USPS-Plexed

jhatpro · Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 7:49 am Post subject: USPS-Plexed

An eBay seller sent me a couple of mouthpieces. He shipped from New York. I live in Illinois. USPS tracking says they are now headed my way from...Colorado.

Does this happen a lot?
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

adagiotrumpet · Heavyweight Member Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 913

Several months ago, I bought a mouthpiece on EBay. The item was shipped from Phoenix headed for the Los Angeles area. It intially went to the IRS in Denver (I'm not kidding), then to my distribution center, and then back to the IRS in Denver. The seller refused to get involved, but after several weeks with various departments of the USPS, I was finally able to have it intercepted and forwarded here. I guess I was lucky that there were no trumpet players at the Denver IRS.

TrumpetMD · Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 8:20 am Post subject:

Same thing happened to me with USPS around one year ago. Something shipped from NY to MD, arrived in MD, then went to the Midwest where it didn't move for days, and then finally back to MD where it was delivered a week or two late.

Mike
_________________
Bach Stradivarius 43* Trumpet (1974), Bach 6C Mouthpiece.
Bach Stradivarius 184 Cornet (1988), Yamaha 13E4 Mouthpiece
Olds L-12 Flugelhorn (1969), Yamaha 13F4 Mouthpiece.
Plus a few other Bach, Getzen, Olds, Carol, HN White, and Besson horns.

Ronnman · Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 8:41 am Post subject: Re: USPS-Plexed

Tony Scodwell · Heavyweight Member Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 1965

Two words to remember concerning the USPS...don't use.

Tony Scodwell

www.scodwellusa.com

rhatheway · Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 8:23 am Post subject:

Remember, the USPS is a government agency, and one that is losing a LOT of money, so I'm not surprised by that at all. Be glad that you actually were able to track it. A couple years ago a package was shipped to me from the east coast. It ended up being sent on a roadtrip around the US before finally coming back for delivery to me, and even then it was misdelivered! I only found it by going to my old address (which wasn't the address it was sent to, it was sent to my new address) and finding it there of all places!

So yeah, sadly that's not unusual at all...

_________________
Richard H
------------------------------------------
Working on getting my chops back...

“Without music, life would be a mistake” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

1958 Conn Director 14A
1968 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1977 Reynolds Medalist CR-58

CaptPat · Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 8:28 am Post subject:

I've had pretty good luck with USPS, packages arrive eventually. I had a UPS parcel shipped from Atlanta to Eastern NC. I tracked it westward to Seattle, and the seller contacted UPS who was unable to turn things around, the seller sent me a duplicate and it arrived in 2 days. The original package was last tracked in Vancouver. IME these services work pretty well, till they don't and then they have a hard time getting things back on track.
_________________
Bach Stradivarius 180S37
Getzen Custom Series 3895
_______________________________________
I play trumpet because I like it, not because I'm good at it.

adagiotrumpet · Heavyweight Member Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 913

It's hard to be supportive of the USPS, but I keep trying even though they destroyed my early sixties Schilke B3. Even though I sent it Priority Mail Express, the most expensive choice and supposedly the safest, as well as being fully insured, it took over 6 months and finally a call to the Postmaster General's office in Washington DC to get them to cover the repairs. Fortunately, the horn still plays great, although cosmetically it will never be the same.

But what are the alternatives? FedEx and UPS in my experience are much worse and more expensive.

adagiotrumpet · Heavyweight Member Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 913

Speaking of alternatives, I just received an email from UPS. Once again my promised delivery will be delayed one day. Unfortunately, several of my vendors use only UPS. Frankly, I can't remember getting a package that wasn't at least a day late.

Rhondo · Veteran Member Joined: 22 Oct 2021 Posts: 262

spitvalve · Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 3:23 pm Post subject:

I bought a cornet on eBay and the shipping time via USPS was supposed to be three days. It was shipped on time and made it to the Dallas hub on time...and then sat there for nine days before I raised a stink with the post office and finally got my horn two days later.

About this time there was a scandal with the Dallas hub where several employees were arrested and/or fired for stealing packages--mainly iPhones and stuff like that. Thankfully they didn't want my cornet. But they ignored it as long as they could.

The USPS is still the envy of most of the world (except maybe Japan--when I lived there I could set my watch by the mailman on his motorcycle), but I fear for the future. It's hard to find good help these days.

The mail truck driver in our neighborhood is either illiterate or stupid or both--my neighbors and I often have to re-deliver each other's mail.
_________________
Bryan Fields
----------------
1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
1999 Getzen Eterna 700S
1977 Getzen Eterna 895S Flugelhorn
1969 Getzen Capri cornet
1995 UMI Benge 4PSP piccolo trumpet
Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces