Shipping issues… is this normal?

[TDM]

I waited 3 weeks for one small part from TOW sent USPS. It is indeed a sign of the times we live in now.

 

[jimhallam]

I sent my very expensive Martin D28 guitar to my daughter in Williamsburg Va. It stayed in Memphis for almost three weeks before being forwarded to her. In good shape, undamaged, but late. Seems we can't ship anything by any service properly and safely.

Lucky man.
In the days when I was involved in the "Singers Club" in London (Peggy Seeger / Ewan MacColl) I had a Martin 0021 --- wish that I had never sold it ;-( Same as Peggy S's "spare" Vega long-neck 5-string which she had sold me.

 

[Hermit Tim]

I've lost two packages since June with the USPS. Both were lost once they arrived in Memphis.

RM

Nashville is my problem. Make most of my living selling handmade BP stuff and leather work online and, since about Sept. 2019, the USPS loses about as much as they deliver. UPS is a little better but I haven't used Fedex. Nashville is the hub where packages go to die. Example: I'm in Tennessee. Sent some custom made garden tools (dibbers) to a guy in Ohio. Nashville sent it to California. This stuff is common and I am beginning to think it is planned.

 

[smo]

I live between N’ville & Memphis…

I’ve had packages go back and forth between the two locations more than once prior too reaching their destinations..

 

[Acorn Mush]

I recently sent a package to Brad Emig at Cabin Creek Muzzleloading in Hallam PA, to the street address shown on their website, via USPS Priority Mail. The package was returned to me one week later, in perfect shape, but with a P.O. label over the address that read "Unable to deliver, insufficient address". I removed the label to find the label I had glued and clear-taped to the package in perfect condition! I then called Cabin Creek to double-check the address, thinking I had gotten something wrong. Nope! Address was correct - and been so for only about 100 or so years. A visit to my local P.O. and a chat with the Postmaster revealed that the United States Postal Service does not have that address in their computer system, and the package was therefore undeliverable! The package had been scanned 4 or 5 times at the York, PA post office (same ZIP code but about 3 miles away), and the address not found. This was very hard to believe and I asked for a refund of the $14.85 postage I had paid them, since the address is quite clear and can be easily located on Google Earth. No such luck. If it ain't in their damn computer, it ain't a real address! Ultimately I had to pay that amount again to send the package to Mr. Emig's home which appears to be about 100 feet from the shop, but faces another street with an address that the Post Office could thankfully find its way to. At least, the USPS online tracking system says it has been delivered. Perhaps I should call Mr. Emig one more time, just to make sure.

 

[Coolhand]

If the employees at these shipping companies are in the same category as the ones my company has been hiring, I can see why packages get lost or cannot find the destination. I don’t see how most people can even whips their own butts anymore! There is no gumption these days.

 

[Fisherking]

I shipped a package from central Pa to northern Idaho about 6 weeks back. It went via Fedex since it was very long, but packed well and the entire package and label was covered in clear tape. Fedex claimed the label was unreadable in travelling 30 miles or less from the drop off point to their hub. It made its way to somewhere in southern Idaho, and then on to Troutdale where the label was unreadable again! It did eventually make it to is destination on the Idaho/BC border, but seemed to be in limbo with BS excuses for a couple of days.

USPS and UPS both have their own problems with theft theft and damage, so not just Fedex.

That is exactly what happened to me. I called the shipper and explained to them that it was stuck in Troutdale for an “unreadable label” for more than a week. The shipper requested it be returned. A week later, it is now on its way back here again (Seattle area) and is supposed to arrive Friday.

Wanna take bets?

