SMKW/UPS/USPS Shipping Issue.

D

dip_n_ride

Joined
Apr 23, 2008
Messages
154
Well, I figured it was only a matter of time before I had a problem with shipping, given the number of things I order over the course of a year. Guess this was just the lucky order!

I was browsing one of the EDC threads one day, and I saw a link to a Kershaw Mini Cyclone (selling for only $25, about $32 shipped), and figured I would buy it for my brother, who wants a knife for Christmas. So I ordered, and was billed for a Kershaw Mini Cyclone (PE) from Smokey Mountain Knife Works on November 17.

After going 10 days without receiving it, I emailed SMKW and inquired, and they told me that it shipped UPS Basic (:barf:) and that as of November 20, it was in the possession of USPS and I should receive it in a couple days. Well, all of last week went by and I didn't seen it, so I emailed SMKW again yesterday and they told me they have initiated an investigation that could take up to 8 days.

I'm relatively certain this is not the fault of SMKW/UPS, but USPS, as I have had issues with them before. Anybody else had a similar issue, and if so, do you have any advice?

Thanks.
 
Agree with Kris. Haven't heard of that. It's usually either UPS all the way or USPS all the way. Did you try tracking it with the original UPS tracking number yourself?
 
Sounds like a glitch in delivery, and another glitch in the explanation. :)

When I worked for USPS, we had people come in with UPS delivery attempt notices and want us to give them their packages. Sometimes it was hard to convince them we weren't the same organization.
 
If it were shipped UPS it should have a tracking number. Ask them for the tracking number.
 
Thanks for the comments.

"Basic" is a new service that UPS and FedEx are using to bite into the revenue stream USPS has with ground shipping. The idea is that instead of UPS delivering the package right to my front door, they deliver a big group of packages to a local USPS office, and then USPS makes the final delivery. In exchange, UPS/FedEx offer some of their air services to USPS. It's considered a step below UPS ground shipping.

Keep the suggestions coming.. hopefully somebody has dealt with this before.
 
JB in SC said:
If it were shipped UPS it should have a tracking number. Ask them for the tracking number.
Click to expand...

I have a UPS tracking number, but the tracking stops when the package is put into the possession of USPS. My tracking has read "IN TRANSIT TO FINAL DESTINATION" since November 20.
 
I was going to buy that same knife, but $8.74 for shipping seemed too high for me. You would think you would get your knife for that much. They were on Ebay for $30 shipped last night.
 
bigcozy said:
I was going to buy that same knife, but $8.74 for shipping seemed too high for me. You would think you would get your knife for that much. They were on Ebay for $30 shipped last night.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. I've never had trouble with UPS Ground shipping, and this whole interchange between UPS and USPS is really starting to stink. The same sort of thing happened with a sweatshirt I ordered a few weeks back from PacSun.. they shipped the package with FedEx to a local post office, and it took the post office about a week to make the final delivery. What's worse, is that they scanned the package as "delivered" about 3 days too early, so I was left thinking someone stole it off my front porch until it mysteriously arrived in my mailbox.

Not too impressed with USPS at the moment.
 
Are you sure they drop off the packages at a "local post office"? I'd be surprised they make that many stops. I bet they drop them at a sectional center, which then has to sort them as if they were ordinary incoming USPS packages, and distribute them to the local offices for delivery. A couple more days right there, and one or two more steps to go wrong.

One difference between USPS and other services is that USPS generally goes to each delivery point every day. The others only go when they have a package, otherwise, they may bypass the area. (Of course, in some areas, USPS also has dedicated parcel delivery, rather than sending the larger packages out with the letter carrier.)
 
Worry about what? I've been shipping USPS for years and receiving USPS, UPS, DHL, and Fed-Ex, all without a problem. Face it, some areas are easier to serve than others, some offices are more reliable than others, some delivery employees are better than others.

Yeah, it's a crapshoot. How has service been in your area so far? If it hasn't been the greatest, have you mentioned it to the local office, the local postmaster?

I used to get calls when I was a postal supervisor and manager, and some of them were BS, but we checked them out no matter how crazy they sounded. Some complaints were justified, and we got those letter carriers back in line. It's serious stuff in any business, not getting the job done right, but the boss isn't there to see how every piece of mail is or isn't delivered -- you do have to speak up. Complaining here doesn't count.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Are you sure they drop off the packages at a "local post office"? I'd be surprised they make that many stops. I bet they drop them at a sectional center, which then has to sort them as if they were ordinary incoming USPS packages, and distribute them to the local offices for delivery. A couple more days right there, and one or two more steps to go wrong.

One difference between USPS and other services is that USPS generally goes to each delivery point every day. The others only go when they have a package, otherwise, they may bypass the area. (Of course, in some areas, USPS also has dedicated parcel delivery, rather than sending the larger packages out with the letter carrier.)
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how the system works exactly, I've just deduced it from the email exchange I've had with SMKW. But, it seems like if UPS could get 50 packages delivered by dropping them at a post office instead of going to 50 different locations, they would take that opportunity. In fact, without knowing the system intimately, I would imagine that's the entire point behind offering "Basic" in the first place. But again, I don't know how it works. But I think we can all imagine it is rooted in saving time and money by not having to go to every single delivery location, and then passing that savings onto customers.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
It's serious stuff in any business, not getting the job done right, but the boss isn't there to see how every piece of mail is or isn't delivered -- you do have to speak up. Complaining here doesn't count.
Click to expand...

Not sure if that was directed towards me, but just to clarify, in addition to posting on BF, I have also called the local DC postal service and they have no record of a package with my tracking number. They said they would normally retain the tracking number they receive from UPS, but as far as they knew, there was no record of the package changing hands. So, I brought it up to SMKW to see if they can uncover anything I haven't already.

I've had problems with USPS before, and I'm sure that's not a reflection on you Esav, I'm sure you were a terrific employee. Unfortunately, when you live in a city like DC, not every customer and not every package gets the attention it really deserves.
 
It is rooted in turning UPS into a shipping agent instead of a delivery service. Since USPS does go to every delivery point every day, and thrives on higher densities of deliverable volume, it makes sense to take delivery responsibilities away from the others and get everyone used to just the mailman showing up with packages from everywhere.

In the long run, the others may be shooting themselves in the foot, since people used to never seeing anyone but the mailman will go back to sending packages by USPS mostly. UPS and the others will be happy to settle for the business to business and business to residential pickup.
 
hmm, seems this came out in 2003. from the little reading I just did, all the links stated that UPS delivered to a local PO. Something about using the Parcel Select service from USPS.
 
dnr, I was a manager on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, about 100,000 customers in one square mile. NYC was handling 10,000,000 pieces of mail a day and my post office got about 250,000 of them. Daily. In a Depression-era building with 4 floors and one elevator. It was fun, sometimes. :D
 
Well Esav my friend, apparently you are the exception, because your former employer sucks in my part of the states :)

It's like they say, Washington, DC: the city with northern style charm and southern style efficiency.

Anyway, I just wanted to see if anybody had the same trouble I did, and ask for suggestions. I didn't mean to turn this into a USPS hate-fest.
 
hardheart said:
hmm, seems this came out in 2003. from the little reading I just did, all the links stated that UPS delivered to a local PO. Something about using the Parcel Select service from USPS.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought.. I'm sure there are countless logistics to take into account, but judging from the emails I received from SMKW, it seems that UPS dropped it at a local PO. I wouldn't mind this at all if I was able to track the package once it arrived at the PO, the problem is, I can't.. the tracking number UPS gave me only tracks up until the point the package supposedly changed hands.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top