Mike T Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 For the 2nd time in a row, a snowboard that I shipped to the east coast via Priority Mail has taken longer than expected. Last time, it was 4 days instead of 3... this time, 5 days instead of 3. (6 days, if you count the Sunday) Totally sucks, when it was supposed to arrive on a Friday and doesn't get there till Monday, especially late in the season. Keep in mind there is no guarantee of delivery date with Priority Mail... but I've shipped the vast majority of boards Priority over the past 10 years, and until fall 2011 they'd always showed up on or before the expected delivery date. Also, this time the price I was quoted at the counter was 20% more than I was quoted on the web... Next time I sell a board, I expect I will offer only FedEx and UPS as shipping options. Folks who bought F2 bindings from me are receiving them today... I shipped those Priority on Friday. One went to the eastern time zone. The problem appears to be limited to odd sized packages, I am guessing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futahaguro Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 I've been okay shipping stuff USPS in the past but not any more. I am a FedEX fan. UPS has bugged me in the past and their central holding facility is really far away from me. USPS stuck their own nail in their own coffin when, in the last year, they have left 3 packages by my mailbox near the road and destroyed a package mailed to me from Germany. I honestly think the morale over there is rock bottom since they are cutting and slashing pay and jobs. For me it is easy to log in to FedEX, print everything out, and just drop it off at a FedEX/Kinkos 10 minutes from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted March 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 I've used FedEx ground in the past for boards when the buyer preferred saving money over getting the board fast. FedEx ground would have been just as quick as Priority in this case... well, Fedex is going to be getting more business from me in the future. USPS Priority still seems to work well for things that fit into a flat-rate box... like I said, shipped two sets Friday and both are "out for delivery" as we speak, one is three time zones east of me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 In 7-8 years of shipping boards from US to Canada and from Canada to US (Canada Post becomes USPS when crosses the border), I have never had a lost or damaged board. Yes, some parcels took long, but I can live with that. I guess, if you add the signature option to your label, they can not just leave the parcel at the door... Online payment is always cheaper then on the counter, at least here, so I always do that. Most important thing, for cross-border, USPS doesn't charge crazy handling/brokerage fees like the currier companies. UPS just murders us, on delivery side. Please guys, carry on with USPS when shipping to Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gtanner Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 Amen Boris. USPS is awesome for cross-border transactions. It may take 3 weeks for delivery, but the items get here undamaged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZetaTre Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 Since you can do it all at home and leave it out in the patio for the mailman to pick up, nothing beats the convenience of USPS for me to the point that sometimes I turn down an offer because the buyer wants other services... But to each his/her own... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted March 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 (edited) Yeah, if I am shipping to Canada, I'll certainly give the buyer the option of USPS. Also, I woud do parcel post via USPS if it's a low-value board and the buyer wants cheap not fast, trackable, insurable. Rectangular packages, small items like cant disks, etc - no problems using USPS Priority. Really, just boards of any real value within the US... which covers most of the boards I sell. My gripe with Priority the last 2x, is that extra money is being paid for 3 day delivery within the US, and it's taken longer. In this case the buyer specifically wanted the board quickly. He made me an offer that specifically included USPS Priority shipping. I'm bummed he didn't get to ride his board this weekend, as I'm sure he is, and there's nothing I can do about it, having shipped it on time and seeing "expected delivery - March 9" on the receipt... the first time my thought was "OK, after shipping 15 boards, one was bound to be late", and the 2nd time in a row, I'm thinking it wasn't an isolated incident. On rectangular packages, printing labels online works great. I've learned not to even attempt printing shipping labels online for boards, they always tell me "you measured wrong" and then have to void my label, which usually involves 10min extra at the counter while the clerk calls his/her manager. If a buyer wants Priority on a board they buy from me in the future, I will do it... but I am going to remind them that the last 2 boards I shipped priority were late before finalizing the sale... Edited March 12, 2012 by Mike T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinecure Posted March 12, 2012 Report Share Posted March 12, 2012 Last time I shipped a board USPS Priority, my mailman took it - didn't have to go to the PO to drop it off. I left the flag up on my mailbox and a note inside saying "please take the large package by the front door." I suspect it barely fit inside his mail truck, but there were no problems and none of the "you measured wrong" BS they like to try on you at the PO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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