Im ready to rip USPS's head off...

[Silound]

Originally Posted by ChasDen

That's for sure, the difference is how each company deals with it.

I will go out of my way to avoid UPS since they treated me like a felon when they damaged a shipment and acted like they did nothing wrong.

The whole "insurance" crap at the PO drives me crazy too.

You take your car to get an oil change and while the guy is performing a paid service to you car he drops a wrench on the hood of the car and puts a deep scratch in it. Does he lean in the window and say "my bad did you buy the insurance?" While the cable guy is mounting the new HD dish on the roof his tool belt hits the window on the way down the ladder and breaks the window, does he shrug his shoulders and say "bet you wish you bought the insurance now".

Good gig they got going I guess, what other service business can get away with damaging or flat out misplacing your item and not be responsible?

Chas

PS Hope it all works out, I'm on my way to get a new phone for the wife tonight since she dropped hers in the toilet last night and I am 2 months shy for the new phone. I know where thats going tonight

Very cynical! I like the way you think brother!

Unfortunately, I would bet my wooden nickel the reason they assume no liability and offer insurance is to keep the costs down so that we can afford to ship 30 cigars to someone across the country for 10 dollars.


If they assumed liability, the overall claim rate would probably force the price up to something absurd like $200 for a flat rate box. It would also mean a LOT more people playing funny business to defraud the system.

[WildBlueSooner]

Originally Posted by Silound

Very cynical! I like the way you think brother!

Unfortunately, I would bet my wooden nickel the reason they assume no liability and offer insurance is to keep the costs down so that we can afford to ship 30 cigars to someone across the country for 10 dollars.


If they assumed liability, the overall claim rate would probably force the price up to something absurd like $200 for a flat rate box. It would also mean a LOT more people playing funny business to defraud the system.

That is one hell of a point and I agree 100%

[blugill]

Originally Posted by Silound

Unfortunately, I would bet my wooden nickel the reason they assume no liability and offer insurance is to keep the costs down so that we can afford to ship 30 cigars to someone across the country for 10 dollars.

A great way to keep costs down is by competition. If you have a monopoly on something like mail then you are able to be as unaccountable as you want to be.

There is a reason the post office loses tons of money each year.
I'm not a hater, just someone who got fed up with bad service and won't do business with them anymore than is absolutely necessary.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by blugill

A great way to keep costs down is by competition. If you have a monopoly on something like mail then you are able to be as unaccountable as you want to be.

There is a reason the post office loses tons of money each year.
I'm not a hater, just someone who got fed up with bad service and won't do business with them anymore than is absolutely necessary.

The reason the monopoly was created is to provide universal service to every U.S customer. If mail service was privatized, UPS/Fed Ex/Joe Blow's Mail service would only pick up major metropolitan areas....while snubbing rural areas. For that reason alone you will never see Congress lift the first class mail monopoly. Also, the Post Office hasn't lost "tons of money" each year. Up until 2006 the Postal service wasn't allowed to make a profit. It was a break even operation. In 2006 new laws require the Postal Service to pre fund the retirement fund to the tone of 5 billion a year. That means a 5 billion payment each year required by congress gets dumped into the US general fund. Do you think Congress is going to give that up for the sake of competition?

Originally Posted by stevieray

The reason the monopoly was created is to provide universal service to every U.S customer. If mail service was privatized, UPS/Fed Ex/Joe Blow's Mail service would only pick up major metropolitan areas....while snubbing rural areas. For that reason alone you will never see Congress lift the first class mail monopoly. Also, the Post Office hasn't lost "tons of money" each year. Up until 2006 the Postal service wasn't allowed to make a profit. It was a break even operation. In 2006 new laws require the Postal Service to pre fund the retirement fund to the tone of 5 billion a year. That means a 5 billion payment each year required by congress gets dumped into the US general fund. Do you think Congress is going to give that up for the sake of competition?

UPS delivers to every address

If that was true they would probaly not do it now. A quick Google search returned:

UPS ground service reaches every address, urban and rural throughout the 48 contiguous states.

Chas

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by ChasDen

UPS delivers to every address

If that was true they would probaly not do it now. A quick Google search returned:

UPS ground service reaches every address, urban and rural throughout the 48 contiguous states.

Chas

They also charge extra for residential delivery

True

But being a believer in the free market, if they had a larger portion of the market you should see that shrink or diminish all together.

Chas

[kydsid]

Originally Posted by ChasDen

UPS delivers to every address

If that was true they would probaly not do it now. A quick Google search returned:

UPS ground service reaches every address, urban and rural throughout the 48 contiguous states.

Chas

I will let the residents of Alaska, Hawaii, USMI, and Puerto Rico know that they are SOL now.

Seriously though it is a government service. Ask for a manger when you have a problem. I only have good experiences with the Postal Service and even if I didnt' a free, orderly and efficient mail service is a conerstone of our democracy as much as the right to bear arms. You don't need a search warrant to open a package at UPS or FedEx.

Originally Posted by Silound

Very cynical! I like the way you think brother!

Unfortunately, I would bet my wooden nickel the reason they assume no liability and offer insurance is to keep the costs down so that we can afford to ship 30 cigars to someone across the country for 10 dollars.


If they assumed liability, the overall claim rate would probably force the price up to something absurd like $200 for a flat rate box. It would also mean a LOT more people playing funny business to defraud the system.

Fair statement, but the other shippers found a way to build the price into the rates.

For comparison sake lets say a 3 lb package (since all round up) mailed from the mid west to CA.

UPS Ground 4 days - $10.48
FedEx Ground 4 days - $9.43
USPS Priority 2-3 days - $11.95 ($11.41 if done online)

The only real savings with priority is 1 pound maybe 2 and under.
Once you hit 2-3 pounds, its almost always the same with UPS and FedEx.

Depending on the distance ground will get there in the same amount of time.

UPS and FedEx include up to $100 in liability included in the price.

UPS is the only service I have had to deal with a claim and they do make it very difficult to collect. I assume if I would have endured the process I would have gotten my money but I said screw it and gave up.

Chas