International Shipping Costs Seeem Outrageous, USPS, UPS, FEDEX, DHL?

[Tin Can]

I stopped all outbound shipping

However the other day USPS regular mail person had left a box behind as it required a Sig

Then the driver went to PO and back in under 3 minutes

USPS is very important and a very good job in the middle of nowhere

However the current Master bought new gas hogs instead of smaller

[Ulophot]

A note of caution from a recent experience for what it's worth:

I sent a print to Germany, to an office. Tracking finally said that an attempt had been made to deliver it and then something about it being in the hands of originating service. At the time delivery was allegedly attempted, people were in the office. No note was left by the mail service, as is always the practice.

Since Germany's post office system has been privatized, my friend there had no recourse, without a note indicating that it could be picked up at one of the kiosks sprinkled about the city, by no means necessarily the nearest one in any case. USPS has no tracking ability once the package is in custody of the post service there, and the post there has no tacking of the U.S. barcode, apparently.

I mailed it from the post office first class on Aug. 5. I am still waiting for its return. Since it was for a friend's major-year birthday, I sent a copy with a friend on an airplane who happened to be going of the occasion.

This was an anomaly, but my friend said that the post service has become awful but not nearly as bad as the train system...

[PatrickMarq]

A note of caution from a recent experience for what it's worth:

I sent a print to Germany, to an office. Tracking finally said that an attempt had been made to deliver it and then something about it being in the hands of originating service. At the time delivery was allegedly attempted, people were in the office. No note was left by the mail service, as is always the practice.

Since Germany's post office system has been privatized, my friend there had no recourse, without a note indicating that it could be picked up at one of the kiosks sprinkled about the city, by no means necessarily the nearest one in any case. USPS has no tracking ability once the package is in custody of the post service there, and the post there has no tacking of the U.S. barcode, apparently.

I mailed it from the post office first class on Aug. 5. I am still waiting for its return. Since it was for a friend's major-year birthday, I sent a copy with a friend on an airplane who happened to be going of the occasion.

This was an anomaly, but my friend said that the post service has become awful but not nearly as bad as the train system...

Philip,

Yes it’s quite horrible. From what I can see here in Belgium the people who drive for those services are mostly selfemployed.
Read, not paid enough and on a tight schedule. So on a friday good luck for you: you can pick it up in some strange shop, probably owned by some relative.
Our you find a note saying you where not at home, while waiting ‘in the door’ the whole day :-)

[notorius]

Philip,

Yes it’s quite horrible. From what I can see here in Belgium the people who drive for those services are mostly selfemployed.
Read, not paid enough and on a tight schedule. So on a friday good luck for you: you can pick it up in some strange shop, probably owned by some relative.
Our you find a note saying you where not at home, while waiting ‘in the door’ the whole day :-)

Hmm, sounds like you are describing post service here in Czech Republic. The last sentence especially... :-)

[Michael Jones]

Nope no joke ..

the record company got paid in full for what I got for insurance. I paid for $2,000 insurance. After a certain amount of time (3 weeks? I can't remember) the box was lost the RC had to initiate a "trace" to search for the package, the PO couldn't find it and the RC was paid in full. no clue how that is a joke, and all the carriers are like that. certain amount of time passes, trace, ( to make sure it's not fraud) pay the insurance claim. there are things that can not be insured, original 1 of a kind prints and negatives. no one will insure those, so one has to send them certified registered mail, and they are under lock and key and go through a different system to be delivered where everyone who touches the item has to sign a register so there is a chain of custody. I've had no problems with that service ..

I’ve had both USPS and UPS lose high end audio equipment I sold. Both paid the value of the equipment after a brief, usually 3-4 weeks, investigation. What *&@#+ would ship a $5000 piece of equipment uninsured so they could refund the buyer after loss & have nothing at the end of the transaction? Foolish is the kindest description of such a thought process.

Don’t insure what you can afford to lose. Otherwise let the carrier assume the risk of loss.