Rant on shipping

[newbury]

Like many others I order a lot of stuff online. I used to order a lot of fishing stuff mail order back in the late '50's.
Up until about the last few years if I was told a package had "shipped" then that meant the item was in the shippers control (USPS, FedEx etc.).
Now that seems to have been redefined to "we are thinking of shipping you what you ordered" by many non-Amazon firms.
I'll order something online and a few hours later get an email "YOUR PACKAGE HAS SHIPPED". Then I go to the appropriate web sites and see:

Good news, George. Your order shipped on 05/01/20.

follow the links further and see at UPS

When the shipment arrives at our facility the delivery date will be updated.

.

I had a recent package that took a week from the first email until I got a FedEx message that it arrived at their facility. But the vendor insisted it had "shipped". And this was happening pre-Covid19.

When did "shipped" come to mean "we entered your address"?

Is this just another example of numbers manipulation so vendors can say "all items shipped within X hours" while it sits in their warehouse (or is being ordered from Timbukto)?

 

[Motorboatin]

When the label is printed the email is triggered. You won’t see any tracking information until the package is scanned at the actual shipping facility

Same thing happens with Amazon occasionally

 

[newbury]

When the label is printed the email is triggered. You won’t see any tracking information until the package is scanned at the actual shipping facility

Same thing happens with Amazon occasionally

Then they should send me a big message "WE PRINTED YOUR LABEL", not "Good news, George. Your order shipped on 05/01/20"

 

[TnAndy]

One of my Amazon orders coming UPS from KY showed it being in local center for a WEEK. Finally, Amazon said "it's lost" and refunded the amount. Day or two later, I entered the tracking number and it said "Los Angeles, CA". Watched it come back to Memphis, Nashville, and finally local center, where it went out for delivery the next day and I got it. Well traveled raincoat

 

[Big Barn]

How about when you get tracking notifications that tell you nothing.

“Your package is on its way to the final destination” is what it tells me each time.

. 3 weeks and counting. USPS to Canada Post.

 

[Motorboatin]

I doubt the USPS and the Canadian postal service share the same tracking software

 

[Big Barn]

That was actually the USPS software giving me the less than useless updates.

I am assuming it is Canada now as the “updates” have ceased.

 

[Doofy]

Don't feel to bad. I ordered 2 face masks a month ago and didn't realize they were coming from the Ukraine. Kick me, hurry up and wait.

 

[Jstpssng]

How about when you get tracking notifications that tell you nothing.

添our package is on its way to the final destination is what it tells me each time.

. 3 weeks and counting. USPS to Canada Post.

I'm getting almost the same notice; "Your package is in transit and on it's way to the next destination." I sent a soil sample via Priority Mail two weeks ago tomorrow, to a lab about 70 miles away. If it ever gets there, it will take two weeks for them to process it; putting me into the middle of May. By then it will be useless, as it's planting time and I"ll be doing my best guess to what I need to add including lime, manure, and fertilizer.

Contrast that to UPS; if an order is shipped I can watch it travel from place to place. Generally it will arrive at least a day earlier than estimated.
USPS used to have the same tracking system but not anymore.

 

[Big Barn]

I'm getting almost the same notice; "Your package is in transit and on it's way to the next destination." I sent a soil sample via Priority Mail two weeks ago tomorrow, to a lab about 70 miles away. If it ever gets there, it will take two weeks for them to process it; putting me into the middle of May. By then it will be useless, as it's planting time and I"ll be doing my best guess to what I need to add including lime, manure, and fertilizer.

Contrast that to UPS; if an order is shipped I can watch it travel from place to place. Generally it will arrive at least a day earlier than estimated.
USPS used to have the same tracking system but not anymore.

Actually I misquoted. YOUR notice is the same as what I receive.