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OT: USPS delays

I sent three bill payments on 12/19 and they still haven’t arrived. Christmas cards were sent from SC to Hbg area on same date and arrived on 1/2! The postal service is terrible.
 
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Missed that left turn at Albuquerque... ;) ;)

I collect too, BTW--but Germany. My sig pic is in Heidelberg, where we were at a show.
I don’t collect, but I have my father’s stamp collecting album from when he was a kid. It has some 3rd Reich stamps as well as stamps from countries that don’t exist anymore.
 
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Curious if others are experiencing major delays. I have never experienced delays like this and it's not greeting cards as they are flowing fine. Talking packages, including mailorder pharmacy medicines. I'm just NE outside of Columbus OH.
1. A package I ordered, shipped 1st class, was at the Ballston NY PO on Dec 1 and currently is sitting in Rochester since Dec 4.
2. A package I shipped to go to Annandale VA, book rate, went Dec 7 to Cincinnati and departed Pittsburgh Dec 14 at 1am with no further update. Frankly I didn't expect much with book rate but it is moving faster than 1st class mail.
3. A prescription from a mail order Pharmacy in Cincinnati was delivered to the Cincinnati PO on Dec 7, where it remains at this time.

I don't care about 1 and 2, but the prescription IS a major issue.

The USPS says this: ALERT: USPS IS EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED VOLUME INCREASES AND LIMITED EMPLOYEE AVAILABILITY DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND REMAIN COMMITTED TO DELIVERING THE HOLIDAYS TO YOU.

I do understand the dilemma that they face. People not visiting so mailing packages instead, but there seems to be some issues with priority.
Also, this is all BEFORE the recent nor'easter came along.
Perhaps, a bit of an answer to my own post...my son called before I got this posted and he thinks the distribution of vaccines is contributing to this.
Exactly correct. Mine left the local post office here in Virgibia for a 30 mile trek and it only shows Left Post office Dec 22nd... Called and told it will be there shortly?? They don't even list where it is...How can they even tell me that? That was 3 days ago. Nothing has changed
 
Curious if others are experiencing major delays. I have never experienced delays like this and it's not greeting cards as they are flowing fine. Talking packages, including mailorder pharmacy medicines. I'm just NE outside of Columbus OH.
1. A package I ordered, shipped 1st class, was at the Ballston NY PO on Dec 1 and currently is sitting in Rochester since Dec 4.
2. A package I shipped to go to Annandale VA, book rate, went Dec 7 to Cincinnati and departed Pittsburgh Dec 14 at 1am with no further update. Frankly I didn't expect much with book rate but it is moving faster than 1st class mail.
3. A prescription from a mail order Pharmacy in Cincinnati was delivered to the Cincinnati PO on Dec 7, where it remains at this time.

I don't care about 1 and 2, but the prescription IS a major issue.

The USPS says this: ALERT: USPS IS EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED VOLUME INCREASES AND LIMITED EMPLOYEE AVAILABILITY DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND REMAIN COMMITTED TO DELIVERING THE HOLIDAYS TO YOU.

I do understand the dilemma that they face. People not visiting so mailing packages instead, but there seems to be some issues with priority.
Also, this is all BEFORE the recent nor'easter came along.
Perhaps, a bit of an answer to my own post...my son called before I got this posted and he thinks the distribution of vaccines is contributing to this.
Same here but what I will say is everything I ordered from Amazon Prime that was shipped USPS was delivered with at most 1 day delay. Seems like priorities are in play here
 
EMC, I had boxes that didn't get delivered on time, so went to Post Office to bitch. Kid came back with a print out of the tracking and it was extensive, yet nothing was showing on the tracking history online. He wouldn't even let me have the copies as it looks like if you want the in depth tracking you have to pay extra for it.
 
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I sent three bill payments on 12/19 and they still haven’t arrived. Christmas cards were sent from SC to Hbg area on same date and arrived on 1/2! The postal service is terrible.
My kids have birthdays in late November but my in-laws didn't visit Thanksgiving this year so they mailed presents. They mailed them around November 20th and we got them Monday January 4th. We couldn't even use them as Christmas presents because they got here so late.
 
I'm thinking I should start to be concerned...

