Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site

New Feature: SMS Notification alert

New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist

FM Forums | General Gear-talk | Join Upload & Sell

2 end

USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

Norm Shapiro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

I just need to vent a bit and wondering if anyone else has had similar problems. It seems like almost all companies that ship with USPS are now using Ground Advantage. From the start of this new service I noticed my packages taking several more days to reach me in Hawaii than had been the case.

Last month I bought a camera part from a dealer in Las Vegas. They shipped Ground Advantage and the package sat for 6 days in LA before finally making it to me. Right now I’m waiting on a lens I bought that was shipped May 3rd from Florida. USPS tracking page estimated delivery on 5/20. This box spent 11 days sitting in San Francisco. Yesterday it arrived in Honolulu in the morning. Normally packages coming in by 10pm to Honolulu I get the next day. Not this time as there has been no movement posted since friday morning.

Unfortunaltely many companies do not offer any other shipping options other than USPS, and then do not disclose what meathod they will use. And my little local post office tells me priority mail is usually not more than $2 more for priority mail.

It is strange times we are in now when merchants would rather save a buck or two than give good delivery service.

May 18, 2024 at 01:53 PM

mkuznicki
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

Not that I'm a big fan of USPS, but you're blame (in your title) is misdirected in this case. It's the merchants that are at fault. Ground Advantage is illogical compared to the previous choices of Priority vs. First Class, but nobody is forcing the merchants to use it. Nor are they unable to offer FedEx and/or UPS options.

May 18, 2024 at 02:10 PM

Norm Shapiro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

USPS markets Ground Advantage over first class saying it costs less and just adds a day or so to shipping time. And it costs less than first class.

May 18, 2024 at 02:36 PM

mkuznicki
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

First Class is no longer an option for packages.

May 18, 2024 at 02:40 PM

Cinstance
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

Ground advantage works fine within CONUS and usually is faster than UPS ground. I guess it is not ideal for shipping to Hawaii though. Most of the time wasted is probably due to waiting for a shipping container. It is nothing new though, just like the old parcel post ground shipping to Hawaii.

May 18, 2024 at 02:57 PM

Norm Shapiro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

My post office workers tell me ground advantage flies to Hawaii but only if there is room after priority and first class. But hard to believe it too 6 or 11 days for space. It is almost like UPS or FEDEX holding a package for Neil the delivery date even though it is already on the island. When asked about this I was told the shipper would not paid for delivery on that date so they would not deliver it sooner. Maybe the post office is doing the same thing with ground advantage. But still 17 days from Florida to Hawaii is nuts. I would happily pay more for faster delivery but some sellers don’t offer the option.

Cinstance wrote:
Ground advantage works fine within CONUS and usually is faster than UPS ground. I guess it is not ideal for shipping to Hawaii though. Most of the time wasted is probably due to waiting for a shipping container. It is nothing new though, just like the old parcel post ground shipping to Hawaii.

May 18, 2024 at 03:18 PM

sjms
Online
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

i sent a meter to Anchorage, Alaska a few months ago. from NJ to AK it took 5 days.

May 18, 2024 at 07:20 PM

Norm Shapiro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

I have had some ground advatage boxes arrive in a reasonable time, but not these two lately.

May 18, 2024 at 08:41 PM

sjms
Online
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

oh, what an imperfect world we live in.

they all have their moments

May 18, 2024 at 08:46 PM

jeffbuzz
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

The biggest issue I have with Ground Advantage is inconsistency. I have seen packages shipped on the same day to the same destination region take wildly different times to arrive. 3 days versus 8 days. Tracking updates are spotty with all USPS services. I have seen packages show no tracking history updates until they are delivered. Meanwhile, the recipient thinks I haven't really shipped the box because USPS isn't showing any updates.

I always caveat HI and AK as being potentially more expensive and slower.

May 20, 2024 at 01:25 PM

Norm Shapiro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

Jeffbuzz USPS rates are the same to any zip code. They do not charge by the distance like UPS AND FedEx. But since Hawaii and Alaska are further away I expect it to take a little longer. But sometimes I’m wrong on that, recently I needed a repacement credit card. I asked for one late in the morning to my bank on the mainland. They sent it by Fedex and I had it the next morning and I was not charged shipping. So my point being things can come quickly but why does the post office hold mail in the one location for days sometimes?

