UPS/USPS shipping issue

[IFjane]

Can someone 'splain this to me, please? I recently ordered an item from LLBean. They are offering free shipping so I chose that. I have been tracking the item and it seems UPS has a partnership with USPS in that UPS will get the item close to the address and then hand it off to the P.O. for delivery. It seems my item arrived 9/3 at a P.O. hub (not the hub for my P.O., however) and has been "stuck" there ever since. This is what the tracking info on the LLBean site says:

Tracking Details

Date Scan Activity

09/10/2010 02:12 PM NOTICE LEFT CHARLOTTESVILLE VA

09/04/2010 11:22 AM NOTICE LEFT CHARLOTTESVILLE VA

09/03/2010 06:45 AM TENDERED TO LOCAL POST OFFICE - ALLOW ONE ADDITIONAL DAY FOR DELIVERY CHARLOTTESVILLE VA

09/03/2010 06:09 AM DESTINATION SCAN CHARLOTTESVILLE VA

09/03/2010 05:01 AM DESTINATION SCAN CHARLOTTESVILLE VA

09/03/2010 05:00 AM ARRIVAL SCAN CHARLOTTESVILLE VA

09/03/2010 12:34 AM DEPARTURE SCAN LAUREL MD

09/02/2010 01:03 PM LOCATION SCAN LAUREL MD

09/02/2010 07:32 AM ARRIVAL SCAN LAUREL MD

09/01/2010 05:25 PM DEPARTURE SCAN FREEPORT ME

09/01/2010 05:06 PM AGENT PICKUP; IN TRANSIT TO UPS FACILITY FREEPORT ME

09/01/2010 05:06 PM ORIGIN SCAN FREEPORT ME

09/01/2010 05:53 PM BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED

According to the Customer Service reps at LLBean, the "notice left" means I should have gotten a notice that the item was at the post office for pickup. I have not received any notices from them. None. Zip. Funny thing is that Charlottesville is NOT my local post office; it is 45 miles away. Why would/should I drive 90 miles RT to pick up something that should have been shipped to my house? So...after three phone calls they are sending me another one and they promise this time that UPS will deliver it right to my door.

What I do not understand is that the item has my home address on it. Why would it stop in the wrong post office and not move to my local one? No one seems to have an answer for that.

You get what you pay for, ladies....so pay for shipping from LLBean!

[ny biker]

It might be an error with the shipping label. I had a similar problem recently with a package from overstock.com and it turned out that they put the wrong label on the package. They delivered it to a woman in Florida who was kind enough to find my address on the packing slip and send the item to me (in Virginia).

[kermit]

I always have problems with anything shipped by the post office. I would get a tracking number that has "no record" for 5 days and the package would just show up. Here's hoping you get the second one!

[uforgot]

The ups/usps thing is certainly annoying. Once ups puts it in usps hands, it sits there for days. If anyone ships something that way, I order from someone else, even if it's a little more expensive. I've received updates just like yours and suddenly, it then moves on. Give it a little more time. This type of delivery generally takes a couple weeks from my experience.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that it isn't exactly a partnership, ups just found a loophole with the usps and is taking advantage of it, and the usps isn't exactly happy about it. That could have something to do with why my packages sit in Kansas City for a week, EVERY time it's shipped like this.

[ny biker]

UPS and FedEx are two of the Postal Service's largest customers. For some addresses, it's more cost-efficient for them to pay the USPS to deliver a package than to do it themselves. They're content with the arrangement.

All 3 companies prioritize deliveries and choose to deliver packages that were shipped by higher priority, more expensive methods while others sit undelivered. When I bought my phone a few months ago, FedEx put it on the truck but didn't deliver it because it wasn't scheduled until the next day. The phone bounced around on the hot truck for no reason and then was returned to the warehouse, where I picked it up that evening.

[Irulan]

Interesting. I have a commercial account with UPS, ship 100's of packages and year ( and receive tons) too and I have never heard of this. I still deal with the hot guy in brown shorts every day.

Maybe have LLBean issue a recall on the package and start all over?

[Bike Chick]

I think this is fairly common for home deliveries. I use my office address to have things shipped to me when I can. That removes the USPS factor.

[uforgot]

Interesting. I have a commercial account with UPS, ship 100's of packages and year ( and receive tons) too and I have never heard of this. I still deal with the hot guy in brown shorts every day.

Maybe have LLBean issue a recall on the package and start all over?

It's called ups basic. I think it's mostly for rural locations. I think Bike Chick is right. I'm going to try to have it shipped to my work and see what happens next time.

[IFjane]

Finally on Saturday (9/11) I received a notice in my mailbox that there was a package at my P.O. to pick up. By that time LLBean had already shipped me another one - this time by "UPS Air Saver" (what's that?). After work today I drove up to the P.O. and asked about the issue. It turns out the package had been at MY P.O. the entire time - yet the tracking info clearly said Charlottesville and I had not received a notice. Go figure! I refused the package and will await delivery to my door, of the new one. What an ordeal - but it is somewhat comforting to know others have experienced the same. I will know better next time! Oh, and I hope I get the next delivery...

[Blueberry]

Just wanted to chime in - I do think this is the rural thing. I have an LLBean credit card and have ordered from them 10's of times (always free shipping from the card), and have never had a shipping problem (well - fed ex did delay 3 days when we had 2 feet of snow - but I'll forgive them that). I wouldn't fault LLBean on this one.

[IFjane]

Oh Blueberry, I am not faulting LLBean. I just wanted to caution shoppers to pay for an upgrade to the shipping. It's not Bean's fault that UPS contracts with USPS and then someone decides to sit on the packages.

[Irulan]

"UPS Air Saver" (what's that?)

it's in between gound and next day air

[Blueberry]

Oh Blueberry, I am not faulting LLBean. I just wanted to caution shoppers to pay for an upgrade to the shipping. It's not Bean's fault that UPS contracts with USPS and then someone decides to sit on the packages.

I just wanted to make sure Seriously - I've done the free ship deal for years and never had a problem - but I'm relatively urban...guess that has a few advantages!

[ny biker]

Oh Blueberry, I am not faulting LLBean. I just wanted to caution shoppers to pay for an upgrade to the shipping. It's not Bean's fault that UPS contracts with USPS and then someone decides to sit on the packages.

What was the estimated delivery date for your order?

[IFjane]

What was the estimated delivery date for your order?

ny biker, the original order said the estimated delivery date was 9/7, and I went to the P.O. to refuse it on 9/13 (got the notice 9/11, after the p.o. was closed).

The UPS Air Saver turned out to be an overnight for me. The replacement item was shipped 9/13 and it was sitting on my front step when I got home from work on 9/14.