Thread: Sluggish USPS Delivery Times

It not just USA that is slow, I just received today a small air mail parcel (plastic end caps for RHS tubing) from UK that was posted on 19th June, around 58 days. Its poor service especially when the postage costs are double the cost of the goods.

Wow. I just got a camera from the UK in 6 days. Guess it's pretty inconsistent

I think it just must be hit and miss, I ordered a few bits and pieces from the states 7 days ago, they said 2 to 3 weeks delivery time with USPS. I was very surprised when it arrived 2 days ago considering it was a 15kg package.

Originally Posted by krisfarm

It not just USA that is slow, I just received today a small air mail parcel (plastic end caps for RHS tubing) from UK that was posted on 19th June, around 58 days. Its poor service especially when the postage costs are double the cost of the goods.

Strange UK is normally pretty good. Ordered and paid for a car mirror on Friday night (local) a month ago and it was here the next Wednesday. Thats about normal for my UK experiences.

Originally Posted by MarkEF

I think it just must be hit and miss, I ordered a few bits and pieces from the states 7 days ago, they said 2 to 3 weeks delivery time with USPS. I was very surprised when it arrived 2 days ago considering it was a 15kg package.

One of the issues with USPS is that they have contracts for X number of airfreight containers per day to OS destinations and smaller packages sometimes end up on hold to fill the gaps in the next days shipments, then don't make that shipment. Larger/heavier packages seem to get first dibs on the space available, and smaller stuff fills out whatever waste space is left.

They also only add containers beyond their contact volume once there is sufficient backlog to fill the extra container completely. They pay ad hoc rates if they need to add extra containers, which might be 3 times the rate of contract containers.

It may interest you to know that there are some unexpected results of all the economic turmoil that the whole world seems to be undergoing. I subscribe to several American magazines at a considerable saving to the newsagents prices. Home Shop Machinist and Machinists Workshop, both published by Village Press, and also Fine WoodWorking, published by Taunton Press. They are all now postmarked Zurich - Swiss Post. Obviously the American publishers have found that they can air freight a few pallet loads of magazines to Switzerland, together with a mailing list, and still have cheaper delivery charges than they would have just posting locally. There does not seem to be much delay with this process.
On a local note, I also purchase The Age Newspaper on a Thursday mainly for the "Green Guide." For those unfamiliar with the GG ,it is the radio and TV guide for the week and also has interesting (to me) sections on computers and cameras. They charge extra above the cover price on the paper for The Age, $2.50 as against $2.00. This was originally bought in for the week-end editions of The Age and also The Sydney Morning Herald, because of their large classified advertising sections on the weekends, and the effect on "air freight". But get this, they now impose the impost on all days, and The Age at least is now published in Launceston, Tasmania for the local market. To top it all off, from time to time they leave the 'Green Guide' because of technical issues with the files, usually they publish the next day, but in the past they have decided not to publish at all. Talk about being remote from their readership.
Rob.

As the Green Guide is now only a shadow of its' former self, hardly any computer stuff at all now, I no longer buy any issue of The Age, previously it was down to Thursday only.

I subscribe to Fine Woodworking online, much cheaper and you have access to all the back issues as well.

Switzerland seems to have special postage rates for thes sorts of things. I buy quite a few books fro the Book Depository-UK and a fair precentage seem to be posted from Switzerland.

The world is really shrinking.

Usually the cost of the book including postage is less than it would cost to post the same book form Bendigo to Melbourne via AusPost, go figure

Originally Posted by Big Shed

As the Green Guide is now only a shadow of its' former self, hardly any computer stuff at all now, I no longer buy any issue of The Age, previously it was down to Thursday only.

I subscribe to Fine Woodworking online, much cheaper and you have access to all the back issues as well.

Switzerland seems to have special postage rates for these sorts of things. I buy quite a few books fro the Book Depository-UK and a fair percentage seem to be posted from Switzerland.

The world is really shrinking.

Usually the cost of the book including postage is less than it would cost to post the same book form Bendigo to Melbourne via AusPost, go figure

I know what you mean Fred re content in any of the papers I think, it gets less and less while the advertorial goes up. (I only get the Thursday edition too.)
I hadn't realised that Book Depository also frequently posted from Switzerland too, I sometime get stuff from them as well thanks to a recommendation from you a couple of years or so ago. I can get any workshop practice series books I might want for just over half the price, and weeks earlier than I could if I had to wait for an order placed in a local bookshop. It worries me though, what will become of the local shops, with high overheads, and dwindling sales because of the competition. Then you walk into the local library to find half the books that used to be there, (the reference section seems gutted) - but heaps of computer terminals taking their place.

