I'm guessing USPS wants out of the parcel business

[tomplum]

Well now for the second time , Amazon said that they will not ship USPS to me. That was after 1) responding to the CS survey as not satisfied and why 2) replying to the email reiterating the USPS will not deliver parcels to me and they are not authorized to ship USPS to me 3) emailing them that the point of prime was that I would get parcels delivered to my door quickly and that they were becoming useless to me and that they would lose me as a customer. ETC. So I decided that I would pick my parcels up this time rather than leave them on the hook for the return postage and give them a chance to play nice. Next time not so.
On the USPS front , the line of people picking up packages didn't seem to do so with big grins and well wishes. It doesn't seem like a wise decision on the locals part. They made more work for everyone involved. In turn they will handle less parcels, which more parcels seems to be key in keeping the doors open. They may discover that USPS up top and big shippers such as Amazon alike have algorithms that will figure this out and low Post Office on the rung sees the next budget cuts. Amazon has shown that it is fickle anyways in my experience. Ontrac was top choice for a while on shipping. Then UPS. The USPS. And there I go trying to make sense of this....

 

[PILOON]

As I understand it,UPS picks up while USPS will not and the sellers don't want ((or can't) make daily trips to the post office.
Also UPS has done a lot to work out shipping programs for the sellers with EBay being an example.
Heck UPS is almost the default shipping on EBay. Can't comment on Amazon as I rarely buy there.
Most items I'd Amazon buy I generally find locally at better prices. (might be a Canada thing)
Besides a large % of items say "do not ship to your area".

 

[ray66v]

Several years back, when the writing was on the wall, I wondered how the post office would stay busy enough, in the future, to be economically viable. I figured, they would do as Amtrack, and the public library's, continuing to operate forever, as public necessities, regardless of the cost to the taxpayers. No, I don't want to debate the benefits of public library's, or Amtrack, with anyone. I know they have services that are important to some people.

While I like the service from UPS, and FedEx better, I can live with the deal, where the post office does the local part of the delivery. Especially, if it means the Sunday, and holiday service is available, if I need it.

I also don't think the postal service should be doing it at a loss, as one recent news report said.

It's not hard to see the giant hole that will get us in.

 

[scdeerslayer]

Our USPS driver doesn't seem to mind backing up in our turn around area of the driveway.

If they don't deliver on time then you can send it back and choose "Not received on time" as the return reason on Amazon and they will pay to return it. Every return I've ever done with Amazon has been UPS, no matter who delivered it.

One thing I've never understood is that a business that gets a lot of deliveries may have 3 or 4 different FedEx trucks drop packages there on the same day. I've even had 2 different FedEx trucks deliver to my house on the same day.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

It's your road and your problem. If you don't want to improve the road, just install a locking mailbox on the public right of way. Carrier puts the item in the box, snaps the lock, and drives off. Problem solved.

I have the biggest mailbox I could find at the local farm store. Almost everything I get from Amazon fits into it with room to spare. It's 12" wide at the base and 16" high by 2" deep. A 30" box will accommodate the largest parcel the USPS will deliver. Just screw it to the mailbox post and hang a padlock inside where it's out of sight and the weather. When you see a padlock on the hasp,you know you have a delivery.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Several years back, when the writing was on the wall, I wondered how the post office would stay busy enough, in the future, to be economically viable. I figured, they would do as Amtrack, and the public library's, continuing to operate forever, as public necessities, regardless of the cost to the taxpayers. No, I don't want to debate the benefits of public library's, or Amtrack, with anyone. I know they have services that are important to some people.

While I like the service from UPS, and FedEx better, I can live with the deal, where the post office does the local part of the delivery. Especially, if it means the Sunday, and holiday service is available, if I need it.

I also don't think the postal service should be doing it at a loss, as one recent news report said.

It's not hard to see the giant hole that will get us in.

The USPS has not been taxpayer supported for many years. Did you not notice the postage rate increases?

 

[ray66v]

The USPS has not been taxpayer supported for many years. Did you not notice the postage rate increases?

I didn't say they were.

Who exactly do you think is going to have to bail them out, when that becomes necessary?

 

[ultrarunner]

The local United States Post Office in San Leandro California was surrounded by picketers stating Unfair Work Practices...

So all is not rosy...

 

[TXHF]

Where I've bought my land, there is no rural delivery so my only option will be the PO box. Heck, I don't even have an official E911 address yet. There's another issue with a PO box... many places I've ordered from won't ship to a PO box at all. I've got a few years before I'll have to worry about mail out there anyway. But you've all got me thinking. Last, my property will have an electric gate so no deliveries would be able to open it without advance notice. I'll likely go with the rural box and a lock out by the gate.

 

[/pine]

Where I've bought my land, there is no rural delivery so my only option will be the PO box. Heck, I don't even have an official E911 address yet. There's another issue with a PO box... many places I've ordered from won't ship to a PO box at all. I've got a few years before I'll have to worry about mail out there anyway. But you've all got me thinking. Last, my property will have an electric gate so no deliveries would be able to open it without advance notice. I'll likely go with the rural box and a lock out by the gate.

Since you would have to go to the PO anyway...just have deliveries made to "Your Name C/O General Delivery"...The post office will hold them for you without the cost of a PO box...you just have to collect your mail/parcels etc when the PO is open...