USPS- ugh!

[Pugs]

Tim Arheit sent me some queens from Ohio out here to the edge of the known world, also known as Oregon, by Priority Mail. He has sent to me before with out any problems. This time, they can't seem to get out of Detroit. Yes, I know that Priority Mail is not guaranteed to be there in 2 - 3 days. Still, since it is flown, it should have made it here by now.

Here is from the USPS tracking:

Detailed Results:

Processed through Sort Facility, August 17, 2010, 9:42 am, DETROIT, MI 48242
Processed through Sort Facility, August 13, 2010, 5:06 pm, DETROIT, MI 48242
Electronic Shipping Info Received, August 11, 2010

So I called the PO, after going through a couple of phone numbers and voice mail heck, I get to a live person who opens an issue and tells me that some one can call be back in two days who will know more about what happened and did I want them to call me or not? Duh!

So I'm sure hoping that they've had a great time in Detroit and are still alive whenever they get here.

I want to swear up a storm. There is no excuse for this. They even told me that for the way they were shipped, the tracking doesn't mean anything or do anything. So maybe they aren't even in Detroit, MI. I think they would have gotten here quicker my regular mail. Yeck, media mail gets her quicker than this. I'm beginning to think that this is a racket by the USPS to get people to use the Express Mail. "If we foul up enough, we can get people to pay three or more times as much for the service they should get anyway. Suckers!"

Just had to vent, thanks for listening.

Pugs

[Deamiter]

Oh come now, the reason priority mail is cheaper than express is that express mail is guaranteed as you noted. If there's more packages in one spot than room on regularly scheduled trucks, the express mail goes out first.

Often even media mail will come in just as fast as express, but obviously if something needs to get bumped, the media mail gets delayed.

If all you need is a package to USUALLY get there fast, go for cheap. If you need it on time every time, pay for the service.

[FindlayBee]

The packages are being checked by homeland security. Someone in the postal service heard the buzzing in the box and called the bomb squad.

Seems odd that they keep getting processed through a Detroit sort facility. They should have been out of there by now.

Hope they get to you tomorrow and show up in good shape.

[longrangedog]

I'm a mail carrier. I ALWAYS insist that queens I buy be shipped express mail.

[valleyman]

I ordered 7 queens from NY. They were shipped priority mail, which has always arrived in 2 full days for me. 5 days later nothing had been seen of them. So the breeder shipped me 7 more by express mail. On the 7th day the original order arrived I immediately watered them. Couldn't put them in until the next day. The express mail order arrived in 2 days. So I replaced the queens that I had intended plus using the 7 day old ones in other hives plus I made 4 nucs with the old queens. 4 of the 7 old queens are going strong, and all 4 new ones made it also. So the breeder agreed to accept payment for the 7 day old queens that made it. I felt he did as much as he could do, and the PO really screwed with his livelyhood. I was glad to try and help him, I'm happy and he's tickled pink. Alls well that ends well with no help from the PO!!

[Pugs]

I already said I knew they weren't guaranteed to get here in two days. You don't need to bring it up, I already mentioned it.

Look at the tracking. Why did the leave Detroit on the 13th and then again on the 17th? Where were they those 4 days, if not traveling to Oregon and why were they sent back to Detroit? That is what I want to know.

Two days to get an answer? If this is the kind of service the USPS wants to offer, if I have to go to the overnight, then I'll go to UPS or FedEx, at least they would answer the question the same day it was asked. I know, a friend works at FedEx answering those very questions.

Pugs

[valleyman]

One of the 7 day old queens went in an established hive and she didn't make it. So I had to order another queen. She was shipped priority mail and arrived in 2 days from NC. While I believe the USPS is not very efficient I think our bad experiences are not the norm. So until they get me again I will accept them being shipped priority mail.

[Pugs]

Thanks Valley,

This is the 2nd time this has happened to me. The first time it happened, I didn't know what to expect, it was the first time I mail ordered queens. Michael Bush replaced them, but I paid the express shipping on them. Since then I've had them come Priority Mail just fine. I cringed when the ones from Northern Cal would only be shipped overnight UPS. Cost me almost as much as two of the queens. When you are a hobbyist and only order a few, the shipping can be killer. And when you want to try a few queens from a few different queen breeders, the shipping can sure add up in a hurry.

But like I said, what I really want to know is, where were they those 4 days? That is just plain wrong.

I hope mine survive like yours did.

Pugs

[Batman]

I could only imagine sitting and waiting for them to show up. Not to mention its gonna put you a week behind sched. You almost could have created your own by the time they get here. I feel your pain.

C2

[AmericasBeekeeper]

My Dad worked for the Post Office. They demand raises, go on strike (illegal for all government employees) lose or throw away mail, shoot up Post Offices, kill a couple dozen kids (Jeffrey Dahmer). The one thing they cannot do is compete with UPS and FedEx for speed, tracking and even diverting a package in transit. The discounted rates businesses pay for FedEx and UPS is always lower, except to Alaska, Hawaii and the possessions.

