We live in a quiet neighborhood near our state capitol. For a few years UPS has delivered our packages from Amazon to the house. We got an email from UPS saying the package we were expecting from them today would be delivered by USPS tomorrow. Have you experienced this? Is there something new in the UPS/USPS way of doing things?
Yes, I have. It seems that now UPS takes it only as far as the local Post Office. I figured it was because I live in a small town. I didn’t realize it happened in larger places, too.
UPS has been using USPS for deliveries at my place (in Georgia) for the last year at least. It seems to me that UPS must be saving money and USPS making money by doing this.
Fedex does the same thing (have the USPS deliver the package to your home). I think they call it Surepost or Smartpost, depending on whether it’s UPS or Fedex doing it. Presumably it’s cheaper for the shipper.
UPS has a service called SurePost that large bulk shippers (such as amazon) can use. Basically, the shipper pays to have the packages delivered in bulk and pre-sorted to a post office near the receiver (either the local delivery office or the bulk distribution center). The Post Office then delivers the package to its final destination.
Since UPS can combine the packages of many shippers and appropriately sort them, they qualify for the USPS’s lowest rates. The combined UPS and USPS charges are a little lower than the UPS Ground charge for delivery to the final destination.
Rest assured that if you take your package to a UPS store or other facility and request UPS Ground service, your package will not be delivered by the USPS (except for some rare cases like in the middle of the Mojave Desert). This is a service available only to large shippers and they must specifically opt for the service.
FedEx has a similar service call SmartPost.
USPS has an agreement with Amazon to deliver their packages on Sundays, even.