What is up with UPS transferring things to the USPS?

[torinsmom]

It's driving me CRAZY! So, here is my item, speeding right along through UPS and then suddenly it is transferred to a PO 10 miles away and it takes 3 or more days to get here? First it was my Nook Color, which took from 11/21 to 12/3 to get to me. Now, it is an Xbox Live card that was ordered 11/28. That one was transferred to a PO 30 miles away on 12/2 and the tracking has it still there. Two different companies--Barnes and Noble and Buy.com. They might as well use the USPS the whole way if they're trying to save money; I think it would be quicker.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I bought something from Target this week that went from UPS to USPS.

 

[jrmasm]

I hate when that happens.

 

[HelenePA]

"Smart post" sucks! I have NO idea why they do it either...

 

[Ephany]

It's called Smartpost, and yes, it sucks. I've always assumed it was a cost saving measure.

 

[Goofyluver]

Chaps my hide when that happens.

 

[torinsmom]

I guess you have to stay away from "free" shipping to stop this. Although Walmart gave me free FedEx shipping and had my big screen tv here in 3 days Anyway, at least I don't NEED the Xbox Live card. I was about to lose it over the Nook. I'd been debating on it for so long and to have it take almost 2 weeks was unbearable.

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

I have 4 items floating around the US right now, taking their sweet time to get to me. You guessed it - all were transferred to USPS.

What really drives me crazy is the lack of tracking information. One of my items hasn't listed a tracking update since Dec. 5.

 

[momof1princess]

OP, i'm having the same issue. ordered a GPS from bestbuy.com on thanksgiving day, and i'm STILL waiting on it to get here. the last sign of it, according to "UPS Mail Innovations", was two days ago, at a post office about 70 miles from here. if i don't get it in the next 2 days, i'm filing a dispute with my CC company. i called best buy today, and they were absolutely no help. i'm still wondering who in the world thought it could EVER be a good idea to ship an electronics item through the post office?!? WTH?

 

[mickeyboat]

We have a PO Box and the people working at the post office can never find the packages - even when I am standing there with the tracking # and tracking information from my phone telling them they have it. It is frustrating! They had something form 11/23 until I insisted they find it at the PO on 12/1.

 

[torinsmom]

I have 4 items floating around the US right now, taking their sweet time to get to me. You guessed it - all were transferred to USPS.

What really drives me crazy is the lack of tracking information. One of my items hasn't listed a tracking update since Dec. 5.

Got you beat. Mine was last updated on 12/2. That will be one week tomorrow. I'm worried mine is lost, since it is a card the size of a credit card. Buy.com said to call back tomorrow, since that is the end of their 5-8 business day shipping window. I don't know if they will help at that point or not. Funny thing is that I ordered a memory card at the same time, shipped from another seller and it came USPS all the way--got here several days ago

 

[manning]

On doing a little research I found this happens on "basic/standard shipping" . Would be nice if we were informed of this before shipment giving a chance to request ground delivery.

 

[Lintasare]

Check out this tracking information from Fed Ex. I placed an order with Old Navy on Nov 4th and it shipped Fed Ex Smartpost. Gets to my city of Albuquerque and the PO decides to send it back for insufficient address. Now it's supposed to go back to Ohio. Can someone explain why it's going to Phoenix?

Dec 2, 2011 7:26 PM
In transit
PHOENIX, AZ
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 30, 2011 3:19 PM
In transit
DENVER, CO
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 29, 2011 9:18 PM
In transit
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 29, 2011 6:41 PM
In transit
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 26, 2011 3:27 PM
In transit
DES MOINES, IA
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 26, 2011 3:19 PM
In transit
DES MOINES, IA
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 24, 2011 3:01 PM
In transit
CINCINNATI, OH
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 15, 2011 5:27 PM
In transit
DENVER, CO
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 14, 2011 10:57 AM
Returning package to shipper
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
Incorrect address, unable to deliver - Returning package to shipper - Please contact shipper/merchant for details

Nov 14, 2011 8:26 AM
Out for delivery
ALBUQUERQUE, NM

Nov 12, 2011 2:54 PM
At U.S. Postal Service facility
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
Arrived at local Post Office - Allow one to two additional days for delivery

Nov 12, 2011 12:20 PM
In transit
ALBUQUERQUE, NM

Nov 10, 2011 5:08 PM
Departed FedEx location
FEDEX SMARTPOST DENVER, CO

Nov 10, 2011 12:00 AM
Shipment information sent to U.S. Postal Service

Nov 9, 2011 8:29 PM
Arrived at FedEx location
FEDEX SMARTPOST DENVER, CO

Nov 8, 2011 6:14 AM
Departed FedEx location
FEDEX SMARTPOST GROVE CITY, OH

Nov 8, 2011 2:16 AM
Arrived at FedEx location
FEDEX SMARTPOST GROVE CITY, OH

Nov 7, 2011 4:52 PM
Shipment information sent to FedEx

 

[torinsmom]

Check out this tracking information from Fed Ex. I placed an order with Old Navy on Nov 4th and it shipped Fed Ex Smartpost. Gets to my city of Albuquerque and the PO decides to send it back for insufficient address. Now it's supposed to go back to Ohio. Can someone explain why it's going to Phoenix?