Originally Posted by Ropetangler

It may interest you to know that there are some unexpected results of all the economic turmoil that the whole world seems to be undergoing. I subscribe to several American magazines at a considerable saving to the newsagents prices. Home Shop Machinist and Machinists Workshop, both published by Village Press, and also Fine WoodWorking, published by Taunton Press. They are all now postmarked Zurich - Swiss Post. Obviously the American publishers have found that they can air freight a few pallet loads of magazines to Switzerland, together with a mailing list, and still have cheaper delivery charges than they would have just posting locally. There does not seem to be much delay with this process.

hi Rob

this has been going on for at least 30 years, so I don't think it has much if anything to do with the current economical turmoil
In 1974 I took out a subscription to Scientific American. the magazine always came via Europe.
either Yankie publishers send all foreign subscriptions (except those in Canada) to Europe for despatch, or their software thinks Australia is that country which borders Germany

Well I never knew this Forum had so much International clout ........I actually received a parcel yesterday which was posted in New York on 4th Aug and sent via USPS so they must be following this thread and lifted their game just for us........the merchant advised me that it's really hit and miss with USPS....can't agree more...I am still waiting for a similar size parcel sent from a supplier just out of Houston Texas, 10 weeks ago.....the tracking system confirmed the postage date and tells me it's still sitting in the US...

From now on where possible, I ask the merchant to send via one of the commercial couriers ...slightly more expensive, but a lot more reliable in scheduled delivery dates.

It's not just the USPS either, must be a sign of the times - I often send normal mail and packages Australia Post from Vic to Katherine in the NT and it always takes on average 8-10 days - sometimes up to 12 days to arrive at their Post Office..............Priority mail isn't much better taking up to 7 days for triple the cost......considering this is within Australia - IMHO, I find it disgusting and totally unacceptable for Australia Post to take so long to deliver within it's own country.......and they can't blame anyone else for that..... .maybe they need to put a motor on the posties bike for the stretch between Cooper Pedy and The Alice.or bigger wheels so his bike doesn't get stuck on the cattle grids as much.. ......just my two bobs worth of grizzle for the day............Lee

Still waiting for an anniverary card to arrive, posted 6/8 from Nelson Bay to Guildford/Sydney. That will be 2 weeks on Monday. Surprisingly usually 1-2 day to/from Nelson Bay for registered post, or 5-7 days to our son in Bendigo.

JohnQ

Originally Posted by ian

hi Rob

this has been going on for at least 30 years, so I don't think it has much if anything to do with the current economical turmoil
In 1974 I took out a subscription to Scientific American. the magazine always came via Europe.
either Yankie publishers send all foreign subscriptions (except those in Canada) to Europe for despatch, or their software thinks Australia is that country which borders Germany

O.K. Ian, I hadn't realised that it was longstanding behavior that I was seeing. When I first took out these subs, they were posted from home base, but I suppose that postage is on constant watch for the opportunity to cut costs, and the balance has just shifted to the point where overseas postage has again become cheaper even with the bulk airfreight component.
Perhaps our local publishers need to look for alternatives like their overseas counterparts do, because none of the locals offer the kind of attractive deals with subscriptions that the American magazines in particular do on a regular basis. With the Ausies, you would be lucky to get much more than a 5 - 10% saving, while the Americans sometimes give savings over 75% to their local readership and about 50% for overseas readers.
Australia Post is sometimes very expensive and way over the top. Several days ago I took a C5 envelope, (230 X160mm) to the Post Office to post it. In the envelope was 2 lots of anti-biotic medications for my wife. They easily fitted in the envelope, but it made it about 25mm thick. They were to go to Hobart from North West Tasmania, and I was told the cost was $6.50. Initially I thought the Post Mistress was joking, but soon realised that she was serious. It is too thick to go as a letter she said, it is a small package. I then opened the envelope, and removed the sheets of capsules from the boxes, which I then folded flat, and fitted the whole lot, boxes and all back into the envelope, to which the Post Mistress added some tape to secure it. The amount payable dropped to $1.80. Those in charge seem to be the postal systems worst enemies it would seem.
Apparently in recent times it has been "streamlined", and the classification small package has gone, and now we pay for 500gm even if you are sending only 100gm, and it is thicker than about 6mm. (not sure of the exact thickness, but it isn't very much, 6 - 10 mm I think).

7kg Package from Swansea to Canley Heights posted 14th received 15th, can't complain.

Originally Posted by Auskart

7kg Package from Swansea to Canley Heights posted 14th received 15th, can't complain.

Wow, that must have actually fallen 'onto' the truck

Phil

I bought some sneakers on ebay recently and got them the next day and thought wow that was quick. When I checked back on location I saw they were located in Perth