Missing in delivery

[romiin]

  Have you had any items go missing in delivery?  I had a really nice 217 caboose on it's way to only find out it went missing after waiting a month for it.  The tracking said it was in the delivery warehouse soon out for delivery,  then it never showed up. How do you loose a 15" long box, don't think it fell behind the seat.  Got a Ebay refund, but really just wanted the item. I think to protect the delivery companies reputation,, Ebay Sayed it got damaged and sent back to the seller.  I contacted the seller, he knew nothing about it.  Chance you take I guess. Just a little p#ssed.

[starfire700]

Have you not seen on the news UPS, Amazon and other shipments, mainly on train cars in yards, being looted and destroyed by vandals, because of a lax position against crime, lack of police etc? Not just porch pirates, but many ways your shipment can go missing. We have had Fedex shipments that they even admitted were stolen. It is a sad situation.

[romiin]

  I hear ya. I do expect it got stolen, but can't prove it.  Ebay and amazon keep using them, probably because their price. 

[Terry]

I NEVER ship parcel post by the post office anymore. They tend to end up in containers sitting behind regional sorting centers during busy times. They always sort the 1st class then the Priority mail. parcel post is last and if they don't get to it, it sits for the next day.

Ebay guarantees the buyer will get the item ordered. If it doesn't show up when it should, you complain to eBay and they will refund your money. Sometimes they go after the seller; sometimes they don't.

About 4 years ago, I had two people buy Tonka trucks and then complain when they stopped moving according to the tracking. Ebay refunded them both. In one case I was able to pay the post office $10 and maybe the return shipping to get the truck back. In the other case the truck was delivered and the buyer sent me a check.   That was the last time I did parcel post.

After 23 years of shipping trains sold on ebay. I've only lost 1 item. That item was delivered to a PO box in a different small midwest town. Either I screwed up the zip code or the post office did.

[romiin]

  I do find that items I buy on Ebay using the global shipping program, travel through the united states in a timely manner. But when it hits Toronto its any bodies guess when you will see it. It takes around 10 days to make it's way across Canada, then sits in a delivery warehouse for 3-6 days, But what can you.

[Terry]

How close are you to the border? I have Canadian buyers who rent boxes in the US to receive packages and pick them up once a week.

I know the expats in Rocky Point Mexico have their mail sent to a Post office in southern AZ and they share boxes in groups so any member can grab all the mail. Like a co-op, but less organized.

[romiin]

  I'm about 1-1/2 hrs to Orville .  I should ask around and see if any one I know has a box there.  For me personally, I don't buy enough stuff to make it worth my while.

[lionel11guy]

I haven't had anything go missing but I have had to contact the PO to find things that have blown the delivery date by 7 - 10 days.

I live in Ohio about halfway between Columbus and Lake Erie. US route 30 runs no more than 2 miles from my house. I've had several pkgs. start in Wisconson, next stop Illinois and then Illinois again then across Ohio to Pittsburg, once even as far east as York, PA then back across Ohio to the first stop in Illinois then to Akron/Canton OH then to Mansfield OH (which is 12 miles east of my home) to Cleveland back to Mansfield then to my hometown and FINALLY delivery! I assume that these pkgs travel across US 30, 2 miles away, around 3 times on these little sojourns. This is the route at least 2 pkgs have been sent on. I'd almost be happier losing the pkgs! I now am very leary of all shippers these days!

[starfire700]

We are near Paducah KY. USPS closed the sorting facility in Paducah (to save costs). Now if I send a letter to my Sister across the street it goes to our local PO, then across the state line to Evansville Indiana, then back to our local PO. That is economy, according to the Gov'mt. No wonder things are delayed and being lost.
Just for illustration, because I would only TXT message her anyway, but it does impact payment of local utility bills. I will change these to on-line payments, then the PO will loose this revenue................result of their saving costs.   

[romiin]

Got a bit of insight from a lady today about intelcom delivery service. They handle a lot of global shipping packages that come into Canada.  She said she had to go to the delivery warehouse to get her parcel that was days late. She said when she got there the warehouse was in total disarray, there was only two guys working there. She said they are so under staffed it was a sad state of affairs. 
 A person she knew had delivered for them and the pay was pretty bad. 1.25 a package to deliver, some packages were sometimes 12 minutes apart, when she loaded at the warehouse, they don't get paid for sorting and loading. Says she made on average 11 per hour. Not sure how the gas and wear and tear on your vehicle worked out.  I might try to get in the warehouse and see if my long lost package is there. 

[starfire700]

We have recently received items from sellers in Canada and they arrived quickly. Is the out-going system different than the in-coming which you have described as a problem? Just curious to know. Is Intelcom a sub-contractor for your postal system?

[romiin]

  I did read some where that our postal system bought 50% of intelcom, but I personally never had a Canada Post parcel delivered by intelcom.  From what I understand intelcom is hired by a broker that deals with Amazon and Global shipping and maybe other entities. I know people that say they requested that Amazon send their purchases by Canada post and not intelcom, so delivery wise they must be separate.  Not sure who the sellers in Canada would use to ship out to the USA, but I highly doubt it is intelcom, they are so disorganized.  It must be the cheapest outfit to deliver, these poor delivery guys use their own vehicles old mini vans and Honda civics.  A lot of items I buy on ebay through the Global shipping program seem to be shipped to Erlanger KY by USPS, but really not sure who ships it from there to Toronto where it enters in to Canada customs.  I actually don't even know who ships it from Toronto to my Province British Columbia, I only get a tracking number when intelcom receives it in Vancouver main warehouse for the province. It is kind of a mystery tracking system once it leaves Erlanger I just keep my fingers crossed

[starfire700]

Shipping is a confusing mess, both sides of our boarder. We don't use Global shipping for Ebay, because I don't like that they repack fragile items that I have already carefully packed. Customs and duties and taxes make it cost-prohibitive for us to ship international any more.
Our local USPS carriers have to drive their own vehicles also. They have to sit on the RH side of their cars and minivans that are LH drive. When they leave the PO they are so packed full with packages even on the dashboard, it is a wonder they can see, let alone drive from the wrong side.
Amazon and other internet sellers have overloaded the USPS system. An organized company like Amazon should take over package delivery.

[Terry]

My local post office should have 5 workers. With the pandemic 2-3 is normal. Some days there is just one person working. Earlier this year, they were closed because no one showed up!

A year ago the regoinal manager would come by and stand around. He wouldn't work even if there was just one other worker. Now he will do some work.