New USPS Rant - Done With Them:

Well, in the past week I have heard from 2 customers now (one in Canada & one in Spain) that have not received their mufflers from me. Just heard about the Spain one 2 days ago. I shipped that package in mid-June - "slow" air like I send all my international orders. I can trace it all the way to Madrid, then there's a note that they can't complete the shipment because of incomplete documentation. My customer there has run into a wall with them & is asking me for a refund now. Other shipment (Canada) was dropped off at my local PO on 7/1, & the last update was on 7/5 & nothing since. Same thing - customer is asking for a refund. I went to my post office today & they are no help at all - they cannot (or will not) intervene on my behalf - they instruct me to fill out a claim online.

I have sent a few packages back in 2002 with FedEx for international destinations with BAD results for me - like a couple rounds of charges to me for brokerage & duties, which essentially doubled my cost to ship, & I could not go back on my customers to cover this - so my decision was made to never ship FedEx out of the continental US. Well, I had 2 muffler orders for Canadian customers going out yesterday, so my dilemma: do I roll the dice with the USPS again, or do I tell my customers sorry - I can't ship to you? So I tried something different - went to my local UPS store. Guy there said they would take about 4-5 days to get there - so I figgered that would be a lot better than NEVER getting there! Then the good part - these were both a LOT less expensive than shipping through the post office. I'll be processing refunds for both customers on a chunk of the shipping.

So it's all good with UPS IF the customers actually receive their mufflers, AND if they arrive in good condition. I remain cautiously optimistic. I feel like we are literally running out of good companies, & good people to get things done anymore. I'll fill out the USPS lost claims forms next, but seriously doubt I'll ever see a dime from them - I can just see it coming. And I have ZERO tolerance for them if they go that route - I'll challenge them in court. It'll cost them a lot more to engage me legally than the mufflers are worth. Same thing goes for a never-delivered FedEx package to a Florida customer - FedEx has already told me "it shows it was delivered" & to pound sand. Going to court with them too. I have no place in my heart for this type of incompetence & dishonesty.

Somewhere in Spain there is a gnarly sounding Citroen rolling around...

I quit shipping valuable parts via USPS internationally for the same reason.

Be prepared to deal with backlash from your Canadian customers due to UPS brokerage fees, though.

Dr. Diff is correct, UPS is absolutely brutal to us north of the 49th. I got a real good taste of it when UPS brokered a clutch when they were told not to because it was being brokered by an independent broker. The UPS bill was 500 something, the independent broker bill was about 140.00 for the exact same service. UPS wanted the money and then offered to match the independent broker bill, which I declined.
USPS to Canada Post is the best way for smaller stuff to Canada in terms of cost.
For bigger, heavier stuff, the other way that I used with Dr.Diff, is to have it shipped to Montana Mailbox by whatever means, and let Montana Mailbox(aka DYK Post) bring it across the border and broker it. A lot of places offer free shipping or reasonable shipping within the US, using DYK works out quite a bit cheaper
than UPS, but it takes them 1-2 weeks to process it.
For work stuff I use a commercial FEDEX account with an independent broker, but some of the packages look like they were kicked all the way here.

No ones tried DHL? I used to use them to ship semi world wide and they seemed ok for the most part.

I just quit shipping outside the 48, too much is lost or more likely stolen.

Don't forget USPS is looking at a rate increase at the end of the month. For first class from $.55 to $.58 (buy your rolls of forever stamps now). Periodical rates are going up from 0-50% for the myriad of ways they charge, by zone, weight, and advertising percentage. Best guess right now is that it'll average out to a 10% increase. Look for an increase in your newspaper/magazine rates if you get printed matter. I can't figure out why they increase the rates then complain when volume drops as people turn to online options...

I just shipped a 6" square box from Rockford, IL to Ontario and got lucky I guess, guy got it in 7 days USPS! Of course I had to fill out a form and it cost $27 for $28 worth of used parts, but it did get there! I have another customer who wants stainless Dart windshield molding, I can't wait to see what that will cost in a 5' long tube!

