[rozwado1]

You walk into UPS and tell them you need to send something somewhere by a certain date. You get a price, they print a label out and you leave the package for them to take care of.

You walk into the US post office and there's a bazillion different ways to send one package to a place. The mailing 'classes' they have don't price the same for letters and packages. There's 100 different government forms to fill out and no logical way to figure out the price until you're up at the counter on the scales. And on top of all that, they put the price paid on the package - great for eBay.

**I just had to mail a pkg to the UK, so I look online and it says Priority Int'l is the cheapest route, so I go there and fill out the Priority address label and stick it on my pkg. Mind you that it's the only address label available. Then they tell me that since I used the Priority address label, my price i double and I should just write directly on the package. They gave me a customs form to fill out. OK, peeled off the label and rewrote. Filled out customs form. I go back up to the counter (to the same lady) and she gives me a totally different price and tells me that the customs form I filled out won't work (she gave it to me 2 mins before).

[Dakar the Fourth]

Hell, I've found the USPS to be more reliable than UPS. UPS blows.

[silver]

Sorry you had a bad time with U.S Postal. I on the other hand had a very easy time just by doing all the paperwork online which took all of 5 minutes, then printed out the label, took the Box(G5) to the post office where they weight the Box again, paid the difference which was like $5 and away I go.

By the way the Box was shipped from Hawaii to Canada and total shipping came out to $101 as opposed to UPS, they wanted $250.00.


Cheers

[osiris]

USPS or UPS - I think they're actually the same people, because the results are often the same: Confusion, dismay, horror, abandonment... etc. Besides, they're only one letter apart - like, that's so frickin obvious.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by osiris 

USPS or UPS - I think they're actually the same people, because the results are often the same: Confusion, dismay, horror, abandonment... etc.

Sounds like they hire from the ranks of your 'loyal' minions.

[osiris]

At least I don't rent mine.

[Dakar the Fourth]

It's called a lease with an option to buy, and it's very sensible considering the way they depreciate.

[osiris]

Originally Posted by Dakar the Fourth 

It's called a lease with an option to buy, and it's very sensible considering the way they depreciate.

Considering your recent track record, I would say that was a wise investment.

[Dakar the Fourth]

This coming from the guy who has minions leaving to go work for UPS.

[osiris]

And your guys don't moonlight at the USPS? Pah-leeze.
No wonder no one gets their mail.

[Dakar the Fourth]

No they don't actually. It's their wives, and they only do it for the healthplan.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by rozwado1

You walk into the US post office and there's a bazillion different ways to send one package to a place. The mailing 'classes' they have don't price the same for letters and packages.

Yes, it sucks to have a choice and possibly save hundreds of dollars.
If you go to UPS, you'll get the most expensive rate right from the get go.

-t

[osiris]

Hmm. That's what my minions say too. Apparently aspirin isn't good enough for flesh wounds.
Damn the anti-slavery laws.

[glideslope]

Never had issues with the USPS. 2 years ago UPS left a Viewsonic 20" on my front porch. A signature was required. UPS' response was, "hey you got it, right?"

Anything of high value should be FedX 2 day. FedX Ground is like UPS.

[Cold Warrior]

Never any issues with the USPS. Better service, better prices, and better delivery than UPS. FedEx gets too anal about delivery.

[andi*pandi]

if you use the automated USPS postal machine, you get to see how much the different options cost before buying... and if you know how much your package weighs, you can print out labels at home that don't show the price of shipping.

[FireWire]

Originally Posted by rozwado1 

And on top of all that, they put the price paid on the package - great for eBay.

So you can't scam people by charging them 4 times the price you paid for shipping? to you...

I once paid around 10$ in shipping to a seller for getting a small display adapter, only to find out he simply put it in a regular enveloppe with a regular 0.48$ stamp..

[Laminar]

Well, you have to understand, it's a $9.52 envelope.

[Arty50]

What I want to know is if there is any way to pay the USPS to not deliver junk mail to my box. It's wrong on so many levels.

[ghporter]

I think the OP's problem comes from not being familiar with international mail. Anything that isn't just a letter generally needs to have some sort of customs documentation with it, whether it's going to the UK or Uganda. My wife had to use a customs declaration whenever she sent me stuff through the APO system (completely under the control of the U.S. Government the whole way) while I was overseas. It's not that bad, but it does help to just go to the Post Office and tell the folks behind the counter "this is what I want to do-what are my options and what will it cost?" I've found postal workers to be very helpful folks, even during our recent, annual postal hysteria that is "Christmas Mailing Season."

[KeriVit]

I have had quite nice luck and experience with the USPS. Not sure what the big issue is. It's cheap, reliable and you have a variety of choices.

[smacintush]

I've only sent packages once via USPS but I have received many. Always been very prompt delivery.

[mitchell_pgh]

From my experience, UPS, FedEx and the USPS are great, until something goes wrong. At that point, you literally know as much as they do, and crossing your fingers is about the only solution... hoping that it comes out at the other end.

My sister regularly sends me packages via the USPS, and from Erie, PA to DC, it takes two days... not bad for $4... considering it would cost me hundreds of dollars to pick it up myself.

[ghporter]

The only problem my wife and I have ever had with USPS packages was one Priority Mail box (the little VHS-sized box) that got lost. One. We filed a claim and they paid off on the insurance after apparently doing a pretty thorough search for the lost box. We make sure we hand packages to a clerk now, and that's pretty much taken care of that. Otherwise no sweat.

[RAILhead]

Maybe you shouldn't overcharge for shipping if you're ashamed of having the price printed on the label...?

[rozwado1]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

Maybe you shouldn't overcharge for shipping if you're ashamed of having the price printed on the label...?

Well, I always charge a bit cheaper than the going rate. Bakc when I started on ebay, I would refund the extra shipping. After paypal raised their rates it became a hassle. Everybody knows that shipping costs on ebay are a high guess - I'd just rather not see the actual price paid when I get my package, since not much can be done about it at that point.

As for the USPS, the customer service part is just a Miami problem. This city has the worst customer service I've ever experienced on a broad scale.

Don't you guys think USPS could be simplified? if you look in their site, you get:
Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Post, Media Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express mail Int'l, Priority Int'l, first-class int'l and more...

I don't understand the concept of having 'cool names' for their shipping services and I think it just leads to unnecessary confusion. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to just to have it labeled Domestic (overnight, 2-day, 3-day, 1 week) and International (overnight, 2-day, etc...)

[imitchellg5]

USPS in my area is fine for sending packages, but it takes forever to get packages from the northeast. It took me two weeks to get RAM from OWC that I ordered two day shipping on. The Post Office confirmed that it had been shipped with two day shipping only about 12 hours after I ordered it, but it ended up taking forever to get. It was great, especially since I needed the RAM in three days after I ordered.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by rozwado1 

I don't understand the concept of having 'cool names' for their shipping services and I think it just leads to unnecessary confusion. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to just to have it labeled Domestic (overnight, 2-day, 3-day, 1 week) and International (overnight, 2-day, etc...)

It's called "branding." You see, most consumers are actually too stupid to pour (water) out of a boot, so they have to have catchy names for things or they can't remember them. Seriously, the majority of people you run into can't do much more than checkbook algebra, can't fathom how to program the bloody time in their VCRs, and have no clue how to figure out what "domestic" shipping means. Welcome to the Marketing World.