FedEx or UPS?

Generally FedEx around here, even though the regular UPS guy is a guitar player.

My near horror story with USPS....Had a rather expensive archtop being delivered.....The seller made sure to pay extra for "guaranteed 2 day delivery, signature required, $5000 insurance". This from Vegas to SW Washington state. On the FIFTH day, no sign of it. No one could tell us anything. Finally. shows up "arrived at the local post office". Then crickets. Working in the home office so I could not miss hearing OR seeing a truck pull up. A lot of time passes......On hold for 45 minutes with local office. "Thanks for waiting. It is not here. Sorry, we know nothing!"
THEN a pop up notice saying it was delivered at the community mail boxes. None of them big enough to hold more than a lunch box sized package. And, get this, saying they did NOT get the required signature. WTF? They left it sitting out on the street? RAN out the front door and nearly tripped over it. Leaning against the front of the house, on the porch. Now, keep in mind this was 3 days before Christmas, prime porch pirate season, cold out. I do not know how they got up the driveway without being seen. Parked on the street and walked it up(?) Def did NOT ring the bell or knock.
Given their "confirmation" there was no acceptance/signature, the seller and I COULD have filed a police report and presumably collected the $5k (maximum insurance available---quite a bit less than the price). We are honest folks and that did not happen, but they sure left themselves open for it.
 
I rock FedEx because there's a shipping and printing center across the street from my condo. I love it.
 
Worst invention ever; Real Time Package Tracking Software. I drive myself beyond insane checking tracking numbers and packages. I absolutely hate being told something has shipped, when in fact they have only generated a label with a number on it. Even worse is the package sits for 3 days before it actually ships.

Gosh, I really like the software, because I get notifications the day before I’m supposed to receive something. So I know to either be there or make arrangements for someone else to check on it.
 
I do not often ship multi-thousand dollar guitars, but when I do, I've settled into a routine that seems to work for me.

* Put guitar in hard shell case and roll up old (clean) socks that I was just going to throw away anyhow to place under the neck and headstock along the parts which do not make contact with the case in order to support the neck better.
* Put guitar case inside guitar shipping box with some non-static packing noodles. Leave end of box un-taped.
* Put guitar box inside another, bigger guitar shipping box with more packing noodles. Leave that end of box un-taped also.
* Prepare UPS shipping label on home computer, declare the actual multi-thousand dollar value of the guitar.
* Print out a few copies of the paperwork which will need to be signed by a UPS supervisor after they physically inspect the guitar in person.
* Take paperwork, guitar, shipping tape and extra packing noodles to the main UPS depot near Dulles International Airport.
* Slide the case out from the doubled shipping boxes through the un-taped ends, allow the UPS supervisor to see the guitar, sign both copies of the paperwork and keep one copy for yourself.
* Encase the guitar in the HSC, reinsert it back into the doubled up boxes, add noodles as needed and tape up everything, apply the shipping label.
* Commit the package to the custody of the UPS supervisor, dig deep for the inner strength needed to avert your eyes, turn around, and walk away.
 
I gotta say I kind of like it when Amazon delivers stuff with their own delivery service, which is often the case with same day or next day delivery. Their tracking is kind of new age awesome, something we'll totally take for granted in a few months. Once the package is out for delivery, their tracking page shows where the driver is on the map and how many stops until they get to you. When I see no more stops and the car/truck shows right in front of our condo complex, I'll walk downstairs and tell my wife a package should be arriving momentarily, which it does. Kind of freaked her out the first couple of times. Most recently I saw there were still five deliveries before me, but I could see the driver was stopped in front of the apartment building across the street from us, so I walked over and got there just as he was coming out of the building, saved him a trip and got the package a bit faster, which in this particular case was a pretty time sensitive situation so it worked out for both of us. Rarely getting guitar stuff from Amazon, but occasionally a cheap Chinese pedal or some strings or something come from them. Actually, got a little Blackstart Fly amp from them recently (mostly use it as my speaker for playing backing tracks and/or video lessons from my laptop) for about $6-8 less than anywhere else. Not a big deal, but it was also here the next day with free shipping.
 
