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Location: SW Mintsoda | So the 1157 I purchased on e-bay was shipped yesterday via USPS (no, I'm not at all excited!) ... I think I've only ever received one other guitar shipped USPS (and it came from Japan through US Customs in Chicago in a snow storm, etc. - HUGE delay)...
...are USPS shipping times for guitars about the same as UPS and FedEx, or longer in your experience? There is a tracking number, which will keep me up to date, but "inquiring minds" want to know... |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I think they are fine and I use them all the time. Tracking is crummy but overall I have been satisfied and use them all the time. |
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Location: Canada | For shipping from U.S. to Canada it's really the only reasonable option IMO. The few times I have done it, it was slow (probably due to customs) but eventually arrived even with some cross-border tracking. |
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| I have had good luck with USPS. I always ship USPS priority, fully insured, with tracking and signature upon receipt. It always seems to take about a day longer than advertised. |
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Location: Jet City | I won't discuss my experiences shipping guitars with the USPS, or the issues I've had with collecting on a claim as it will do nothing but cause you anxiety.
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I have received many guitars and other large stuff through USPS, and it survived.
I am thinking about shipping with USPS because it is often faster and cheaper that UPS/FedEx.
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | +1 with StephenT. |
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Location: Jet City | Sorry, I can't keep quiet with all the raving USPS reviews. If they were better and cheaper, UPS and Fedex wouldn't exist. They're great for mailing bills, letters, postcards, and coupons for cleaning your gutters.
The last time I shipped with them was the final straw. I shipped a high-end Takamine to one of our OFC members and it showed up on his doorstep SEVERAL WEEKS later in a crushed box with a destroyed guitar in it. Didn't ring a doorbell or stick around for a signature. The process of getting the PAID FOR insurance which was exactly the sale value, was painful and long.
That was 7 years ago, I will never use them again to ship a guitar. In addition, Fedex beats their rate 999 out of 1000 times and they're open 24hrs a block from my doorstep. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | damon67 - 2015-08-20 8:39 AM
Sorry, I can't keep quiet with all the raving USPS reviews. If they were better and cheaper, UPS and Fedex wouldn't exist. They're great for mailing bills, letters, postcards, and coupons for cleaning your gutters.
The last time I shipped with them was the final straw. I shipped a high-end Takamine to one of our OFC members and it showed up on his doorstep SEVERAL WEEKS later in a crushed box with a destroyed guitar in it. Didn't ring a doorbell or stick around for a signature. The process of getting the PAID FOR insurance which was exactly the sale value, was painful and long.
That was 7 years ago, I will never use them again to ship a guitar. In addition, Fedex beats their rate 999 out of 1000 times and they're open 24hrs a block from my doorstep.
Exactly. It's the difference between "Postal" service and "Parcel" service. Small items I ship and receive via USPS all the time. Thank you Amazon Prime. But anything that's a PACKAGE... goes via a company that ships packages... that's UPS or FedEx depending on the destination and size etc.. generally UPS.
With over 500 guitar shipments via UPS (sent or received) under my belt, I have only had TWO incidents and both were rectified (Insurance) within two weeks. |
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Location: NJ | if it is international I'll use usps domestic ups
larger stuff gets usps all in a mess
better to stick with the guys that have parcel in their name
btw fed ex ground is horrible you don't know what kinda of vehicle or who or when you will get your package
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Location: SW Mintsoda | Thanks for your replies ... I think!
According to their tracking - which I agree can be sketchy at best - yesterday it was STILL in New Jersey (shipped from Mass. on Tuesday). At that speed I'll see it before Halloween, maybe...
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | USPS Tracking is a bit of a misnomer and I'm not being cheeky. Calling it "status" would be more appropriate. The "tracking" starts when someone creates a label. That might be the post office, but more likely it's the person at home when they get the package ready to ship, they print a label. In the UPS world this is noted as a label has been created, but not shipped. However, in USPS world... it's been shipped. So there is an issue right there. Now when you see the "location" show up, that means it got scanned into a post office. The next "status" you will see, probably AFTER you open the package, is that it is delivered. When it's scanned at it's destination it updates again.
The issue is that USPS has a pretty darn efficient routing system. The good news, is stuff actually rarely these days gets lost. The bad news is that package tracking only gets updated if the package is scanned, and USPS has usually no need to scan it until it gets delivered. UPS tracks the package at every step.
In your case it left MA and got to the hub in Jersey and it's next stop is likely your doorstep. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Sometimes I wonder if point of origin makes any difference.
I have nothing but HORROR stories using UPS.
Damage, lost, late, you name it and I have had it....and it happens probably 30-40% of the time for me.
FedEx is usually wonderful for me and I do use it for the majority of shipments but I have had good luck with USPS. The only bad experience was with a guitar that I shipped to Glenn Hess that got damaged and had to file a claim. |
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | 500 shipments! There is only one OMA!! |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Wayda Minute, Dave...
I don't think that I have 500 Shipments under my belt.
What about Alpep, StandingOvation, and the long-lost Trader Jim.
I only have 142 eBay sales, and not all of them were guitars.
There have been a few OFC transactions, but not that many.
