USPS

I ordered a Megadrum module from the UK to the US via Royal Mail. They sent it to the Netherlands and it was never seen again.
 
That's better than my recent experience with UPS. I ordered a new guitar on Cyber Monday. It arrived at my local carrier facility and then apparently disappeared into a black hole, never to be seen again.
 
Looks like they're struggling. The USPS site now says:

ALERT: USPS IS EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED PACKAGE INCREASES AND LIMITED EMPLOYEE AVAILABILITY DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND REMAIN COMMITTED TO DELIVERING THE HOLIDAYS TO YOU.
 
Last week I watched the truck icon on the UPS "Follow My Delivery" map come within a block of my house, then blow me off and go back to the depot. The update then changed from "out for delivery" to "arriving tomorrow". They all suck.
 
It’s amaz
The hits just keep on comin'. This morning it said "Out for Delivery". 15 minutes ago it changed back to "In Transit". Now the USPS website is down.

They are experiencing extraordinary challenges this year when you consider the determined effort by the Postmaster General to run the USPS into the ground. Oh and also pandemic. And Xmas season. It’s amazing they’re holding up as well as they are.
 
On the flip side.
Thank God for USPS for U.S. zip codes outside of the continental USA!

UPS & FedEx are off the charts in rates! ☹️

Thank you FAS for providing this needed option to your customers!
 
So, thinking about this...We want the U.S. Government to manage our Health Care...I experienced government run health care while serving in the U.S. Military...I'll pass.
 
What are you worried about? The costs going up or the service going down or both?
I think the same arguments will apply to USPS, Fire departments, Medicare, etc
 
Sounds about right on delivery speed....I finally received and important letter from 6 1/2 hours driving time away. It took ten days. USPS should not be involved in shipping or elections.

Here in Oregon - we have been having mail in ballots for elections for almost 30 years, without issue.....
 
It never ends... Just received a notification that my UPS item was delivered (2 crash cymbals). No package anywhere to be seen. I know it wasn't stolen. They obviously got the wrong address.
 
So, thinking about this...We want the U.S. Government to manage our Health Care...I experienced government run health care while serving in the U.S. Military...I'll pass.
Personally I have been quite happy with our health care - wife is at 25 years of service and our health care has been great. ...not perfect, and not without issues, but no serious complaints. I guess it helps given her position and rank, though, so I will be honest with you there. :)
 
It never ends... Just received a notification that my UPS item was delivered (2 crash cymbals). No package anywhere to be seen. I know it wasn't stolen. They obviously got the wrong address.
This drives me crazy...I almost don't order anything after Dec 1 because the delivery mixups here in Miami are never ending.

I have enjoyed wondering what is in all these boxes that come to my house that aren't for me. I just take them to the right house if it is closel
 
Is a joke. I ordered a pedal on 12/7. I ordered from a nearby retailer because I thought I'd get it quickly. The retailer is roughly 100 miles away and, according to Google maps, less than a two-hour drive.

Here it is a week later and it still hasn't arrived. Took five days just to get to the local hub. Had I known the seller was going to use USPS I would've just ordered from Sweetwater.
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The USPS is is a joke no matter what time if the year, it's just that this time of the year their problems get magnified.
 
That is not the point. The sender chose USPS. US residents pay taxes to pay for a USPS. USPS is overworked, understaffed, outdated, abused and taken advantage of by larger shipping companies.

USPS does NOT use US tax dollars. It is 100% funded by it's sales of postage and services.

Point 1:
Unlike the private shippers, USPS does not own it's own aviation fleet.
USPS mail flies on commercial flights, and is entirely based on availability of space. Flights are down 45.9% since March 16.

Point 2: The new Postmaster General has enacted unprecedented, and entirely unnecessary network cuts Nationwide.
Transportation has been cut dramatically. Hasps, Hubs, transfer-points have been reworked and service has suffered. That is a fact.
(Seeing how he has over $10M invested in direct USPS competitors, make of his moves what you will. Quite a conflict.)

Point 3: This year's holiday package volume is far higher than ever before (at least by 35-45% so far).
People who will not be travelling are mailing. We also deliver the bulk of Amazon and UPS packages.
The volume has gotten so high, we have had to abandon the practice of acceptance scanning entirely in our office.
Delivery still gets scans, but the outgoing stuff is too heavy. We don't have the people or the time.

Add to that the cuts in ground transportation and the lack of commercial flights and you have a nightmare scenario. There are entire post offices and district administrative offices shut down because of employee COVID contractions and quarantines.

We have 9 clerks in my office. 4 Distribution and 5 Retail/Admin. 47 carrier routes and one Auxiliary. Our township has a population of 50,000+.
Our seasonal "Christmas Helpers" didn't show up again for the second year in a row. Our window of operation runs from when the first 2 clerks come in at 11pm until the last one leaves around 9pm the next night.

Today 12/14 we had over 14,000 packages (Not even counting letter mail and envelopes). Double our previous single-day record. Most carriers have been working 12-14 hour days, and all the clerks, as well. Six days a week. Some work Sundays too.
The lines at our retail window wrap around our building with social distancing. People have to line up outside.

This is my 20th Xmas at USPS, and by far the worst. The 3 of us in Retail have a workload that was done by 8 people just 4 years ago.
Since they restructured the pay-scale a few years ago, the retention rate of new Letter-Carriers is below 30%. The vast majority resign within 6 months.
 
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