I gotta say I kind of like it when Amazon delivers stuff with their own delivery service, which is often the case with same day or next day delivery. Their tracking is kind of new age awesome, something we'll totally take for granted in a few months. Once the package is out for delivery, their tracking page shows where the driver is on the map and how many stops until they get to you. When I see no more stops and the car/truck shows right in front of our condo complex, I'll walk downstairs and tell my wife a package should be arriving momentarily, which it does. Kind of freaked her out the first couple of times. Most recently I saw there were still five deliveries before me, but I could see the driver was stopped in front of the apartment building across the street from us, so I walked over and got there just as he was coming out of the building, saved him a trip and got the package a bit faster, which in this particular case was a pretty time sensitive situation so it worked out for both of us. Rarely getting guitar stuff from Amazon, but occasionally a cheap Chinese pedal or some strings or something come from them. Actually, got a little Blackstart Fly amp from them recently (mostly use it as my speaker for playing backing tracks and/or video lessons from my laptop) for about $6-8 less than anywhere else. Not a big deal, but it was also here the next day with free shipping.
What I can't figure out is that Amazon will use their private service to deliver my package from Wisconsin to Lancaster NY then to my local post office for delivery. Why don't they just drop it right at my house? Or just put it in the mail in Wisconsin? The postage cost is the same whether they send it 1000miles or 1000yards. Logistically, it just doesn't make sense.
 
I do not often ship multi-thousand dollar guitars, but when I do, I've settled into a routine that seems to work for me.

* Put guitar in hard shell case and roll up old (clean) socks that I was just going to throw away anyhow to place under the neck and headstock along the parts which do not make contact with the case in order to support the neck better.
* Put guitar case inside guitar shipping box with some non-static packing noodles. Leave end of box un-taped.
* Put guitar box inside another, bigger guitar shipping box with more packing noodles. Leave that end of box un-taped also.
* Prepare UPS shipping label on home computer, declare the actual multi-thousand dollar value of the guitar.
* Print out a few copies of the paperwork which will need to be signed by a UPS supervisor after they physically inspect the guitar in person.
* Take paperwork, guitar, shipping tape and extra packing noodles to the main UPS depot near Dulles International Airport.
* Slide the case out from the doubled shipping boxes through the un-taped ends, allow the UPS supervisor to see the guitar, sign both copies of the paperwork and keep one copy for yourself.
* Encase the guitar in the HSC, reinsert it back into the doubled up boxes, add noodles as needed and tape up everything, apply the shipping label.
* Commit the package to the custody of the UPS supervisor, dig deep for the inner strength needed to avert your eyes, turn around, and walk away.

All good, but may I add take photos with each packing step? I have had damage incidents with both carriers. They always initially decline responsibility with this response, “shipper’s negligence.” That’s when I reply, “What about the photos?” After a pause they say, “Ahhhh, what photos?” And, I say, “The ones I took that prove I packaged this more securely than the original manufacturer, which you should have looked at before you sent me your automatic form denial.”

So, far I’ve been indemnified every time.
 
We have THE best UPS driver, ever. He knows our schedules, is conscientious, careful with the packages, and communicates well. Amazon uses them a lot around here. But...and that’s a giant but...I witnessed a UPS driver in New Jersey KICK a 120lbs. Dell server off the back of the truck. It was on a pallet with proper strapping, which snapped on impact fron the 4’ drop. He wheeled it into my customer’s office wher we both said, “wtf was that??!!”. His response was, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you have a complaint, call the national number or take it up with my union.” It took the lawyers a year to get complete compensation. Btw, it was my photos of our packing job that made the difference.

Will I knowingly trust UPS with another valuable shipment? Hell no.
 
All good, but may I add take photos with each packing step? I have had damage incidents with both carriers. They always initially decline responsibility with this response, “shipper’s negligence.” That’s when I reply, “What about the photos?” After a pause they say, “Ahhhh, what photos?” And, I say, “The ones I took that prove I packaged this more securely than the original manufacturer, which you should have looked at before you sent me your automatic form denial.”

So, far I’ve been indemnified every time.

I also do the pics. I am a fan of the shock sensor labels you can get to slap on the outside of the box too.
 
Oh yea, I also did start using a roll of tape which said FRAGILE that I used only to label the box from every angle after the heavy duty shipping tape had been applied.
 
I do not often ship multi-thousand dollar guitars, but when I do, I've settled into a routine that seems to work for me.

* Put guitar in hard shell case and roll up old (clean) socks that I was just going to throw away anyhow to place under the neck and headstock along the parts which do not make contact with the case in order to support the neck better.

See, I couldn’t do that. Socks are a precious commodity around here, because they disappear in the laundry, one sock at a time.

While there’s no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I’m pretty well convinced that leprechauns have billions of clean socks, stockpiled and ready to sell to the next invading army of one-footed aliens. ;)

“What do you mean, ‘next’?”

