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UPS, FedEx, or USPS...Who beats your stuff to shreds the worst?
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59 posts in this topic

Just curious what everyone thinks about their packages they receive and ship.  I was recently having a conversation with someone about who I liked best and it became clear through the course of the conversation that the reason I chose USPS is because they deliver items to me usually unharmed.  

 

So what's everyone else's preference?  Think about the amount of packages that have been damaged, how easy it was to resolve an insurance claim, and of course cost versus value.

I managed to get a Friday thread in with five minutes to spare!

 

 

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I've never had any problems with FedEx or UPS but I don't use them as often.  I've started to use FedEx a bit more and I've never had a box with so much as a dent.  USPS however, I've had some boxes arrive where I've just scratched my head while trying to figure out how it happened.  The worst USPS story is the time I received a medium flat rate box wrapped in probably 200 feet of saran wrap with an official letter within the layers stating the box had "been submerged in water for several days".  No course of action, but just an explanation of why the packaged looked like a wet kleenex.  Somehow, the ten raw books inside were completely unharmed.

Edited by comicquant
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3 minutes ago, comicquant said:

I've never had any problems with FedEx or UPS but I don't use them as often.  I've started to use FedEx a bit more and I've never had a box with so much as a dent.  USPS however, I've had some boxes arrive where I've just scratched my head while trying to figure out how it happened.  The worst USPS story is the time I received a medium flat rate box wrapped in probably 200 feet of saran wrap with an official letter within the layers stating the box had "been submerged in water for several days".  No course of action, but just an explanation of why the packaged looked like a wet kleenex.  Somehow, the ten raw books inside were completely unharmed.

Submerged in water for several days?  Wow that's new!

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29 minutes ago, miraclemet said:

Granted 90% of my orders come via USPS, but I've never had a book lost by FedEx or Ups, but Ive had several lost (and later found) with USPS, which to me points to bad asset management processes

....and they still managed to lose a gazillion dollars this year, and have the nerve to present their financial situation for more money via another raise in the cost of stamps and services.

But, don't forget, Fed Ex handles a sizable portion of the USPS package transportation. So there is that.

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40 minutes ago, Mr.Mcknowitall said:
1 hour ago, miraclemet said:

Granted 90% of my orders come via USPS, but I've never had a book lost by FedEx or Ups, but Ive had several lost (and later found) with USPS, which to me points to bad asset management processes

....and they still managed to lose a gazillion dollars this year, and have the nerve to present their financial situation for more money via another raise in the cost of stamps and services.

But, don't forget, Fed Ex handles a sizable portion of the USPS package transportation. So there is that.

I love the smell of misinformation in the morning...., 

Image result for i love the smell of napalm jpg

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For me it's UPS. I've had a few UPS packages that were really beat up but much to my surprise the comics were undamaged due to the sellers packaging them very well.  I've only had one USPS package that was so damaged, an insurance claim was filed and while I didn't get the book at least I got my money back even though it took around 3 months to get it.  Nothing wrong via FedEx but I don't get too many comic packages with this method.

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49 minutes ago, lizards2 said:

I love the smell of misinformation in the morning...., 

Image result for i love the smell of napalm jpg

Then USPS didn't lose money, in the several millions, and they didn't approach the commission this past week for an increase in the cost of stamps, and they don't have a sizable Contract with Fed Ex, for which the USPS was called to the front of the class during the last funding round and they committed to improvement financially? The Fed Ex trucks I see at the USPS main facility are not Fed Ex?  USPS insurance claims did not increase 26%?(shrug)

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7 minutes ago, Greenlake said:

They have over 335 billion dollars in cash -- roughly eighty to one hundred times UPS or FedEx-- and most of their struggles are because they're saddled with a law from the GOP trying to make them uncompetitive.

That is not the issue, although your statement is worded in a manner that causes the reader to think USPS is profitable and has that amount of free cash flow, which they don't.

What is misinformation? Having cash has not a thing to do with being financially solvent if the cash doesn't cover the debt. In a logical world, the USPS would have been out of business a very long time ago. BTW, the cash amount you state is not a correct amount, nor is it free cash assets. Not even close.

Again, what is the misinformation? Do they not have a Contract with FedEx? Did they not have a significant increase in insurance claims? Did they not approach the commission with a rate increase request? They were not chided in the last funding round for the financial shortfall and foolish expenditures?(shrug)

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Did someone already hit the notify button?  I can't find it.  Sorry this thread got torpedoed by two yahoos and their politics.

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25 minutes ago, lizards2 said:

Did someone already hit the notify button?  I can't find it.  Sorry this thread got torpedoed by two yahoos and their politics.

Sorry about that. I was cool with your reply, but then he went again and I guess I should've let it go.

 

Edit, to get back to the topic: I have horror stories with all the services on personal packages at some point, but I use USPS for my hobby business and so far the failure rate has been around 1%. I think some of that is dumb luck, but the packages also run on the small side. I think they might be worse the larger the package, although so far no problems with comics yet.

Edited by Greenlake
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43 minutes ago, Greenlake said:

Sorry about that. I was cool with your reply, but then he went again and I guess I should've let it go.

 

Edit, to get back to the topic: I have horror stories with all the services on personal packages at some point, but I use USPS for my hobby business and so far the failure rate has been around 1%. I think some of that is dumb luck, but the packages also run on the small side. I think they might be worse the larger the package, although so far no problems with comics yet.

I've definitely noticed that the smaller the package, the less likely the damage.  If we had a postie here, maybe they could tell us why.  Maybe my femailman knows - I'll try to ask her in the week ahead.

I always assumed that maybe they don't run the smaller packages through so many machines, but I don't know what I'm talking about.

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VIA UPS I once shipped a large stuffed animal using a box that was used to ship paper towels, "Brawny Paper Towels" advertising on all sides of the box.  The box got damaged to shreds in shipment.   They shipped the package back to me using the same box but the the stuffed animal was gone but instead the box was filled with paper towels.  Still scratching my head on that one

Edited by Ottobord
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