Someone Gone Postal?

[LI-ghtcycle]

Ok, so I'm a little peeved that the USPS sent my package from California (one state away, or approximately 300 - 500 odd miles) half way across the USA to Minnesota, but it gets here only a day or 2 later than it should have (I live in Oregon).

And THIS is how I receive it!

Needless to say, I no longer accepting any more fragile equipment being shipped by the USPS.

Hopefully I will at least be compensated for this loss (I dare not even plug in the PS, the circuit board is most likely cracked or damaged due to the big hit it took being dropped in transit) but the last time this happened, they lost the item for 45 days, and gave me only 80% of the value of the item (that is 80% of the pro-rated used value) on an item I had every kind of insurance, tracking and assurance you can imagine on it's safe shipping to and back from a company out of state.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

I think I found the deliveryman who gave my package the "royal" treatment!

[youtube]Q2sObM9p9mQ[/youtube]

 

[AussieJester]

Bummer about the damage, I had a parcel
(bobber seat) sent from San Fransico custom chopper shop, took over
40 days to get to Oz, it went via Mexico according
To USPS tracking, if it wasnt for Recumpence
Phoning the shop on mybehalf and 'giving them a
Serve' i think i would still be waiting. How can they
Be so useless/careless with customers consignments.

KiM

 

[chroot]

Yep, That's typically from shipper and cause I work for UPS. I have see some loaders or unloaders threw package and BANG at land of the conveyor belt. My supervisors kept telling every workers to not throw or UPS lose lot money by pay the damage package(s). :lol:

2 of friends of mine worked at FedEx and Post Office. They are doing same what I saw in UPS facility. It's kinda not nice employees who doesn't care about value of business running or not respect customer's package(s).

 

[DAND214]

UPS is no better!

I had a package that was sent from the East coast to the West coast and back again for 3 trips, before it amde to Chicago

As damage, maybe a better packing job moght of helped.

No I don't work for USPS, or did I.

Dan

 

[John in CR]

Proper packaging solves that. Anyone who thinks their package won't get tossed around, dropped etc has lost their mind. The seller is who you should take issue with, since those protruding bolts should have be protected from reaching the perimeter of the box. In this case the easiest way would be a piece of styrofoam to support the entire side, at least as thick as the bolts are long, with holes for the bolts and taped to the unit, so the weight of the unit is supported by the entire side of the unit instead of leaving 2 spears to move around in the box.

I've had at least a dozen used hubmotors shipped to me, and after the first destroyed the box through 2 shipping co's to get here, I give specific instructions to the seller about how to pack. In the case of a hubmotor it requires several layers of cardboard over the end of the axle taped into place, and significant packing support in the void spaces around the motor to prevent it from shifting in the box violently during transit.

 

[Gordo]

EXACTLY +1

 

[chroot]

I agree with John in CR's comment. You wouldn't believe any packages coming from China and I am telling you most 90% are BADLY "properly packaged".

 

[Hillhater]

Its the same the world over,..poor packing and poor handling.
Literally, as i sit here reading this a courier arrived to deliver a package... he could see me sat near the door ready to open it, but as he got 2 mts away he simply tossed the 2 kg package against the door and ran off !!
Luckily it was not a fragile content, but he did not know that .. as* hole !

 

[neptronix]

If that little rectangle you pulled out is the only thing that unit was wrapped in, the sender did an awful job. You have to ship things assuming that they will be beaten around. This goes for usps, ups, fedex, dhl, etc.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Here is the thing that gets me steamed!

I go to the Post Office, and they literally don't give a crap!

"Unless there is insurance, there is nothing we can do for you" No customer service at all, wouldn't even look at the package, apologize or take any responsibility! Basically gave me the finger, no interest at all.

This is why our Post Office is worse than the commercial companies, because they actually have the ability to fire bad employees with a lot more sanity instead of an almost impossible policy with a federal union that will keep even some of the worst offenders on the pay roll.


I'm sure there are bad and good employees at Fed-Ex and UPS too, but I have NEVER had half the problems with either of those companies, NEVER had them loose a package for over a month, and refuse to pay the value but try and talk down the item that I paid the extra to insure!

I agree that the seller could have packed it better, but I have the distinct impression that the hole on the side of the box is from someone's foot!

There is also evidence on the box that it had been hit from the back and compressed the box enough to crumple both ends.

He is a stand-up guy however, and gave me the green light to try hooking it up to power, and if it works ok, I get 40 days to test it out AND a $20 refund, or I can just have him ship me another one, and send this one back, so either way, I have it covered.

He actually took the time to call me on the phone, really great seller!

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

If that little rectangle you pulled out is the only thing that unit was wrapped in, the sender did an awful job. You have to ship things assuming that they will be beaten around. This goes for usps, ups, fedex, dhl, etc.

He had the whole item wrapped up really good in substantial bubble wrap with the foam rectangle you see in the pictures at the end to help protect the power out electrodes.

If I had wrapped it, I would have put something solid on the end to keep the electrodes from being able to push through, but really, if you box is going to be subject to this kind of damage, there isn't much you can do other than accept the losses and be glad that most of them make it through ok.

Just burns me up their snotty attitude over the phone and at the counter. If anyone else did such a crappy job, they are likely to be fired! I know I sure wouldn't have lasted a day doing this kind of crap at any of the jobs I have had.

 

[chroot]

One of guy is world of BEST is Edward Lyen for the properly packaging. No joke! 8)

I mean He wrapped LOT of bubbles around the little controller in the USPS package box (a overkill properly packaged). When I unwrapped the bubbles - JEEZ it was like 10 foot wide of the bubble wrap. Just WOW! *speechless* He is best! I had a picture snapshot somewhere and I can't find it.

