With all the benefits Amazon keeps loading on to the Prime membership, I’m considering buying into it. I have a Kindle, and I also have access to Amazon Instant Video, so the rental options for movies (and now Kindle books) are very attractive.
I do occasionally order movies and such to be shipped, and I think the free shipping on that stuff plus the rental options above would pay for the service. Problem is, I’m in an apartment building with no access for UPS or FedEx (no doorman and the super doesn’t take packages for tenants), so receiving packages that way is a major hassle; I either have to be home (which is usually impractical), or have the package re-routed to my mother’s place after receiving their notice. USPS is not a problem; if the package doesn’t fit into my mailbox in the lobby, they leave a notice and I can just walk around the corner and pick it up at the local post office (can’t easily get to any UPS pick-up center).
So, with that preamble, a simple question for those of you who use Amazon Prime: do they ship via USPS more often than not, or do they use UPS and FedEX, etc.? We’re not talking huge packages or big, expensive items; most of my shipments would be a couple of movies or such. If it matters, my location is Northeast NJ, just across the river from Manhattan.
Prime seems to ship by whatever method is best for them at the time of shipment.
I always go for the free two day shipping, and yesterday I received three different items that I ordered on Monday, one UPS, one FedEx, and one USPS.
(A set-top box, and two pieces of cookware).
Amazon ships with no possible preference that I can see, except that very small items sometimes, but not always come via USPS. Especially with prime though, the shipping method is going to depend more on the warehouse than where you are - if they have it in a close warehouse they may ship out USPS to get it there in two days, if it is in a warehouse in Nevada or something, it will go out 2 day air via Fedex. But no, if you can’t get packages from a certain carrier Amazon prime, and Amazon in generally really aren’t a good choice since they seem to be carrier agnostic.
Do you have a Mailboxes, etc or similar business near you? You can have your stuff delivered there without it counting as a P.O. box (which UPS and Fedex won’t deliver to).
UPS used to only allow you to pick up undeliverable packages at UPS depots, but now they have a brand new service that came out only a few weeks ago that allows you to have packages automatically forwarded to a UPS Store (you don’t have to have a box there) or another address. They have two versions: one allows unlimited use for a $40 annual fee, the other has no annual fee but charges $5 per package.
And I’m sure you probably know that FedEx allows packages to be forwarded to a FedEx Office (formerly Kinko’s) store while en route for no extra charge if you know the tracking number.
Ironically, there is a UPS store almost right across the street from my local Post Office, and I’ve thought of getting a box there, but that would only add to the total cost of the Prime membership, and I don’t know if it would be worth it at that point.
Actually didn’t know that (or the UPS My Choice option); thanks for the info!
Hmmm. Thanks everybody; any additional recommendations and thoughts regarding Prime in general are welcome. Still thinking . . .
I don’t live in New Jersey so YMMV, but I can tell you that out of my last 15 Prime orders (all sizes/types of crap), not a single one was shipped USPS. Nine were shipped UPS and 6 via LaserShip.
Yeah, I was going to suggest work, too. Or maybe just have stuff shipped to your mom to begin with; at least you’re not wasting time having it re-routed.
My general experience matches that. It seems that the stuff that would have been available for same-day delivery (for a fee) is what I get via LaserShip and the rest is UPS.
I emailed Amazon once quite a while back and asked them if it would be possible for them to never ship my stuff FedEx (since the carrier here liked to fake attempted deliveries because we’re so far out in the country). I received a very polite reply informing me that they could not customize shipping and had no intention of ever allowing that option. I don’t know if their thinking has changed in the interim.
I don’t have Amazon Prime. When I order from Amazon, I almost always receive the items USPS and occasionally UPS, almost never via FedEx, but that’s probably because we live in BFE.
Is it possible for you to have it shipped directly to your post office around the corner, as with a General Delivery address?
Appreciate all the info everybody. Seems like the consensus is USPS is rarely Amazon’s first choice. Thing is, without Prime, all the shipments I get from Amazon currently are USPS, whether I pay for standard shipping or use the free shipping (with the $25 minimum). Which is quick enough, but my primary purpose in using Prime would be for the video and book-borrowing services.
I seem to recall a very similar exchange I had with Amazon long ago as well; no specific preference possible.
Yeah, I don’t recall ever getting anything FedEx, but have on occasion received UPS - but I figure the compressed time frame for the two-day delivery window would prompt more often usage of FedEx. Don’t think General Delivery is possible, although I suppose I could rent a PO Box, but that’s the same category as the UPS Mailbox, in that it would add to the cost of the whole enterprise.
As for using a different shipping address (such as my Mom’s), well, yeah, that’s an option, but just not a favored one. I suppose I could do the one month free trial and see how it works out.
I’d say my Prime stuff comes UPS 50-60%, FedEx 30-40% and USPS about 10% - with the USPS stuff exclusively very light items shipped from a close warehouse - stuff like a single video game, an SD card, etc.
That’s my experience as well- it really depends on what and where the package is coming from; some items are USPS, and some are UPS. I suppose it depends on whether the items are coming from the local (Irving, TX) fulfillment center, or somewhere farther away.
I hadn’t heard about that, but here is an article from GeekWire about the Amazon Locker service. They’re testing it in 7-Eleven stores in Seattle, as well as grocery stores and Rite-Aid stores in New York.