S3D UPS vs USPS

[E R Swanson <ers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have to agree that UPS is better when it comes to paying for insurance
claims. The post office can takes months, so if this is a key factor, it's
a good reason to use UPS.

However. USPS has never lost a package for me. I got a PO Box, so the mail
always stays inside a building. At our PO, during the long lines on
Saturday the USPS staff pays for coffee and cookies. Try looking for that
at UPS. 

UPS is more expensive. They drop packackages and run, because most people
and businesses don't pay the extra for signed confirmation or they waive
it. Their customer service is abysmal. Even when they have all the info
needed to resolve an problem, the management is so poorly constructed that
it requires redundant paperwork to actually get something done. Maybe
after that last union fiasco they trimmed the management people needed to
make the company work effectively. Who knows. (Don't get on my case re
unions-- my dad was a union business agent and my grampa was the presedent
of the Operating Engineers union, Local 3-- I have nothing against
unions!)

However the high end UPS service seems to work as well as FedEx, and in
this area they far outperform the post office. When you need guaranteed
delivery times, the post office can't really perform at the level of UPS
or FedEx.

But, when I have to get something somewhere fast, it's always FedEx. 
They're the best. UPS never crosses my mind for vital deliveries that are
time dependent. When I have to cross an international border, both FedEx
and UPS have bonded warehouses at borders, so both work pretty well. 

UPS will take a larger package in terms of height and girth than USPS, so
that can be a factor.

However, for the 98% of standard shipping delivery that I do, USPS is
cheap, fast and good-- easily beating UPS prices and outperforming UPS.
USPS also provides excellent free shipping boxes for priority.

So it kind of depends upon what one's needs are. Sometimes you just have
to pay the extra if you want 10am delivery, etc.

But for the majority of shipping, can't beat the good 'ol post office.

Elliott