LOL!!!!!!
:D :D :D

I have no problem with USPS...except for Parcel Post. It is the worst service out there!

Is the topic an honest question?

They routinely lose mail they are supposed to be following like registered, certified etc, never mind stuff w/just postage on it. UPS is a little better ground, moderately better air. DHL ok about the same as UPS. Fedex best (at least by air).

FedEx for air will get your package there on-time...for a price.

FedEx ground will punt your "signature required" package at your front door from their moving truck.

Or if THEY lose your money order, you need to PAY THEM A FEE to submit the form that reports it lost!!!

Cheap the service may be but they still advertise it as a 3 to 5 day service to the UK. When they hang onto it for 2 days without doing anything with it and then they only scan the parcel in after a member of your staff called them to find out what was happening it makes it unlikely to meet that target.

That said the last time I orderd from pelican the parcel was shipped by USPS on a thursday and I had the parcel tuesday AM, tracking was available as soon as the order was stated as shipped in the pelican tracking system.

Steve

Yep- to be fair USPS delivery times for any service below guaranteed express mail are 'averages', not guaranteed dates of delivery. Sometimes they may be quicker than the 3-5 day average, sometimes slower.

If you want guaranteed, you need to pay the $$$

Wayne,
No doubt there is a potentially mitigating circumstance, but the USPS is not the most dependable service. They routinely lose standard mail (first class or parcel post) for months, or damage goods in transit. They've even misplaced registered mail! My last experience occuring in the last 2 months. Are the others perfect? No, but gradations better depending on the service/cost - just like most things in life. If you can stand to lose it, ship it USPS. If you'd rather it get there, UPS/DHL. If it really has to be there, FedEx (at least for now).

I agree. I have ordered several times by USPS and it has worked quite well.
The tracking, however, sucks big time. It doesn't seem to update very often. Several times I have already gotten the package before the tracking system even has registered the package number :)

The thing is, you almost have to offer USPS to keep the actual cost of goods to the customer down. Most people, if they are shopping for something, look at what it costs them for delivery and factor that in.<p>Overall, the USPS is actually pretty good, though when something gets "lost" it can be really aggravating. Especially if it's a couple of boxes of things going to Italy:-) Aside from the two boxes, though, I'll bet I end up with 1:1000 that doesn't get delivered, maybe less, and 1:250 that has some kind of problem, mostly being really late. Whatever they say for international delivery I always add two days to it.<p>If Wayne's system works like mine, the delivery confirmation number is created by me, and I don't think I've ever seen a message that it got into their system until it was delivered. Except for media mail/parcel post, then delivery confirm does work as a tracking number. You can use it for first class, too, they say that the envelope/box needs to be 3/4" or thicker. I use it all the time on thinner envelopes than that, and it works.<p>On the whole, I'm really happy with them.

Wayne is correct in that USPS does offer a pretty low bufget service that is, for the most part, reliable. As far as I know, I've never not received a letter or package as a result of an error on the part of USPS. Regarding their tracking system, USPS's current tracking system does not provide real-time tracking like the other couriers, although I'd expect that sometime in the future. Consdering the volume of mail that they process, the huge customer base that they serve and the fact that (unfortunately) they are a quasi-government organization, they do a pretty effective job.
NOTE: I AM NOT A USPS EMPLOYEE