Uh-Oh - didn't even realize this! I'll let my two customers know these are on their way via UPS & ask them to inform me what "tolls" they end up paying UPS. In all my 18 years of shipping with the USPS, these two were the first losses. Some orders took almost a month to arrive, but they always made it. As far as the mufflers going to Spain - they were for a C3 Corvette sidepipe car. People don't put my mufflers on Citroens! That's an insult!

And DHL? You got a quote from them lately? I did about 6 months ago just for the halibut - pair of mufflers to Australia they wanted $450.00 or thereabouts! USPS was like $130.00. They are PROUD of their service!

I AGREE.

I have been shipping to northern Europe, New Zealand and Australia ONLY. I use UPS Worldwide Expedited. Its fast. Costs about as much as international Priority Mail and worst case the customers have to pay a $10usd "brokerage fee". UPS Standard is cheaper. A bit slower. But the customer get stung with a $35usd brokerage fee. If they dont know that up front and learn the hard way they get angry Canadians will have to do their civic duty and pay taxes too . Canada has the LOWEST de minimis in the world at like $18usd. Basically means anything purchased internationally over $18usd Canadians have to pay taxes on!?!?! In the US, New Zealand and Australia it's like $800usd

Bottom line, you can NOT ship to Canada via mail. USPS is TERRIBLE. Canada and the UK postal are actually worse!

I don't ship to anywhere below Texas or to Europe (except Sweden, Norway, Finland). 50% loses/theft. I let distributors handle Europe and Canada now.

I don't understand the package stuck in Madrid situation?? -- USPS needs to co-ordinate with the Spanish postal equivalent to get the package out of USA employee hands/USPS plane and into Spain employee hands/ Spanish truck..... but maybe spain is refusing it because some of the import documentation is inccorrect...
Could this be a problem on the Spanish post office / customs - side of things, and not with the USPS ??

I mean its not a USA citizen driving a US registered postal service Jeep down Spanish roads in Europe to get this package to the final destination in Madrid.

Once it leaves the US & arrives at foreign customs, USPS has no involvement from there on. It's at the mercy of the local postal services.
Canada isn't to bad in that regards, but others? Good Luck.

2 losses out of what 1,000's? Don't complain; that a really good record.

I sure would like to know what's going on with the postal/shipping services that come north of the 49th. I just sent two relatively large parcels to a buyer in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I dropped them off at the Post Office 7/27. He Facebooked me to tell me everything arrived in good shape on 8/2. Less than a week for TWO large parcels.

But anything coming my way.... oh my gawd.... it's like pulling teeth. For whatever reason, everything is being routed through Kentucky, then sent out to Customs. Canada Customs takes at least a week to process and they're all back east. Then it takes ANOTHER week for it to cross Canada. I'd certainly like to know what the mail processing plant in Vancouver or Federal Way, WA are doing these days.

I had a seller ship an 8-track tape from Pulman, Wa. Shore 'nuff, it got trucked off to Kentucky, then to New York, then Ontario, Calgary and finally to me. Took almost a MONTH.

Yet that tape deck and stuff I sent off the SLOWEST, Cheapest way took 6 days to Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Chalk that up to just another reason why I want out of Canada. Been waiting almost a month now for an engine bolt kit, side marker lights and tranny lines for my truck. Insane.....

Agreed, UPS is brutal to Canadians, but I learned my lesson shipping FedEx US into Canada at the customer's request, FedEx then hits my account later with all the fees/VAT/etc after the delivery regardless of the shipping quote, I can't pass that on to the customer....plus FedEx just plain sucks for service, lately it seems you need to speak Spanish or some form of sand niga to communicate with them.....I've been using UPS for over 35 years in the US/Canada.Europe/SE Asia/Australia/New Zealand/Japan/etc/etc....I've only had one claim/loss in 35 yrs and it was handled promptly.....