Tracking History
December 24, 2020

In Transit, Arriving Late
Your package will arrive later than expected, but is still on its way. It is currently in transit to the next facility.
December 20, 2020, 7:23 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility
GREENVILLE SC DISTRIBUTION CENTER
December 18, 2020, 3:49 pm
Departed Post Office
FAIRFOREST, SC 29336
December 18, 2020, 3:22 pm
USPS in possession of item
FAIRFOREST, SC 29336
I had a similar tracking history on a package that just randomly showed up today. So don't give up.
 
I had a similar tracking history on a package that just randomly showed up today. So don't give up.
Agreed. I had a package that was scheduled to be delivered on December 14th and was in transit ever since, it was just delivered yesterday afternoon. I think they're getting through the backlog slowly but surely.
 
I had a similar tracking history on a package that just randomly showed up today. So don't give up.

Have heard that USPS is dispensing with a lot of normal scanning and anecdotal evidence seems to support that.

Tracking messages of packages that are in transit, but arriving late are useless. They are system generated and not the result of scans. Similar to you, I had a package that seemed to be sitting for ten day in a USPS facility 500 miles away that simply showed up on my doorstep. When I checked the tracking, it showed delivery, but nothing in between.
 
Agreed. I had a package that was scheduled to be delivered on December 14th and was in transit ever since, it was just delivered yesterday afternoon. I think they're getting through the backlog slowly but surely.

For all of the shit they get, Amazon's delivery seems to be the one that is holding up these days.
 
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Stamps.com shows that a package for me was mailed from Washington state on December 20th. It arrived at a distribution center here in NEW. JERSEY. o_O on January 3rd. Since yesterday, January 5th, the status has been “IN TRANSIT, ARRIVING LATE”. 🙄
 
Stamps.com shows that a package for me was mailed from Washington state on December 20th. It arrived at a distribution center here in NEW. JERSEY. o_O on January 3rd. Since yesterday, January 5th, the status has been “IN TRANSIT, ARRIVING LATE”. 🙄

Which center? Newark is a shit show. The only facility that I've heard is operating close to normal is Trenton.
 
Assuming the following may be true for all packages, then the USPS is scanning more than we know and aren't making it available, leaving me to believe there is some 'madness behind their method'.

I had boxes that didn't get delivered on time, so went to Post Office to bitch. Kid came back with a print out of the tracking and it was extensive, yet nothing was showing on the tracking history online.
 
Everyday between noon and 2PM like clockwork I’ll see USPS, UPS, FEDEX AND AMAZON trucks drive through and stopping in my neighborhood. Most days it’s all four, very very seldom is it less than three.
 
This is not a new trend, the post office has been sucking for a long time. I ordered a parking pass for the Michigan game last year from a reputable seller on Ebay (who I have dealt with before), and it was shipped by USPS priority mail. I followed the tracking and it went into a black hole for a week with no updates, and then finally it started moving again.

One day it says it's been delivered to my mailbox. I went down and checked the box and it was nowhere to be found. I looked on my porch and everywhere I could think of and it wasn't anywhere. I assumed that maybe the driver delivered it to the wrong box, so I called the post office and they just kept telling me "it's showing as delivered". I said it has not bee delivered to me and he put me on hold for a few minutes to "check". Came back on the line and said "I see that is has been delivered, but I'll call the driver and have him check"...and then basically hung up on me. I'm pretty certain he never called the driver and I never did receive the parking pass.

A few months later there was a local story about how this very same post office was under investigation for mis-representing lost mail as being "delivered" when it was actually lost in the system. If the tracking info says it's been delivered, then it's basically your word against theirs and you don't have any recourse.

I will pay extra to have something delivered by UPS or FedEx and avoid USPS mail if at all possible.
 
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What if scenario:
A local PO employee reports Covid or contact with an infected person resulting in mandated quarantine for large number of location’s employees. Non-regular staff are advised to put mail on trucks to any another PO for sorting due to no one to do it at this location, or else, it sits as space and time allows until staff is out of quarantine (10-14 days).
 
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EMC, I had boxes that didn't get delivered on time, so went to Post Office to bitch. Kid came back with a print out of the tracking and it was extensive, yet nothing was showing on the tracking history online. He wouldn't even let me have the copies as it looks like if you want the in depth tracking you have to pay extra for it.

They did the same for me back in September with my "lost" package. They wouldn't give me a copy, but allowed me to take a photo of it that I was able to send to the recipient who was sending me daily "where is it" messages. It was called an 'agent information - request internal premium tracking statement'. It had more info than what was available on-line including all the tracking inquiries and claim info but was missing all the route scanning info it was supposed to have because they neglected to scan it properly and had no idea where it was. I was also told that in some areas, 40-50% of the postal staff was being impacted by covid. If that's true, then they need to do a better job communicating that and should suspend providing estimated delivery dates on packages. They also need to fix their tracking system. They can't just not scan packages because the scanner guy is out sick that day.
 
