Anybody have problems with packages getting damaged in shipping?

[King Bait Co.]

I had just sent out a package the other day from the post office. To a fellow Tu member found out he was a TU member after the sale on ebay. Anyway I sent some POP molds in a Flat Rate Box marked fraigial (can't spell right now a little PO'ED) an the box got their damaged and wet some how in the shipping. Is this an on going problem with the post office this is the second one thats happen to my POP molds in a two weeks time. I had about three in a year before this. It only seem to happen when I ship down south. I am not knocking the south by no means the west coast seems to take weeks to get their stuff I ship to them. Is their anybody to speak to at the past office or will it fall on deaf ears.

[woodieb8]

we have stuff dis appear. do postal workers fish???

[braveviper]

Just had some spinnerbait blades come from stamina all scratched up.

[reeves]

I use the USPS all the time because of the rates and service. I have shipped as much as 63 lbs in a Flat Rate Box for $8.95, anywhere in this country. There just is NO other carrier that can touch that.

I think you will find with all carriers that handling is the main complaint. They are dropped, tossed, kicked, and bounced all over the place. You never get to witness it, and the person that hands you your package, well he didn't do it, just accept it. So that brings us to price, and back to USPS.

I might recommend that you pad the items (I use bubble wrap) in your shipments extremely well and stuff the box tight (shake it to be sure). On the outside just tape the fire out of it. If it is real heavy, use the strapping tape that has the webbing in it. Try and picture in your mind how your package would hold up if it were dropped from a height of 6', if you are happy that it will survive, go ahead and ship it.

Hope this helps you.

[Ogajiga]

I no longer mark boxes "FRAGILE" since that has appeared to target them special handling. I think the sound of breaking glass is especially entertaining to USPS parcel handlers somewhere. My wife gets me "Jolly Rancher" candy I think brown cardboard boxes from Safeway that if you cut a bit off the top fit inside the smaller square Priority Mail flat rate box for a more secure double box. And like "reeves" says padding for a tight fit and maybe some kind of moisture barrier(Zip Lock freezer bags?) might help.

[Basseducer]

I lost a pair of Bob's swimbait molds to the USPS. The flat rate envelope arrived empty with a note that basically said "We care and take great steps to prevent this, but s__t happens and we're sorry. I tried to follow up, but got caught up in the government maze. Unfortunatley I did not ask for insurance on the package. Like Reeves said, you just cant beat the price. So wrap them tight, re-enforce the package and by all means get insurance. H__l Yes, postal employees fish.

With todays technology you would think that an organization as large as the USPS could backtrack a piece of mail and determine if an employee found a couple of shiny metal objects on the floor somewhere along the line.

TJ

[Spike-A-Pike]

My wife is in the habit of saving every piece of packing material that comes into the hose. Bubble wrap from every piece of electronics, packing peanuts from medical supplies, those little air pillows to keep smaller boxes from banging around in larger boxes, nothing every gets trashed, but, I'd stay out of the back bedroom if I were you. Good luck.

[MTfishingrods]

For the most part the post office has been great for me. Have not lost anything or had anything damaged for my customers. However my rods are shipped in PVC pipe so it is next to impossible for them to be damaged. And are always insured. Tackle is sent priority mail and havnt had a problem yet. As for personal mail, thats another issue. My father sent me a letter that took 3 weeks to travel 90 miles. My sister in law sent my daughters glasses in the mail that took no joking aside and postmarks proved this, 3 months to travel the same 90 miles. So I dont know. It seems like if you go to the extra trouble to make sure you have proof you sent something or insure it, then they will go to the extra trouble to make sure it gets there.

[Brian_Va]

You mentioned the South? I have had a problem in the past with Florida in particular.

[Palmetto Balsa]

You said you are selling on ebay... If you don't already, try the click and ship option and pay for the shipping on line and print you label. If has a bar code with delivery confirmation and it seems that the packages arrive in about 18-hrs. to most any continental destination. I think the bar code will tell the machines any information they need to move it along the system. The fewer employees that handle it the better. Even the 3oz. first class packages I print labels for seem to get better treatment and arrive faster. I have had one bubble envelope package that seemed to to have been destroyed when it was caught in some kind of belt system that just cooked it.

I took the one that was destroyed back to the Post Master and showed it to them and wanted to know what they could to rectify the problem. He proceeded to tell me how much my package cost them in the machine it might have broken and the time lost on the line and showed me that it didn't say fragile. What do you do when they say something like that but turn around and walk to the door, so you can get enough momentum to clear the 4' counter when you assume the flying burrito position in an attempt to attain satisfaction on the Post Master.

OK, thats what I would have liked to have done. I just asked for him to wright his supervisors number down for me and when I left I threw it away.

[6_feet_deep]

...What do you do when they say something like that but turn around and walk to the door, so you can get enough momentum to clear the 4' counter when you assume the flying burrito position in an attempt to attain satisfaction on the Post Master.

OK, thats what I would have liked to have done. I just asked for him to wright his supervisors number down for me and when I left I threw it away.

:D:D:D:D:D

I have had very few problems with the usps, but the problems you do run into seem to be extremely agitating and the lack of care in the postal worker's attitude is enough to make you climb up on the top rope and give somebody the superfly snuka. Hell, at work we sent some ceramic tiles to Fla university via FedEx...for some odd reason the box showed up to the school, but the tiles somehow grew legs, cut the tape, and jumped out of the box AND even taped the box back up. Imagine that...

[Vodkaman]

Only the smartest tiles for a university.

[Romeo D]

I have worked in the post office a long time ago, I use to repair all the machines they had... Flat rate packages use to get sorted by hand and were "thrown" into bins according to destination. I am not sure if this is still being done, When I left they were working on technology to read addresses and sort automatically.

I received a few molds lately and think the cardboard envelopes could be reinforced a little better. A few of them came with the cardboard envelopes ripped/torn most likely cut from the edge of the aluminum mold inside. Others have taken great care in shipping molds to me by bubble wraping them, but by the time it reaches my home, most of the bubbles are popped and the outer cardboard envelope is torn. After seeing what comes in the mail to me, I think if I were to ship molds out I would try using some styrofoam sheeting material or cardboard to wrap the mold and all its sharp edges and then use a Tyvek envelope. I really like the Tyvek stuff... it is resistant to tears, water resistant, and I think you could get them for free from the post office if you ship priority mail with them. They were great for mailing my taxes in the past before E-file.

[eddiesgal]

USPS is great in most parts, but we do lose some packages. These's have two addresses on them, we put our return on them, where do they go.

As for padding we use the thin foam for packaging our eyes. We go by the

lazy boy dealer in town and get it free. They throw a ton of it away eveyday.

The sheets that they gave me last time were 4 foot wide x 16 foot long.

We fold it down till we need it. We like the free padding and it keeps it out

of the dump.

ed

[hazmail]

I have had countless packages from the U.S through USPS (over about 20 years), and have never had anything damaged, usually takes about 5-7 days (for 14,000 miles) and they are banging on my door -------------although I am waiting for a float switch which was ordered (and paid for) on the 14th Feb, but you can bet it's the seller who is holding it up not USPS or Australia Post.I can get things quicker from U.S than I can from Perth( W.A) or China/Japan. pete