My package arrived at the sorting center last night (Wednesday) at 10:50 pm, which is 90 miles away. Yet delivery is not scheduled until Monday, and based on past experience, is most likely the correct delivery date.

Other methods of delivery (UPS, USPS) would have delivery to me by Friday or even today (Thursday). Is there some rule that a SmartPost package has to sit at each stop for a day or two?

I have nothing to offer but sympathy. Smartpost has a 2-3 day lag over other methods for me, as well. Other methods arrive at or before the soonest date in the range usually for me. Smartpost is usually at the latest end of the range.

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Felix
My package arrived at the sorting center last night (Wednesday) at 10:50 pm, which is 90 miles away. Yet delivery is not scheduled until Monday, and based on past experience, is most likely the correct delivery date.

Other methods of delivery (UPS, USPS) would have delivery to me by Friday or even today (Thursday). Is there some rule that a SmartPost package has to sit at each stop for a day or two?

Yeah, it's because SmartPost is part of FedEx Ground, which isn't really FedEx - it's just a rebranded parcel delivery service. In particular, SmartPost is aimed at retailers who don't consider quick shipping essential to their business.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

SmartPost is FedEx's answer to regular ground service, but since they don't actually have that, they contract out to USPS for the final sorting and delivery, which gets you slower arrival times than if you just shipped it USPS to begin with.

It's a stupid implementation that probably sounded great to everyone involved at the time.

Smartpost and the UPS equivalent are the devil's handiwork. What galls me most is that typically I have no idea that I'm getting that @#$%& "service" when I order something. Sites rarely spell that out.

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I think that FedEx will regret the dilution of their brand by this action.

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bazookaman
Smartpost and the UPS equivalent are the devil's handiwork. What galls me most is that typically I have no idea that I'm getting that @#$%& "service" when I order something. Sites rarely spell that out.

It always seems like the package is making great progress then it gets to the USPS and takes a few days off.
Dosen't UPS also participate in this conspiracy?
"Smart" for the shipper, not for us.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2014 10:58AM by Catzilla.

Smartpost parcels are the lowest priority for FedEx when then handle them, and the lowest priority for the USPS when they handle them.... that combines to be the lowest priority, and slowest, method of delivery outside of strapping it to a mule and leading it around the country for delivery.

I'd be OK with that in cases where I KNEW that's how it's being shipped for the cost savings... but not when I'm paying "full fare" shipping costs, AND getting crap service.

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

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Eureka, CA

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cbelt3
I think that FedEx will regret the dilution of their brand by this action.

Are you making a funny? It's been a decade....

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

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rjmacs

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cbelt3
I think that FedEx will regret the dilution of their brand by this action.

Are you making a funny? It's been a decade....

I thought it was a new development as well. Did Amazon just start using it?

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Catzilla

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rjmacs

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cbelt3
I think that FedEx will regret the dilution of their brand by this action.

Are you making a funny? It's been a decade....

I thought it was a new development as well. Did Amazon just start using it?

I think it has gotten more prolific in the last year or two... I'm seeing a lot more than I used to. Maybe just a coincidence of what I'm ordering from where...

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

--

--
Eureka, CA

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Catzilla

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rjmacs

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cbelt3
I think that FedEx will regret the dilution of their brand by this action.

Are you making a funny? It's been a decade....

I thought it was a new development as well. Did Amazon just start using it?

Amazon started using SmartPost heavily in the last year or two for the low/no cost delivery options. It may be part of their push to get more people to subscribe to Amazon Prime service.

What's funny is that FedEx remains a somewhat specialized delivery service that has to artificially slow down cheaper shipments in order to differentiate the business. It's a puzzle why they don't:

A) buy more trucks
B) build more distribution centers
C) and then, go head-to-head with UPS

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Catzilla

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bazookaman
Smartpost and the UPS equivalent are the devil's handiwork. What galls me most is that typically I have no idea that I'm getting that @#$%& "service" when I order something. Sites rarely spell that out.

It always seems like the package is making great progress then it gets to the USPS and takes a few days off.
Dosen't UPS also participate in this conspiracy?
"Smart" for the shipper, not for us.