Got my Christmas presents from my folks the other day. Mailed on the 13th of December.

They shouldn't have dismantled all their tracking right before the election. Why would they do that I wonder?
 
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Same here but what I will say is everything I ordered from Amazon Prime that was shipped USPS was delivered with at most 1 day delay. Seems like priorities are in play here
Amazon Prime? Everything on time. Things ordered from anywhere else? I've had them lost and had to reorder. It's nuts.
 
Amazon Prime? Everything on time. Things ordered from anywhere else? I've had them lost and had to reorder. It's nuts.

In my experience, Amazon Prime does not reduce the shipping time. It does get them out of the warehouse faster.
 
Got two cards from the Capital Area (I.e. DC) center yesterday. Mailed Dec 18 (both). My Lehigh Valley package has been "in transit, arriving late" since it hit Jacksonville, FL, on the 2nd (and it had to go farther to get to Jacksonville than to get to me).
 
Probably no better. Even before this shitstorm, I regularly saw packages bounce from Newark to Jersey City, and finally to Kearney before being delivered to me.


I’ve seen that too. It’s a mess.
 
My Williamsport package came today. The Lehigh Valley one has been "in transit" since it hit Jacksonville on the 2nd.
 
I ordered a new weather station three days ago. It arrived today. I've had more trouble with regular mail.
 
What if scenario:
A local PO employee reports Covid or contact with an infected person resulting in mandated quarantine for large number of location’s employees. Non-regular staff are advised to put mail on trucks to any another PO for sorting due to no one to do it at this location, or else, it sits as space and time allows until staff is out of quarantine (10-14 days).

Beaver Falls, Pa. ??
 
Received a package from our son that was listed as delivery by 12/22. It was the announcement of their 1st child to be born next July. He kept calling us to see if we got the package. His wife's parents live in Toronto and haven't received their package. A long list of similar incidents involving the USPS, too long a list to.........list.
 
Even Amazon Prime isn't flawless. Though their issues tend to be the delivery drivers.

I have only had issues with Amazon Prime when they use USPS to ship the smaller items. 3 packages got delayed and Amazon sent a replacement out before I was supposed to get the package. I think they knew it got lost by the USPS quickly and sent out the replacement using their own drivers. The other 2 packages took so long they allowed me to request replacements or refunds. Both original packages were just received in the past 4 days at least 3 weeks late.
 
My package that had been delayed since Jan 2 arrived. The box was dinged up a bit. Sure love to know where it had gone to....
 
I ordered a CD from the artist's website. On Feb 26th it left NYC. March 3rd it arrived in LA. March 4th it arrived at Carson, CA.

I live in State College, PA.

Next stop Honolulu?

:rolleyes:
 
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Curious if others are experiencing major delays. I have never experienced delays like this and it's not greeting cards as they are flowing fine. Talking packages, including mailorder pharmacy medicines. I'm just NE outside of Columbus OH.
1. A package I ordered, shipped 1st class, was at the Ballston NY PO on Dec 1 and currently is sitting in Rochester since Dec 4.
2. A package I shipped to go to Annandale VA, book rate, went Dec 7 to Cincinnati and departed Pittsburgh Dec 14 at 1am with no further update. Frankly I didn't expect much with book rate but it is moving faster than 1st class mail.
3. A prescription from a mail order Pharmacy in Cincinnati was delivered to the Cincinnati PO on Dec 7, where it remains at this time.

I don't care about 1 and 2, but the prescription IS a major issue.

The USPS says this: ALERT: USPS IS EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED VOLUME INCREASES AND LIMITED EMPLOYEE AVAILABILITY DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND REMAIN COMMITTED TO DELIVERING THE HOLIDAYS TO YOU.

I do understand the dilemma that they face. People not visiting so mailing packages instead, but there seems to be some issues with priority.
Also, this is all BEFORE the recent nor'easter came along.
Perhaps, a bit of an answer to my own post...my son called before I got this posted and he thinks the distribution of vaccines is contributing to this.
Feb 28th, I called my buddy in Carthage Il to let him know I received his Christmas card that day. He said he mailed it about 2 weeks before Christmas.
 
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