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Post by countrygal on Feb 11, 2008 17:44:06 GMT -5
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Post by kim on Feb 11, 2008 18:04:38 GMT -5
Yeah, I saw that. I pay almost all bills online. Easier and cheaper that way!
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Post by frankcor on Feb 11, 2008 23:42:08 GMT -5
One of my functions goes through about $5,000 in metered postage a month. I wonder if they'll sell me enough Forever Stamps to get through the year. I didn't include the increase in my budget. Damn.
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Post by losjibaros on Feb 12, 2008 8:46:17 GMT -5
we still have the cheapest postage in the world.. francor, who do you use for your mailings? i got a guy in syracuse that is top notch...
i am actualy considering cutting my direct mail budget into nothing and putting all my budget into online ads...
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Post by frankcor on Feb 12, 2008 14:06:51 GMT -5
I could have been clearer. The function I mentioned is a corporate mailroom using automated equipment. We purchase postage from the USPS and download it directly into our postage meter. Our clerk is going to be pissed when he finds out he's gonna have to start licking stamps.
It sounds like you're talking about Dupli in Syracuse? I've used them in the past but we don't do much mass mailing. Most of our direct mail marketing is very targeted with few individual pieces. Most of the mail room's budget is spent on just normal business correspondence.
And I agree, btw. We enjoy very cheap postal rates in the US. Taxpayers bear some of the actual cost -- it works the same way for gasoline prices here too.
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Post by rrogers40 on Feb 12, 2008 16:16:42 GMT -5
Although I hate to see anything going up in price I must say I love the US Postal Service. They are in about every community and they are always helpful. And its backed by the US Government- I guess I just don't understand why anyone would want to ship with any other company. I remember trying to send my Laptop back to Compaq and getting DHL or whatever was really annoying.
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Post by dgriffin on Feb 12, 2008 16:24:49 GMT -5
DHL is indeed annoying. They were trying to deliver something to me a few years ago from their Albany office and twice called me to say they couldn't find my house. I live in a rural area, sort of, but not exactly in the boondocks. When they called me the second time, I suggested, "Why don't you send it to me by UPS. They never have a problem finding me." The found my house the next day. By the way, I like USPS, but the best thing that ever happened to them was UPS. It's called competition.
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Post by rrogers40 on Feb 12, 2008 16:31:32 GMT -5
O yea I like competition to its just from what I've seen the only reliable mail/package delivery service around is the US Post office.
I have a friend who owns a business and had a product shipped via UPS once- it ended up at the wrong house. Which is OK- except for the fact that hes a historic weapons dealer and it was a pistol that got sent to the wrong address.
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Post by dgriffin on Feb 12, 2008 17:31:47 GMT -5
Yes, I sold a bunch of old radios a year or so ago and hobnobbed with the eBay Cognoscenti. UPS is definitely not the shipper of choice. USPS is, but only since their prices were driven down by UPS.
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Post by kim on Feb 12, 2008 20:45:40 GMT -5
I have problems with the post office. Pretty much every single week I get mail delivered to me that belongs many blocks away. Addresses not similar, names not similar - the only thing that is similar is the fact that we live in the same development. I also get mail for neighbors on my street. In the afternoon you can see all the neighbors out at their mailboxes sorting through the mail then delivering the mail to the correct address. It's really rather annoying.
I've never had trouble with UPS or FedEx, except one of them, I don't remember which one, left a brand new computer on the porch without ever getting a signature from anyone. We weren't home...it was on the porch all day. Luckily, our next door neighbor is a cop and had his patrol car parked in front of his house all day. That deters criminals.
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Post by dgriffin on Feb 12, 2008 22:16:52 GMT -5
Sounds like your particular carrier. We had a similar problem a few years ago. I called the postmistress and the problem got fixed. Chances are yours won't the be the first or only complaint and the postmaster may appreciate the ammunition.
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Post by frankcor on Feb 13, 2008 6:11:35 GMT -5
Kim, you can prevent FedEx or UPS from leaving valuable packages on your doorstep by requesting that a signature be required for delivery or that the package be held at their terminal for you to pick up.
In addition to driving down prices, the competition also invested in technology that permits real-time tracking of shipments. USPS can match or exceed their pricing, delivery and proof of shipment, but it's like a giant black box. Once you put a parcel in, you never know where it is until it pops out the other side. Real-time tracking permits you to divert a shipment after it's entered the system.
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Post by rrogers40 on Feb 13, 2008 9:14:05 GMT -5
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Post by kim on Feb 13, 2008 9:25:18 GMT -5
Oh, I've complained, believe me! I've also complained about a previous carrier, who, every garbage day, would purposely ram the garbage cans! I'd watch him do it! He's gone now. Since him we've had 3 other carriers (4 total in 4 years), and although none of the others ram garbage cans, they all seem to have the same problem getting the mail to the correct person!
Although I live in a planned development with a lot of homes, it is kind of far out from the center of the city, and we have rural carriers who use their own vehicles and are actually contract employees. I wonder if that has something to do with it.
On the other hand, over Christmas I wanted to send out a package and didn't feel like going to the post office, so I ordered the postage online and printed it out, then met the carrier at my mailbox and he took it away and it actually made it to its destination, so I was happy about that.
There was a return receipt requested for that computer, don't know why they just left it. It was funny, actually...it was a desktop computer and they tried to cover it up with our welcome mat. LOL!
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Post by dgriffin on Feb 13, 2008 10:20:25 GMT -5
>>>The USPS has package tracking- Guesss thats competition at work<<<
Yeah, but it doesn't work. As frankcor mentioned, it gives no info on your package until it is delivered. Unlike UPS that lists each location as it moves through, but more importantly that it did start its journey. All USPS tracking tells you is that the shipper printed a label, if I remember correctly.
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