Why do companies use DHL or USPS?

[predator314]

I'm so frustrated, I ordered my I-PAC and it was sent DHL.  I had it sent to the office because that's where I'm at during delivery hours.  Unfortunately, DHL doesn't deliever to my area, so they hand it off to the USPS.  The USPS won't deliver to our physical address, so now I have my i-pac stuck in limbo between DHL and the retards at the USPS.

I also ordered some buttons and such from X-Arcade and I gave teh physical address assuming it would be sent UPS.  Nope, USPS, and now my buttons and joysticks aren't going to arrive either.  I'm so freakin' mad right now.

The post office I guess is the main problem.  Why can't I give them an address and they deilver it to me?  That's a question I've asked them 100 times and they can't answer.  And people want our government handling our health care?  They can't even deliver a simple package...much less a baby.

[Ginsu Victim]

Considering I'm in Oklahoma and get my DHL shipments from Ultimarc (based in the UK, mind you) THE DAY AFTER it has shipped, I've got no complaints about them. Three Ultimarc orders, and they're all here the very next day. (Without paying extra, either)

USPS has its ups and downs. I wish they gave proper tracking. Right now I have three orders coming from USPS, UPS, and Fedex, and so far the USPS got here fastest.

[patrickl]

USPS is the only good shipper   But that's from the US to the Netherlands. DHL and UPS charge ridiculous extra amounts for administration or something (these are charged to the recipient and are not know upfront).

[hypernova]

So go to the post office during your break...

[Level42]

USPS is the only good shipper   But that's from the US to the Netherlands. DHL and UPS charge ridiculous extra amounts for administration or something (these are charged to the recipient and are not know upfront).

+1

Stupid DHL delivers only working hours. Guess what, I WORK then. (I don't have a fixed working place). And so is my wife 3 days/week. NO re-delivery. Have to pick it up a freaking 15 km's from my home !!! Compare to USPS/TNT post : Re-delivery next day or pick up at neighbors OR at the post office, 800 meters from my house......

Andy has great stuff, but I hate it that he uses DHL only.

[CheffoJeffo]

It's funny ... I dig DHL  ... except for the odd surprise bill 60 days after the fact ...

The question that I have for the OP is WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU that the USPS doesn't deliver to and you expect anybody else to ?

Leve42 -- can't you sign a waiver with DHL to leave at the door ? (you can here in Zakkistan and, IIRC, they will also try again the next day).

[RayB]

Wahhh Wahhh! ME ME ME! wahhh ME, wah wah ME ME center of universe WAHHHH everything should work in my favor WAHHHH   

 

[predator314]

It's not that they won't deliver to us.  It's the fact that you have to give a completely different address to the post office which is not our physical address.  UPS, Fed Ex, etc use our physical address and won't accept anything else.  USPS has to be different for some reason which I've never gotten a good answer for.  So when it's shipped DHL, they have to have the physical address, but then they pass it off to USPS for some odd reason and USPS just sends it back to the sender's address because it has a "bad address".

[SavannahLion]

Please don't knock

And people want our government handling our health care?  They can't even deliver a simple package...much less a baby.

Just to clarify, the USPS isn't exactly a government agency per se. The USPS enjoys a unique quasi-government position. They enjoy all (or most of, it's kind of confusing) of the protections a government agency enjoys and then some. The proof is in the pudding, AFAIK, the USPS is the only agency I've encountered that uses .com instead of .gov though both are valid URLs.

But I digress, USPS will practically deliver to just about any valid location within the U.S. (and a few outside). Some of the addresses I've seen them deliver to is just downright bizarre. In some instances, I've seen them deliver to nothing more than an intersection and a street divided up into 15+ sections which are parallel to each other. In Nevada there are postal boxes which are in the middle of ---smurfing--- nowhere with no house within sight for miles. Those are the ones I've had direct encounters with. I'm sure there are many other valid addresses out there.

In any case, delivering mail has two hurdles. If it validates as a proper address at the usps website, you're halfway there. The next hurdle is convincing the postal carrier to deliver to that address. That is a bigger hurdle in some cases. It's a nightmare sometimes.

[AtomSmasher]

The next hurdle is convincing the postal carrier to deliver to that address. That is a bigger hurdle in some cases. It's a nightmare sometimes.

Anyone else reminded of the mailman from the movie Funny Farm?  He's pissed off because he has to travel so far out of the way to get to their house.

[danny_galaga]

its funny how everyone is mixing up the government services with the companies. postal services like USPS and australia post have a gaurantee  to deliver to every address. this is in government legislation. so long as you have an address mail can be delivered to, they have to deliver it. australia is a good example of what value for money that is. mail is gauranteed to be delivered every day, except remote locations which are twice a week. for 50c, i can send a letter to some po dunk little town in the middle of the desert. it cost me 50c, but to get it there would have cost hundreds, when you consider it would probably go by a contractor in an airplane.

all the companies however, dont have to gaurantee jack. it is on their interests to alert you to what they can and cant do before you do a deal with them of course. and for certain things, you have no choice. post services dont usually allow anything over 20kg or a certain cubic size. also, specialised services can do a better job with certain things, if you are willing to pay.

i've worked in the logistics of both public/private companies and government (post). i can tell you now, that in either case, it is a mistake to imagine anyone handling your precious package with kid gloves carefully placing it 'just so'. in all cases, there is no time for that (except like i say, with specialist companies. furniture removalists are normaly quite careful). all stuff will be literally be thrown from place to place during its travels. so pack it with that in mind!

honestly, i know i might be biased, but for most things its way better to just use the post. they will always have the biggest networks, the most offices, and ship every day to everywhere. with post too, if you arent home as level points out, you wont have to travel to some distant industrial zone to pick up your parcel. and if you are like me, youll have a PO box at an office thats open on saturday so you can pick it up from the counter (",)

[TOK]

It's not that they won't deliver to us.  It's the fact that you have to give a completely different address to the post office which is not our physical address.  UPS, Fed Ex, etc use our physical address and won't accept anything else.  USPS has to be different for some reason which I've never gotten a good answer for.  So when it's shipped DHL, they have to have the physical address, but then they pass it off to USPS for some odd reason and USPS just sends it back to the sender's address because it has a "bad address".

I can't even wrap my head around what you're saying because it makes no sense to me. You either have an address or you don't. Go to the USPS office and pick you package up.