May 20, 2024 at 01:43 PM

genjy
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

Norm Shapiro wrote:
Jeffbuzz USPS rates are the same to any zip code. They do not charge by the distance like UPS AND FedEx. But since Hawaii and Alaska are further away I expect it to take a little longer. But sometimes I’m wrong on that, recently I needed a repacement credit card. I asked for one late in the morning to my bank on the mainland. They sent it by Fedex and I had it the next morning and I was not charged shipping. So my point being things can come quickly but why does the post office hold mail in...Show more →

I ship a lot... I use only USPS services and have sent packages to all 50 states and various territories many, many times over. USPS definitely charges based on distance, not really by miles, but more by zones.

The difference between the old First Class and current Ground Advantage is that the main transportation stretch takes longer. First Class from LA to NYC used to take a couple days (air) but now Ground Advantage takes like 4-5 days (ground). Not too noticeable if it's just a few states over, but if it's across the continent, there's quite a difference.

The thing with places like Hawaii, Alaska, PR, Guam, and the Virgin Islands is that it's always air (naturally) like the old times. Whatever delays likely happen due to sorting problems at distribution centers... I don't feel the "Ground Advantage" service itself has much to do with packages being super late or held up. The same would likely occur whether it's First-Class or Priority.

Edited on May 20, 2024 at 02:40 PM · View previous versions

May 20, 2024 at 02:23 PM

RoamingScott
Online
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

It's priority or nothing for me with USPS.

May 20, 2024 at 02:28 PM

Norm Shapiro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

genjy can you explain why this package sat for 11 days in San Francisco and now over the weekend in Honolulu and still is not here on monday? Packages arriving in Honolulu before 10pm normally are shipped out that night to my post office on the other side of the island.

9434909105465081223216

May 20, 2024 at 02:46 PM

genjy
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

Norm Shapiro wrote:
genjy can you explain why this package sat for 11 days in San Francisco and now over the weekend in Honolulu and still is not here on monday? Packages arriving in Honolulu before 10pm normally are shipped out that night to my post office on the other side of the island.

9434909105465081223216

Yeah, the days spent in SF seem like some kind of sorting hiccup. The package was probably missing for a while and someone found it. Saw this a lot during the pandemic when everything was in chaos.

May 20, 2024 at 03:02 PM

RoamingScott
Online
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

genjy wrote:
Yeah, the days spent in SF seem like some kind of sorting hiccup. The package was probably missing for a while and someone found it. Saw this a lot during the pandemic when everything was in chaos.

Well this is timely, a lens from a fellow FMer was supposed to show up today, but come to find out has been stuck in San Fran's facility since Friday. Cool.

May 20, 2024 at 07:13 PM

jeffbuzz
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

Norm Shapiro wrote:
Jeffbuzz USPS rates are the same to any zip code. They do not charge by the distance like UPS AND FedEx. But since Hawaii and Alaska are further away I expect it to take a little longer. But sometimes I’m wrong on that, recently I needed a repacement credit card. I asked for one late in the morning to my bank on the mainland. They sent it by Fedex and I had it the next morning and I was not charged shipping. So my point being things can come quickly but why does the post office hold mail in...Show more →

You can download the USPS charts which show varying rates per zone --> https://www.usps.com/business/prices.htm

To HI and AK, there is no such thing as "ground" service. Everything goes by air. So even the least expensive services incur flight costs.

I've heard all sorts of explanations for the strange postal service patterns. Supposedly, USPS is doing more package consolidation through regional hubs. So when I send a box to an address 100 miles due east, it may first go 200 miles west to a hub, then 300 miles back east to the destination. I've seen that kind of thing in the tracking histories. But as I mentioned before, I've also seen packages shipped to the same destination on the same day to take wildly different routes and times. So it is all very arbitrary.

May 21, 2024 at 09:59 AM

Norm Shapiro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

I’m giving up on anything being shipped ground advantage and paying for priority or not buying if USPS is the only shipping option. My latest purchase from BH was held up a couple of days in SF. It seems once the post office computer decides on a delivery date they hold it somewhere to deliver on that date.

May 21, 2024 at 02:24 PM

Norm Shapiro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

So I just shipped the lens back to the ebay seller-the lens that took 18 days from Florida to Hawaii. Usin an Ebay label post office says 21 days to get there!

May 21, 2024 at 06:24 PM

Norm Shapiro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · USPS Ground Advantage is horrible

So this is strange, the box I mailed, ground advantage, on the 21st from Hawaii to Florida was delivered today 4 days later.

May 24, 2024 at 01:39 PM

1 2 end
FM Forums \| General Gear-talk \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 end

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.