Even counting shipping in both directions (coming and going) I haven't reached 500.
But as far as US Mail shipping goes, I have only sent one guitar by USPS.
That was a BC Rich Bich that I sent to Hawaii by Priority Mail.
(It had to get there in time for a Birthday Present)
I have received a few guitars by USPS... And I fret about it the whole trip.
But! If I buy something and the Seller chooses to send it by mail, it is the Seller's responsibility if it gets destroyed.
Although I would be quite sad if a good vintage guitar got destroyed in the mail. 
Edited by Old Man Arthur 2015-08-23 3:49 AM
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | I have had some terrible luck shipping with all of them. Then again, those problems were in the Winter, and the "Crack Curse" reigned. Tony was so very nice, and held mine until Spring was well underway before shipping them to me, and they all arrived safe and sound (and GORGEOUS!).
When I ship, I usually use USPS, but pay the extra for the 2 Day shipping. The larger boxes are shipped by plane, instead of bumping all over the US by Truck, and being thrown on, and off, at every Shipping Center.
I ask the people that I buy from now, if they will let me pay the extra shipping and use the 2 Day. Like Arthur said, it would be a crime to damage these vintage guitars, and when you find one in Excellent shape, you want it to arrive in Excellent shape! It is worth the $20 or so extra for them to arrive fast and sound to me.  |
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Location: NJ | I do more than 500 shipments a year.... |
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Posts: 190
Location: SW Mintsoda | Well, some of you were right; there's been no change in the shipping status since around last Thursday when it hit New Jersey...
So it's potluck on when it's going to show up...I don't know if the USPS will just leave it on the porch (very dangerous, as I live on a very visible corner across the street from an elementary school) or if they will just leave a tag and expect me to come to the post office to pick it up (much better). |
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Location: Jet City | I was in the parking garage of a building Saturday while a USPS mail truck was in there. Couldn't see the driver, all I could see were parcels flying out of the back of the truck on to the ground, a good 8 to 10 feet from his release point. I didn't see any guitars, but there were some decent sized parcels being treated with the same total disregard.
Edited by Damon67 2015-08-24 10:50 AM
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Location: SW Mintsoda | GULP! And these people (some of them total morons) supposedly work for us, the American people!
Thanks to the individual who clued me in to getting more information from USPS ... I signed up for e-mail updates; we'll see how they do with that.
Today's mail came - no guitar yet (but I wasn't expecting it to arrive yet today). |
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Location: Jet City | Many of the folks I see these days seem a cut below what used to be par for a postal service person. They even farm their fleet out to deliver Amazon order on the weekends now.
It's odd seeing the driver of a USPS truck wearing shorts, flops, and a tie-dye.
Where's that good ol' Cliff Clavin-esque pride of days gone by? |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | damon67 - 2015-08-24 12:25 PM
It's odd seeing the driver of a USPS truck wearing shorts, flops, and a tie-dye.
Where's that good ol' Cliff Clavin-esque pride of days gone by?
There is a "mailman" who walks by my corner daily around 5:30 when the Post Office closes...
I thought the dude was living under a bridge and just found a US Mail shirt and shorts in a Free Box.
Nope, he works IN the post office. Scary
BTW-- After talking bad and making jokes about UPS for a long time... I now use UPS.
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Location: sitting at my computer | arthurseery - I thought the dude was living under a bridge and just found a US Mail shirt and shorts in a Free Box. Nope, he works IN the post office. Scary c'mon, didn't ya see "Men In Black 2"??  Postal aliens |
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Location: New Hartford CT | Guitars - always use upgraded shipping method, most 2nd day options offer less chance of something bad happening. If it's being shipped, deal with a reputable, experienced seller. I've bought a few guitars from OFC members who all used 2nd day shipping and knew how to pack and label a guitar...so that it doesn't end up being tossed out the back of a '78 Ford Econline van with obligatory dude in flip flops who doesn't give a rat's a**. |
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Location: SW Mintsoda | Well, silly me - I ASSUMED the seller would ship the guitar with more care. But even the insurance for the guitar (listed when I received an e-mail update) is around $250 LESS than what I paid for the guitar! He may find it hard to keep his high e-bay rating if I have anything to say about it... |
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Location: SW Mintsoda | The tracking is actually working...I got an e-mail this morning that said the guitar arrived at the USPS Destination Facility in Des Moines at 5:50 am.
I'm in Omaha, which means if USPS was like UPS/FedEx, it would be delivered to me tomorrow...but since it's the USPS, more likely Thursday or Friday. Actually either of those days would be better for me...
...I can't help but keep picturing it being thrown off of trucks, though...thankfully, this one is in a case...
Edited by 360Ovation 2015-08-25 8:24 AM
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| Just shipped a 19 pound $2200.00 insured guitar with case on Friday morning: FedEx Ground = 80.00 arrives Wednesday / UPS = 120.00 arrives Thursday / USPS = 140.00 arrives Monday. UPS and USPS shipping fees weren't to bad, it was the insurance that was ridiculous. FedEx got my business. I've used FedEx before for guitars, car wheels, cabinets but generally use USPS for smalls. UPS is generally too expensive for me.
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USPS shipping ... what's your experience?