The downside of tracking packages -

[hedgehog]

I love placing an order and watching it travel across the US from depot to depot to doorstep. But I sent a package to my son who lives in a townhouse complex with a central rack of letter boxes. Somehow, the shipping company translated the letter box number as a Post office box number. Right now the package is in limbo crossing from one end of the town post office building to the other and back. So close, and yet so far!

[frogmarch]

1. I have lots of trouble with USPS. A few weeks ago

I sent my sister in Hawaii a package 3-day Priority. I live in western Nebraska, so I thought it might take 4 or 5 days, but that it would beat 4-5 weeks standard shipping, which has happened. The package took 11 days because the dodos sent it to Portland, Oregon, and THEN to California and on to Hawaii.

I recently tracked a package coming to me that kept going back and forth between North Platte, NE and Omaha. I finally called the 1-800 number on my receipt and asked them what was going on. They didn't know, but I got the package the next day.

I send everything Priority so I can at least track it (when the PO people bother to post tracking info, which they don't always).

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. One of my mail orders took 3 days to go from SF to Sacramento

then sat there for 2 week days ( not weekend) before moving slowly east.

I am now waiting on an Amazon Prime product that I ordered on WED. ( FREE 2 days shipping) coming from a Houston Texas address,
tracking says it will get here Monday.
i can drive to Houston in 6 hours.
going normal speed limit.

[Tracer]

2. or the downside of having the package stolen.

We sent two presents to my son and daughter-in-law in NC. They also live in a town house complex. We weren't aware that only USPS packages get delivered to the mail room. Not UPS or Fedex. They get dropped outside people's doors.

One package was some catnip toys for their cat. That package was opened and rifled through, but obviously cat toys aren't worth stealing.

The other package was "delivered" according to the tracking, but never got to them. It had "LLBean" stamped on the outside of the box. That one was gone in a flash.

[hedgehog]

4. To be clear- I love the USPS - this package was handed to them by FED-EX-

in other words, the private company took the low cost,high profit part of the delivery and left the high cost door drop to the USPS. he real problem is the vendor's software which mixed up the address. At this point, I suspect we're dealing with automatic readers rather than humans.

[Waldorf]

5. The only problem I have had with shipping this year is I will get an email that is was shipped,

and then an email that the tracking info will furnished. Get no tracking info, just shows up at the door.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. Lol. That happens. I have watched (online) as my package ping pong around town