Priority Mail Visibility

[St. Lou Stu]

[Rant]
Part of the reason why I am willing to pay for Priority mail w/DC is the fact that there is a DC number and you can often times see movement along the way and final delivery confirmation. Hell, I could send parcel post without DC #'s at half the cost if I wanted to just blindly send and hope that the goods arrive!
[/Rant]

OK, so here's the question/statement:
If, and when, I send a package priority mail (w/DC) and I see no movement and get no delivery confirmation I always request a refund via the shipping history page and have always gotten one. Even once I confirm that the package DID arrive.
The way I see it is, they didn't provide the service that I paid for.

Does anyone else do this?
I was management at UPS for years and know that when people ship they expect visibility and delivery confirmation (which you pay extra for at USPS). If that isn't provided, it is a BIG deal. People get fired in UPS for missed scans! (missed scans cause lack of visibility)

While the amount of shipping that is refunded to me is trivial, it is the fact that the service that I selected and paid for is not provided that burns me!


Talk among yourselves.......

[Cigargal]

Originally Posted by St. Lou Stu

[Rant]
Part of the reason why I am willing to pay for Priority mail w/DC is the fact that there is a DC number and you can often times see movement along the way and final delivery confirmation. Hell, I could send parcel post without DC #'s at half the cost if I wanted to just blindly send and hope that the goods arrive!
[/Rant]

OK, so here's the question/statement:
If, and when, I send a package priority mail (w/DC) and I see no movement and get no delivery confirmation I always request a refund via the shipping history page and have always gotten one. Even once I confirm that the package DID arrive.
The way I see it is, they didn't provide the service that I paid for.

Does anyone else do this?
I was management at UPS for years and know that when people ship they expect visibility and delivery confirmation (which you pay extra for at USPS). If that isn't provided, it is a BIG deal. People get fired in UPS for missed scans! (missed scans cause lack of visibility)

While the amount of shipping that is refunded to me is trivial, it is the fact that the service that I selected and paid for is not provided that burns me!


Talk among yourselves.......

A DC is not a tracking number and only costs 65 cents. Not a lot of money to be able to determine if your package arrives.

[St. Lou Stu]

That's my point.

It isn't a lot of money, but if they don't even give me the courtesy of letting me know if my package arrived or not they haven't provided what I have paid for.

I realize that it isn't a tracking number. That is just a nice side effect that it can be seen sometimes.

The refund requests are just a matter of principal since the delivery conformation was not provided.

PS - I realize that I sound like an crotchety old geezer, but this has happened to me several times lately! I'm normally not this way! I swear!

[SmokeyJoe]

Originally Posted by Cigargal

A DC is not a tracking number and only costs 65 ...

This is true... one USPS employee explained that when you get your DC# at the window, they have an origination scan that sometimes allows for a certain amount of tracking.

If you use an automated or on-line source, there is no origination scan, and therefore only the confimation of delivery will be seen - which is all you have actually been sold.

Now, if it does not show the Delivery Confirmed, you certainly have the right to get your $0.65 back. I expect to get what I pay for... but with USPS, any tracking is just gravy. My .
(edit: posted after response. Be well!)

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by SmokeyJoe

If you use an automated or on-line source, there is no origination scan, and therefore only the confimation of delivery will be seen - which is all you have actually been sold.

I use usps.com to generate and pay for my labels.

DC is free. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Zero.

[bobarian]

Originally Posted by pnoon

I use usps.com to generate and pay for my labels.

DC is free. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Zero.

Peter knows stuff.

[SmokeyJoe]

Originally Posted by bobarian

Peter knows stuff.

Amen.

[GrumpyOleTroll]

I use the online printer option also and I have found that if its scanned at the desk when shipped I see the entire trip even if its a day late or so in updating (costs nothing on the USPS.COM site) but on the same hand if I am using the APM (Automated Postage Machine) I rarely get any info about my DC that was on the shipping form.




Shawn

[Skywalker]

You can send cigars in the mail???

Some people have accused me of sending cigars by pony express but I have wised up since then! I only use USPS and never go through a secondary (Mail Box etc.) type outfit.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by St. Lou Stu

The refund requests are just a matter of principal since the delivery conformation was not provided.

PS - I realize that I sound like an crotchety old geezer, but this has happened to me several times lately! I'm normally not this way! I swear!

Interesting--I have never NOT had my delivery confirmation information available. Some level of tracking ("Arrival at Unit," "Departure Scan," etc.) seems to be more readily available now as well, but every package I have sent with DC in the last 8-12 months has been scanned at delivery.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I thought the USPS was surprisingly (for a federal agency) efficient about that.

[G G]

I usually don't pay much attention to it. I just wait for the email that it has been delivered.

I printed my USPS label online, delivery confirmation was free, then I used their online tracking and got this:

"We attempted to deliver your item at 8:33 AM on October 29, 2008 in NEW KNOXVILLE, OH 45871 and a notice was left. It can be redelivered or picked up at the Post Office. If the item is unclaimed, it will be returned to the sender. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later."

Can't ask for more than that.

[drob]

Originally Posted by SmokeyJoe

This is true... one USPS employee explained that when you get your DC# at the window, they have an origination scan that sometimes allows for a certain amount of tracking.

If you use an automated or on-line source, there is no origination scan, and therefore only the confimation of delivery will be seen - which is all you have actually been sold.

Now, if it does not show the Delivery Confirmed, you certainly have the right to get your $0.65 back. I expect to get what I pay for... but with USPS, any tracking is just gravy. My .
(edit: posted after response. Be well!)

This is true. Human nature says that not EVERY package will be scanned at every stop, as I am sure is the same with UPS. We strive for 100% scans, but nobody is perfect.

I pay the extra .65 cents for a DC# every time I mail pretty much anything and follow my package online. It's not that I want everyone to know I mailed it although that's nice (that way they can follow their package as well). I just like to know that my package, envelope, etc has gotten to it's destination. That way I can contact USPS and intended recipient if there happens to be a problem or discrepancy.
The .65 cents is a small price to pay for the knowledge of knowing my goodies arrived at their destination (hopefully safely).
Not a problem so far with USPS and if they do make a mistake I will most likely let it slide unless it becomes a frequent occurence.

[gnukfu]

Originally Posted by Skywalker

You can send cigars in the mail???

Some people have accused me of sending cigars by pony express but I have wised up since then! I only use USPS and never go through a secondary (Mail Box etc.) type outfit.

One box you sent arrived on a pony! Took me a couple of weeks to shoo him away!

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by gnukfu

One box you sent arrived on a pony! Took me a couple of weeks to shoo him away!

Sorry Dude!!! My Bad!!!

That is hilarious!!!