I ship items from eBay sales a few times a year and always use FedEx unless USPS is significantly cheaper. UPS regularly damages or delays packages from my experience. I can’t remember the exact city, but they have a hub I think outside Chicago that relies on a freight train that always seems to be a day behind. USPS has lost packages before but they have good insurance. Fedex, in my experience, has most consistently been on time, safely delivered, and their employees seem to be in a better mood. Not sure why. I know UPS is partially unionized, which I admire, but Fedex has the best prices and service. I’d trust them the most if my life depended on it.
Funny you should ask. UPS (not my choice) just lost a bed (a BED! How the hell do you lose track of that?) that was being shipped to me. On the day it was scheduled to be delivered, I got a note stating that the package was delayed. I checked into it. It left Texas on time, went to IL (not Chicago) and wasn’t seen again for days. I’m in CA, so Texas to IL is a mystery in and of itself.
IME, UPS loses and/or breaks things, USPS is reliable about delivering, but whimsical about dates, and FedEx delivers it when and where they say they will.
Registered mail, as mentioned above.
And, conversely, places where the USPS doesn’t deliver, but FedEx and UPS do.
Depends on why my life depends on it. If it’s time-critical, that could be a problem.
USPS registered for me - never had a problem with stuff getting lost that way - although dates have slipped.
Also USPS is the only one that has never pulled the crap of running up to the porch without any package in hand, slapping the “Sorry we missed you” sticker on the front door, and running back to the truck without even knocking or ringing the doorbell. The other two (and DHL) have done that many times, usually in December.
Other: DHL
They seem ubiquitous in certain parts of the world. Also, they still knock on doors, not just drop the parcel on your porch and walk away, I like that in a delivery service!
I get everything delivered to my work address. Speaking strictly from personal experience, I’ve had the best experience with UPS.
I mailed my documents to our accountant by FedEx overnight on April 10. Normally regular mail takes 2 to 3 days. But, I can’t count on that this year.
The weekend with Tax day, April 15 on Monday royally screws everybody this year. I couldn’t risk having the mailman deliver on Sat when the accountant’s office is technically closed. She’s busy doing tax returns but her office is technically closed weekends.
Using UPS overnight wasn’t even a consideration.
FedEx does hurt the pocketbook. Set me back $25. My punishment for procrastinating. I could have mailed these damn documents on Monday the 8th. Tax day right after a weekend sucks.
UPS or FedEx, whichever was offered more affordably without that “for the last leg we just plop it in the USPS, lol” bullshit.
USPS. FedEX and UPS seem to be in the business of delivering notices not packages.
As a European, I choose DPD. They combine German efficiency with slave labor to bring my packages as fast as possible with a tracking service that’s actually reliable.
USPS. I can’t even guess how many thousands of packages I’ve sent via them and how many companies I’ve worked for have used them. It always arrives. Sometimes in a baggie but it arrives. The one exception I know beyond a doubt happened I mentioned in the other poll.
Fedex and UPS have reliably lost packages coming from the States to Canada.
USPS. Never.
I worked for one of the companies in question. At one time, the nation was focused on a toddler who had fallen down a well and was trapped. A critical part was needed for the machinery that was to be used to extract the child, and my company was chosen to delivery it ASAP.
We lost the part.
Unless a package is stolen, it’s difficult for it to get out of the system, and the package was found after two hours of insanity. The part was delivered; the kid was saved, and AFAIK is living happily ever after.
The story of the missing part was not released to the media.
Well, this thread jinxed me.
FedEx failed me. $25 dollars for standard overnight delivery of documents. Guaranteed delivery by 3pm Thursday.
Didn’t happen.
I could have driven the damn thing too my accountant in 2 hours 15 mins.
Supposedly it will be delivered Friday. If not I’ll be calling a lawyer, if these bastards cause me to miss Mondays tax deadline.
30 years of Trusting Fedex and they never failed me until now.
I may never use them again.
I had no idea FedEx had fallen apart.
This is beyond pathetic.
I hope you will be requesting a refund.
Registered USPS mail. If I am gonna die soon, I’ll walk over and get it myself.
Tris
I got nothin’
Thank you, I will fill out that refund form today.
They should knock a few dollars off for missing their delivery date.
Just checked the tracking. It’s on the local delivery truck and will be delivered by 3pm.
A full day late.
I went with standard overnight delivery and dropped it off at the FedEx terminal Wed evening. I posted a comment here shortly afterwards.
I think there’s also early morning, next day delivery for an extra fee? I didn’t buy that.
UPS, because it’s two blocks away and I’m a lazy git.