UPS Mail Innovations.

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bazookaman

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Catzilla

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bazookaman
Smartpost and the UPS equivalent are the devil's handiwork. What galls me most is that typically I have no idea that I'm getting that @#$%& "service" when I order something. Sites rarely spell that out.

It always seems like the package is making great progress then it gets to the USPS and takes a few days off.
Dosen't UPS also participate in this conspiracy?
"Smart" for the shipper, not for us.

UPS Mail Innovations.

And "Surepost". Are those two the same?

Interesting post on this: [consumerist.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2014 11:22AM by Catzilla.

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rjmacs
Yeah, it's because SmartPost is part of FedEx Ground, which isn't really FedEx - it's just a rebranded parcel delivery service. In particular, SmartPost is aimed at retailers who don't consider quick shipping essential to their business.

On the other hand, I often ship using Fedex Ground because it is always less expensive than UPS and often cheaper than USPS and still provides tracking. And more importantly, shipping times are at least as good as UPS Ground or USPS. In fact, the only downside for me is that the nearest ship center is the farthest away of all three...although still less than ten miles away.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2014 12:33PM by wurm.

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wurm

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rjmacs
Yeah, it's because SmartPost is part of FedEx Ground, which isn't really FedEx - it's just a rebranded parcel delivery service. In particular, SmartPost is aimed at retailers who don't consider quick shipping essential to their business.

On the other hand, I often ship using Fedex Ground because it is always less expensive than UPS and often cheaper than USPS and still provides tracking. And more importantly, shipping times are at least as good as UPS Ground or USPS. In fact, the only downside for me is that the nearest ship center is the farthest away of all three...although still less than ten miles away.

No argument here. The most efficient way to ship in any given area is often chiefly a function of which shipping company has a major center closest to you. I happen to live a hop, skip, and jump from a major UPS center, and UPS is always the fastest method for me. For others, it's FedEx. For some, it's USPS because they're not close to any of the commercial shippers.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

I was going to say "I suspect Smartpost sucks so bad because it has a built-in ability to pass the buck. FedEx can blame USPS and vice versa." But thinking about it, I think it's more the fact that the USPS assigns their lowest priority to Smartpost deliveries. Like the OP mentioned, Smartpost seems to make it to the USPS and then sit there doing nothing for days. I had my own recent experience exactly like that.

Like wurm said, personally I use FedEx Ground most of the time. In my experience, it is almost always cheaper and has a predictable, guaranteed delivery date. If you're shipping a great distance, the delivery times get longer than FedEx Express. But for a moderate distance it's half the price of Express for the same delivery time.

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I'm only a drop in the bucket, but I make sure every time I can I tell Amazon I'm starting to look elsewhere because they've started using SmartPost for much of their not-overnight deliveries. It's gotten to where if I order anything 2-day I don't expect it to come for a week.

If I were conspiracy-minded, I'd think they were doing it to push me to use 1-Day since I have Amazon Prime and pretty much always order things 2-day.

SmartPost is @#$%&, plain and simple, and it's hurting the business reputation of anyone who uses it.

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Well, just over 24 hours have passed, and my package sits 90 miles away and still hasn't moved. And is still scheduled to arrive in 4 days.

I do not like FedEx SmartPost, especially since I paid for shipping and did not know my package was going to be shipped using this method.

I've been exposed to this Smart Post a couple times in the last week, I'm not impressed. If Amazon thinks this will steer me to Prime...sorry. I think I may have to try something else.

Maybe they should just be content with the large market share they have now, instead of screwing with us.

It's a stupid implementation that probably sounded great to everyone involved at the time.

Not at all.

This allows companies that don't have an infrastructure to reach more customers with something other than an Expedited delivery service.

Without this implementation, they would be way out of the loop with only the USPS and UPS making money in the small package delivery service.

This is a huge market, and yes, it absolutely has been growing over the last few years.

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I am that Masked Man.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

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I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

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And hope is a lousy defense.

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I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

......package from New York, NY to Johnstown, NY......16 days now went from NY to PA then to CT and no update for 7 days.....so it has been over 2 weeks.....imagine shipping from NY to CA, how long that would take.......

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!