USPS needs new clocks or be able to move back time!

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Although most of the black eyes here have been given to the USPS, I read an article
recently that dinged UPS for their bad practices.

Because UPS is so focused on metrics, the drivers many times will not even knock on
your door when they "attempt" delivery. They run up to your house, post a "we missed you"
sticky on your door, and run back to the truck. This is short term thinking since they just
have to come back again, or you have to go down to the UPS office to pick it up.

That's why sometimes you can be AT HOME, hear no knocks/rings at your door, but then
open your door to find the "we missed you" sticky there, but no package.

As part of UPS' focus on shaving whatever time they can from their drivers' day, all drivers
were instructed that when they run back to their truck after shutting it off for a delivery, they
are instructed to have their ignition key in their hand, properly aligned for inserting into
their ignition.

By the way, UPS doesn't deliver in trucks. To UPS they are known as "package cars".

SIA

[ELB]

...
There's a thing called SmartPost. ... I think UPS has similar agreements, not sure, ...

Yes, they do. The only time I ever go late deliveries from Amazon was when UPS passed off the delivery to USPS. The rural mail carrier would have the package to deliver on the correct day, but because I have a regular size mailbox, the package wouldn't fit, so the carrier would leave an form saying the package would be available at the post office. Grrr. UPS would of course deliver to my door, but not the USPS. That happened twice, and I left poor reviews for delivery on Amazon for both. Since then I have not gotten a UPS-hand-off-to-USPS delivery, the UPS (or FedEx) guy came up the driveway (3/10 mile) and put it on the porch. Come to think of it, I switched most of my deliveries to my place of work -- that may have something to do with it too. (comes in like clockwork at 1030 on delivery day).

I hadn't thought of going the chat route and demanding Amazon not use USPS for my deliveries -- if it ever happens again, I will try that. (Overall, I have been greatly, wildly impressed with Amazon's customer service when things go wrong).

[K5GU]

...
There's a thing called SmartPost. ... I think UPS has similar agreements, not sure, ...

Yes, they do. The only time I ever go late deliveries from Amazon was when UPS passed off the delivery to USPS. The rural mail carrier would have the package to deliver on the correct day, but because I have a regular size mailbox, the package wouldn't fit, so the carrier would leave an form saying the package would be available at the post office. Grrr. UPS would of course deliver to my door, but not the USPS. That happened twice, and I left poor reviews for delivery on Amazon for both. Since then I have not gotten a UPS-hand-off-to-USPS delivery, the UPS (or FedEx) guy came up the driveway (3/10 mile) and put it on the porch. Come to think of it, I switched most of my deliveries to my place of work -- that may have something to do with it too. (comes in like clockwork at 1030 on delivery day).

I hadn't thought of going the chat route and demanding Amazon not use USPS for my deliveries -- if it ever happens again, I will try that. (Overall, I have been greatly, wildly impressed with Amazon's customer service when things go wrong).

I've heard good things about Amazon too. There's an Amazon facility in the little Nevada town where my sister lives. She said unless you know someone REALLY important, and want to work there, their application wait list is 2+ years long! They have employees who live in Reno, about 100 mile round trip. In fact, I think I saw where they're moving the facility to Reno.

[Taypo]

I was stocking a couple of a problem arises bags a few months back, bought a bunch of stuff from Amazon and used a free trial for Prime to get it all in 2 days.

On the second day, I had 5 different boxes delivered by UPS...by three different drivers at three different times. Oddly enough, all five boxes showed delivery at the same time.

The earliest time.

[cb1000rider]

We had a package "lost" last year - valuable item. USPS status showed as "delivered" - which essentially means that any insurance coverage provided by USPS couldn't be used. Local post master said that items are often scanned as delivered prior to delivery and that this was common place. So anything going missing between scan and actual delivery... well, it's uninsured.

Partly the merchants fault for sending a valuable item for delivery without a signature.