When you ship internationally there are a few things to consider.

First, you have to accurately describe and categorize the stuff you are sending. If you list an incorrect harmonized tariff code your delivery might get returned or stuck. This happened to me recently drop shipping to Canada when my supplier sent fiber optic cables but used the code for copper cables. Little mistakes become big problems with import/export.

I don't think anyone here has to worry about defense items, so we can skip that nightmare.

Next, there are duties/tariffs/VATs that have to be paid. These are either going to be backcharged to YOU the shipper, or will be charged to to recipient. These are based on the category of the goods as well as the value (which is why a full commercial invoice is required). I never, ever pay those (learned my lesson) and ship everything DDU (deliver duty unpaid). Sometimes you need to get the tax ID of the recipient and put that into the shipping docs. That is how it works for me when I *import* things - I will pay my supplier for the goods and for the shipping cost, then later I will get a bill from DHL for the duties and brokerage fees. This is normal, and I expect it. Your customers should also expect it - no way should you as the vendor and shipper be on the hook for those charges.

Finally, there are broker fees. The fees from DHL seem to be the most reasonable. These, also, you cannot escape, and should be the responsibility of the recipient. You can ask to have these estimated, but do not guarantee the final cost to the customer. They are the ones *importing* and that always comes with some risk and uncertainty.

The last thing I will mention is that if you ship regularly and/or are shipping to some esoteric country, you should check to see if a freight forwarder might be more economical. I used them for shipments to Sweden and Trinidad and they made were easier and cheaper than Fedex/UPS/DHL and have must better customer service and will be responsible for delivery to the final destination.

(edited to add)

If your customer asks you to send a doctored up invoice that shows the sale for less money so that they will pay less duty, DO NOT DO IT. You are signing your name to a legal document when you fill out the export forms. Do not write that you are sending gifts or some other nonsense. Be safe about it - Uncle Sam don't play.

Being in Canada I've never had a problem receiving packages sent by USPS other then the slowness.With UPS sometimes their insane fees when they knock on your door can be as much as the item you are buying. Usually if someone doesn't ship with USPS I won't buy from them for that reason unless they are using a private broker which usually keeps the costs down and you can see the actual total shipping price ahead of time.

I've been stuck in limbo since the borders were shut down because I have a US address to avoid this crap but can't get down there to pick stuff up!! It's not just the UPS type fees but most places including a lot of ebay sellers have free shipping in the US but charge the second it's being sent across the border and suddenly that $80 part usually ends up with at least another $30-$40 on top of it.

My biggest issue with USPS is the tracking. Once it hits a sorting station destined for Canada tracking stops. Some tracking numbers Canada post recognizes but it won't track. You'd think with the shipping back and forth between the two countries they could easily work it out properly that once the package is scanned into the others system you could track it from that countries website.

I've had the best luck shipping internationally by listing the stuff on ebay and shipping through their international shipping program. You send the package via USPS to a US address (in Kentucky I believe) and they do the rest. Never had an issue that way.

But get hammered in Ebay fees



,

Then this post followed yours & THIS one is correct:

Once it leaves the US & arrives at foreign customs, USPS has no involvement from there on. It's at the mercy of the local postal services.
Canada isn't to bad in that regards, but others? Good Luck.

----------------------------

I went to my local post office just yesterday & we discussed the Spain delivery. The clerk told me once it's out of our country, it's out of their hands. And they cannot coordinate with the Spaniards to get the "proper" documentation so this package can be delivered. So the USPS offers no solutions other than "if it's over 30 days, you can file for a loss." I started looking at the claim procedure & it looks WAAAAAY more complicated than it ought to be. I'll be spending hours on chasing these two. What a crock of $hit.

