USPS Parcel Post/Delivery Lost? Am I Screwed?

I ordered a Streamlight Clipmate and a scope lens cover from midwayusa.com on the 26th of July and got a confirmation that same day that it had delivered via Parcel Post(midway charged me $6.50 "fair & honest" shipping + $3.00 special handling fee). so that's 2 weeks to get from Missouri to South Carolina???? Midway says theres no way for them to track it??? so am i basically screwed out of $30?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif if it never shows up?

Pretty much, if there was no signature required or insurance.

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zapper said:
Pretty much, if there was no signature required or insurance.

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Yeah, if there's no number attached to it (i.e. delivery confirmation, insurance, signature confirmation, etc.), then there's no way for them to track it at all. And even if there was a number, they will not bother until it has been missing for at least 30 days. Just hope it shows up someday.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

im still gonna raise he!! with Midwayusa.com

maybe i overlooked a warning that state's "USPS Parcel Post" but that's just crazy that those 2 items cost me $6.50 in shipping alone!, not to mention that $3 special handling fee.

It shouldn't have cost more than 2 or 3 bucks to mail. I think anything over actual cost is a ripoff plus I wonder if they actually think anyone really believes it costs that much to mail anything?

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zapper said:
It shouldn't have cost more than 2 or 3 bucks to mail. I think anything over actual cost is a ripoff plus I wonder if they actually think anyone really believes it costs that much to mail anything?

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what pisses me off even more is that on the deliver confirmation they break down the charges and it actually says:

"Fair & Honest Shipping- $6.53" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Give it some more time, before getting hot and bothered.

Parcel Post can be slow as molasses in February! When I worked at the Post Office (20 years ago) Parcel Post shipped on a space available basis. If there wasn't room on the truck, it had to wait for the next one. Plus it only went by truck or rail. Even the carrier didn't have to deliver it, if it was a heavy day. If you charged the item, you can contest the charge, if you don't wait too long. I think you have 30 days, but I could be wrong. Just give it some more time, before you do anything.

I can't believe any retailer would use Parcel Post for a small and light weight item, in this day and age. Priority Mail is the cat's meow! Priority Mail is carried by FedEx aircraft, whenever possible. Delivery Confirmation is free when you print the shipping label online, at the USPS website. The Post Office even provides the boxes for free. I frequently send and receive Priority Mail packages in two days, coast to coast. I've shipped well over 100 Priority Mail packages in the last year, and haven't had one go missing. I've received hundreds of Priority Mail packages, and they all made it fine.

Businesses have to charge for shipping and handling. They have to pay someone to do it, and provide a clean and safe enviornment for that employee to work in. There are many overhead costs involved, that most people haven't got a clue about (OSHA, FICA, Disability and Workmen's Comp, utilities, water, insurance, Payroll, etc.). Then there is the cost of packaging materials, and postage or shipping fees. They are not cheap. Even if an add says shipping is free, it's not. It's included in the cost of the item.

oldgrandpajack

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oldgrandpajack said:
Give it some more time, before getting hot and bothered.

Parcel Post can be slow as molasses in February! When I worked at the Post Office (20 years ago) Parcel Post shipped on a space available basis. If there wasn't room on the truck, it had to wait for the next one. Plus it only went by truck or rail. Even the carrier didn't have to deliver it, if it was a heavy day. If you charged the item, you can contest the charge, if you don't wait too long. I think you have 30 days, but I could be wrong. Just give it some more time, before you do anything.

I can't believe any retailer would use Parcel Post for a small and light weight item, in this day and age. Priority Mail is the cat's meow! Priority Mail is carried by FedEx aircraft, whenever possible. Delivery Confirmation is free when you print the shipping label online, at the USPS website. The Post Office even provides the boxes for free. I frequently send and receive Priority Mail packages in two days, coast to coast. I've shipped well over 100 Priority Mail packages in the last year, and haven't had one go missing. I've received hundreds of Priority Mail packages, and they all made it fine.

Businesses have to charge for shipping and handling. They have to pay someone to do it, and provide a clean and safe enviornment for that employee to work in. There are many overhead costs involved, that most people haven't got a clue about (OSHA, FICA, Disability and Workmen's Comp, utilities, water, insurance, Payroll, etc.). Then there is the cost of packaging materials, and postage or shipping fees. They are not cheap. Even if an add says shipping is free, it's not. It's included in the cost of the item.

oldgrandpajack

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i'll give a little more time i guess, maybe another week or two. what do you mean by contest the charge?

i understand that they have to pay their employees and such but that's what the markup in item from their wholesale/buying cost is for. they shouldn't gouge on shipping like they've obviously done here(MidwayUsa.com)

thnx grandpa! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif your explanation of parcel post makes me feel a little better /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

had some packages returned for no good reason by usps as undeliverable.some for the second time.
and i know the address was good.
as for the fair and honest shipping and the handeling gouge i check for that crap upfront.if i see it no order.

well, i'll be!! finally received the package in just under 3 weeks!!! from columbia, mo to lexington, sc. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

what makes it so great is that i must have gotten here either on Friday or Saturday, after i had already left for my backpacking trip in which i ordered the headlamp for(for my brother) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif oh well, at least i got it......