[valleyman]

Americas,
When you consider that there literally hundreds of thousands of post offices, give the devil it's due. They really do a good job,considering everything.
My local po did everything they could. There was no tracking on my misplaced order only notification of delivery. The morning my orders arrive I received a call @ 7:15 am that my bees were there.
Sure there are a few bad people that are causing these problems (I would like to believe that they were intentionally left laying somewhere by some nut who evidently don't like to eat). I also know that there are the vast majority who can and will do their job compotently.
In case you're wondering the differience in shipping on the 2 orders were $5.75 for priority, $24.70 for express, which still takes 2 days.
Until it gets worse I will use priority. I'm not much of a gambler, but the odds are greatly in our favor of a successful on time delivery.

AND, can you tell me one time the Postal employees were on strike?

[David LaFerney]

My Dad worked for the Post Office. They demand raises, go on strike (illegal for all government employees) lose or throw away mail, shoot up Post Offices, kill a couple dozen kids (Jeffrey Dahmer). The one thing they cannot do is compete with UPS and FedEx for speed, tracking and even diverting a package in transit. The discounted rates businesses pay for FedEx and UPS is always lower, except to Alaska, Hawaii and the possessions.

I ship and/or mail almost every business day, and some things are more economical by mail, and some things are better shipped by a private carrier. They don't really do exactly the same thing, they all do a pretty good job and they all foul up sometimes. But, 44 cents won't even buy you a bad look at UPS or FedEx much less pick up and delivery at virtually every single address in the United States every business day. I'm glad that I have a choice - it helps me make a living.

[waynesgarden]

... They demand raises, go on strike (illegal for all government employees) lose or throw away mail, shoot up Post Offices, kill a couple dozen kids (Jeffrey Dahmer)...

I don't know what you do for a living but I'm sure there could be a corresponding percentage of anti-social behavior found among you and your peers. I worked for the Postal service for 13 years and witnessed none of the net that you so casually cast over hundreds of thousands of workers.

The last strike that I am aware of was over 40 years ago.

(Jeffrey Dahmer? Is tht true?)

Wayne

[AmericasBeekeeper]

There are actually two recorded strikes of the US Post Office. Nixon broke the two week strike from March 17th to March 23, 1970. There was also a very brief strike and all involved were fired September 4, 1978. I have no grudge against the Post Office especially since I grew up in that community. I use whichever carrier is best for the circumstances. You will pay hundreds to send anything to Alaska, Puerto Rico, Guam, etc. that is only $4 or $10 by the USPS flat rate Priority. I get my Pierco foundation from CA to FL by UPS for less than one 60 pound package by USPS and I get 900 pounds at a time.

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Reputation is earned, never say "going postal" in a Post Office. It brings back bad memories of several "bad apples." I do combat for a living, could be considered anti-social by some bleeding heart liberals. Semper fi

[BeePuncher]

I want to swear up a storm. There is no excuse for this. They even told me that for the way they were shipped, the tracking doesn't mean anything or do anything. So maybe they aren't even in Detroit, MI. I think they would have gotten here quicker my regular mail. Yeck, media mail gets her quicker than this. I'm beginning to think that this is a racket by the USPS to get people to use the Express Mail. "If we foul up enough, we can get people to pay three or more times as much for the service they should get anyway. Suckers!"

Just had to vent, thanks for listening.

Pugs

Hope it works out, i'll give you the Canadian perspective: in the past had ordered queens from BC - opposite side of the country from me - always paid express (same as USPS service) well one took nine days to deliver - all the queens were fine and did well, most attendants dead - and the following year ordered the same and the next day I get a call from Canada Post's depot at the airport asking if I want to pick them up before they were sent out to my local post office! The guy was nice, gave directions to the warehouse, and handed them off to me. One day delivery. So I guess the point is that even with express it can be a gamble, and one's experience can go across the whole spectrum. Good luck!

[Nate Finch]

My wife runs an online store and ships thousands of packages every year via USPS. The number you get for "tracking" is not really for tracking. it's basically just a package ID. The post office doesn't do tracking the way UPS and Fedex do. There's no one following the package step by step. A lot of the time, the tracking info doesn't get updated until after the package is delivered. The rest of the time it just says "package info received", which means "someone printed out a label for your package". If you want reliable tracking and guaranteed delivery, go Express, or go UPS / Fedex (USPS Express is almost always the cheapest of the 3).

It sucks when packages aren't delivered on time, but that's why it costs 6 bucks and not 20+. The advice we always give our customers is to go down to the post office with your tracking number, and ask about it.... but most of the time they'll just tell you they don't know anything about it.

[MikeJ]

USPSP tracking (as far as I have ever been able to deduce) is just a little extra you can pay to let you know the item got mailed... After that it is pretty useless. I find that most of the time the package is in my hands before their tracking system even mentions it close to me.

Mike

[NewbeeNnc]

As someone else put it. This is going to be the same parent organization that takes care of your health in the future. Whooppeeee.

[hilreal]

Answer to your problem: locally adapted queens. There must be someone closer than Ohio who raises queens? Even 2 days being banged around on a truck in August (been in the 90's the last few weeks around here) can't be good. I buy from Tim but drive over to pick them up.