 

[Hermit Tim]

I recently sent a package to Brad Emig at Cabin Creek Muzzleloading in Hallam PA, to the street address shown on their website, via USPS Priority Mail. The package was returned to me one week later, in perfect shape, but with a P.O. label over the address that read "Unable to deliver, insufficient address". I removed the label to find the label I had glued and clear-taped to the package in perfect condition! I then called Cabin Creek to double-check the address, thinking I had gotten something wrong. Nope! Address was correct - and been so for only about 100 or so years. A visit to my local P.O. and a chat with the Postmaster revealed that the United States Postal Service does not have that address in their computer system, and the package was therefore undeliverable! The package had been scanned 4 or 5 times at the York, PA post office (same ZIP code but about 3 miles away), and the address not found. This was very hard to believe and I asked for a refund of the $14.85 postage I had paid them, since the address is quite clear and can be easily located on Google Earth. No such luck. If it ain't in their damn computer, it ain't a real address! Ultimately I had to pay that amount again to send the package to Mr. Emig's home which appears to be about 100 feet from the shop, but faces another street with an address that the Post Office could thankfully find its way to. At least, the USPS online tracking system says it has been delivered. Perhaps I should call Mr. Emig one more time, just to make sure.

Wow... Your tax dollars at work.

 

[Nor'Easter]

Don't worry, once we switch to electric vehicles it will all be better!

 

[Fisherking]

^^^^. That made me laugh

 

[Hermit Tim]

Reply to Nor Easter:

As long as we don't have to go to electric ignition for our flintlocks. I can see it now: Instead of flint and steel there will be one of those electric gas grill lighters in place. And then, after 3 or 4 shots, that igniter battery will die and the postal service, UPS, and Fedex will jointly lose the replacement order. Yep. Can't wait...

 

[Nor'Easter]

Like Bannon said - there isn't a single adult in the building. The world is being run by petulant teenagers.

 

[oldwood]

I always shipped OOPS...(UPS) , never had a problem. Never used Fed. Recks.

 

[BigSkyRambler]

USPS is my go-to. Too many people read nefarious intent with UPS and FedEx, but the reality is they use lots of contract labor that treats packages very roughly. USPS has at least some oversight.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Looks readable to me. Some individual shipping offices whether FedEx, UPS or U.S. Mule want nothing to do with anything that might be firearm related. Forget laws, etc. Their non-reasoning is irrational. Good luck following up on this. BTW, I am waiting on several payments mailed to me for items I am selling that should have arrived before today. The old U.S. Mule must have broke down on the trail.

They finally arrived. No fault of the senders.

 

[sportster73hp]

Watched the tracking on musket caps with fed ex. When they finally arrived at my house I wasn’t home to sign for them because I actually Work! In my way home i saw a fed ex truck and stopped him to see if he had my package . He didn’t but contacted the other driver in the area and I sighed for them an hour later. Shows some of these guys care.

 

[Nameless Hunter]

I have covered my printed labels in clear tape with no reports of scanning failure so far. If I left it bare and it got wet, it would most likely become unreadable.

Same for me. I have covered my bar code and matrix code labels with clear tape for years and have never had an issue.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

We had one package that was sent to Austria, and ended up in Sidney Australia.
We now put a red circle with line thru it and a kangaroo head to show the post office not to send them to the wrong continent. The Austrians think its funny as heck.

 

[bldtrailer]

I'm waiting on Fedex now for a package from Idaho that went to washington state then to troutdale Oregon (bar code unreadable )then after 2 days headed east to Pa. USPS lost 30 pounds of chert from Colorado in Denver, after a month after the delivery date I asked my post master to look into it they showed a photo of a destroyed box now weighing 14 pounds and asked what did the rest look like, I told them "a BIG GREY ROCK .they claimed their machine did it and can't find the rest so off to the lost package "recovery ". I sent a package to my son in Colorado via USPS they sent it to an address 5 blocks from his saying it was delivered. they made no attempt to recover it Rocky Mountain High is now the work motto of USPS in Co. and every package I have gotten from the Brown truck guys has been open or destroyed, with the local shipping business telling me they have a 10 to 1 complaint on UPS vs Fedex for damage .
long story short I now drive the item when I can, Cabin creek muzzle loader 1 hour 20 min, Bobby Hoyt 2 1/2 hours.......

30 pounds of this is what they lost

 

[springfield art]

I ship internationally, and the shippers are losing more and more.
It seems the packages get to their DC then get lost.

I had one client who had to drive between two DCs for two days to get his package to stop being bounced between the two.

I gotta think in today's chaotic world, that theft & fraud are increasing across the board. I know nothing about this particular situation, but just sayin'.