I'm still waiting for a package from GA. sent via Fed Ex on 7-23. Was supposed to be here on
7-26
7-28
8-2
8-3
8-4 and now 8-5
I don't think it matters which carrier these days, IMO they have all hit the since the Covid thing. It's become kind of like gambling

FWIW,

I called Newmar Corp in Nappanee, Indiana on June 8 to order twelve small window blind clips.

Newmar sent them by USPS regular mail, small padded envelope on June 9.

The envelope arrived August 3. Envelope was fine, wasn't opened and taped again, and the address label was correct.

Almost two months for a small padded envelope is a bit much but at least it arrived.

Mike.

At least there keeping you in the loop.

Yes, they all suck at one time or another.

Speaking of Canada Post + USPS...

This spring I ordered a small nearly-unobtainium electronic part from a store in B.C.... it took two full weeks. Came the same day as another envelope from California. Both padded envelopes had obviously been run over by a cart. Good thing he didn't put a "Fragile" sticker on it!

Luckily the very rare part (a hybrid sampling bridge for a Tek S-4 head, if you're interested ) is mounted in a tough aluminum block, and survived.

I dont ship internationally but .. my wife sent a small package via USPS to a friend that lives about 20 miles away and it took over two weeks to arrive... I had a fiberglass bumper for sale for $50 and weighed about 8 lbs. the UPS shipping cost was about $80 to just about anywhere in the U.S. I am starting to see that some things I try to sell aren't worth the shipping costs and hassle.

"The S-4 sampling gate is based upon a traveling wave trapped-charge transmission line in which the sampling window is set by the propagation time of a pulse edge through a thick-film transmission line. This technique requires only a sharp pulse edge rather than a precise pulse width, which is harder to generate. The sampling diodes are housed in a special coaxial connector that provides a high bandwidth signal path."

Now my head hurts.

So some parts ithat I ordered got shipped UPS instead of USPS as I asked. UPS phones me for brokerage payment, I ask what is the declared value, the UPS person says 160.00, I ask what the brokerage charges are, he tells me 82.00 dollars. I instruct the UPS person not to broker the parts, I give him the info for my broker, he says it has now been assigned to my broker.
I call my broker, give them the freight info, tracking etc, he emails UPS to release the package clearance to him, UPS responds that they can't release the paperwork to my broker without my authorization, which I already did an hour before.i'm not sure where its at now. My broker will charge me about 35-40 for the brokerage.

The Northern Kentucky International Airport
(official name, but in reality Cincinnati's major airport)
has been in the news because Amazon made it their in house airline package delivery hub
after KY State gov gave them large subsidy money
and promised to build up the airport just like they did for much longer established UPS sorting facility at the Louisville Airport.

So eBay and USPS have close by
operations/sorting centers/warehouses
for international package delivery?

My fuzzy memory is that years ago when DHS had plans to become equal to Federal Express they had a big operation there.

Historical Tidbit:
On the first international flight from that airport,
KY’s then female governor Martha Layne Collins flew along,
ate her airline meal (unknown to her it had a glass sliver in the food)
started bleeding internally and had to go to a UK Hospital for emergency treatment.

Yes, things can go wrong at that airport.

That land area across the river from Ohio used to be almost totally controlled by organized crime, up to roughly 1965.

I think there is a book roughly titled:
Before there was Las Vegas, It all happened in Newport KY

On the other hand, the founder of the USA version of the Boy Scouts was from that area.

I ordered a $200 item from Germany May 13th and still have not seen it, think its lost forever thanks USPS

NOTHING works anymore.

I finally received the package on 8-6 and believe it or not, another identical item shipped from the same exact location on 8-4 showed up today 8-6. Both by Fed ex. So again I say it's like gambling IMO

plans to slow mail delivery

Whata buncha NEGATIVE NANCYs !

In the recent past I’ve gotten a bunch of shipments though MEDIA MAIL .....

Almost ROCKET SHIP delivery

what was in those packages ? "asian babes at the beach" monthly ?

I can say for me USPS has been the best out of the three overall.

