like they were delivered by dropping them from the airplane. I've had boxes delivered which appeared to have been set on fire. I've had boxes delivered by UPS which appeared to have been shredded.

 

Out of all of them, US Postal Service Priority Mail, with delivery confirmation, seems to work the best most of the time. Yes, they've lost packages -- but not as many as the others have. Yes, sometimes it takes longer, but after three years of sending stuff around the country, most of the time it makes it there. And insurance claims, when they do screw it up, are paid promptly. Just another facet of the business which UPS seems to be unable to perform.

 

And as for tales of chasing FedEx drivers down the street because they didn't even knock before sticking the "attempted delivery" card in the door -- the door was open, music was playing, the dogs were barking, and there were two cars in the driveway, you *^%$!~ jackass! The next time I'm chasing you down with a Taser! :)

 

Mike

Registered mail is the absolute safest way. It travels (no joke) in armored cars, so I've heard--which is why they're willing to insure packages up to $25,000, including such items as bonds, negotiable instruments, cash, jewlery, etc. You can read more at http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm/s911.htm#Xgj1408 if you're interested.

 

If you NEED it to get there completely unscathed, use registered mail. Hell, if they will ship a package saying "$25,000 CASH" on the waybill, and insure it for full value, it's going to be pretty damn safe :)

I used the United States Postal Service twice in the last week. Both times the person at the desk told me there would be an extra charge (all of forty five cents I think it was) to get a tracking number. I've also had no more bad experiences with United States Postal Service than any other service. None is perfect, all make occasional mistakes, but all generally function properly about 98% of the time. The only really horrible experience I've ever had in the course of shipping literally thousands of things by Fed Ex, UPS, and USPS (thousands because in my law practice I used them all constantly to ship large packages of documents) was with UPS, when I sold a piece of stereo equipment COD, the driver collected the cash and then it got lost somewhere. UPS wanted to wait something like a year to see if they could find the cash before they would pay me. I had to write a letter to the president of UPS to get paid.

When I got my 8x10 it was shipped UPS. It had some trouble...the wooden carrying case was actually BROKEN (must have fallen off the plane) as well as the GG. I've never used USPS, and wouldn't. I haven't tried FedEx for anything that big, but will next time!

Out of all of them, US Postal Service Priority Mail, with delivery confirmation, seems to

work the best most of the time. AGREED. If we think seriously about it, in the United

States, we have a superb postal service-think of the thousands of first class letters we

have all successfully received over the years. I have found Priority Mail to be

outstanding-with excellent delivery times. And all through the years, any local carrier

we've had has known us and gotten misaddressed mail to us correctly. I am also

overall impressed with the quality of the international postal system. Lastly, in recent

months, I have experienced oustanding service from Fedex Ground, including the

personnel at the local Fedex Office. And don't forget Airborne Express-order software

in the wee hours of the morning and often get it next day!!!

While I've had very few problems with USPS, I've found UPS also works well _IF_ delivery is to a business address.

 

After some particularly egregious idiocy--the UPS guy put a box of backup tapes 10 feet from the back door, on top of group of empty boxes waiting to be broken up for recycling. I was wondering where the tapes went until Saturday when I went do the recycling--I actually asked my UPS guy at work "So, is residential delivery your punishment when you screw up?" and he just rolled his eyes, started whistling, and walked back to his truck....