Hasn’t been so long since Priority Mail was some pretty decent service. For small packages, it was more reliable and consistent than UPS or FedEx Ground, and cheaper too. From Texas I could routinely get a package to either coast or anywhere in between in 2 days.
Those days are gone. Now the postage rates are way up. You see storage is expensive and USPS has to pay for storing your mail. Tracking is now pathetic.
Case in point: We shipped a Large Flat Rate box, over $20 in postage. Took out the label (paid for it) on 11 September, and got a receipt at post office morning of 12 Sept. Should have been 2 days but when purchased was declared 3 days. Expect by 15 Sept. Only when it goes in, the tracking says 16 Sept (4 days). Did it show up? NO!!! Each day it would say “Moving thru network” but NOT say where it was, only “on time.” Then on the 17th, it said "In Transit - Arriving late. Really? Finally it says it departed the local Distribution Center on 18 Sept.
Only previously it said it left the local Distribution Center on 12 Sept. That history has been apparently cleared as it would demonstrate the lie.
Just hope they have not lost it. It was important that it arrive in a timely manner. Guess we will have to use some other carrier next time…
USPS has really gone downhill. We don’t get mail delivered every day anymore. Carriers will tell you they are consistently short staffed. I’ve spoken with neighbors about this and we all agree we don’t need mail delivery every day. Every other day would be just fine. Even with medication delivery to wait another day isn’t a big deal at all. Imagine the cost savings.
I live in Central FL and my grandson is in college in Tallahassee Fl. It’s not far away. I mailed him a letter on Sept 9th and as of last night he still hasn’t received it. I’m hoping it’s not lost.
I believe they will refund postage on most priority and priority express packages if not delivered within the guaranteed timeframe. The timeframe can vary depending on day of tge week mailed and the from and to locations.
Unless standards have changed with USPS, Priority Mail is not a guaranteed product. The only guaranteed delivery product is Express Mail. I would not think that USPS would guarantee Priority Mail or make any adjustments for outside of delivery standards. Express mail, yes.
Simply put, Priority Mail is the next tier above First Class Mail. Packages can be sent by Priority Mail as well as letters. If an item weighs over a certain amount, it would go by Priority Mail or another mailing tier such as Parcel Post which is the slowest and least expensive.
It’s not as confusing as it sounds, usps.com is the best source of all the different types and tiers of mailing services and what they do and what they cost.
If something is very important to you, mailing by Registered Mail is the safest. If it is valuable, you can add insurance to the item (Registered Mail, insured). Documents are not considered insurable for Registered Mail.
Relax H200h … the Postal Service receives no direct taxpayer funds yet is required by congress to carry an overfunded pension plan. it’s more akin to crony government capitalists writing regulations to pick winners.
Postmaster DeJoy has brought little of the “Joy” element to the postal workers or postal clients. And yet he seems to have metastasized himself into the position and it appears it will take an exorcism to get rid of him.
Not a guaranteed product huh? Why when I go to Click 'n Ship does USPS offer 3 day delivery when I select Priority Mail. Used to do it in 2. But after buying 3 day, they say it will be 4, and then they take 9 days to deliver it !!! NINE days to get to the destination town. Out for delivery before 7 AM this morning and we wlll see if it did. At least we know where it was today.
Also note that Express mail is not even available for a box, only for envelopes!
Once again they say 3 day delivery and they schedule it for 5, and take even more days.
According to USPS.com Priority Mail is not guaranteed as to when delivery will be made. There are delivery standards for delivery which averages x days depending on where it is going however that is not guaranteed.
The only guaranteed mail delivery is Priority Express mail which will state when it will be delivered when the item is mailed. If the item doesn’t get to it’s destination by that time then you should receive a refund for postage paid. Letter size and packages are accepted under this class of mail.
I think there is confusion by many as to these differences in delivery standards.
Any USPS office will be able to help anyone that wants/needs help regarding this or you can go to USPS.com and search for whatever you are wanting. I find it to be quite user friendly.
Well my 3 day package posted 12 Sept arrived in 10 days on 22 Sept. We are waiting for confirmation from the recipient re whether the contents arrived intact. Then we shall see how my little discussion goes about taking 3 times as long as agreed. It should net $21.50 in my hand.
My assertion that no boxes go express was based on recent look in Click and Ship port hole. Pretty sure I have seen Express boxes available and pretty sure I have seen pricing offered in the past. Maybe they have eliminated Express boxes, or maybe they are lying again via port hole. I will be sure to axe that question when I visit. It could be that USPS storage space is getting critical since they no longer deliver in a timely manner…
I don’t think express has flat rate boxes, but you can send packages in your own or purchased boxes, and be charged based on size and weight, and if required, special handling.
Postmaster confirmed what CFO posted: Priority mail carries no guarantee. If you want a guarantee, must use Express mail. The word “priority” is meaningless. So-called “priority” mail gets the same priority as Partial Post. Indeed it is parcel post!
Checking the pricing then, for my sample just-under-5 lbs box we have:
Regional Box A $9.55
Regional Box B $12.47
PM Small Flat $9.45
PM Med Flat $16.10
PM Large Flat $21.50
Socalled Priority $ 15.75
Express 2-day $ 65.85
This is interesting. My shipment did make it into a Large flat rate, but I think I could have gotten it into a Regional Box B for $8 less. Or in my own box for $15.75!
The other interesting tidbit is usage of Regional boxes is not supported at retail. PO is happy to send you free boxes but you would need a half decent scale. Hrmmmph.
there is no help available on usps - i have attempted in the past to contact the local postmaster (we have two local post offices, neither of which is worth a tinker’s damn). I have contacted Washington - same thing - NOTHING. I have determined i would rather have needles shot into my eyes than darken a post office door - i get my stamps via mail from them (at an extra cost) but it’s worth it. it’s really sad when we oldsters remember the “good old days”.