Sorry, mine was glass for a 70 Chevelle, (DUCKING) hey it's a customers car

you don't hafta duck ! i know yours would be normal, but DoC, well, he's kinda got "strange" tastes............
and i forgot to tell ya, when i get my next armored car "delivery", i'll send ya some "cash" so ya can pay it forward ..............

Forgive mopX for being a little negatory

It’s GOTTA BE ruff living around the North Pole ....with only seasonal USPS delivery!

Delivery from all companies will continue to provide unhappiness. I ordered a $70 exhaust resonator pipe for my wifes car on June 18th from Rock Auto. $70 pipe and $15 Fed Ex shipping. Went to order EXACT same exhaust pipe today wed 8/11 (I have 2 identical daily drivers) and the same Fed Ex shipping is now $176!!!!!!!!!!! The cheapest shipping offered now at RA on this pipe is R&L Carriers at $147. I don't think this is the peak of the craziness either.

Tuesday Wall Street Journal has article pageB10
about how Mattel, Hersey, McCormick Spice Co, EIf Beauty Company
all having severe shipping problems.

With shipping so disrupted
Uber and Lift should consider offering “daisy chain” package delivery
where vehicles heading in the general direction
hand off packages so that they eventually make their journey to the customer.

Kind of like a human hitch hiker who goes from New York City to Los Angeles bumming rides.

One story that I have heard from the WW-II generation is that if you were wearing your uniform during that period you could hitch hike amazingly well from a military base to your home and back because drivers were highly motivated to help you.

Similar stories are leaking out of Cuba about how formal public transportation has broken down, but ordinary “non-elite” Cubans are helping one another travel in makeshift ways.

UPS is not going to be outdone! https://www.ktvu.com/news/ups-worker-arrested-on-delivery-route-in-piedmont-after-caught-stealing

Once Amazon gets their package delivery service completely up and running it should free up the other three for getting back to normal.

THEN a 2nd theft occurs when the intended customer calls the seller/retailer and demands a replacement. PLEASE don't say insurance will pick it up. After 15 years I have NEVER been able to collect on UPS or USPS insurance. Both make you fill out 100 pages of forms and documentation hoping you will throw in the towel. They are correct in my case.

But it's a write off, you can write it off!

Could just be your UPS area/division distribution hub....I've only had 1 claim with UPS in the last 35+ yrs of shipping world wide with them, the claim was about 5 yrs ago on a damaged shipment (forktruck tracks across the crushed box/contents) one phone call to UPS rep, and a check for the insured amount was issued, no paper work, I had the customer return the box to a UPS depot for inspection, along with the driver's note of damage when delivered....I always specify that my customers note/document with the driver/UPS any and all damage to a shipping container no matter how minor.....now FedEx on the other hand is a sh1t service at any end of the spectrum, I refuse to use them....

You can take something to a UPS store, pay to have THEM pack it after selling you a box and packing materials, buy insurance, and then have a claim denied because "the article was not packed correctly." They don't care.

I got paid $375 from postal, a 3 foot long crated item that the driver opened the back of the tall van and pulled from about 5 feet up and watched it hit the concrete then drive picked it up and brought to buyers porch who happened to have two camera views.

But they have stupid loopholes in there favor on claims. Like I dont think one can win with a cash deal at the post office and a simple Ins. receipt.... they want every single related doc and then some, running the transaction through a business is in the persons favor..... and then you wait like 3 months for a check.

I bought 20 window molding clips on ebay on 8-24. the seller shipped them the same day USPS. They were due on the 28th.On the 27th they were purportedly in Lenexa Ks, just outside of KC (good). On the 28th they arrived in Wichita KS which is ~ 200 miles south west (the wrong way) (not good). Since then they have been reported to have left Wichita and are in transit to the next distribution center and will be arriving late.
I'm thinking the next distribution center is in Siberia.
I have asked for a refund
As i said earlier, it's like rolling the dice

Cut the seller some slack here. Probably went 1sr class & that is low priority.
Smaller items do tend to get miss-sorted at times, but usually gets there.
Better late then never.

