U.S.P.S (Shipping Guitars)

[lerxstcat]

To be fair, I have had items with UPS that HAD tracking numbers STILL get lost for days where UPS could not tell me where the item was. So they're far from foolproof.

I have had problems with USPS as well, Priority Mail items that took 2 weeks to get to me and such. They basically just shrug their shoulders and say the item has to be missing for 30 days before they will even initiate a serious search. So of course that delays any refunds or insutrance payments as well.

But, UPS owns its own insurance company and will fuck you out of a claim as well. Fedex I have had no problems with except that I didn't know you had to specify a required signature. I found this out when I shipped a guy a speaker cabinet and checked tracking; it said, "left at front door"!

Thank goodness it was a 70-lb. speaker cabinet and not a 25-lb. guitar or it probably wouldn't have been there when the guy got home from work. I was relieved as hell when the guy finally replied to my email saying he got the cab and liked it!

They've all got their drawbacks.... and they all make the most mistakes at this time of year.

[Chasbo]

Shoot, It just occured to me that I sent you a priority mail envelope yesterday Mark. I sure hope you get it before January!

chuck

[DrDoug]

I use the USPS all of the time for small stuff, but I don't think I would send high dollar items using Priority Mail. I have almost always had good service using Priority Mail, but one time I had to send a large check for an auction payment (seller did not take PayPal) and I wanted to confirm that he got it so I sent it with Delivery Confirmation. About a week later, the seller contacted me saying that he had not received it yet. I checked the Delivery Confirmation number, and sure enough it had not been delivered. I sent him a copy of the number, and he waited another week and still no check. I sent another one, and the seller was cool about it due to my large positive feedback. When I sent it (via Priority Mail again), I asked the post office guy if he could find out what happened to my first mailing, and he told me 'Nope'. He ran my confirmation number, and agreed that it must be lost 'in the system'. He asked me if I wanted to file a complaint, but I passed as I figured that it would be a waste of time.

Exactly two months (60 days) after I sent it, I got an email from the seller. The first check had finally arrived! Wow! Only 60 fucking days later! He destroyed the check for me, and we both had a good laugh about it. The next trip into the post office, I told the same guy I talked to before that it had taken 60 days to get from Brookings, Oregon to Dallas, Texas. He did not remember me, and since I still had the confirmation slip in my wallet, he ran it again. Probably didn't believe me...lol. When he saw that I was telling the truth, he said 'Well, at least it got there', to which I responded 'Yeah, but I could have sent it by camel and it would have arrived faster'. The people in line got a good laugh out of that one. He was a bit red-faced, to say the least. Not his fault, but it comes with the job...lol!

60 days. Can you believe it? Don't sweat it guys, at least it will get there! :ROTF:

[hippietim]

Well, it's probably no consolation, but I just shipped a guitar by UPS last night, and their clerks were just as incompetent. Both clerks working at the time didn't know about the "adult signature required" option, nor how to view it online.

And the chick working the counter has screwed up the shipping address both of the last two times I've shipped a guitar. Same girl both times. And, luckily, I caught it both times before walking out the door. That UPS outfit will no longer be getting my business.

When customers know your company's services better than your own employees do, you know something's wrong.

I don't even deal with the clerks unless I have to. I just have a Fedex account and do all the shipment prep online. I just print out the shipping label and drop the packages off at the FedEx depot near my work or Kinko's (a lot are open 24 hrs a day).

[shreddermon]

I should probably do that, Tim. But I don't sell/ship often enough for me to have bothered with the hassle of setting up an account, etc.

A lot of times, I'll go to the local UPS depot near me. And they have terminals where you can type it all in yourself, and the clerks just take your money. But work is so busy this time of year that I haven't had the time to drive out there. So, to save time, I just used the closest UPS Store instead these past two times I've shipped.

[hippietim]

I should probably do that, Tim. But I don't sell/ship often enough for me to have bothered with the hassle of setting up an account, etc.

I used to think the same way - then I took the 7 minutes it requires to create a free account

You also get cheaper rates doing it via your account.

[SEEGERMANY]

Update: I've been meaning to fill you guys in on my return to the post office. When I arrived, one of the ladies who had previously helped me was standing behind the counter. The other young girl who gave me the grief was standing over by a mail sorter. She spotted me and took off to the back. So, I asked to speak to the supervisor (I happen to know this lady, bought my house from her) and when I mentioned her by name, you could see the beads of sweat pop out on her forehead.

So, to make a long story short, we had a brief meeting between the four of us. The two clerks tried to play dumb (didn't have to try hard) and acted if all this was "news" to them. I was allowed to have my say and to be honest, I was damned direct in my comments. I didn't ask for a refund, however, I did make it crystal clear that if they were not up to speed on their services, then they need to receive additional training or find someone who knows what the fuck is going on. The supervisor agreed, apologized for my inconvience, and promised me that I'd never have a problem at this facility. I certainly hope not, because I just mailed another guitar to Maryland!

[JetFixxxer]

Well I waited 3 weeks before receiving a guitar that was shipped USPS from MI to MA.

[SeventhSon]

I don't even deal with the clerks unless I have to. I just have a Fedex account and do all the shipment prep online. I just print out the shipping label and drop the packages off at the FedEx depot near my work or Kinko's (a lot are open 24 hrs a day).

ditto.

tim, where you've been? i feel like we're drifting! ttys. merry xmas!

[hippietim]

george - gimme a holla!

[Shibs]

I only us UPS... I have a UPS account and I can do all of my shipping myself, I do everything myself... weight, size, shipping location etc... then I print the label and tape it on the box, then I put a full layer of tape on the label so rain wont cause the address to run together and whallah, call my UPS driver and it's gone! Not exactly the cheapest way, but it is the most trusting in my opinion!

[Shibs]

I've shipped to Canada, England, Germany, Puerto Rico etc.... not one problem! Of course I probably just screwed myself by saying that!