USPS Ground Advantage Gripes

[Woodtroll]

I feel your pain. USPS parcel service has gotten to be horrible. It's almost a 50/50 bet that a parcel headed my way will be misrouted in delivery, and usually if it happens once it then hits multiple off-route centers before it gets to me. That used to happen only once in a blue moon.

I'm currently waiting on a package that was supposed to arrive two days ago. It left California, made it to Memphis, then stopped in Nashville, then Richmond VA, then Washington DC, then Greensboro NC, then Roanoke VA (which is the hub it should have gone to straight from Memphis).

As I said, this happens almost half the time now. And nobody with USPS can tell me why or appears to care. But they get their regular postage increases just the same...

 

[BobHufford]

You should ask the eBay seller if they would ship via the carrier / service-level of your choice and then invoice you for any bump in the rate. They have all the options at the time of label creation. I set my auctions up with Priority as the default option and USPS Ground as a cheaper option. I prefer Priority (as a seller) as the service is usually good and I get the 12”x12”x8” boxes for free. I will sometimes upgrade a buyer (for free) who has chosen the Ground option to save the headache of finding a plain box. Usually it’s just a couple dollars more for Priority if the box stays under 12” in all dimensions.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

I feel your pain. USPS parcel service has gotten to be horrible. It's almost a 50/50 bet that a parcel headed my way will be misrouted in delivery, and usually if it happens once it then hits multiple off-route centers before it gets to me. That used to happen only once in a blue moon.

I'm currently waiting on a package that was supposed to arrive two days ago. It left California, made it to Memphis, then stopped in Nashville, then Richmond VA, then Washington DC, then Greensboro NC, then Roanoke VA (which is the hub it should have gone to straight from Memphis).

As I said, this happens almost half the time now. And nobody with USPS can tell me why or appears to care. But they get their regular postage increases just the same...

Memphis to Roanoke via Richmond, DC and Greensboro sounds a bit out of the way to me.

Are you actually from Roanoke? One of my best friends is from there. All the stories he tells me, I feel like I know the place.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

You should ask the eBay seller if they would ship via the carrier / service-level of your choice and then invoice you for any bump in the rate. They have all the options at the time of label creation. I set my auctions up with Priority as the default option and USPS Ground as a cheaper option. I prefer Priority (as a seller) as the service is usually good and I get the 12”x12”x8” boxes for free. I will sometimes upgrade a buyer (for free) who has chosen the Ground option to save the headache of finding a plain box. Usually it’s just a couple dollars more for Priority if the box stays under 12” in all dimensions.

I have thought about doing just that but my eBay purchasing days are almost done (for now anyway) and so I’m just grinning and bearing it (and griping to anyone who will listen ). But when I return from Asia if I get back into collecting, I might take that approach.

 

[Woodtroll]

Yeah, that package did a jig or two. And it was Priority…

I live west of Roanoke near Floyd. I just retired from a public service career in Roanoke County. I enjoyed it very much, but do not miss the long repetitive drive. Folks often asked why I didn’t just move closer, but I’m very happy living in the rural area that’s been home almost my whole life.

 

[georgie girl]

It seems like lots of sellers have moved to 'ground advantage' which to me is anything but an advantage. I cringe when I see that is how it's being shipped because it always seems to take forever to reach me on the west coast and it seems to cost me as much as I pay to have an item sent priority. The only thing worse is when an item comes DHL in country.

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

It seems like lots of sellers have moved to 'ground advantage' which to me is anything but an advantage. I cringe when I see that is how it's being shipped

Same here … cringe!!