 

[amberwolf]

The USPS very recently destroyed a package of assorted goodies that Icecube tried to send me, despite being extremely well-packed. Not only did they destroy it, they sent it back to him instead of sending it to me (and since they aren't going to send it a second time for free, neither of us has the wherewithal to re-send it, and I can only imagine how frustrated he is at the whole thing). (he did resend the halls that were the core part of the package, and they arrived ok).

Something over a year ago I guess it was, they also ripped me off for the cost (around $15? I forget now) of sending Olaf-lampe some planetaries, because they charged me for an online label that wouldn't print due to problems with their site, and refused to refund it even though ti was never used (since I went to the PO to send it and paid there instead).

That was a lot of money, and I have avoided using the USPS at all since then when possible. I've had other problems with the USPS, too, including a battery from Deardancer that they almost lost and did damage (they even taped a note to it "apologizing" for it).

I've had issues now and then with Fedex and UPS and DHL, etc., but so far the USPS has them badly beat for problem-causing and refusing to even acknowledge the problems much less attempt to fix them.

 

[neptronix]

People typically ship with USPS because they're cheaper, as they don't provide any kind of liability/insurance unless you pay extra for them.

http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/shipping/time/service/value_added/declared_value.html

UPS has a $100 insurance.. i'm not sure about fedex.


I know what you mean about the USPS though. They can be friggin' heartless. They are the low-end of mail services for sure. People stay too long and get burned out, and they keep too many of their bad employees.. unionized companies definitely have their problems..

i've lived in a lot of different areas in the last 5 years and where one area has a fantastic post office, the next one will have one you'll want to avoid at all cost..

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Well, at least I hedged my bets and have the replacement of the one that died on the way too, pretty sad that the Meanwell gets destroyed on it's way to my house, and now I am wondering if the real reason my last two power supplies died is because of how they were treated in shipping! :lol:

 

[kriskros]

when i b.uy anything from the US i ALWAYS insist on USPS...nu brokerage fees and usualy no canadian sales tax..ivehad good delivery times and no damage... UPS and other carriers charge large b rokerage fees..eg. i had to pay $14.00 brokerage for.an item that cost me $19.00 :x .

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Wow, I wonder how much of that is UPS and how much is a government thing? Here it's kind of hidden, because the federal government is throwing money at the USPS as they are loosing it like crazy, so our tax money is going to a failing "company", and just because the out of pocket prices are lower, the money we send to the federal government is being spent too, so in the end, if you save $4 out of pocket going with the USPS instead of a true private shipper, you are paying as much or more for the service, and I have never had anyone else loose or damage so much!

 

[amberwolf]

I guess you coudl also look at it like this: you are already paying for the USPS services whether you use them or not (at least, for USA taxpayers). So if you don't use them, your'e "wasting" money...but if they damage or lose your shipment, you waste even more.

 

[neptronix]

We subsidize a lot of things and then charge very little for them. Pretty much all forms of electricity is subsidized; you pay for the investment in green energy with your tax dollars, you also pay for subsidized coal and nuclear is always subsidy driven as well.

And oil is heavily subsidized by foreign wars/meddling with oil-bearing companies, tax breaks for oil corps, tax breaks for ethanol blenders, corn growers ( ethanol ) etc.

America's policies are weird.

 

[FastDemise]

I was in the NAVY on board a carrier. Not only does the USPS workers get to toss in a few elbows but it's transported by helicopter through nets from one ship to another then transported down several flights of stairs. Then what I can only imagine is some sort of wrestling match where my package is the mat it's then handed out. I required any care packages I would get to be completely wrapped in tape. No exceptions or the box would be torn and possibly missing items. I'm lucky that with all the packages I get I either get very small electric objects or large steel pieces for my Jeep.

 

[dogman dan]

Wah wah wah. What did you expect when your order something delicate between thanksgiving and newyears.

 

[Gordo]

when i b.uy anything from the US i ALWAYS insist on USPS...nu brokerage fees and usualy no canadian sales tax..ivehad good delivery times and no damage... UPS and other carriers charge large b rokerage fees..eg. i had to pay $14.00 brokerage for an item that cost me $19.00 :x .

krikros,
I ONCE paid UPS $35 for a prepaid $19 part, because they paid the brokerage on the gross invoice INCLUDING FREIGHT, when no brokerage was due. Then they charged me a $20 fee for paying the brokerage, $10 COD on the fee and $5 to collect the COD fees. $19 PART ended up costing $63.
When you purchase from the US get 2 invoices. One for the part and one for the freight. Otherwise you will pay any duty and/or taxes on the gross amount of the invoice. No duty, fees or taxes are due on freight.

 

[DAND214]

I'm lucky that with all the packages I get I either get very small electric objects or large steel pieces for my Jeep

you had your own personal JEEP on a carrier!

I know they are big, but???

Dan

 

[Alan B]

I do a lot of shipping.

Generally for light packages (3 lb or less) the USPS is cheaper, and for anything foreign. USPS has deals with foreign post offices so they are lots cheaper than UPS or Fedex on foreign shipments. above 3 pounds UPS is generally better within the lower 48 states of the US. Alaska and Hawaii are like foreign, avoid UPS as rates skyrocket.

The insurance on all of them is nearly worthless. They just tell you it was the shipper's fault. They want 2-4" of packing on all sides, and expect that anything up to a six foot drop is normal shipping.

So pack well. Insurance, maybe and good luck with that.

There is a way to get USPS refunds on unused online shipping, but must do it within 48 hours or so, and of course it is online. They take a week or so to refund it. UPS is better on that.