The USPS SUCKS

[Big Beat Steve]

Yes, U.S. small-scale overseas business for this kind of items is likely to come grinding to a halt. I don't even bother looking up the shipping costs of U.S. Discogs sellers anymore.
It's a pity but what can you do?

Have the rates of Global Priorty Flat Rate (you know the envelope you can use to ship up to 4 lbs of printed matter worldwide at a flat rate) skyrocketed too? Just to see if they might still be a way out for buying the occasional music magazine or not so large book? Very convenient even after a price rise a couple of years ago but the snag was that you had to literally COAX many U.S. sellers on eBay into trying this as many had never ever heard of this (quoting insane weight-dependent shipping rates on eBay instead). Often it only worked if I gave them the exact link to the very part of the USPS site where everything was explained in detail. But when it did work quite a few admitted they were glad to use this from then on as this would increase their overseas business.

I am glad I did most of my U.S. buying of the essentials during better times but still there is this or that out there ...

Edited February 7, 2019 by Big Beat Steve

[jlhoots]

I'm having a problem getting a package here from Chicago. USPS is blaming it on the weather.

[Brad]

Just now, jlhoots said:

I'm having a problem getting a package here from Chicago. USPS is blaming it on the weather.

What does the tracking indicate?

[jlhoots]

1 hour ago, Brad said:

What does the tracking indicate?

shipment "received" 2 / 1 - Chicago

still in Chicago - 2 / 7

may be starting to move, since tracking indicated projected delivery - 2 / 9

I'm optimistic!!

[Brad]

That is a long time to stay in one place for a domestic package. Hopefully, you will see it soon. 

[Shrdlu]

The U.S. used to have an "M Bag" rate of about $18 to send a large bag of material out by surface mail, with unlimited weight.

Obviously, a lot of items are not urgent, and the one-month time for surface mail is perfectly acceptable in many cases. Who wants to pay $60 to ship some papers, for example?

Big Beat Steve expressed it well. I am sure he speaks for many. $20, or more, to ship one CD, is more than enough to stop a sale on Discogs or elsewhere. This U.S.P.S. policy has sealed off the U.S. from foreign markets.

[jlhoots]

21 hours ago, Brad said:

That is a long time to stay in one place for a domestic package. Hopefully, you will see it soon. 

It's made it to Des Moines. Still a long way to go, but looks like it's going to show up.

[Dan Gould]

Another wild wacky trip via the USPS.  By the way it started in south Jersey, and Ybor City is supposed to be the last stop before the local PO. F-in ridiculous. In fact another box, which is now sitting at the local PO, took 24 hours to go from Ybor to Plant City, a trip that should be less than four hours between scans. At least it made it. This one, who the hell knows.

Edit to add that it actually seems to have made it from Ybor City to Boston via some Green New Deal experimental high speed rail because no plane commercial jet could get it that distance in 73 minutes.

Edited April 18, 2019 by Dan Gould

[Scott Dolan]

Four hours between scans from Ybor to Plant City? How did you arrive at that number? They’re about 45 minutes apart, IIRC. 

[Dan Gould]

From too-many-to-count package deliveries. They do stop at many POs in between its not a straight delivery from one big distribution center to a little PO.  And god knows how long it actually takes to be dropped of and actually scanned as arriving at new location.

[Scott Dolan]

Ah, that makes sense. I thought they sent full trucks to individual locations. 

[jlhoots]

On 4/18/2019 at 9:45 AM, Dan Gould said:

From too-many-to-count package deliveries. They do stop at many POs in between its not a straight delivery from one big distribution center to a little PO.  And god knows how long it actually takes to be dropped of and actually scanned as arriving at new location.

They're at it again. My Tolliver new Mosaic single has been floating around for a week. When you track it says on the way to the next facility, but doesn't give any specific location.

I also have a CD coming from Iluso that was "shipped" Apr. 15 & still isn't here. Iluso does NOT have a tracking number. They say if it's not here by the end of the week, they'll replace  it.

