Which shipping service is the most 'reliable'?

[Red Grant]

I have had stuff 'lost' 3 times in the last 4 years, all involving USPS.

...and I mean 'lost' permanently.    Several months ago, 2 USPS employees have been caught stealing the packages in the city I live at.


No wonder they're losing customers.

[docb]

The rule of thumb is that you want the package handled by the smallest number of individuals and in the possession of the shipper the least amount of time possible. Packing the item yourself, double boxed with new packing material or placed in a custom fitted flight case and using overnight shipping is usually the most reliable - and it is expensive. If you mean "most reliable at less than the most expensive way", well, you pays your money and you takes your chance. Any service that offers tracking and insurance is probably the bare minimum if the item has a replacement value of significance.

[c1ferrari]

Great advice, Doc...very informative -- thanks :-)

[Jayeltex]

If I may pass along a little advice... we do business throughout Asia and North America and we (and our suppliers) only use Fedex.  The ratio of problems to shipments with Fedex is extremely low.
Conversely the ratio of problems to shipments that we have when UPS is used,  is painfully high.
Fedex is the most expensive but absolutely the most reliable.

This advice comes from YEARS (too many) of experience

for what it's worth...

[jeri]

Ah, Fedex. 

I had Fedex ship my Otari MX5050 8-track several years ago.  It was properly crated, double-boxed and all.  Fedex managed to spear it with (probably) a 2-inch pipe through both boxes.  They cracked the side panel, bent some internal parts, sheared some mounting screws, etc and did over $2300 damage.  It was insured (by Fedex), but I had to argue with them for 2 months to settle the claim.  Their first response was they don't pay for normal wear and tear -- claim denied.  It required major negotiation to get Fedex to send an inspector to examine the machine and packing materials.  Since it met all their packing requirements and I had a bona fide repair quote, Fedex eventually paid.  But only after many, many phone calls and threats of litigation.

Everyone is good until something happens.  Then you find out who takes care of business.

[steveidosound]

Most of the old relic machines I buy on eBay are sold by people who don't know how to pack for the most part, despite my instructions. Most of these machines don't represent an investment of over  $150 including shipping, but that is still not chump change for me.
 That said, no matter the carrier, some items come through remarkably well, others, not so much. It just seems to be  random mis-handling of the particular package. Heavier tends to be worse however. All 3 major carriers UPS, FedEx and USPS have mangled more than a few old reel to reels or portable stereo phonographs, and generally there are no replacement parts or people who would work on them beside myself, so damage claims as a practical matter are pretty much useless.
I guess it just comes with the territory.

[dartagnan]

I think being pro-active works the best for FedEx and UPS. Eyeball every day or every half day the tracking number and where your package is located.  Usually if a package is lost, it's lost at a middle junction. If you're keeping a close eye on it, you can jump on them quickly.
USPS tracking is typically non-existent or lacking in being updated.  Terrible service.  I get antsy sending Christmas cards.

[docb]

Hi dartagnan, and welcome to the forum. Please take a minute to check the forum rules, we require the use of our real names in our signatures, as we have found it helps promote a friendly environment - and thanks for posting!

[ironbut]

I think it was about a year ago when I saw it, but FedEx was beta testing a new service for shipping high dollar or unique items. It included a device which not only tracked the box itself (gps ) but logged and sent info when the box was opened.
At the time, the device had an extra charge and IIRC, had to be returned to FedEx upon delivery.
I think that the age of "smart packages" is just around the corner.
What it will cost, who knows?

[blaupunk]

To heck with smart packages, I want smart package handlers!