Poor USPS service

[pmkat252]

As a USPS retiree, I am saddened by their continued price increases and lower service standards. God Forbid you need to file an insurance claim!!  When I retired 12 years ago Customer Service was high. Now only prices are high, service is suffering, customer service is non existent and eBay is loosing sellers and buyers by the droves. I have started shipping more by FedEx for anything breakable. When the USPS made insurance part of their Priority mail service, they made sure they never paid another claim ever. You have to have a DNA swab from the employee accepting the broken package from our buyers. In the meantime we loose the item, the refund to our buyers and then salt in the wound... the USPS gets their money and seller gets screwed. 

I am considering just stopping. With the new taxes, the higher shipping prices, the lack of support by eBay or shipping carriers,  the stress isn't woth $4.

[stuff4divas]

@pmkat252  preaching to the choir LOL

Good Luck on whatever u decide 😊

[12345jamesstamps]

It depends what items you might be mailing out and where.

I only use USPS and never have a problem.

As far as service, I can just go to a post office and mail any packages without a problem.

Insurance is usually for a lost package in the mail...not for something broken.

[ckimodog]

@pmkat252 

My biggest problem with USPS is they don't always show up to deliver or pick up my mail.  Many of their employees are contracted labor and you have to wonder if they even have any proper training.  For ever it's worth, I feel most USPS employees do their jobs well.  It's the one's who couldn't care less that hurt my business in some respects.  I'm sure you were probably one of the employees who did your best, so thank you for that and enjoy your retirement.  In life things change and not always for the better.

Wishing you all the best. 

[yuzuha]

I have to say that out of a total of probably several thousand packages sent and received via USPS over the years, I have never once needed to file an insurance claim, so I give them credit for doing their job well.

[stainlessenginecovers]

I've used USPS exclusively for since 2011 (12 years) and shipped out 150 items per month average (21,600) and have had such a minimal number of issues that it is absurd (Lost Packages- 1; Damaged-2). 

3 issues in 21,600 packages. Give me that percentage in ANYTHING in life, and I will just want to know....

where do I sign! 

[itsjustasprain]

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@pmkat252 wrote:

In the meantime we loose the item, the refund to our buyers and then salt in the wound... the USPS gets their money and seller gets screwed. 

I am considering just stopping. With the new taxes, the higher shipping prices, the lack of support by eBay or shipping carriers,  the stress isn't worth $4.

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Not sure where your $4 comes into this but as a regular buyer here I have to say that a disturbingly large number of sellers do not know how to pack a box. (I am not accusing YOU. Just saying.) In some cases it seems like a miracle that I got my purchase in one piece or that it made it to the correct address.

I know things can get banged around in shipping but I doubt that among UPS or Fedex or USPS that there is a huge difference in handling. Accidents will happen of course but as a seller in another account I try to have some awareness of what the package is going to go through and I prepare it to meet that. That means not only a box for anything that would not resist squashing in a padded envelope but also tape over a printed label so it will resist snow & rain ect. I get boxes that are recycled cracker boxes and addresses written longhand in ball point pen. In cases like that I marvel that the USPS got it to me at all.

If tracking shows that the package got lost along the way then it should be a pretty easy payout. If it arrives damaged there is a strong possibility that they will refuse the claim for insufficient packing unless perhaps it arrives with tire marks on it.

[chapeau-noir]

I've been happy with USPS service.

[mtgraves7984]

I ship with USPS exclusively and I continue to receive crackerjack service... coming or going.

[richard1rst]

I have only had to file an insurance claim once. For a package going to Chile that arrived as en empty box. Chilean customs refused the package and sent it back. I filed an insurance claim and was fully reimbursed.

Other than that I am 99 44/100 % satisfied.

Based on some of the complaints I have seen on these boards (not just about the USPS but everything in general) I have come to believe that most of the problems that are aired here are from people who have brought it on themselves. Mostly by now knowing or complying with the rules. They will never admit it of course. Which is why they continue to come on these boards and Kvetch.