[Dan Gould]

I had another box take a strange wacky detour, from North Carolina to Jacksonville but then to Detroit! At least they got it on the next plane to Tampa and it was only delayed a day.

[Scott Dolan]

Yeah, that happens to use whether it's the USPS, Fed Ex, or UPS. And anything that comes from the west, via either Fed Ex or UPS, passes right by us a half hour to our north, to Earth City outside of St. Louis, two and a half hours to our east... That's where both companies main shipping center for the region is. 

[jlhoots]

On 4/24/2019 at 9:39 AM, jlhoots said:

They're at it again. My Tolliver new Mosaic single has been floating around for a week. When you track it says on the way to the next facility, but doesn't give any specific location.

I also have a CD coming from Iluso that was "shipped" Apr. 15 & still isn't here. Iluso does NOT have a tracking number. They say if it's not here by the end of the week, they'll replace  it.

The Tolliver finally arrived.

The Iluso never did . They're going to reship.

[Brad]

The Coltrane set I purchased from Face of the Bass is taking its time getting here. It was supposed to be here Monday but was delayed.  Then it was supposed to be out for delivery yesterday but wasn’t delivered. Now the tracking shows Awaiting Delivery Scan. Hopefully, it arrives today or Monday. 

[jazzbo]

The material I bought from David arrived yesterday. Thanks. Hope yours arrives very soon Brad.

[Brad]

I missed the mailman by 10 seconds and couldn’t track him down. I’m doing a slow burn  but will go to the PO first thing Monday morning to see what’s going on.  

[Brad]

The package finally showed. I had a friend who ran a collectibles company and shipped all over the world and she told me that everything shows up eventually. 

[Dan Gould]

52 minutes ago, Brad said:

The package finally showed. I had a friend who ran a collectibles company and shipped all over the world and she told me that everything shows up eventually. 

I ordered a VHS tape of the Jazz Scene USA show with Teddy Edwards. Today marks two months since it was ordered, one month since I received the refund from the Marketplace seller. If that shows up in my mailbox before I die, I'll probably die of shock.

[Brad]

2 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

I ordered a VHS tape of the Jazz Scene USA show with Teddy Edwards. Today marks two months since it was ordered, one month since I received the refund from the Marketplace seller. If that shows up in my mailbox before I die, I'll probably die of shock.

I found her advice to be almost 100% accurate but not always.  I’ve shipped packages internationally and only had one never show up. On the other hand I once purchased a cd from a NJ seller and it never showed up. 

[jlhoots]

1 hour ago, Brad said:

The package finally showed. I had a friend who ran a collectibles company and shipped all over the world and she told me that everything shows up eventually. 

The Iluso CD referenced above has not appeared. It's now 24 days since it was "shipped" from New York. I hope the one they're "re-shipping" does better.

[crisp]

I'm suffering my first experience of USPS.

Order placed Dec 20.

Seller agreed parcel had been lost and resent March 12. 

Item left LA March 26.

Then on April 28 I get the cryptic message "the originating post is preparing to dispatch this mail piece", which apparantly means it has just left the country!

Must be some kind of a record (although I haven't yet read the rest of this thread).

[medjuck]

So I ordered the new release of the Miles Nontet recordings from Amazon. Usually they send cds via USPS and they arrive the day of the release date which would be today.  Much to my surprise I got an e-mail from UPS saying I would get it on the 28th  via UPS.  All I could think was "what a waste of money". I usually get new cds from Amazon via USPS and  they've always arrived on the release date but what do I care at least I'll get it today.  Today I got another e-mail from UPS saying it would arrive Monday by end of day. Three days late.  USPS delivers Amazon stuff on Saturday and Sunday.   I've already got the music on other cds and what do I care about Amazon's expenses but probably because I'm old and cranky this really pisses me off. 

IN my experience USPS is no worse than UPS or Fedex and they're a lot cheaper. 

[GA Russell]

Joe, 90% of my Amazon orders are delivered "the last mile" by the post office, but this week the Manfred Mann Chapter III set was sent UPS all the way.  Maybe Amazon is constantly changing its policies to determine its least expensive options.