I think you'll find that UPS and Fedex have their own problems when you've got more experience using them (for instance, they just don't deliver to some surprising places, and failed deliveries lead to bigger messes). USPS, UPS, and Fedex each have their strengths and weaknesses depending on destination. Like I said, USPS now has tracking even for <4 lb packages now, so the chances something will disappear is next to nil. All shipping services have to make their way through customs (after which they are out of USPS hands, and in many cases UPS and Fedex hand things over to local services as well) and there is nothing that makes a USPS package any more subject to long delays or return than the others, AFAIK. Speaking from 44 years of mail order experience (2 generations), sending $1000+ records across the world on a regular basis, so we really, really depend on reliable shipping.
I've gotten a handful of personal emails asking what my store is -- I deal in rare 78rpm records, a microcosm, a business I inherited from my dad...I don't deal in electronic music or for that matter anything that goes slower than 78 rpm. JT On Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 7:42 AM, Detroit Techno Militia <detroittechnomili...@gmail.com> wrote: > I personally use USPS all the time (5-10 pieces per day) but Bridgette has > her reasons. I've had several items get lost using their international > service. 2 were returned to me. Not bad, but they were larger packages and I > had to pay additional shipping to get the boxes back. 10 shirts cost me 40 > to ship plus 40 to get back along with a 25 customs fee. Bad for business. > At least when I ship UPS they make sure my packages make it to their > destination....no extra fees. > > :) > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Feb 11, 2010, at 7:09 AM, JT Stewart <etmach...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> No, it's not. I run a mail-order record business, we still use USPS. >> We send around a thousand int'l packages a year, to some slightly >> exotic places. A package goes missing maybe once every two years, and >> usually it's not entirely clear whether it's even the USPS' fault. >> >> International shipments over 4 pounds use a customs form that includes >> a code that can be tracked through the USPS website. It's been that >> way for a decade or so. Until last month, shipments under 4 pounds >> used a much simpler customs form that could not be tracked (at least, >> not through the website), but they've just gone to more complicated >> one that I believe can be. Tracking means accountability for any >> facility or post office where the package disappears. >> >> If you have the address right and the customs form right I'd say the >> chances of USPS losing something are way under 1%. If you have the >> address or customs form wrong, the package might take a long time to >> come back to you, but it will..the odds of loss are the same. >> >> My biggest beef with USPS right now is with domestic Media Mail >> shipments, which they have gotten a little over-zealous about opening >> and checking. Even when the box has fragile written all over it and is >> insured for hundreds of dollars. Apparently I'm supposed to trust that >> they will properly repackage everything...not good. >> >> JT >> >> >> >> On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 4:40 AM, Martin Dust <mar...@dustscience.com> >> wrote: >>> >>> On 11 Feb 2010, at 01:13, Detroit Techno Militia wrote: >>> >>>> Too many issues shipping with USPS. If you want to take your chances, >>>> I'd be more than happy to pick one up for you and send it 1st class. >>>> :) >>> >>> Is the US postal service that bad? Everything we send seems to get >>> through! >>> >>> m >>> >