Dec 2, 2011 7:26 PM
In transit
PHOENIX, AZ
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 30, 2011 3:19 PM
In transit
DENVER, CO
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 29, 2011 9:18 PM
In transit
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 29, 2011 6:41 PM
In transit
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 26, 2011 3:27 PM
In transit
DES MOINES, IA
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 26, 2011 3:19 PM
In transit
DES MOINES, IA
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 24, 2011 3:01 PM
In transit
CINCINNATI, OH
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 15, 2011 5:27 PM
In transit
DENVER, CO
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 14, 2011 10:57 AM
Returning package to shipper
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
Incorrect address, unable to deliver - Returning package to shipper - Please contact shipper/merchant for details

Nov 14, 2011 8:26 AM
Out for delivery
ALBUQUERQUE, NM

Nov 12, 2011 2:54 PM
At U.S. Postal Service facility
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
Arrived at local Post Office - Allow one to two additional days for delivery

Nov 12, 2011 12:20 PM
In transit
ALBUQUERQUE, NM

Nov 10, 2011 5:08 PM
Departed FedEx location
FEDEX SMARTPOST DENVER, CO

Nov 10, 2011 12:00 AM
Shipment information sent to U.S. Postal Service

Nov 9, 2011 8:29 PM
Arrived at FedEx location
FEDEX SMARTPOST DENVER, CO

Nov 8, 2011 6:14 AM
Departed FedEx location
FEDEX SMARTPOST GROVE CITY, OH

Nov 8, 2011 2:16 AM
Arrived at FedEx location
FEDEX SMARTPOST GROVE CITY, OH

Nov 7, 2011 4:52 PM
Shipment information sent to FedEx

LOL, mine went from Nevada to California to Mississippi to Georgia, etc. I swear it did a US tour before finally coming at 8pm on a Saturday night. I met the mailman at his truck.

 

[Brit17]

On doing a little research I found this happens on "basic/standard shipping" . Would be nice if we were informed of this before shipment giving a chance to request ground delivery.

I agree ... I'm actually waiting for an order from amazon.com that was shipped via Fed Ex & delivered to my local post office (1 mile away from my house), which then mis-shipped it to another post office (in another town far from me), which then had to ship it back to a USPS processing facility (really far away from me), which I guess will now have to ship it back to my local post office again! ... So basically I don't know when, or even if, I will ever end up receiving it ... Just makes me wonder how's it going to be when USPS starts closing it's processing facilities & post offices in the Spring ...

 

[SaraJayne]

I agree ... I'm actually waiting for an order from amazon.com that was shipped via Fed Ex & delivered to my local post office (1 mile away from my house), which then mis-shipped it to another post office (in another town far from me), which then had to ship it back to a USPS processing facility (really far away from me), which I guess will now have to ship it back to my local post office again! ... So basically I don't know when, or even if, I will ever end up receiving it ... Just makes me wonder how's it going to be when USPS starts closing it's processing facilities & post offices in the Spring ...

Frankly, it will suck even worse than it does now.

Our entire state will have THREE mail processing facilities...THREE!!

 

[joviroxx]

It usually is noted, when you choose shipping, that its Fedex Smart Post. But most people don't realize what Smart Post is. If you see that, it means UPS will deliver to a post office and then USPS will deliver to you. I hate it as Im anal about tracking things. I avoid it if possible.

 

[cornflake]

Check out this tracking information from Fed Ex. I placed an order with Old Navy on Nov 4th and it shipped Fed Ex Smartpost. Gets to my city of Albuquerque and the PO decides to send it back for insufficient address. Now it's supposed to go back to Ohio. Can someone explain why it's going to Phoenix?

Dec 2, 2011 7:26 PM
In transit
PHOENIX, AZ
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 30, 2011 3:19 PM
In transit
DENVER, CO
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Nov 29, 2011 9:18 PM
In transit
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
In transit to local Post Office - Allow two to three additional days for delivery

Cause it got cold in Colorado and wanted to head back south?

I heard a thing with the postmaster general on NPR the other day discussing the closing of the facilities.

Btw, the sharing of routes and transfer of stuff has always gone on, because the USPS just has more coverage and always has, and they all share plane space because it's expedient.

Anyways, he said that the facilities were being closed but that the ones being closed were generally being operated 12 hours and ones near them that were also on 12-hour schedules would move to 20-hour operations, so it was theoretically not as much of a cutback as it seemed, servicewise, for packages.

The host asked, given that the dropoff in use of the USPS has been in personal, first class mail and during the recession in bulk mail, if they were looking to actually move toward a business model in which they devoted more resources to their package service - turning more toward the UPS/FEDEX sharing aspect. He kind of hedged.

 

[Imzadi]

Got you beat. Mine was last updated on 12/2. That will be one week tomorrow. I'm worried mine is lost, since it is a card the size of a credit card. Buy.com said to call back tomorrow, since that is the end of their 5-8 business day shipping window. I don't know if they will help at that point or not. Funny thing is that I ordered a memory card at the same time, shipped from another seller and it came USPS all the way--got here several days ago

Yes, I think USPS has priority to send all their own packages FIRST. Then, if there is extra room in the truck, they put on a FEW of the UPS packages.


There is a USPS hub in Jersey City, NJ, in which things go into a black hole and stay there for several days to weeks. I've seen several packages for various people at different times of the year have this happen. The tracking even shows that items get scanned SEVERAL times, over several days, but the items never seem to leave that place. They just are eternally stuck on the conveyor belt. Then tossed into a cart for another week, then tossed back on the conveyor belt to be scanned again a few times. Then lost again for several more days.

 

[Patience]

I hate it too. I ordered some perfume from Macy's because there was a free gift with purchase online but not in the store and there was free shipping. Tracked the package to the USPS and then nothing The mailman finally brought it five days later.