USPS Priority Mail Service

Hmm, about to order something online... but i can't decide if i should pay an extra 4 bucks for FedEx. Is the USPS Priority Mail Service safe? How often does mail get lost?

It's safe and will probably be faster than FedEx. I've never had anything lost by the USPS.

Trashman said:

It's safe and will probably be faster than FedEx. I've never had anything lost by the USPS.

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I disagree - never had anything lost by Fedex and it is completely trackable. Priority Mail "tracking" is a joke, and I am currently on the 6th day of waiting for a package from NJ to NH (<350 miles).

If it is anything over $100, I try to find an alternate means of shippng than the USPS. Insurance usually helps it get there in the alloted 2-3 days, but for the added $2-3 you could send it UPS or Fedex Ground.

I currently have two packages lost in the USPS, both were listed as delivered by their tracking system and when I call on both I'm given a call tracking number and a promise that someone will call me back in 48 hours. I call a week later and get another call tracking number with a 48 hour promise, then call back a week later, and the same thing. Did that for 6 months with each package and gave up, never go tmy packages or money back.

BSBG said:

.... Priority Mail "tracking" is a joke........

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If you are referring to the Delivery Confirmation, it is not a tracking number as many assume it to be. I believe the USPS can use it for internal tracking but they do not update status on a package until after it has been delivered, for the most part.

I have shipped thousands of packages via Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation and don't recall a single loss. I did have a package sent to me via this service that never made it and unfortunately by the time I got around to looking into it, the trail, if there was one, was way too cold.

None of the shipping systems are perfect because they rely on humans to carry them out. :shrug: Through the years, I have experienced loses via all of the common carriers. I suspect that some of these losses were due to someone snagging the package after it was delivered to my porch or mail box. I think of paramount significance, in general terms, is the security of the package drop off location and whether a signature is required at the destination. The receiver is in the best position to evaluate this and act accordingly. For me fortunately, signature required is much more trouble than it is worth.

For a while in Berkeley, my mail delivery person was so lazy that he would not even attempt to deliver a package requiring a signature! Numerous times I caught him in tha act of delivering the orange "signature required, missed delivery" form into my mailbox and he would come up with some lame story and walk back to his truck to retrieve the package. I feel incredibly fortunate here on Maui now because all of the postal workers I have encountered and especially my delivery person are really friendly folks and they treat you like a person they are in a role of providing a service to! The delivery person and I call each other by name and we both go out of our way to make life easier on each other! What a novel concept!

Been using USPS Priority Mail alot. No problems so far. Fed-ex once delivered my package to the wrong address. Luckily the nice lady brought it too my house. Priority mail is pretty fast. All packages I have shipped made it to their conus destination within 2 days.

I have used them all (fed-ex, dhl, UPS and USPS and never lost a package yet!

McGizmo said:

If you are referring to the Delivery Confirmation, it is not a tracking number as many assume it to be.

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Maybe that's why I put it in quotes... :thinking:


The best part is when you use Papal shipping, which is very convenient and prints a nice label with the Del Conf bar code, the never seem to scan the package , either initially or upon delivery. It only ever says "we were notified electronically to expect a package..." or something to that effect.

Priority Mail is fairly cheap and convenient, and it usually works as advertised. But when it doesn't, they cannot locate your package, and will tell you to sit and wait as the 2-3 day "promise" is not a guarantee.

I send 1000s of packages a year from my shop.
I have tested them all.Hands down ,no question USPS is the fastest,least cost and has the least stolen or broken.

I often get from NJ to Calli in 3 days or less.I have had UPS lose or breat countless items...USPS not 1 ever in 10+ years.


My 2 cents

sweet, thanks for your advice/experiences guys!

USPS Priority Is very fast.
I usually get packages from NJ to CA In 2 days. oo:

Only had one package lost out of around 70-80.

It's worth the extra money for Priority especially for something valuble.

UPS will be my first choice not as fast as USPS PM but very effective :thumbsup:

greenstuffs said:

UPS will be my first choice not as fast as USPS PM but very effective :thumbsup:

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Gulp! Consider yourself lucky. UPS delivers most of my packages in awful shape. They're the only carrier I've ever used that has broken items. (more than once, too) They're also the only carrier I've seen throwing customers packages (in and out of the van) in a manner that suggests they were so pissed off that they wanted to "teach somebody a lesson." (on more than one occasion in completely different areas!)