Amazon and USPS

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

Is there a way to remove the USPS as a shipping provider on Amazon? If I wanted to drive into town to pick up an item, I would just go shop for it in town.

Our USPS carrier does not like to deliver any package that doesn't fit in our oversized mailbox, especially if the weather is not San Diego perfect. The latest box was under 10 pounds but would not fit in the box. We got the pink notice and of course the QR code was not activated so the only choice was for my wife to spend an hour on the phone last night rescheduling the delivery. They called her at work this morning and said they would not deliver the package and she would have to pick it up, but since she went through the main 800 number last night to have it delivered and was told they would deliver unless she agreed to pick it up, she refused to pick it up. They then got upset that they had to deliver it.

There have been times when we were expecting a package that our daughter has seen the carrier drop the mail and then leave a note that no-one was home. The carrier has come up to the house to rant after getting called out on that.

Keep in mind, the post office that we would have to pick it up from is 30 minutes from where I work and 45 minutes from her work and they are not open before our morning commuter or after our evening commute so one of our parents would have to make the trip and drop it at the house. A 60# package I can see having to pick up in town, but a pillow in a box or some computer peripherals is stupid.

So, is there a setting to remove the USPS as a shipping provider in Amazon? I do not see anything and they are not easy to get in touch with.

stevej37 · 01-15-2020, 10:07 AM

Change your Amazon shipping address to the PO address. You'll have to pick it up yourself.

E38Driver · 01-15-2020, 10:07 AM

Some locations offer a drop box so when you order it the package goes there and you get a code to open the box and retrieve your package.

Dave

masraum · 01-15-2020, 10:07 AM

Not that I'm aware of. I think Amazon uses whatever is cheapest.

It sounds like your carrier sucks

masraum · 01-15-2020, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej37

Change your Amazon shipping address to the PO address. You'll have to pick it up yourself.

That's the opposite of what he wants

stevej37 · 01-15-2020, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masraum

That's the opposite of what he wants

I don't know of any alternatives with Amazon. They surely won't ship with a more costly carrier.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

We ship our Amazon junk to our work address.

bleucamaro · 01-15-2020, 11:23 AM

I heard the exact same complaint from my parents, and it applied to Fed-Ex too, as they contract with USPS for deliveries.

They have a community mailbox that is about 3 miles from their house. To go to the post office is about a 30 mile round trip.

They're trying to get an amazon locker added to the mailboxes.

Right now, the only option is UPS

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by masraum

That's the opposite of what he wants

Correct, if I wanted to go pick it up I would just go to the store.

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

There are more and more Amazon drop boxes popping up. I know of one just 1.5 miles from here. I still have them delivered to the front door. As we are usually home, it is easier that way.

KFC911 · 01-15-2020, 11:35 AM

Do you receive mail on rainy days? Your carrier sounds like Neuman

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

There are more and more Amazon drop boxes popping up. I know of one just 1.5 miles from here. I still have them delivered to the front door. As we are usually home, it is easier that way.

Our kids are usually home as they are schooled online, and my mother in law is there in the mornings when the mail is delivered. UPS, DHL, FedEx, all deliver just fine.

Neuman was a reasonably hard worker in comparison. We have gotten notices after a couple inches of snow that they will not deliver until the snow is cleared from the side of the road and it is our responsibility. We are in the country and one of the last roads on the plow route so some days the plow puts snow back after I clear it and they skip us. It might be clear when I leave for work and then the plow goes by at 8:00 but it is still our responsibility I guess. Then again, if their car is so bad it can't negotiate some snow that a 1:10 scale buggy could whip through, maybe we don't want them at the house.

tdw28210 · tdw28210's Garage

No setting. Got a Whole Foods nearby? They have Amazon drop lockers which you can (usually) opt in to. I have used it for a couple returns just to see how it works. Pretty easy.

gchappel · 01-15-2020, 12:22 PM

Our local walgreens is a ups center. I can ship anything I want to their pickup address. They will hold it for me for 5days until I come and pick it up. Very easy, as wife and I are often not home. And it is free.
Gary

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

All those options are just as far or farther from the house than the post office is from work, though they are open later.

masraum · 01-15-2020, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flipper35

All those options are just as far or farther from the house than the post office is from work, though they are open later.

How about Red's suggestion of shipping to your work or the wife's work?

Steve Carlton · 01-15-2020, 01:49 PM

I buy a lot of stuff from Amazon and have it delivered to work. I'll get an email on a Saturday or Sunday saying they tried to deliver, but nobody was there. Clearly the mailperson lying to Amazon thinking they can get away with it, which they do.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by red-beard

We ship our Amazon junk to our work address.

This the answer to your dilemma.

Baz · Baz's Garage

I get quite a few packages here usually without any issues. I always give the carriers an offer of water and/or Gatorade and cash bonus to my mail carrier every Christmas.

I also try to get everything sent without a requirement for signature and I have a cart next to the garage door at the base of my front steps for packages to be left. And a white board above it with instructions for parcels to be left on that cart. I also leave my garage man door open right next to it so larger parcels can be left there if need be.

All that said...sometimes things still don't go smoothly. Last Saturday I was expecting a delivery of Porsche parts and was outside here all day but went inside to grab a bite and of course that's when the mail carrier came by. No biggie - they can just knock on the front door if they need me. I heard the mail truck come and go and no knock. I ran out and found the "missed you" note inside my mailbox so jumped in my truck and chased the carrier down. She said she knocked on my door but there was no answer. Huh? Then she said it was my garage door she must have knocked on. Duh. You can see my 914 in there - she thought that was my front door? Sheesh.....

Brent - getting stuff delivered to your work address does sound like a possible option to help with your situation. Maybe for the bigger stuff anyway that won't fit in your mailbox. Good luck!

Jeff Higgins · 01-15-2020, 03:43 PM

USPS still acts as ion they are a government agency and the only game in town. I will go a long way out of my way to not give them my business. Even my friendly local little shipping company, who utilizes USPS, UPS, FED EX, and DHL very strongly discourages their customers from using USPS for any reason. They have years and years of their own data regarding lost packages and other complaints, and USPS, all by themselves, has over ten times the issues as the other three combined. They just don't care and, remarkably, seem to think they still don't have to. Too bad there is no way to pressure Amazon to drop them.