While we're at it, look at this tracking history via FedEx - start at the bottom & go up. One muffler for a customer about 70 miles away in Michigan. I dropped this off at a FedEx ship center (Walgreens) on Wed. Aug. 25. STILL not delivered! Why the hell did this box get sent to TN. & NC? Why don't they route it through Alaska for chrissakes! I'm thinking it may NEVER get there, & if it does not, FedEx will not pay for a lost package - they will tell me to pound sand like 3 other times. What complete incompetence. I'm SO sick of this crap.


Thursday, September 2, 2021
8:41 PM PERRYSBURG, OH Departed FedEx location

11:45 AM PERRYSBURG, OH Arrived at FedEx location
8:42 AM PERRYSBURG, OH In transit

Wednesday, September 1, 2021
9:18 AM KERNERSVILLE, NC Departed FedEx location

12:25 AM KERNERSVILLE, NC Shipment exception Barcode label unreadable and replaced
Tuesday, August 31, 2021

8:49 PM KERNERSVILLE, NC Arrived at FedEx location
Monday, August 30, 2021

10:59 PM ARLINGTON, TN In transit

11:54 AM PERRYSBURG, OH Departed FedEx location
Saturday, August 28, 2021

8:46 AM PERRYSBURG, OH Departed FedEx location

4:25 AM PERRYSBURG, OH Arrived at FedEx location

Friday, August 27, 2021
10:13 PM LAKE ORION, MI Left FedEx origin facility

9:10 PM LAKE ORION, MI Arrived at FedEx location

3:43 PM LAKE ORION, MI Picked up
Thursday, August 26, 2021

8:16 PM HIGHLAND, MI Dropped off at FedEx OnSite-WALGREENS 9252 Package received after final location pickup has occurred. Scheduled for pickup next business day.

7:46 PM Shipment information sent to FedEx

The excuse I've seen is that many UPS stores are franchisee-owned (not directly owned by UPS), so UPS is not responsible if a non-corporate store did the packing!
What a racket.

I do know that years back ALL of their packages went through TN as it was their main hub. Even if it was being shipped a block away it went through TN. Don't know if things have changed or not but that was the case several years back.

Didn't make sense to me but that is the way their system worked

I have, by waiting 4 additional days. I'd love to wait more but I have a car that need to be finished and it's delaying the progress. So I bought them elsewhere yesterday and they will be here tomorrow. BTW they are still not showing any movement since the 28th.

in my OPINION, if you took the independent contractor to small claims court for improper packing it would be a slam dunk judgement in your favor.

1st class or priority: big difference in how handled. A small 1st class envelope will get mixed in with 1st class boxes.
Some only use priority regardless of weight for this reason.
But it does 2x the charges in many cases.
Only thing worst would be media mail

Day....ummm ... all these negative Nancy’s ..

Getting a back rear aftermarket panel for the Charger in today from LA CA ....

It was sent on Tuesday ...

The D/A shipped it 1st class likely to save the $$. Now it's going to cost him more through a lost sale and return cost if it ever shows up. He's already blown it by it not getting here by the 28th as stated in the listing. So per Ebay that's an automatic refund even if it does show up later.

I don't think anyone can do anything correctly any more. I ordered some cheese spread from an Amazon seller. Shipped USPS and gave me a tracking number. Tracking number shows item delivered, I didn't get it. Go to local post office, they look at tracking number, it is for a different package to a different address. In the meantime seller contacts me and claims the package is lost and issues me a refund. So I re-order from the same company. This time they use FedEx. Tracking number says item left on front porch. Maybe so, but it wasn't my front porch. Contacted seller and once more they issue a refund. Thinking third time's a charm I try to re-order again this morning and guess what? Unavailable. I guess giving away all that free cheese spread broke them.