“Bwahahahahahaha!”
 
See, I couldn’t do that. Socks are a precious commodity around here, because they disappear in the laundry, one sock at a time.

While there’s no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I’m pretty well convinced that leprechauns have billions of clean socks, stockpiled and ready to sell to the next invading army of one-footed aliens. ;)

“What do you mean, ‘next’?”

“Bwahahahahahaha!”

hahahahaha! Did you ever see that picture on the Internet where someone took the front panel off of their dryer and there was like a hundred socks inside the dryer housing?
 
Do the sensors generally detect trauma? I’d be surprised if a package made it without.

I think of them as more of an extra insurance step. Combine these with the pics and you should never have a claim problem. I feel more comfortable seeing them on the outside of a box that's being delivered. If it's popped, I can make the driver wait while I unbox it.

They may also act as a deterrent for rough handling. There are several varieties.

https://www.uline.com/Cls_10/Damage-Indicators?keywords=shock+sensor
 
What I can't figure out is that Amazon will use their private service to deliver my package from Wisconsin to Lancaster NY then to my local post office for delivery. Why don't they just drop it right at my house? Or just put it in the mail in Wisconsin? The postage cost is the same whether they send it 1000miles or 1000yards. Logistically, it just doesn't make sense.

Are you sure it’s their own service? Around here quite a bit of stuff goes through us (ups) and we take it to the local post offices for actual delivery. As to why they do this??? I have no idea. However if you sign up for a ups account you can have us deliver it direct instead of it going through the post office step.

Also speaking of amazon. I’ve been a prime member for a long time. But in a fairly rural area. So no same day shipping around here. But a while back “free next day shipping” started popping up as an option on some items. So one day I saw something I really wanted and free next day was an option so I chose it. Package came out of a warehouse about 100 miles away. Which if anyone dropped me off a package from that city, I would get it the next day through most carriers. Well for some reason they held it a day before shipping. So it took 2 days. No big deal. I did however send an email just asking why it was held for a day? Don’t remember their response. Something generic. But now even on things that first show available next day, when I go to check out, 2-day is the fastest free option. So guess I got myself free next day blocked.

And last shipping story. For now haha. A couple of years ago I was looking at getting my (now ex) wife a new iPad for her birthday. Apples big event was the Tuesday before her bday that weekend. I held out hoping they would announce a new model. They didn’t. Best Buy had the best deals going. So Tuesday I ordered one with next day shipping as the website said it wouldn’t go out until Wednesday. I was afraid if I did 2-day, something would happen and it wouldn’t get there by the weekend. So gladly paid the $30 or so as it’s guaranteed to be here Thursday. Oh and I should mention. My other job is literally across the street from a huge Best Buy warehouse. I place the order and am checking my email for a tracking number as much as possible. Nothing Tuesday. Not too surprised. Then Wednesday gets here. All day goes by and I’m not getting a tracking number. Finally around 7pm I get a number. Track it. Sure enough, it came from across the street. If they would have let me in, I could have walked over and picked it up. Anyway I call Best Buy customer service and explain the situation. Hoping I might get a refund. They person I talked to was nice and understood. Said she would escalate it and see what happens. I never heard back.
 
What I can't figure out is that Amazon will use their private service to deliver my package from Wisconsin to Lancaster NY then to my local post office for delivery. Why don't they just drop it right at my house? Or just put it in the mail in Wisconsin? The postage cost is the same whether they send it 1000miles or 1000yards. Logistically, it just doesn't make sense.

Sure it does. They make one delivery to your post office. If you're the only order, then yeah, it's basically the same as dropping at your house. But if they have 100 packages, that's 99 more stops.
 
Sure it does. They make one delivery to your post office. If you're the only order, then yeah, it's basically the same as dropping at your house. But if they have 100 packages, that's 99 more stops.
But if it costs the same to ship via USPS from their local postal facility as it does mine, why pay labor, mileage, maintenance, tolls etc., on top of the postage?
 
But if it costs the same to ship via USPS from their local postal facility as it does mine, why pay labor, mileage, maintenance, tolls etc., on top of the postage?

As I understand it, Amazon has a deal w/USPS for delivery. Maybe that's part of the deal.

My guess is it's also partially forward-thinking strategy - if they ever decide to use their own delivery service, a portion of it is already in place. Deliver to their distribution center instead of the post office would be the only change there.
 
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