Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[H-Ranch]

They are a Fn disaster!!

I get a discount for UPS and use them for anything except greeting cards. Just can’t trust that things will get delivered

I would be interested to see how Amazon would do if they were contracted to deliver mail - they already go everyplace anyway. I'm no Amazon fan, but you have to admit that they have logistics down, at least stuff coming from their fulfillment centers.

 

[svk]

I would be interested to see how Amazon would do if they were contracted to deliver mail - they already go everyplace anyway. I'm no Amazon fan, but you have to admit that they have logistics down, at least stuff coming from their fulfillment centers.

The federal government has repeatedly shown that they cannot operate a business at a profit. I think a well run, private company could do a much better job because they could eliminate levels of bureaucracy and inefficiency.

Also I’ve said this before. I’d happily pay MORE for postage than I’m currently paying if it came with some sort of guaranteed arrival.

 

[svk]

You hear of mail abuses all the time. Bags of mail pillaged for any cash and the rest dropped over a ditch bank etc. No I’m not talking valors either. Real mail.

 

[svk]

At least most of our bills can now be paid online rather than risking “check in the mail”

 

[LondonNeil]

I think that's the issue Steve, a postage stamp needs to be much much more expensive.

 

[svk]

The crazy thing is USPS jacked their priority package rates way up and then took away guaranteed delivery times from Priority (now it’s “expected” delivery). They more or phased out first class package delivery to force people to priority then quietly turned priority into first class.

 

[Philbert]

I would be interested to see how Amazon would do if they were contracted to deliver mail

Amazon delivers to high volume areas, and contacts with the USPS, UPS, etc. for other areas. Easier to do things when you can pick and choose.

They ship their stuff on their terms. They don’t deal with people mailing poorly wrapped chainsaws, live chickens, or deal with international postal treaties and regulations.

Not saying USPS can’t improve.

Philbert

 

[svk]

I think that's the issue Steve, a postage stamp needs to be much much more expensive.

Like I said I’d be fine paying a buck an envelope if they can get it there in a reasonable time.

If I wanted to mail a letter from my hometown to the neighboring town (4 miles away) it gets hauled 3 hours away to be sorted then sent back to the neighboring town. They took the stupidity one step further. Now LOCAL mail within my zip code goes to the regional hub to be sent back to my town a week later!!

 

[svk]

Amazon delivers to high volume areas, and contacts with the USPS, UPS, etc. for other areas. Easier to do things when you can pick and choose.

They ship their stuff on their terms. They don’t deal with people mailing poorly wrapped chainsaws, live chickens, or deal with international postal treaties and regulations.

Not saying USPS can’t improve.

Philbert

Right and USPS foolishly agreed to deliver their packages at rates at which they can’t make a profit. “Losing money on every piece but making it up in volume”.

 

[Philbert]

USPS jacked their priority package rates way up and then took away guaranteed delivery times from Priority (now it’s “expected” delivery)

‘Priority Mail’ has always been ‘expected’. You want ‘guaranteed’ you pay for ‘Express Mail’.

Philbert

 

[H-Ranch]

The federal government has repeatedly shown that they cannot operate a business at a profit. I think a well run, private company could do a much better job because they could eliminate levels of bureaucracy and inefficiency.

Also I’ve said this before. I’d happily pay MORE for postage than I’m currently paying if it came with some sort of guaranteed arrival.

To be fair, *most* mail is delivered. And the possibility for theft occurs with every service (at least those involving humans.) But it's quite possible it may be able to be done quicker and cheaper. USPS was created in a different era when there wasn't another mechanism to deliver messages (electronic and physical) to every address in the country and it may have outlived it's usefulness.

 

[sean donato]

I have a ups store in town from me, and a post office a bit closer. Between lost, and long transit times, I now shipp everything with ups. Insure it, and on the odd event something happens to the package its covered. I git the run around from the post office too many times, when dealing with tracked packages that mysteriously dissapeared and they wouldnt stand good for it. If they could clean up their mess, I'd happily use them again. But at this point I dont think $5.00 for regular mail could fix the kind of stupid usps does.

 

[muddstopper]

Last USPS package from Midway was ordered on Nov 28 and delivered Dec 18. And nobody at the USPS or Midway could tell me where it was after being shipped on Dec 6 until the day it arrived on my porch. Midway did offer to refund or replace my order, but the problem was the 8mm bullets I ordered where now out of stock. Lot of good reordering would have done. Lot of out of stock lately. Just a few minutes ago BassPro sent me a email saying they had 9mm bullets on sale. Went to site and site says out of stock. Most of been one heck of a sale to sale out the minute the email was sent.

 

[svk]

‘Priority Mail’ has always been ‘expected’. You want ‘guaranteed’ you pay for ‘Express Mail’.

Philbert

They used to guarantee delivery. They quietly slipped it to expected several years back.

 

[chipper1]

And the possibility for theft occurs with every service (at least those involving humans.) But it's quite possible it may be able to be done quicker and cheaper.

So you're saying we can pay less than union wages to have our mail stolen .
Are you talking politics again .

 

[chipper1]

Insure it, and on the odd event something happens to the package its covered.

Have you ever dealt with trying to make a claim on a package, your odds of getting your money are about the same as dying from covid .

 

[svk]

To be fair, *most* mail is delivered. And the possibility for theft occurs with every service (at least those involving humans.) But it's quite possible it may be able to be done quicker and cheaper. USPS was created in a different era when there wasn't another mechanism to deliver messages (electronic and physical) to every address in the country and it may have outlived it's usefulness.

I don’t disagree but I think the percentage of undelivered mail could be a fraction of what it is.

No matter how much electronic delivery increases, there will always be a need to deliver parcels and original documents.

 

[chipper1]

FIXED!!!

That is a problem, the good thing is I keep the big bills in the other pocket .

 

[svk]

Have you ever dealt with trying to make a claim on a package, your odds of getting your money are about the same as dying from covid .

Yes and IIRC the shipper needs to file the claim.....not always easy when you buy online and have to rely on a person who you don’t know (and already got paid for the product) to process the claim on your behalf.

The recipient should be able to bring the mangled package to the closest PO and file the claim.

 

[chipper1]

Yes and IIRC the shipper needs to file the claim.....not always easy when you buy online and have to rely on a person who you don’t know (and already got paid for the product) to process the claim on your behalf.

The recipient should be able to bring the mangled package to the closest PO and file the claim.

Yep, try shipping a package to another country for $123 and have it rejected and then they don't give you your cash back.
Edit it was not opened and it only made it to Chicago, it was rejected because it had "dangerous goods", not hazardous like fuel. I had checked and chainsaws/chains were not on the countries dangerous goods list .