Why do people use FedEx or UPS vs USPS?

[OutHouse]

because at my company we do so much business with fedex we get deep discounts. its way cheaper for me to ship personal packages with 2day delivery than it would be to use usps. i take it to the shipping dock, fill out a form give both to the shipping guys and its deducted out of my paycheck. easy and no waiting in a USPS line from hell.

 

[SandEagle]

I've always used Honda, mostly an Accord sedan V6 with 4 doors. . Most of the time it reaches 0-60 in under 7 seconds, and 100% of the time it's reliable and cheaper than a Ford or GM. I've never had any issues with them either.

What gives? I don't get it.


*hint* it's all about choices man,

 

[jagec]

There is a reason they are going bankrupt.

Yes. Pensions.

The place is staffed by lazy incompetent government employees.

And yet they correctly deliver 99.999% of the mail that goes through them, including mail to extremely remote areas that FedEx and UPS won't touch, very quickly. A few employees do suck, and I've had an incompetent mail carrier who misdelivered everything, but overall they are no worse than any other large organization, and MUCH better than some (BestBuy? Comcast? All cellphone companies?).

Go to any Post Office and watch them. If they don't piss you off you are just like them....and that is not a compliment.

Maybe they're like that at your local post office, but I've been to many, many offices where they were exactly the same as any other retail workers. Which is to say, not terribly motivated, but still doing their job at an OK speed with ho-hum levels of customer service. Just like most of the FedEx places I've been.

You sound like you're griping about the DMV or something...now THOSE are lazy incompetent government employees.

 

[Thegonagle]

I've run into indifferent employees, to somewhat surly, to "couldn't possibly have been more helpful" at the USPS. Just like at any other sort of business.

And thanks to others for pointing out the ridiculous pension requirement foisted upon the organization by the 2006 lame duck congress. (Not sure the motivation if not to break the organization and give private companies--who pay less in benefits and wages--more business.)

 

[tcG]

Principle. There's no reason for the government to have a monopoly on mail delivery.

 

[Ns1]

Principle. There's no reason for the government to have a monopoly on mail delivery.

Good luck getting private business to send a letter across the country for 45 cents.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Principle. There's no reason for the government to have a monopoly on mail delivery.

Good luck getting private business to send a letter across the country for 45 cents.

Accountability. Do you really want FedEx telling you your mortgage payment was delayed due to higher priority mail?

 

[marvdmartian]

I've always used USPS, mostly USPS Priority 2-3 day shipping with insurance. Most of the time it reaches in 2 days, and 100% of the time it's significantly cheaper than UPS or FedEx. I've never had any delivery issues with them either.

What gives? I don't get it.

This may be true for light weight packages, or seriously heavy ones (using the USPS flat rate boxes), but for anything over ~8-10 pounds, the other carriers are less expensive, in my experience.

Last Christmas, when shipping out boxes, I went online and priced out all 3 carriers. It wasn't unusual for Fedex to cost (for instance) $15, UPS $18, and the Post Office $30, for the same box. And to the locations I was shipping to, Fedex could get it there in 2-3 days, same as the PO.

In fact, the only time the PO has been cheaper, for me, has been when I ship packages to my niece, in Japan.

 

[zinfamous]

Have you ever been to the post office?

I rest my case.

 

[Ns1]

Have you ever been to the post office?

I rest my case.

ramen to that.