USPS

[lindaj]

Do I actually trust the US Postal Service to deliver express packages this week at the time they claim? Or is that unrealistic?

FedEx is notably more expensive, though maybe also notably more reliable. UPS has never, in my experience, been particularly reliable, and they're not particularly cheap, either.

I have something that needs to arrive somewhere by Friday, for not at all the reason that everyone else needs that this week. While 2-day shipments are cheaper for all of the carriers, I'm tempted to pay the extra for 1-day, just so that they have an extra day to correct any mistakes. Is that realistically or unrealistically paranoid?

I'm all in a rush on this because someone missed his flight on Monday and had to stay an extra day...but I wouldn't have traded that for the world.

Thoughts?

Comments

[tigira.livejournal.com]

Fedex is most reliable.
I hate saying that.
DHL is now part of UPS, so I wouldn't go that route.
USPS is the least reliable of the bunch, IMO.
The problem with Fedex is that I think it's impossible to get it to him if he's not home - someone has to sign for the package.

[tytso.livejournal.com]

Then sender can specify either that a package be delivered without a signature, or that a signature is absolutely required ---- and the recipient can specify whether packages by default require a signature or not; the signature waiver that does require that you have to indemnify Fedex for any loses after they deliver something and someone steals it off your front porch, of course, and it won't apply if the sender explicitly requires a signature. It seems to be pretty much the right set of options to give to both the sender and the recipient.

[lindalee.livejournal.com]

Signatures won't be an issue in this particular case.

[obra.livejournal.com]

I think you're mistaken. DHL Bought Airborne. And outside the US, DHL apparently does some deliveries for the USPS.

But I'm pretty sure that DHL and UPS don't have much to do with each other, except for package-delivery-truck drag race death matches.

[eisenbud.livejournal.com]

Yeah, as of a few months ago DHL was running a big ad campaign in the NYC subway, mostly pointing out that they exist and aren't UPS or Fedex.