I used to purchase a lot of merchandise from Midway. When they changed their policy from shipping included in the price to "Fair & Honest" shipping I saw a large price increase & had problems w/ a couple of orders. They used to be my first source for things, now they are the last. I know quite a few other people who have done the same thing.

One time I had to pay about $15 shipping and handling for as small package to be shipped via priority mail. I didn't know any better at the time... It forced me to learn some prices.

That 3weeks is horrible though. Keith shipped me an item via parcel post and it reached me (Trinidad) in 15 days! It was insured though. Don't know if that played a role in the shipping time. I am glad you got the items though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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oldgrandpajack said:
Businesses have to charge for shipping and handling. They have to pay someone to do it, and provide a clean and safe enviornment for that employee to work in. There are many overhead costs involved, that most people haven't got a clue about (OSHA, FICA, Disability and Workmen's Comp, utilities, water, insurance, Payroll, etc.). Then there is the cost of packaging materials, and postage or shipping fees. They are not cheap. Even if an add says shipping is free, it's not. It's included in the cost of the item.


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I have to disagree w/ this. I don't pay a handling fee when I go to a store & purchase something. A person rings it up & bags everything. Their work is included in the price of the merchandise. I've worked for a company where part of my job was to be the shipping department. It's not much work to pull parts & ship them. I see handling fees as an extra way to make money when the sale is already made.

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jhereg said:

I have to disagree w/ this. I don't pay a handling fee when I go to a store & purchase something. A person rings it up & bags everything. Their work is included in the price of the merchandise. I've worked for a company where part of my job was to be the shipping department. It's not much work to pull parts & ship them. I see handling fees as an extra way to make money when the sale is already made.

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The first part of what you said is a very good and interesting point. Some of the labor involved in making a sale exists in both a B&M store and via phone, mail or internet sales.

To play devils advocate, I wonder if you'd have been willing to work for free when packing items in your job for shipping? You say that it wasn't much work, so would you have done it for nothing? Of course not. And my point is that it does cost. You have a good point in that some of those labor costs are a trade off.

Now, for the biggest point. How about you supply the materials for shipping? Mailing containers, packing material, tapes, labels, adhesives, fixtures, space to do the packaging and store the supplies. It's quite costly, very different from a 1-2¢ bag.

I hate paying for shipping. How a business charges shipping fees will influence if I will buy from them or not. But I do understand that there's a cost involved. My dividing line is whether a business is making additional money for shipping or just trying to cover their costs. Some go out of their way to make sure that you know that they're not gouging you.

I've not bought from eBayers because they charge $6-12 shipping for something that'll cost 49¢ and a 50¢ mailer to ship.

I love businesses that only charge actual shipping fees, but there is a cost to businesses that justifies some additional fee.

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kitelights said:
The first part of what you said is a very good and interesting point. Some of the labor involved in making a sale exists in both a B&M store and via phone, mail or internet sales.


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There's more of a tradeoff than you realize. (Assuming we are talking a web based business which is what I patronize almost exclusively at this point if I don't buy locally) In a B&M store you may require multiple people to handle the excess traffic when you get busy. They stand around a lot when things are slow. If you are pulling orders from the internet it requires less staff because the customer isn't standing there & 20 min or even half a day doesn't really matter. Boxes are free from the major shippers for any air shipments. Boxes are free for Priority Mail shipments. If you are paying for boxes & pay much more than a $1 you have been ripped off. I don't mind if they charge real shipping & round it up a buck or so to cover costs. I do object when they charge much more than real shipping & then tack on $3 - $5 "Handling" fee. It's a ripoff & they are counting on you seeing the cost of your merchandise & not figuring in the cost of S&H.

On the subject of me working "FREE" because it didn't take much time. I wouldn't work for free, but we charged the closest thing to real shipping I could approximate when I talked to the customers. I could generally estimate it within $1. Sometimes I was a bit high, sometimes low, but almost always in that range. If it turned out I was way over, then I charged them what it really was. If I was too high the company ate the extra cost to keep the customer happy.