Random Rants

[Seul]

USPS has always been good to me, and I don't find their pricing crazy… There are far, fàr worse countries to deal with (*coughs FUCK CANADA coughs)…

[Megatron1505]

My only comment on shipping…......I fucking hate the Royal Mail 

[Giles]

Oh yeah.  Canada is worse than any civilised country I know and worse too than most uncivilised countries…..

[MikeC]

It seems like the more socialist feeling the country is, the harder it is to get shit thru customs.  We are asshole capitalists in America.

[thomasnunnally]

@Seul:

USPS has always been good to me, and I don't find their pricing crazy… There are far, fàr worse countries to deal with (*coughs FUCK CANADA coughs)…

Imagine my confusion moving here.  When they told me $13 to ship a 7" within the country, I told them they were crazy.  It then proceeded to take 14 business days to get there.

I now wait until I have a trip home and mail all my shit from there.

What's more, when I ship to the US from CA, the package takes forever in CA, and then 1-2 days once in the USA.

[Guest]

A little off topic but my big pet peave is you can't use a ups or fed ex box to ship usps. I don't know about fed ex, but as far as ups you could use a box that says fed ex rules and they don't give 2 shits

[Guest]

Can't you just use brown wrapping paper around it?

[MikeC]

What the fuck are you talking about, I just shipped something thru USPS and it was in a FedEx box. Maybe that's how they do in the sticks, the city tends to be different with their rules.

[MikeC]

An example is that when I lived on Memphis, you couldn't wave the signature. Even if you check the box, the dude has to physically hand it to you. Too many packages get stolen off people's stoops in Memphis.

[bagley920]

That's Memphis dude, one of the worst cities in the country, ofcourse they're gonna require signature.

The only time a carrier is gonna care what box it's in is the USPS, and that's only with their own boxes, can't send priority in an express box and vice versa. UPS does not care if you send Ground in an express box even though it says not for UPS Ground on the box. I have literally heard them tell the clerks that it's not worth arguing with a customer and to just take the package. It's all about not pissing people off these days because there is so much competition

[DougNg]

I really do like USPS's policy that if it fits in a flat rate box, it ships, regardless of the weight. I shipped a 45lb kettlebell to myself a couple months ago for something like $20 so I could work out while traveling

[Seul]

Belgian mail is reasonably cheap… But it also heavily favours €urope and the States... Eg:

• package up to 2 kg (4.4 lbs) costs 25 € to €urope + US, but 41 € to Canada... Up to 5 kg is 31 € to €urope + States, but 62 € to Canada... However, it is 31 € to all these countries, so I'm exaggerating a bit...

1) Duitsland, Frankrijk (zonder overzee gebieden), Groothertogdom Luxemburg, Nederland en Verenigd Koninkrijk.
(2) Azoren, Bulgarije, Cyprus, Denemarken, Estland, Finland, Griekenland, Hongarije, Ierland, Italië, Letland, Litouwen, Madeira, Malta, Man, Monaco, Oostenrijk, Polen, Portugal, Roemenïe, Slowakije, Slovenië, Spanje, Tsjechië, Zweden.
(3) Albanië, Andorra, Wit-Rusland, Bosnië-Herzegovina, Canarische Eilanden, Faeröer-Eilanden, Georgië, Gibraltar, Guernesey, IJsland, Jersey, Kroatië, Lichtenstein, Macedonië, Moldavië, Montenegro, Noorwegen, Oekraïne, Rusland, San Marino, Servïe, Turkije, Vaticaanstad, Wit-Rusland, Zwitserland.
(4) Algerije, Egypte, Israël, Jordanië, Marokko, Syrië, Tunesië, Verenigde Staten van Amerika

My point is that the Canadese postal system obviously hates everyone, and we decided to fuck with them in return… Luckily Seul's Postal System is not discriminatory and only costs 5 € per parcel (anything I can shove in the box)... 

[bagley920]

@DougNg:

I really do like USPS's policy that if it fits in a flat rate box, it ships, regardless of the weight. I shipped a 45lb kettlebell to myself a couple months ago for something like $20 so I could work out while traveling

Until it never arrives…

[DougNg]

In the last 15 years, USPS has lost two of my packages (both coming to me, none that I have shipped myself). Both times, customer service found the package and expedited it back to me. I honestly have no complaints with USPS. You get what you pay for

My wife's car dealership on the other hand, that place raises my blood pressure past 160…

[natehate]

and us canadians hate all the big shippers
ups sucks my nuts the hardest thou
a bit of advice to everyone here when shipping to canada always go with your countries standard mail. even if it costs more initially it ends up being cheaper in the long run cause we dont usually get nailed with customs. let alone a duty i will never for the life of me understand or agree with
however the canadian postal service did recently charge me for duty on a 600 dollar package that was only 60 dollars cause someone wasnt paying attention
fought that one
lost

[Seul]

Also, 1st Class Int'l Mail not tracked?.. Granted, it's very rarely tracked after it leaves the country (although sometimes it does tell you when it has arrived in your country/ is at your country's customs), but it's a very good service if you deal with mates…

First-Class Mail International

Depart USPS Sort Facility
November 30, 2012
BROOKLYN, NY 11256
International Letter

Processed at USPS Origin Sort Facility
November 30, 2012, 2:29 pm
BROOKLYN, NY 11256
Dispatched to Sort Facility

November 27, 2012, 6:50 pm
BROOKLYN, NY 11211
Acceptance
November 27, 2012, 4:41 pm
BROOKLYN, NY 11211

[bagley920]

That's just for customs to prove that the package actually left the country Eli. Like you said, once it leaves the US, nothing

[Seul]

I know, and it won't do you any good with Paypal, but I still think it's nice for such a cheap service to be partially tracked at least 

First Class fan boy 

[urbanwoodsman]

@bagley920:

That's just for customs to prove that the package actually left the country Eli. Like you said, once it leaves the US, nothing

What about USPS Registered Mail? I used it for the first time the other day. It was about $12 extra, but she said you would at least have some sort of tracking and would know when a package was delivered.

Just checked the package,

"Processed Through Sort Facility - November 30, 2012, 2:55 pm  -  GREAT BRITAIN"

[Seul]

urb: if you can trust the person you're shipping to, never ever pay extra for fancy services… First Class is just as fast as say Express or Priority... Reason: sure it gets across the ole pond quicker, but it gets stuck at customs longer as shops and such use Priority and Express... Customs don't care about First Class as they assume only inexpensive crap and gifts are shipped through it... At least, that has been my experience...